What Is The Best Method of Exporting From Vdub for DVD Authoring?

[sonicdeth]

I am currently tweaking an AVI file in virtualdub, and will need to author it into a DVD at some point this week. I have a question since I've never really used vdub for something like this. What is exactly the best way to export it and to keep quality? Save as AVI, then use an encoder to encode to mpeg2 format? But wouldn't saving as avi make a larger AVI file than I already have? I read a post from a while ago on this "frameserve" technique - is this still the best way to accomplish this?

[hech54]

Save as AVI?

Uncompressed AVI.....yes.

[Baldrick]

Or frameserve to a mpeg2 encoder.

[sonicdeth]

Save as AVI?

Uncompressed AVI.....yes.

Ok, so just save as uncompressed AVI, then encode to mpeg2 with a separate encoder? Do you recommend any decent free encoder?

[sonicdeth]

Or frameserve to a mpeg2 encoder.

Are there any advantages to this over just saving as AVI, then encoding to mpeg2 with a separate encoder?

[Cauptain]

Or frameserve to a mpeg2 encoder.

Are there any advantages to this over just saving as AVI, then encoding to mpeg2 with a separate encoder?

Yes. Not eat thousand gigabytes on your HDD and its realtime.




Claudio

[smrpix]

Are there any advantages to this over just saving as AVI, then encoding to mpeg2 with a separate encoder?

You save massive disk space, but it's a little more sophisticated.

https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/video-encoders-mpg-dvd

HCEnc and TMPGenc are perennial favorites.

[sonicdeth]

Well, frameserve it is then. I found the page with instructions on how to do that, so I will follow them. I guess I'll go with HCEnc, as it looks like the mpeg2 option in TMPGenc are not free.

[hech54]

The only reason I said "uncompressed AVI" is that I am assuming your source is NOT uncompressed AVI?

[sonicdeth]

I believe my source is uncompressed avi. As far as framserving from vdub, I have never done this before, so hopefully I can get it right. I found these 2 guides on doing this, if anyone else has a simpler guide, please do send me in that direction, but here's what I've found:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/37390-How-to-frameserve-(dvd2avi-VirtualDub-Avisynth-VFAPI)

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/212220-Frameserving-with-virtualdub-correctly

[DarrellS]

You could also use the external encoder feature of newer versions of Virtualdub to encode to mpeg2

Here is a thread at the Virtualdub forums on how to use the external encoder feature in Virtualdub.

How to use the external encoder feature
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=18840&

Tested configuration for MPEG2

Video Encoder

ffmpeg (multiple formats) - Homepage: http://www.ffmpeg.org/ - Binary: http://www.x264.nl/
Output filename: %(outputname).m2v (for this example)
Example command argument:

-f rawvideo -s %(width)x%(height) -r %(fpsnum)/%(fpsden) -i - -vcodec mpeg2video -bf 2 -b 3000k "%(tempvideofile)"

Audio Encoder

Aften (AC3) - Homepage: http://aften.sourceforge.net/ - Binary: http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Aften-Download-65101.html
Audio input format: WAV
Output filename: %(outputname).ac3
Example command argument:

-b 192 - "%(tempaudiofile)"

Muxer

ffmpeg (multiple formats) - Homepage: http://www.ffmpeg.org/ - Binary: http://ffmpeg.arrozcru.org/autobuilds/
Extension for Encoder set: depends on output format
Example command argument:

-i "%(tempvideofile)" -i "%(tempaudiofile)" -vcodec copy -acodec copy "%(outputname)"

[DarrellS]

If your AVI has AC3 Audio then you can passthrough the original AC3 file.

Direct passthrough of AC3/MP3 audio

It is possible to pass AC3 and MP3 audio through the external encoder feature without having to recompress it. It might work for other audio formats too, but this is not tested. A precondition is that VirtualDub must have direct acces to the compressed audio. If you are using for example the DirectShow plugin to open files this method will not work.

This is actually very simple to set up. First, create an audio encoder profile using ffmpeg with this command argument:

-i - -acodec copy "%(tempaudiofile)"


Then change the extension of the output filename to .ac3 or .mp3 (whatever is needed). In the 'Audio'-tab set the input format to Raw and keep the 'Bypass compression'-option unchecked.

This profile can be used as audio encoder in an encoder set, and when Audio is set to Direct Stream Copy (important!) the original compressed audio will be used for the new file.