File created, but: No Sound & contorted Proportions

[jburkhardt]

Right,

the program works now, thanks again (!), I reduced a file successfully to 700kb.

The original file (private stuff of course) is in a folder on my desktop.
It has two sub-folders, the usual Audio_TS & Video_TS.
The format seems to be like that on commercial DVDs, so "something.VOB", coming in four seperate bits like "something_1.VOB" etc.

When I start this with VLC, I simply drag the whole folder in.

That is what I did with ffmpegX (o.o.9k), I selected that folder.
The settings I left as they came, I never changed anything in the program.

It created an avi file of the correct size (700mb),
but:
No sound &
the proportions contorted.


Questions:
1. How to get it incorporate the sound? (The Audio_TS is empty, but the movie has sound!)
2. How to make it have the same proportions of length and width as the original?

Thanks, help appreciated!

Jens

[jburkhardt]

Hey,
I checked everywhere, FAQ etc, this forum, I have not found an answer, please help!

Have a nice sunday.

Jens

[tomlee59]

but:
No sound &
the proportions contorted.


Questions:
1. How to get it incorporate the sound? (The Audio_TS is empty, but the movie has sound!)
2. How to make it have the same proportions of length and width as the original?

The Audio_TS folder should be empty for a standard DVD -- the folder is there to support an audio-only DVD (think of it as an audio CD with unusually long play time). In a normal DVD, the audio is combined ("multiplexed") with the video within those .vob files.

In converting with ffmpegx, there is an option for selecting the audio track to be converted. Ffmpegx will default to some particular track, but it's possible that the track either contains no audio, or has audio in a format that ffmpegx can't handle. When you drag the file to be converted onto ffmpegx, what does ffmpegx say about what the audio is?

As for the proportions ("aspect ratio"), ffmpegx will not always select the right one automatically. You may have to override its choices manually.

For converting from DVD into Divx or Xvid .avi, you may wish to consider using D-Vision3. It has a less confusing interface, and it is smarter about selecting appropriate audio tracks and aspect ratio. In general, it is the closest to a "one-click" converter as exists. It is freeware, so it won't cost you anything to try it to see if it serves your purposes. No criticism intended of ffmpegx, but its flexibility is both its strength and weakness -- it can do so many things that the user has to fiddle with quite a few parameters to get the desired results. D-Vision focuses on just the conversion from DVD to Divx (or Xvid), and so it is correspondingly simpler to operate.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[Case]

That is what I did with ffmpegX (o.o.9k), I selected that [VIDEO_TS] folder.

Is there any particular reason for choosing 0.0.9k over the more recent 0.0.9x or 0.0.9y? You're not running Mac OS X 10.2, do you? Because that's the only reason that I can think of to use version 0.0.9k.

The settings I left as they came, I never changed anything in the program.

ffmpegX has loads of options. The presets try to set a lot of options correct, but I always check to verify if it is set for the results that I want to get. Not changing a setting is like not making a choice for the ouput.

1. How to get it incorporate the sound?

Normally ffmpegX handles the most common types of audio from VIDEO_TS folders just fine, using a mencoder preset (which you did, as that preset is default). To find out why it didn't work, please enlighten us by supplying details from the left side of the Summary in ffmpegX. It should list what kind out video and audio was found by ffmpegX in your source file. (The text in the light-lime-colored fields is selectable, so you may copy and paste to your browser.)

2. How to make it have the same proportions of length and width as the original?

Does your source video have an aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9? Go to the Video tab an set the desired aspect ratio in the Auto Size select menu. Doing so will change the width and height in the Video Size fields right above it, to conform to the set aspect ratio (proportions).

[jburkhardt]

[quote="tomlee59"]

For converting from DVD into Divx or Xvid .avi, you may wish to consider using D-Vision3. It has a less confusing interface, and it is smarter about selecting appropriate audio tracks and aspect ratio. In general, it is the closest to a "one-click" converter as exists. It is freeware, so it won't cost you anything to try it to see if it serves your purposes. No criticism intended of ffmpegx, but its flexibility is both its strength and weakness -- it can do so many things that the user has to fiddle with quite a few parameters to get the desired results. D-Vision focuses on just the conversion from DVD to Divx (or Xvid), and so it is correspondingly simpler to operate.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Thank you! I guess, THAT is what I need, I am downloading at this very moment. I'll keep you posted!

Jens

[jburkhardt]

That is what I did with ffmpegX (o.o.9k), I selected that [VIDEO_TS] folder.Is there any particular reason for choosing 0.0.9k over the more recent 0.0.9x or 0.0.9y? You're not running Mac OS X 10.2, do you? Because that's the only reason that I can think of to use version 0.0.9k.

No, Case, there is another reason and it's posted here in this forum (by someone else):
It doesn't download. It get's to 30-something MB, then the download-window (safari + firefox) reports an error.
Somebody recommended that this might be due to wireless connections, but I am in Thailand, landlines are literally unherd of here ... and I had never any problems downloading anythingelse.
so, that is the reason.

ffmpegX has loads of options. The presets try to set a lot of options correct, but I always check to verify if it is set for the results that I want to get. Not changing a setting is like not making a choice for the ouput.

Sure, once you KNOW what to do ...

[/quote]Normally ffmpegX handles the most common types of audio from VIDEO_TS folders just fine, using a mencoder preset (which you did, as that preset is default). To find out why it didn't work, please enlighten us by supplying details from ...[/quote]

I made another attempt later, directing it not to the video whole folder, but just to the video_ts, that worked.
I got other problems now though, which have to do with that i simply dont know what all the otions mean ...
like: the converted file does not play the full video length ...
so, i for now try that d-vision thing as suggested above.

thanks.

sorry, i tried three times, cant figure out this thing with the quotes ... yes --- gotta go, has to do like this for now.

[jburkhardt]

D-Vision is amazing.
It just does what it needs to.
I guess ffmpeg has a lot more options and stuff, but for what I needed, yes, that is it!

Thanks you all for the pleasant support!

[tomlee59]

I'm very glad to hear that it did the job for you. I use D-Vision all the time for the same purpose, and for the same reasons. I rarely have to override any of its choices (and those rare situations generally involve figuring out which of several mislabeled language tracks is the one I really want; not too hard to figure out).

Enjoy!