tmpgenc dvd author - hit or miss on .m2v video added to dvd

[godfeast]

I'm not sure how much/little info will be needed to help with this, so I'll cover the whole process I use and hope i dont leave anything out thats relevant.

The problem is:

When adding files to a dvd project with TMPGENC DVD AUTHOR (.m2v with seperate .ac3 audio), I go to the ADD CLIP window and I only see a black screen in the preview box sometimes.

If I got to the edit window it shows the file as black as well with basicaly no video ( this is before I even try to add sound).

I could think this was a problem with my settings or whatnot, but it only does it to roughly 3/4 of the files i am using - all of which are basicaly the same when it comes to source footage and were all edited/encoded through the same process.

That process being:

1.start with basic .avi file from a tv show source. GSPOT shows stats to beroughly same for all files I am using):

a. codec divx 5.0
b. runtime 11:32 512x384 (1.33:1) [=4:3]
c. bitrate 959 kb/s , FPS 23.984, QF 0.203 bits/pixel
d. size 87.5 M

2. I run it through NANODUB to remove an uncompressed wave file and then convert that to ac3 with FFMEGGUI.

3. I convert the video only with TMPGENC PLUS to mpeg 2 (.m2v) video without sound. At this point I encoded it to fullscreen:keep aspect ratio but raised the video setting for size to 720x480 4:3 display ( not sure if this is correct or causing issues - sortof hit or miss).

4. I then "try" to use TMPGENC DVD AUTHOR to combine the audio+video onto a dvd and burn, but thats where this issue is cropping up.

I am not sure what will happen if i go ahead and try to burn this as is, since its obviously an error and I dont want to waste my dvd's if I can help it.

Any suggestions on a fix/work around, or can you point out any blaring errors I seem to have made in my ecnoding methods?

[marshalljames]

3. I convert the video only with TMPGENC PLUS to mpeg 2 (.m2v) video without sound. At this point I encoded it to fullscreen:keep aspect ratio but raised the video setting for size to 720x480 4:3 display ( not sure if this is correct or causing issues - sortof hit or miss).


Why not use this program to also add the sound(Mpeg Tools/Simple Multi-plex)then you will be adding a full mpeg2 to TmpegDVDAuthor.
For mpeg1 TMPGEnc is Ok but for Mpeg2 it sucks(there must be a better more relable Enc than this,Anyone?)

[godfeast]

I appreciate your observation, but that really doesnt address the issue.

btw, sound isnt added in tmpgenc plus because it does a very bad job with sound, hence the workaround of putting it together in the authoring software.

[johns0]

Have you actually authored and tested the files with powerdvd or windvd,have you tried watching the files after you encoded them?

[godfeast]

Have you actually authored and tested the files with powerdvd or windvd,have you tried watching the files after you encoded them?

as stated above:

I am not sure what will happen if i go ahead and try to burn this as is, since its obviously an error and I dont want to waste my dvd's if I can help it.

I would like to correct the issue now, rather then shove through and hope it comes out in the wash; if this isnt fixed here, then I cant use thumbnail previews for my menus ( or even set a menu up correctly) or add chapter marks to it so peeps can ff or rw my videos.

[godfeast]

I hate to bump this, but I take it no one else has run into this problem or knows the cure?

If this is something thats obvious, could someone please post a link to the appropriate guide/site with the information I could use on it?

I'd hate to think that I'm just making a noobe error and dont realise it.

[schematic2]

I then "try" to use TMPGENC DVD AUTHOR to combine the audio+video onto a dvd and burn, but thats where this issue is cropping up
[/quote]
Seems to me I ran into a similiar problem. Check to see if you have "closed gop" selected when you are converting

[jimmalenko]

Have you actually authored and tested the files with powerdvd or windvd,have you tried watching the files after you encoded them?

as stated above:

I am not sure what will happen if i go ahead and try to burn this as is, since its obviously an error and I dont want to waste my dvd's if I can help it.

I would like to correct the issue now, rather then shove through and hope it comes out in the wash; if this isnt fixed here, then I cant use thumbnail previews for my menus ( or even set a menu up correctly) or add chapter marks to it so peeps can ff or rw my videos.

I have plenty of authored discs that only have a black frame in the preview box and it is because the first frame in the movie is black !
All you have to do is double-click on each thumbnail and you can move through the movie to select a frame.

Also Dude, the poster never said to burn it. Author it into DVD file structure on your HD. Preview it using PowerDVD or WinDVD. You will not waste any precious DVDRs this way and it will give you the best preview of how the disc is going to turn out. If it isn't right, then try something else.

[godfeast]

Actualy all I get is one short black blank file in the editing preview - it is not just the first frame; i wouldve caught that one. I went ahead and tried to burn one before I read this post and ended up with garbage - wouldnt even run in my cpu dvd player.


I am checking on the gop structure, but the settings I used are directly off the guide here for "quality fast tmpegnc settings", but maybe I missed something or it might be because Tmpgenc is changing some of my settings on me after i load files, so I'll go through and see if thats the issue during encoding.

[northcat_8]

You don't need to burn the disc...write the files to the hard drive and play the folder using PowerDVD or WinDVD...or have TDA write an ISO and load it up in Daemon Tools....no since in making coasters.


Just another thought but:

TMPGEnc DVD Author System requirements:

PC - IBM PC compatible
OS - Windows2000 or WindowsXP
CPU - PentiumIII 800MHz and above (CPU Pentium4 recommended)
RAM - 256M (512MB and above recommended)
Free HDD space - 20MB for the program (5GB and above for the video file)
Screen resolution - 1024×768 and above
HDD format - NTFS

Your system specs are right on the line. I'm not familiar with your video card but sometimes lack of a preview is a result of not enough memory or too slow of a video card.