Folder of Avi's want to make a dvd?

[bLuE_71]

I've got the full season of the family guy i downloaded as avi files in one folder how do I go about making this ready to burn as a dvd? Any help I would be grateful for.

[galactica]

look to my website

[bLuE_71]

Alright but thats kinda of confusing since the folder I have has 21 seperate video's I'M CONFUSED lol.

[galactica]

use ffmpegx to combine those 21 .avi;s into one large .avi
then your good to go
make since?!

JOIN is under TOOLS
1st browse for 1st .avi
2nd browse for 2nd avi
click JOIN

wait a few seconds
then
1st browse is for joined .avi file
2nd file is for 3rd .avi file

and so on and so forth

[bLuE_71]

Thanks!

[bLuE_71]

Is there anything else I can use besides mpeg2 works because I don't have the 10 to spare to use it?!

[galactica]

like the $$ to register it

if you can dig around for the 1st version I think it works with no serial
i could be wrong though

essentially anything that does encoding will work
ffmpegx for example, its just more difficult to set up than click choose file and click to start

[pfctid]

Sorry to be pedantic but your site doesnt have a AVI to VCD section - your tutorials look very comprehensive but I like the original poster am looking to create VCD from AVI. Have posted on FFMPEGX forum a list of queries!

[galactica]

Sorry to be pedantic but your site doesnt have a AVI to VCD section - your tutorials look very comprehensive but I like the original poster am looking to create VCD from AVI. Have posted on FFMPEGX forum a list of queries!

you are right!
its rather easy however and there are a number of ways you can do it

using mpeg2 works, click VCD then choose either NTSC VCD or PAL VCD then process the divx file
the resulting mpeg1 file can then be packaged to a .bin/.cue with any of the vcdtools, my favorite would be vcdtoolsx

likewise you can use the toast vcd export option of quicktime, and burn the resulting mpeg1 file using toast

etc...

[pfctid]

Galatica - As you seem to know what you are talking about I have pasted my original query from the ffmpegx forum (not much actiivty there)

Any thoughts - aside from the ffmpegx bits - apologies but am new to macs - would it be easier to run PC software on virtual pc?

Original Post:

So have a number of queries that I would appreciate a view on!

1. How can I determine the origin of the source file (AVI) i.e PAL etc.? There is a programme callled G-SPOT but this appears to be exclusively a Windows based programme.

1.(a) Re: The above - or can I just select "Unspecified" in the frame rate on the VIDEO options for FFmpegx ?

2. Using FFMPEGX - appears to create 2 files - Video and Sound after the lengthy encoding process - when exporting these to TOAST Version 6 - why does TOAST start to encode again? Surely if they are encoded files this is unecessary.

3. Using a post from this forum by WIZEMAN - some very user friendly instructions for FFMPEGX which I followed to the letter however when it comes to CHAPTER 3 - MPEG 1/4 I get completely lost it asks me to click buttons and select options I simply don't have i.e HIGH QUALITY option - for the record my FFMPEGX has VIDEO, AUDIO, FILTERS, OPTIONS and TOOLS but no MPEG 1/4.


4. My early attempts have produced a) VCD - that DVD players reads but no Video or Sound just recognition that there is a 43 minute file. b) VCD that plays good video but the sound sounds like it was recorded in a bath tub! Presumably this is relatively easy to fix changing mp2 file bitrate etc? and a VCD that worked brilliantly although this was from a MPEG source file.

5. Dowloading AVI files - some I can play automatically in Q player (PRO) however some I have to use VLC - why is this?

6. Am I taking the best route - FFMPEGX then TOAST?

7. Should I give up as have seem some posts saying that MAC OS X simply can't do this?

Hope this makes some sense and thanks again in advance.

Richard.

[galactica]

Galatica - As you seem to know what you are talking about I have pasted my original query from the ffmpegx forum (not much actiivty there)

Any thoughts - aside from the ffmpegx bits - apologies but am new to macs - would it be easier to run PC software on virtual pc?

BLAH! why?! your mac can do this with no problems!

Original Post:

So have a number of queries that I would appreciate a view on!

1. How can I determine the origin of the source file (AVI) i.e PAL etc.? There is a programme callled G-SPOT but this appears to be exclusively a Windows based programme.

Not exactly sure what you mean by this?! Does it make a differnece?
You can get info on the .avi by loading it into VLC and pressing command I this pulls up a window where you can get info on the Video Stream and Audio stream.

