Converting 960x528 Xvid Mpeg4 with 6 channel AC3 to DVD

[noreaster]

I have been trying to convert an Xvid Mpeg4 avi file of 960x 528 with DD 6 Channel AC3 so that I can burn it to a DVD.

I have had some success but it it is long winded with many steps and not always successful with Audio.

My method has been: 1. Extract audio with either Super or BeLight to an AC3 file (6 channel of course)
2.Run the Video file through TMPGEnc Plus to convert to 720 x 576.
3. Author both files through TSUNAMI-MPEG DVD AUTHOR PRO.

Has anybody tried an easier & more successful method

[Soopafresh]

Easier? ConvertXtoDVD

[kush]

Extract audio in order to convert 5.1 AC3 -> 5.1 AC3? Why not just use audio as is? Or are you doing some sort of frame conversion with the clip encoding in the process (ie: NTSC -> PAL, vice versa)? If not, there may be an issue with your converted audio, I'd try just demuxing the audio, and using as is - besides, every time you convert something to something else, you're losing some measure of quality - what you likely have to begin with is untouched audio.

[j4gg3rr]

lol 1st time I've ever seen someone who is already using one of the absolute best methods for quality ask for a different way of doing things, but here goes anyway.

You could try using The FilmMachine with CCE or ProCoder2.
1 click in it is still almost as good as manually setting up TMPGEnc or ProCoder and way better than ConvertXtoDVD.
Later version can use BeSweet, Aften or Sonic Foundry SoftEncode for AC3 audio.

Or you could even use an older version of TFM v1.5.0.18beta (with no Aften for AC3), it puts out single AVS scripts for multiple files.
You can let TFM do just the audio and make you a nice AVS script before stopping the video encoding and taking the *.avs back to TMPGEnc or any other good encoder(my prefered method) if you want to use thier filters.

The only thing CCE lacks is filters but there is some ground to made up to the other encoder by using AVISynth filters instead.
Offcourse the other Encoders can use the same AVISynth filters too, so it's not really making up and ground on them is it?
But reallly I'm talking Videophile differences here and you probably would be just as happy 1 clicking with CCE and not spending 20 minutes setting up filters that improve quality 0 - 10 %
One last thing always mux the video and audio and check for sync before passing your project onto Tsunami DVD Author.
For this you should be using TMPGEnc's Mpeg Tools > Multiplex > Type = MPEG-2 Program (VBR).
If it is out of sync(usually because of a poorely muxed AVI) you can check by how much + - in Media Player Classic then delete that muxed file and go back into TFM, add a delay correction and rip the Audio again. Mux and check sync again.

[j4gg3rr]

BTW, BeSweet does extract the Audio if no normalize, framerate convert or frequency sample rate change is selected.

[noreaster]

Extract audio in order to convert 5.1 AC3 -> 5.1 AC3? Why not just use audio as is?

Two reasons for separating the audio:
1. TMPGEnc Plus will not handle DD 6 channel ac3.
2. I have found over the years that the only way to make sure that the audio is in sync is to treat it separately in a wav or ac3 etc file when authoring.

Thanks for all the comments folks looks like I'm already on the right track.

[FulciLives]

I have been trying to convert an Xvid Mpeg4 avi file of 960x 528 with DD 6 Channel AC3 so that I can burn it to a DVD.

I have had some success but it it is long winded with many steps and not always successful with Audio.

My method has been: 1. Extract audio with either Super or BeLight to an AC3 file (6 channel of course)
2.Run the Video file through TMPGEnc Plus to convert to 720 x 576.
3. Author both files through TSUNAMI-MPEG DVD AUTHOR PRO.

Has anybody tried an easier & more successful method

You are already doing it in a good way but I have a few things to say.

1.) To demux the audio from the AVI file use AVIMux GUI (use audio as is with no further processing)
2.) Use AviSynth for resizing. Use FitCD to create the AviSynth AVS script
3.) Use HCenc for the video conversion. Quality is just as good if not better than TMPGEnc Plus and it is faster
4.) Make sure you are using the DGPulldown method of PAL<--->NTSC conversion (if you are doing such a conversion)

A new version of HCenc just came out a week or so ago and it is blazing fast. That alone will speed things up for you. TMPGEnc Plus is damn slow.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman