Ulead MF --> insufficient diskspace problem

[HC_Daedalus]

hi everyone.
I've got a .avi videofile of over 1 hour and 40 minutes. so i converted it with tmpgenc. i chose to convert it to DVD-format. after the conversion i got 2 files. a .m2v-file and another one that i don't remember (containing the sound propably). i tried to write it with ulead moviefactory. The first time i only did ADD video. on the bottom of the screen it said it would take about 3 gigabyte of space on the dvd-rw with a bitrate of 8000 kbps. and maximum resolution. so i wrote the file. when i tried to play it on my stand-alone dvd-player i didn't get any sound. so i thought i forgot the sound. i tried again using MF2. this time i also did REPLACE AUDIO. and i replaced it with the second file (which tmpenc created). now it took a lot more space on the disk. on 8000 kbps it would take 6.0 GB. so i lowered the bitrate. now it said, when i tried to write the dvd. insufficient diskspace. i've tried lowering the bitrate to 3500 kbps. the program showed it would take only 3.0 gigabyte of diskspace WITH the custom menu i created. still it said that there was insufficient diskspace on the dvd-r even though there is 4.4 GB diskspace.
does anyone know what i'm doing wrong????

if you need anymore info that i forgot to post, plz ask?

[ADS Ivan]

Did you compress your audio to MPEG or is it PCM (uncompressed)?

Uncompressed audio takes up a ton of space, but is more compatible with older DVD players...

[HC_Daedalus]

isn't it clear in the info i gave?
anyway: i got files out of the conversion (as i already said). together the files took about 4.5 gigabyte of HD-space. i made them with tmpgenc. doesn't tmpgenc only make MPEG. or is it also possible to create PCM with this program. i don't know if it is mpeg or pcm (i'm kind of a n00b ) but can't you make it out by the information i provided???

[ADS Ivan]

TMPGEnc does both LPCM and MPEG audio. To choose, select the "Audio" tab in the MPEG settings menu. Then select the "stream type"...

[FulciLives]

Hello

OK it sounds like you got two problems here.

1.) The video and audio files made in TMPGEnc are too big for a DVD if the total size is 4.5GB since a DVD only holds 4.3GB

2.) If you are using TMPGEnc then you do NOT want MF2 to re-encode the file which is what you are trying to do (well maybe not trying to on purpose but that is what you are doing).

So you have two options at this point.

1.) Screw the video and audio file you made with TMPGEnc and just load the original AVI file into MF2 since it should be able to re-encode it to DVD by itself. Just make sure you pick a setting that creates a file size that will fit. This is somewhat hit or miss though so it is better to be underguess or in other words keep the bitrate on the low end of any calculations you make.

2.) Screw the video and audio file you made with TMPGEnc and start from scratch by doing it OVER again by feeding the AVI through TMPGEnc but this time pick a lower bitrate setting. If you use the WIZARD mode it will give you an estimate of how much space it will take on the DVD so make sure you stay a wee bit under the max (it is in percentage of capacity so to be safe keep it close but not more than 96% or so). Also you should let TMPGEnc make a single mpeg file (filename.mpg) rather than a seperate video and audio file. This applies since you are using MF2 which seems to work better that way (as opposed to feeding it a seperate video and audio file).

If you encode the file correctly with TMPGEnc then MF2 will not try to re-encode the file (make sure you have the option checked that says something like, "do not re-encode complaint DVD files").

Listen, either way, you will have to re-encode it as it is too big for the DVD at 4.5GB so you might as well go back to the original AVI file and either let MF2 do it or re-do it in TMPGEnc. If you do it correctly with TMPGEnc you will probably get slightly better quality.

No use in feeding the already made TMPGEnc file into MF2 because it will just want to re-encode it and then you got a double re-encoding (original avi through TMPGEnc and then again through MF2).

One last thing ... as I mentioned above I heard that MF2 works much better with a regular mpeg (filename.mpg) file. This type of file includes the video and the audio. You can combine the two files TMPGEnc already made into a single mpeg file using the MPEG TOOLS section in TMPGEnc but again no use since the file is too big. Sorry but you need to do it again.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

*** EDIT ***
OK just wanted to make some things more clear.

When I say MF2 above I am of course talking about Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 but there is an SE version which is not the same as MF2 in that MF2 has more options than the SE version (or the version that JUST says MovieFactory). I've only used the full MF2 version so I don't know the difference between the two. Last time I checked the full version of MF2 was only about $50.00 US Dollars.

Try and use MP2 audio (mpeg Layer 2) as this will take up less space on the DVD but still sound very good. If you want you can try taking the audio from the original AVI (probably a WAV extraction using VirtualDub or Nandub) and encode it into an AC-3 file using BeSweet. This will make the DVD more compliant since there are a few (very few mind you) stand alone DVD players that can't play a DVD disc with just MP2 audio. If you go the AC-3 route make sure you mux it with the video (using TMPGEnc) so that you have a single mpeg file. MF2 will give you can error saying it doesn't support AC-3 but just ignore it. As long as you don't do any cutting or editing in MF2 it will pass the AC-3 audio just fine to the final DVD although you will have no audio in MF2 wihle doing a preview. Again as long as you just use MF2 to make a menu and chapters and a chapter menu etc. no problem with AC-3 audio.

[darkstar127]

HC_Daedalus -

You didn't say what the source of the AVI file was. I use this as my determination for the proper bitrate setting for my DVD or SVCD files.

IF the source files are VHS tapes, it doesn't make sense to encode the AVI at 8000 KBPS. In this instance, you would want to encode the video at 2150 KBPS or higher. Your encoding bitrate is also determined by the content of the video. I did a VHS to DVD transfer of a football game that was taped. The High Motion from the players made it impossible to encode at this low a bitrate so I had to pump it up higher at 3000 KBPS and split to two DVD's.

I have quite a bit of experience with different programs that encode to MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 and authoring software. In many cases, you can determine for yourself the bitrate you will use at the front. In other cases, the default is higher (such as 8000 KBPS for Ulead or DVD Architect) and requires you to adjust it based on the source avi and contents at the back end. In almost all software, there are controls for this although some are more obvious and others you have to hunt for it.

In all software they will take either the .mpg file or split elementary streams of .m2v / .mp2 (video / audio). If your author software won't take one, then try the other way. SpruceUP is a program I often use for single movie no menu DVD's. Its simple for me to import the files. However its little quirk is that both streams of the file must be named the same otherwise it won't import both. You can also Mux you files or Demux them as necessary. Muxing the files is taking the two elementary streams and combining them into the .mpg file. Demuxing is the opposite, splitting into their respective video / audio files. tmpgenc does this very well. This is good for editing one or the other streams without effecting other attributes.

In any case, you need to figure out your source AVI. Encode it in tmpgenc to the size you want then import into the software you want to use. For DVD authoring I use DVD Architect by Sonic Foundry. I also use SpruceUP. I've used Ulead Moviefactory for SVCD and VCD but not DVD stuff. [/quote]

[HC_Daedalus]

ok, i think i'll be able to do it now. thx alot for the help all of you.

[Specialist]

I would echo the comments made by FuliLives.

However, I was surprised to read that the non SE, "full" version of Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 was able to accept AC-3 audio.

The SE version of Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 that ships with version 7.0 of Ulead MediaStudio Pro *does* support AC-3 audio.

Very interesting.

Thanks for the information.

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net