.WMV to DVD - Need 10 Hours Per DVD - Please Help

[mormondad]

I'm using the excellent SnapStream PVS 2.0 to automatically capture satellite-delivered school curriculum. Curriculum video is delivered in blocks usually in the middle of the night. SnapStream captures the video to the hard drive in .WMV format on an automatic schedule and works great.

I need to convert/encode the .WMV files and burn them on to DVD+R in a format that allows me to put up to 10 hours onto the DVD - quality is not that important as these are not widescreen action videos. The video consists mainly of a teacher speaking before a mostly static background with a few animations or video clips thrown in once in a while. The audio can even be mono as stereo is not needed.

I have TMPGEnc Plus 2.58 for encoding and I have Sonic MyDVD for authoring and burning the DVDs

Here are the issues I'm having. I'm capturing the the video in a fairly medium quality to start with in order to maximize space on the DVD I will burn. When I encode from .WMV to MPEG1, TMPGEnc tends to make the file larger - even when I further reduce the bitrate (down to 800kbps). Then, when I use MyDVD to load the MPEG1 files in, the file sizes are doubled on the DVD.

If I could convert the .WMV to a similarly sized MPEG1 and if my DVD authoring/burning application didn't double the file size, I would easily be able to fit the entire 10 hours onto a single DVD with a little room to spare.

I need suggestions on what TMPGEnc settings I need to change to make it so it won't enlarge the filesize when it encodes. I've tried a number of things, but I can't seem to make it work. TMPGEnc has a screen in the wizard that shows you how much space your resulting video will take on whatever media (VCD, DVD) you are planning to use. There are settings on that screen that lead me to believe you should be able to squeeze move video onto the media and TMPGEnc will calculate the right bitrate to use to make that happen. However, I can't change any of those settings - they are preset and greyed out even though I'm using the registered version of TMPGEnc.


I also need suggestions on a way to author the DVDs that won't require the file size doubling. Something I've read about Sonic MyDVD is that it has to demux the audio from the MPEG1 file and then add it back on in a different format to work with the DVD. However, I don't think it is removing the prior audio from the original file as the original file size is not reduced.

Also, I need a way to quickly trim the WMV files before encoding. I need to be able to trim a small amount off the beginning of the file and a larger amount off the end of the file. Trouble is, every time I try to save a file I've edited with moviemaker, it takes a long time (even on my 1.5Ghz Pentium IV) and it actually makes the file larger. I could edit the resulting MPG file after encoding but there's not reason to take the time to encode stuff I'm going to cut off any way and I can't find a good editing program that doesn't seem to take a long time to save the edited video file.

Any help or suggestions appreciated

[kitty]

WMF info and edit suggestions
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwmt/html/TourWMTools.asp and look for Windows Media ASF Indexer

DVD generally wants an MPEG2 stream, not MPEG1. You may be re-encoding when you don't want to (that is what your editor seems to be doing).

If you truly want to put VCD type MPEG1 on a DVD-+R then it is possible (there is a guide on this site at http://www.vcdhelp.com/vcddvdr.htm) and you will get a long play time but player compatability is not guaranteed.

[mormondad]

DVD generally wants an MPEG2 stream, not MPEG1. You may be re-encoding when you don't want to (that is what your editor seems to be doing).

If you truly want to put VCD type MPEG1 on a DVD-+R then it is possible (there is a guide on this site) and you will get a long play time but player compatability is not guaranteed.

The DVD players I have to use are not compatible with VCD - I tested them. So, I have to go to DVD format.

Now, if DVD is expecting MPEG2 - why does the TMPGEnc wizard say it is converting the DVD file to MPEG1? It says the same for VCD and DVD but with different bitrates and resolution. TMPGEnc does say MPEG2 for SVCD.

It would help immensely if someone could tell me what the trick is to change the settings on the TMPGEnc wizard screen that shows the media and how much space your resulting file will take. What's the trick to being able to change the settings displayed there? I've seen guides on this site and others that mention changing those settings. But for some reason I can't. They're greyed out.

[mormondad]

WMF info and edit suggestions
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwmt/html/TourWMTools.asp and look for Windows Media ASF Indexer

I checked out your URL and this sounds promising. However, I could not find a way to download this Resource Kit. Got any hints?

[Xesdeeni]

I think you are on the right track, but you need a few bits of info:

• To unlock the other settings in TMPGEnc, click the "Load" button at the lower right and open the "unlock.mcf" template. It's inside the "Extra" folder. (Yes, you can do this AFTER you've loaded a different template.)
• NTSC DVDs/DVD players are only guaranteed to work with uncompressed audio or Dolby Digital (AC3) audio. PAL DVDs/DVD players work with these plus MPEG audio. Your player may work with other optional formats, but at least one of these will be on a DVD, and for maximum compatibility, you should put one of these on DVDs you create.
• Neither MyDVD nor DVDit! SE have Dolby licenses, so they both decompress your audio (see above). At the bit rates you are aiming for (1 Mb/s ~= 10 hours), uncompressed audio will just about double your file size.
• I'm pretty sure that MPEG 1 is supported for DVDs. But to be on the safe side, you can use MPEG 2. There will be no difference for your purposes.
• None of your software should change the source file. I.e. MyDVD won't touch the original MPEG file when it does the above decompression of your audio.
• TMPGEnc will allow you to trim the start and end of the file you are going to encode. See the "Source range" checkbox in the "Advanced" tab of the "Settings" dialog.

