TMPGenc AVI to DVD

[willshakespeare]

I am using WinDVD Creator at the moment (see my other post), but mainly because I tried one of the step by steps to use DVD-lab. So, anyway, I demuxed in TMPGenc, and was given a 3.5GB m2v file and a 1GB wav file. Perfect for my 4.7GB DVD+RW.

I double-clicked each of these files, and one is video, plays great. The other is the sound-track, whcih also plays clear and well.

I then imported these into DVD-lab.

I followed the steps to the letter, and made sure all the check-marks were set, and the m2v and wav fiels are definitely added (you can see them on the window). The Checkbox that talks about making sure the audio is included was checked by default, and I did not change this.

I then created a menu, and the word "Play", just to test this product.

This created two folders on my C-Drive: Video_TS and Audio_TS.

The Audio_TS folder is empty!

In case that didn't matter, I wrote the DVD anyway, and as I suspected, the video plays perfectly... with no audio!

What have i done wrong??

I double-checked and followe dthe process again... still no joy. I still have the working m2v and wav files. Maybe there is a better authoring tool than DVD-lab?

I am currently playing with WinDVD Creator 2 (see my other post), but am having difficulty with the avi file having elongated pixels, or something like that.

Can anyone help?

Will

[Caple]

The Checkbox that talks about making sure the audio is included was checked by default, and I did not change this.

I don't remember this option, but maybe it means that the audio is included on the video file, wich is not. Try unchecking it.

The Audio_TS folder is empty!

Absolutely normal

[willshakespeare]

If you look at this picture:

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/images/guides/220092/compile.jpg

It is from reboot's tutorial for DVD-lab beginners:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=220092

The checkbox in question is:
"Force audio for all movies"

So... the Audio_TS folder should be empty? hmmm... maybe it is a different problem?

I notice on reboot's tutorial he talks about an mpa file... but I am using a wav file. Would this make a difference?

Does anyone have a decent step by step for DVD-lab that uses m2v and wav?

Will

[gwoiler]

The AUDIO_TS folder is always empty. I always leave the "Force Audio" checked... never unchecked it and all is well. Sometimes though, when demuxing in TMPG and then re-authoring, the sound gets slightly out of sync. So I don't use TMPG for that anymore. Shrink works well.

[thegeeman]

DVD-Lab can be aimed more at the enthusiast and at times can be quite a complicated program to use.

I would suggest you use TMPGenc DVD Author (TDA)-excellent for beginners upwards. Since you only want a single menu with a 'Play' button then TDA is ideal. I am sure many people on this forum will agree.

It will allow you to input separate video and audio streams.

P.s. AUDIO_TS folder is always empty. The VIDEO_TS folder contains all the information-do not worry that the audio folder is empty.

I hope this was of some help.

[ungamunga]

The AUDIO_TS folder is where DVD-audio format files are stored, IIRC. On a normal DVD-video disk, it should be present but completely empty.

The audio streams of a DVD-video are stored within the .VOB files in the VIDEO_TS folder. The entire DVD-video info is stored as .VOB, .IFO and .BUP files in the VIDEO_TS directory.

The .VOB files are multiplexed containers that hold MPEG2 video, audio (PCM, AC3, MP2, or DTS) and subpicture (usually subtitles) info. IFO files are info files that structure DVD navigation, colour the subtitles and stuff like that. BUP files are backup IFO files.

If your DVD authoring had gone right, the audio would be have been muxed into your VOB files along with the video.

Since I don't use DVD-lab, I can't help you with the specifics.

[willshakespeare]

Thanks all

I have learned abit, certainly, and will likely try out TMPGenc DVD Author.

I am currently in DVD-lab at the moment, trying again!

I have added the video and audio file. Now, I notice a particular lack of mentioning wav files in all of your posts... might this be the problem? might I need to transcode the wav to mpa or something?

I have been all over the DVD-lab interface, and all looks as it should...

it is muxing as I type, though my current understanding of muxing is interleaving audio and video... is that not right?

If anyone has DVD-lab experience out there, to save me time, I wonder if the preview pane should copntain audio if all is well. When I play in the preview, only the video plays.

Thanks in advance!

Will

[gwoiler]

Audio is just fine in a wav file unless your data rates are really high, in which case you would want to change it to an AC3 file. mpa is OK if you don't live in the USA because it is not standard on older machines like it is on PAL. I personally never use .wav for audio. My video editor encodes a dolby AC3 file as the MPEG2 file is made. You can get a free encoder. I found mine in here... its called AC3 Encoder I think...

[ungamunga]

ffmpeg also does a good job at encoding AC3 audio. That's what I use to convert .wav files to .ac3 format. It's a command line proggie, but if you prefer GUI there are plenty of front ends for it online.

Properly encoded .wav files (48kHz, not sure what the recommended bitrate is since I never use PCM) should work fine. They just use up a lot of space on the DVD.

AC3 audio should be 48kHz with a birate around 224 or more kbps (to keep good quality). I like 384kbps but I'm kind of fussy about audio.

