Tmpeg DVD Author 2.0 slower than 1.6 at basic editing?

[Jester700]

I'm finally checking out Tmpeg's DVD Author 2.0 for its features, even though I'm pleased with 1.6 for what I've needed it for so far. Mostly I use it for de-commercialing and reauthoring TV shows my dad recorded for me or reauthoring VHS dubs I made to my ILO DVD recorders. For my basic menuing needs and single stereo audio track, 1.6 is fine.

In making a couple DVDs with 2.0, I noticed that rebuilds to a new VIDEO_TS folder take 2-3 times as long as they do with 1.6. 1.6 does this in under 10 minutes on my system, but 2.0 took 20-30. Has anyone else noticed this? I know there are new audio modifying features, video smart rendering, etc., but I was careful to edit as I would on 1.6 - I turned off all audio cleaning, fading, etc. and made sure to only cut on I-frames. Does the authoring engine still have to check for cut placement and do some "extra thinking" even if no rerendering is needed? Is there a setting that's under the hood that I'm missing?

What are you guys' experiences with these 2 versions with regard to speed?

[Alex_ander]

I also noticed this. For some reason folder building is 2-3 times longer, but I still consider v.2 a big upgrade, especially in menu building flexibility. With 1.6 I was missing the ability to place text buttons in desired parts of bg picture and to add image objects to bg without using an external graphics editor.

[FulciLives]

I just upgraded to TMPGEnc DVD Author 2.x (from the 1.6 version) and it's taking FOREVER to output my project to the HDD ... so much time that I am curious if the damn "smart rendering" isn't doing something?!?!?

My project is DVD compliant and is reported as being 4352MB and I have TRANSCODE TARGET SIZE set to NONE so ... it shouldn't be re-encoding or transcoding the video/audio but still ... it's taking forever!

I did no editing and no motion menus (I normally do motion menus but this project was too close to the 4.37 limit for that so I am just using STILL IMAGE for the chapters etc.).

So I don't understand. It's "stuck" on the part that says: building track "NAME', clip "NAME"
... which is referring to the actual video/audio right? Not the menu creation!

My computer is fairly fast (see my computer specs) so the only thing I can figure is that it is doing some sort of transcoding of the video.

Or is it really THAT slow? If it is I can live with it I just don't want it mucking up my video and/or audio!

Right now it is at approximately 36 elapsed minutes and yet reporting only 48% done!

I'm not happy right now LOL

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

*** EDIT ***
It took a total of 1 hour and 9 minutes to complete. I'm checking it now but how can I tell if it was "smart rendered" etc.?

[FulciLives]

*** UPDATE ***

Well it turns out that the video file was not compliant

I have TMPGEnc Plus and CCE but I decided to give HCenc (a freeware MPEG-2 DVD Spec encoder) a try and the quality turned out very nice but although I checked the 3:2 Pulldown option and even though it says so in the LOG that the program creates the file was still being seen as 23.976fps instead of 29.970fps.

I figured this out when I loaded one of the VOB files from the DVD folder into VirtualDubMod to compare with another instance of VirtualDubMod with the original video file loaded. It was then that I looked at the FILE INFORMATION and saw that the original file was still being reported as 23.976fps even though 3:2 Pulldown was supposedly applied.

Anyways I ran the original video file through DGPulldown to re-do the 3:2 Pulldown flags and tried again with TMPGEnc DVD Author 2.x

The second time all went well ... the entire DVD building time was only a couple of seconds over 20 minutes ... this seems more "normal".

I've watched the output with PowerDVD and it looks normal.

I'm burning it now but I expect all to be normal.

False alarm

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I'm surprised though that TMPGEnc DVD Author 2.x gave no warning message about the 3:2 Pulldown being all screwed up. I'm just glad I was able to fix it with DGPulldown as opposed to having to re-encode the whole thing. I guess this is some HCenc quirk but for a freeware program I am impressed by it both to the quality of output and the settings available.

[yoda313]

Well I bought TDA 2.0 and I'm glad I did. I like the built in transcoder. I use 5,000 kpbs video bitrate to record off cable and I end up getting around 2.5gb for a 1 hour show. So I can put 2 1 hour shows on a single layer no problem if I edit out the commercials. BUT with the built in transcoder I can add the two shows WITHOUT editing and have it shrink to a single layer BEFORE I author the dvd. Before I'd have to author the whole thing then stick it in dvd shrink and THEN burn it. Now I can go straight from the mpgs to a burned dvd in about a 35 minutes without editing. That's anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes to author and compress and about 10-14 minutes to burn at 8x. I use 16x memorex discs currently but I've found 8x reduces skips and other problems.

[Tom Saurus]

FulciLives: I noticed in your Computer Specs that you had only one hard drive listed. If you only have one hard drive, I would suggest you get a second hard drive. You will see a significant decrease in the time it takes to author a DVD. Also I think it very wise to go the extra step and create an ISO file, from the Video TS/Audio TS folder. I highly recommend using Image Burn 2.0 for this task using the Build Mode. Then use Image Burn 2.0 to burn the ISO to DVD, using the Write Mode. Make sure "Burn Proof" and "Verify" are enabled as that is a good idea. You probably already know all this stuff; but on the off chance you didn't I thought I would provide the information.

[Tom Saurus]

Jester700: I think you should download a trial version of Mpeg Video Wizard. It can do a great job of cutting out the commercials from your video files. It doesn't re-encode unless absolutely necessary and it offers frame level accuracy. Once you get the hang of it, you can cut out commercials quite quickly.

I figure you have nothing to loose by atleast giving the Mpeg Video Wizard a try. I consider it to be an essential part of creating a DVD. Especially if you are working with episodes of TV shows.

[FulciLives]

I've been using ImgBurn and before that DVD Decrypter/ImgTool classic to burn since almost DAY ONE of DVD burning LOL

I haven't updated my computer specs but I do have a 2nd HDD now.

The 20 minute "building the DVD" time is not bad at all ... as I explained the problem the first time around was that HCenc didn't apply the 3:2 Pulldown correctly and that caused TMPGEnc DVD Author 2.x to go a bit "crazy" I guess thus the long long long time it took the first time.

It's nice to have 2nd audio (this particular project was a DVD back-up with regular 5.1 AC-3 and a 2nd 2.0 AC-3 audio commentary) and it's nice to finally be able to make a 16x9 WS menu.

So yes I am happy with the upgrade from TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6 to 2.x

- John "FulciLives" Coleman