You will need an authoring program that will accept your MPEG audio or you will need to encode your audio as AC3 (BeSweet will do this) and get an authoring program that will support this format. I'm certain that SpruceUp will do the latter, and I think it will do the former as well. Also, DVD Workshop or DVDit! PE may do the trick as well.

Xesdeeni

[mormondad]

• TMPGEnc will allow you to trim the start and end of the file you are going to encode. See the "Source range" checkbox in the "Advanced" tab of the "Settings" dialog.

Xesdeeni

Thanks so much. Your info will help.

However, TMPGEnc will not allow you to trim .WMV files in the Source Range screen. It just doesn't work. I can do it with .MPG files and others, but .ASF and .WMV just don't work.

[kitty]

WMF info and edit suggestions
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwmt/html/TourWMTools.asp and look for Windows Media ASF Indexer

I checked out your URL and this sounds promising. However, I could not find a way to download this Resource Kit. Got any hints?

Check out this page for the download: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/WM7/encoder.asp

[mormondad]

I checked out your URL and this sounds promising. However, I could not find a way to download this Resource Kit. Got any hints?

Check out this page for the download: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/WM7/encoder.asp

Thanks. I don't want to sound utterly dense. But there's not link at that URL to download the Windows Media Tools or the Windows Media Resource Kit which includes the ASFChop and Windows Media ASF Indexer. I've downloaded Windows Media Encoder, but as far as I know it does not include these utilities.

[mormondad]

I think you are on the right track, but you need a few bits of info:[list][*]To unlock the other settings in TMPGEnc, click the "Load" button at the lower right and open the "unlock.mcf" template. It's inside the "Extra" folder. (Yes, you can do this AFTER you've loaded a different template.)

That didn't work. The settings are still locked/greyed in the wizard. Any other clues?

[gll99]

asftools is on the left (other...tools ...

It will allow you to cut and or join asf / wmv . I have used it on files encoded up to wmv8.

Are you planning to watch these on a standalone DVD player.

I don't have a DVD writer so don't know the specs but....

You could I believe burn the wmv files in data mode and if the discs are compatible view them on a PC with the media player connect the PC Video card TV-out to a TV.

If there are no compatibility issues, it would save reencoding and your space problem.

[mormondad]

asftools is on the left (other...tools ...

I'm being dense again - but asftools is on the left of what? I've been to the URLs listed here and I see no ASFtools or other or tools on the left of any of the pages. More clues would be appreciated.

[bugster]

mormondad, On the left of this page is a column listing the various sections of the site. I suggest you start by talking a look at WHATIS for DVD (mpeg1 at VCD resolution but 48Khz Audio IS supported for DVD). Then take a look at the convert guides followed by the authoring guides. All the info you need for producing your DVD's is there, 10 hours is pushing it a bit tho! You will also find the tools section there on the left panel with asftools and loads of other useful goodies.

As stated by a previous poster, DVDit will convert your audio to PCM which is uncompressed and so uses lots of space and reduces the length of video you can get on the disk. I would suggest authoring a simple test disk in something like Ulead DVD workshop (you can get a trial version I bleieve) which accepts mp2 audio. See if this will play in your standalone players. If so this is probably the way to go. AC3 audio is another option, DVDit PE will produce 2 channel Ac3, or use BeSweet to convert the audio and then Author with Spruce up (Or maybe Ulead DVD workshop, tho not sure this will accept AC3, have to check).

Can't help with your editing problems though, sorry.


Hope this helps

[Xesdeeni]

However, TMPGEnc will not allow you to trim .WMV files in the Source Range screen. It just doesn't work. I can do it with .MPG files and others, but .ASF and .WMV just don't work.

Hmm. I haven't used ASF or WMV files as inputs to TMPGEnc. Does anyone know whether feeding this through AVISynth would help?

That didn't work. The settings are still locked/greyed in the wizard. Any other clues?

Here's how to use the Wizard: Run TMPGEnc; Click "Cancel"

Now use the templates via the "Load" button in the lower right.

Xesdeeni

[kitty]

Sorry - asftools can be found at http://www.geocities.com/myasftools/

[gll99]

mormondad:

Sorry for my lack of clarity on the location of the software. I make the wrong assumption that everyone knows where the tools are.

I hope you found the tool. Its a gui interface that makes asfcut and asfjoin very easy to use.

[DmrwizkidZ]

Instead of encoding your .wmv files directly to Mpeg1 or Mpeg2, try converting them to .avi beforehand then convert to Mpeg. depending on your dvd players compatibilities you may be able to play mpeg movies in a data format on a dvd (my apex 1000w player can play any mpeg movie, as mpeg is a universal format) you need a dvd player with dvd-+r/rw compatiblilties, and the ability to play vcd/svcd movies.