[gwoiler]

Wow... 224 and up.... I always use a bitrate of 192 for stereo .AC3 and it sounds like a CD... and I am picky too! I read somewhere that 192 was about lossless.

[FulciLives]

Most commercial DVD releases use 192kbps AC-3 for 2.0 tracks (which can be mono, stereo or dolby stereo surround).

The consumer grade stand alone DVD recorders almost always use 256kbps for 2.0 AC-3 and that does seem to be a very good setting. More is usually overkill though some claim 384kbps for 2.0 AC-3 is best if it is a heavy music piece like a concert or muscial etc.

In my captures I always use 256kbps

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ungamunga]

I guess I like overkill then.

[zworg2]

Just one little thing (that may be your problem) that i learnt the hard way....

The audio needs to be at 48kHz.

My first attempt i used a WAV file at 44.1kHz and it failed!

If you having problems Goldwave is good for resampling.

[willshakespeare]

Wow! Thanks all!

I have had some success. Just few things:

The audio was 48Khz, so no probs there.
324 kbps seems to be the default in DVD-lab, so I had to delve ito the "expert" settings to change this...

Anyway, I managed to recreate the VIDEO_TS, and AUDIO_TS folders, and then burned the DVD using DVD-lab... and I had both video and audio!!
However, after 5 minutes, there was some choppiness, and this got progressively worse. Where a scene freezes, and then 10 seconds later, it jumps to a part 20 seconds later... well, you all have experience so probably know what I mean.

However, I did burn an episode of Alias from the TV onto VCD through Nero so we could watch it all together (the family, that is) and after 5 minutes or so... again choppiness, though it only lasted a few minutes, and the rest of the CD was fine. The DVD was that way for about 30 minutes until I gave up trying to watch it.

I did think that it might be my DVD player, or maybe the discs themselves. The DVD is a DVD+RW that has been written a few times while I experimented. The CD, however, was a DataSafe CD-R fresh from a stack of 50 just opened last week.

Anyway, before we watched Alias, I installed DVD Author, and started that creating the DVD. It has a similar feel as WinDVD Creator, but you have more control over the menus in WinDVD Creator, for example, you can add audio to the main menu in WinDVD Creator, but I couldn't do this in DVD Author. DVD Author did have a better selection of defaults, and layout templates, though, but I couldn't start from scratch to build my own simple menu.

Annoying, as both DVD-lab and WinDVD Creator allow at least the basic manual menu creation of placing a Play button anywhere on the screen, adding just a single background image, and an audio track.

Anyway, to stop rambling... It worked! I now have a working DVD, without choppiness, thanks to DVD AUthor. But the problem is that I really would like to have more control over the menus... But that's another post!

Thanks all for your help!

[FulciLives]

TMPGEnc DVD Author is a bit simplistic for some but the program works extremely well and is much more stable than DVD-Lab which can cause all kinds of issues depending on how your video/audio files were created.

Just accept the menu design in TMPGEnc DVD Author and don't worry about it ... in the end you get a product that works well and is simple and easy to use with DVD discs that work.

For the record I use TMPGEnc DVD Author to create a ISO IMAGE FILE but then I burn using DVD Decrypter. That has never failed me.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[willshakespeare]

Ahhhh (sound of relief!)

Finally!

I've cracked it! Though I managed to break TMPGenc encoder in the proces... It doesn't seem to be able to get audio from an avi file...

Anyway, I didscovered a few things!

1. If you take the audio out of the avi using VDub to make a wav, and then use TMPGenc to bring the avi and wav together into an m2v and mp2 file... it works!

2. If you add you avi files to WinDVD, and then click Tools -> Output to File, you can encode the avi to mpeg-2 without needing further plug-ins, etc., and you can add many, many avi's (first 8 of Alias season 2 from TV, for example) to one mpeg file, then split the eps into Chapters when you author...

3. The resulting mpeg files from WinDVD do not "Squash" like if using avi directly (see my other posting).

4. I can use either DVD Author or WinDVD Creator to make great looking menus, though only WinDVD Creator allows a music file to be added to the menu.

5. Either way, I can create a 3 hours long DVD in approximately 4 hours from avi files to finished DVD with animated menus and everything, with just WInDVD Creator, which means I don't need any illegal software because WinDVD Creator came iwth my motherboard, and is therefore legal!! Fantastic!!

Well, thanks for all your help! You have all given me stuff to think about along the way!

There does seem to be a lack of WinDVD Creator 2 information in the How To areas, and in the forums... so to give back, I will produce a simple tutorial on it... if anyone is interested?

Take it easy all! And thanks!

Will S

[zworg2]

There does seem to be a lack of WinDVD Creator 2 information in the How To areas, and in the forums... so to give back, I will produce a simple tutorial on it... if anyone is interested?

Please do.

While i personally will nt use it, I am sure that the admins (ie Baldrick) would be grateful for a guide if there isnt one already, and anyone else who then wants one can use yours!!

go for it.

and glad u solved it!