Noob Question....Do I Need TMPG or No?

[IremainAMisterE]

Im very new to DVD ripping. I read about the basics and in about 2 weeks i'll be buying a Pioneer AO4. Anyways, i asked this question because in all the guides and topics, not once did it say to use TMPG encoder when burning a DVD. So when i go to burn, i burn the ISO/UDF file of the movie or am i wrong?

Can someone shed some light on this? Thanx in advance

[Tommyknocker]

Depends on where you got the video file from. If it is not DVD-compliant, and the ISO is not available, then yes you will need TMPGEnc to make it compliant. Although some programs capture and encode at the same time, I know of none that are freeware or shareware.

And if you plan converting your video files to DVD compliance for longer than 30 days, you may want to pay the $48.00 to get TMPGEnc Plus, which can convert to DVD ad infinitum, while this function is disabled in freeware TMPGEnc after 30 days.

[Don2050]

Iremain,

Tommy is right, you only need TMPGenc if you have a non-DVD source. If you are copying direct from a DVD then....no you dont need it. Unless of course you wish to encode it to a lower bitrate. Which is what those others were talking about in Scott_the_ripper's post.

[Niceone]

and even then tmpgenc isnt the best encoder to use unless you can handle your computer being constantly raped for 20 hours

[IremainAMisterE]

So which encoder would you recommend Niceone?
I don't have a great pc as it is. I have a 700mhz celeron with 320mb and 40gig hd. I know, i know...I need a new comp.
I've been using TMPG Plus v2.56, with Kwags Plus templates to encode my movies and they take about 3-4 hours. It's not like i sit in front of the comp anyways, so i few hours doesn't bother me.

So when i do buy my dvd burner in 2 weeks, which encoder should i use, that will get the job done at a decent speed?

[buckonine]

CCE or cinema craft encoder. this will do a much better job than tmpeg for mpeg-2 video. and it will take non-dvd compliant video and make it that way as well. just takes a bit of work.

[IremainAMisterE]

Lets say i decide to use CCE instead of TMPG PLUS...I don't think i would be able to use templates such as Kwag's, Half/Full DVD templates in CCE.

Not for nothing, but templates do come in handy for certain occasions. I know they've helped me wonders when encoding (s)vcd's.

[buckonine]

you can make and save templates for CCE, i'm not sure anyone has done this for distribution, but you can do them yourself. the problem comes because you have specific settings for each movie. so even a template would have to be tweaked to get it right each time you use it