1.(a) Re: The above - or can I just select "Unspecified" in the frame rate on the VIDEO options for FFmpegx ?

Frame rate is for a designation of NTSC or PAL. This info you should be able to see in the VLC Info section for the particular file.
When doing a conversion for the 1st time its best to do a test chunck rather than the whole movie. split the .avi up into a few pieces and run one of the pieces though. when you find a setting type you like then use that to process the entire file

2. Using FFMPEGX - appears to create 2 files - Video and Sound after the lengthy encoding process - when exporting these to TOAST Version 6 - why does TOAST start to encode again? Surely if they are encoded files this is unecessary.

This depends on the settings you have designated with ffmpegx. for VCD it can produce a video and sound file which you will then have to mux together and image into .bin/.cue files your self!
If you go to TOOLS then POST PROCESSING you should ensure that AUTHOR AS VCD is checked and SPLIT INTO x chuncks where you split the file into however many VCD disks you want (2 or 3 is typical)

3. Using a post from this forum by WIZEMAN - some very user friendly instructions for FFMPEGX which I followed to the letter however when it comes to CHAPTER 3 - MPEG 1/4 I get completely lost it asks me to click buttons and select options I simply don't have i.e HIGH QUALITY option - for the record my FFMPEGX has VIDEO, AUDIO, FILTERS, OPTIONS and TOOLS but no MPEG 1/4.

which version of ffmpegx are you using. sometimes tutorials are written for older ones where buttons are moved or removed. If you Load up the VCD under QUICK PRESETS your settings should be 90% accurate, you will just have to determine things like how much do you want the files to be split, what bit rate do you want etc etc.

4. My early attempts have produced a) VCD - that DVD players reads but no Video or Sound just recognition that there is a 43 minute file. b) VCD that plays good video but the sound sounds like it was recorded in a bath tub! Presumably this is relatively easy to fix changing mp2 file bitrate etc? and a VCD that worked brilliantly although this was from a MPEG source file.

trick is you have to set ffmpegx properly, otherwise the output wont work! always preview your output with VLC or MPLAYEROSX to ensure it plays properly before burning

5. Dowloading AVI files - some I can play automatically in Q player (PRO) however some I have to use VLC - why is this?

.avi uses a codex that quicktime doesnt understand natively. You have to ensure that all the proper divx codex's are installed and even still some have to be "doctored" inorder to play in quicktime. VLC is great in that you realize you dont have to do anything to the file for it to play. That doesnt mean anything is wrong with the file, actually it shows you its good!

6. Am I taking the best route - FFMPEGX then TOAST?

depends. as you can see its not the easiest in the world. IF you have toast 6 it can do all this for you by clicking VIDEO, choosing VCD and noting PAL or NTSC. you woudl do all this INSTEAD of FFMPEGX since toast does the work for you. If you have never done this before, try it and save the file to disk image rather than burnign it to a disk. that way you can see what happens and if the file plays.

This is where i say that there are LOTS of ways to go about this process. The reason i like mpeg2works is you just click VCD/PAL or VCD/NTSC and choose the .avi and it does all the thinking for you. You get a .mpeg file that just needs to be split and packaged into a .bin/.cue which takes literally maybe 5 min

7. Should I give up as have seem some posts saying that MAC OS X simply can't do this?

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! where... if so point them to me so i can delete them!

Hope this makes some sense and thanks again in advance.

Richard.

hopefully you will see that macs can do this, and its a rather simple process when done properly. I use to do divx to vcd/svcd all the time before i got a dvd burner

thats why my website has the tutorials up, for processes that can and have been done!
i didnt include a divx to svcd because my tutorials all have DVD in them somewhere. Divx to VCD doesnt include dvd so I dont have a tutorial on it.

[pfctid]

and just to corrcect myself! the original poster looking to create DVD from AVI whereas I'm looking to create VCD

[galactica]

ok i think the 1st poster is set its already been explained how to do that

[pfctid]

Thanks for your efforts in responding - am very close to achieving the finished product! Will let you know how I get on.

Thanks again.

Richard.

[pfctid]

Right,

Using TOAST 6 as an application that is supposed "to do it for you" has produced VCD's that register i.e time , name etc on menu screen however when you push play on DVD you just get a blank screen that plays for the alloted time.

Have gone down the FFmpegx as Toast 6 gets a mixed review in these formus - some say should downgrade to earlier version.

So I have used FFMpegx to create a m1.v and mp2 file - same both work independently of each other fine. Tried drag and drop into Toast where it encoded again! Cant see why it encodes encoded files - the result video ok - sound awful.

So I need to go down bin/cue route? Sorry but am now too tired to learn yet another skill! This is not a simple proces at all and I know I'm not the only one as there are hundreds of posts from verious people on this topic who have literally given up! It's looking like Virtual PC for me as that process on Nero etc is supposed to be very simple. Unless this bin cue thing is simple?

[galactica]

DUDE you are so close, hope you still have those files!!!!!!

do the following

1. open ffmpegx
2. click TOOLS
3. under VIDEO TOOLS use the 1st browse to select the .m1v
use the 2nd browse to select the .mp2
4. Set mux as to VCD
5. click MUX AS...

you will now get a mpeg file that has both audio and video together.
Depending on its size you need to break it into pieces
VCD disks can hold 795 megs of mpeg per 700 meg cd

Use mpgtxwrap to split this file into chuncks of 795megs
1. Open the app
2. brose for your .mpeg you just made
3. Check SPLIT ACCORDING TO FOLLOWING RANGES
4. [-795M] type that in
5. click SPLIT
you will get a chunk.mpeg that is 795 megs rename this to part1.mpeg
6. Now reload the origional .mpeg
7.[795M-] use this to split the rest off after the 795 meg mark
8. click SPLIT
9. find that one named chunk.mpeg and rename it part2.mpeg

(this is assumign your file is around 1400-1500 megs)

once this is done
Open VCDTOOLSX
click VCDIMAGER
set your path to part1.mpeg
choose a save as location
set options to VCD 1.0
click start. you now get a part1.bin/.cue

repeat for other part (part2.bin/.cue shoudl result)

now these are ready to burn
use toast or MMB or Firestarter FX

sound like a lot, but seriously it can be done all within 10 min!

ffmpegx should have done all this for you if you had post processing tools on, but apparently it was not set so you have to do it by hand

keep me posted

[pfctid]

OK - update! and low and behold still problems!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. vcdtoolsx - no longer available to download although just found a copy on acquisition although the only person on the gnutella network who has is seems to be on a 1k dial up so it's taking an age (I'm on cable). Have used VCD builder - selected output to bin/cue - and that bit works fine producing 2 files 1 bin and 1 cue.

2. OK click on the VCD builder burn button (which says "Burn to Toast - wayhey I think this is easy!) Toast then says "file.bin is an unknown format and can't be imported" - am now going to try 1 of the other programmes you suggested as I am now of the conclusion that Toast is not that reliable!

[pfctid]

OK just to add fun to a long saturday!

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19058&mode=feedback&vid=108322

interesting comments on there including several people saying that Toast does not support bin/cue files. If I had paid $99 I would have been annoyed but thank god for acquisition!

So have downloaded firestarter which looks good enough so off I go ready to burn select the bin file and whack the cue file automatically attaches as well - ok thats it press burn and I have a working VCD! Oh sorry that is in my dreams! why would it work? nothing else does! No the end result is:

Error - Power calibration failure - above the progress bar. Have tried both CD-r and CD-rw but ot no avail. Going to use the old method of turning off system (to give me and it a break) and then reboot and try again!

[pfctid]

Seems I'm not the only one! Glad I'm not going mad:

http://forums.3ivx.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/post.cgi?action=replyquote&forum=12&topic=521&postno=9

So am now going to try MMB.

Interesting in that forum that someone reckons Toast can handle bin/cue files mine certainly doesnt!

[pfctid]

Edited Double Post comments away

[galactica]

Download VCDTOOLSX Here

I am telling you to use this app. its the best in my opinion

Please answer the following questions for me

1. what version of toast are you using
2. do the .bin files play in VLC (the ones you made with VCDBuilder
3. please use vcdtools and the above method and report to me if the .bin files play in VLC
4. if they do and you have Toast 6 use COPY and select bin/cue and drop the cue in

if you DONT HAVE TOAST 6 you HAVE TO USE MMB or FirestarterFX

[pfctid]

This is now a complete f****** joke!

Installed MMB - interesting layout etc but think I understand! So start the process and now being told I need to select the driver! How the **** do I know!

http://cdrdao.sourceforge.net/

aparently you have to go there to find out which one it is! How many more obstacles can there be - surely there must be enough mac users out there to warrant someone develloping software that completes these 300 for you! I mean for people like me who are IT literate but not experts! Due to the sheer amount of postings from people like me surely a gap in the market! My PC friends are laughing as I became very pro-Mac after acquiring my new powerbook now I'm not so sure! Even my most used banking/trading website isnt mac compatible - Bill Gates you have won!

[pfctid]

OK egg on my Toast!

I am using Toast Titanium! and now have a working VCD yes really!

The mistakes I made with Toast as you have correctly figured out is that I assumed I had to use the VIDEO function which is entirely logical but just not the way it works - used the copy function instead. Lot of people out there apparently making the same mistakes.

I genuinely thank you for your help and I now off to watch a VHS video just not that digitally friendly at the moment!

No doubt I'll be in touch saying what.......? in a matter of days!

[galactica]

This is now a complete f****** joke!

Installed MMB - interesting layout etc but think I understand! So start the process and now being told I need to select the driver! How the **** do I know!

http://cdrdao.sourceforge.net/

aparently you have to go there to find out which one it is! How many more obstacles can there be - surely there must be enough mac users out there to warrant someone develloping software that completes these 300 for you! I mean for people like me who are IT literate but not experts! Due to the sheer amount of postings from people like me surely a gap in the market! My PC friends are laughing as I became very pro-Mac after acquiring my new powerbook now I'm not so sure! Even my most used banking/trading website isnt mac compatible - Bill Gates you have won!

You are just having it hard because you have never done this before obviously. Once you have been through it once or twice it becomes 2nd nature

i could have several divx to vcd done by now, but thats because i have done it before.

per the driver, you should be able to select the generic driver thats built in to run your drive. In fact the one I use is generic -mmc-raw and it works with both my drives! no downloading needed

i would stay the course, you are progressing nicely.
per the banking site, you have to use Internet Explorer. Sucks yes, but its just becasue the superior Safari browser is not understood by a lot of financial sites. (i have this problem with my credit card comany and the automatic payments) but who cares, i just fire up IE and use it just for that!

[galactica]

OK egg on my Toast!

I am using Toast Titanium! and now have a working VCD yes really!

The mistakes I made with Toast as you have correctly figured out is that I assumed I had to use the VIDEO function which is entirely logical but just not the way it works - used the copy function instead. Lot of people out there apparently making the same mistakes.

Its a common mistake by newbies. No worries, you are 10x smarter than the average joe now

I genuinely thank you for your help and I now off to watch a VHS video just not that digitally friendly at the moment!

No doubt I'll be in touch saying what.......? in a matter of days!

ALL THAT WORK AND YOUR OFF TO WATCH VHS!
if anything I thought you would be watching your working VCD!

Glad you have a working VCD

In hindsight it really wasnt that hard was it?!

[pfctid]

mmmm - spoke too soon!

my 24 second (TV Clip AVI file) worked brilliantly. I then thought give it another go (Used a 45mb Music Video mpeg file) went through the stages relatively quickly only to have a VCD that is perfect picture with terrible sound (distorted and very slow) - realise going to have play with audio settings on FFMPEX but its complicated!

So I then decided before going to bed to encode a full length movie (roughly 350mb) AVI file using settings I had used for my 24sec AVI file - get up this morning and progress bar says - FAILED - cant open the Mpeg2 folder location - howver there is a mv.1 file in the designated folder with the right size etc - go to open it and it is completely black screen but it is a file? Easy enough to extract audio using ffmpegx although pointless if I have a black screen!

Now going to try splitting it into sections although not entirely sure - have seen other comments about going into the terminal and entering some pretty complex coding - what do you think on this?

Failing that might just shell out the 10 bucks on the mpeg2works proramme ( on your recommendation!)

[galactica]

crap in = crap out. if the files are no good they wont work

per the .mpeg you dont need to do ffmpegx stuff on it if its .mpeg1 it can be compiled to .bin/.cue directly

ffmpegx is a great app when it works properly. like you said there are some that can do this with one click. Its why I like it.

either way I dont really know why you are having problems like this. Downloaded files are notorious for having problems that prevent conversions so you are not the only one nothing things like this.

[bLuE_71]

Hey guys actually I still haven't figured out how to make the big avi file into a DVD yet please help me I can't use mpeg2 works because I don't have the serial and I don't have the moeny for the serial is there another alternative and how do I go about doing it?

[galactica]

ffmpegx
but it will be a learning curve for you also

if you have Toast 6 try just dropping it in the VIDEO tab as you have DVD selected. see what ya get thats the easiest if it will give you one under 4.4 gigs

[bLuE_71]

Which option in toast would I use to do that because it said something about having to encode it?