How to make Main Menu point at 2 clips

[W_Eagle]

Making a DVD that contain 2 movies, or 2 clips, I'd like to have the option to choose either one directly from the DVD main menu. Any simple way to do so (preferably with TEMPGenc Author)?

[Leoslocks]

Create Project

Add file

Add Track (Left window just below first track)

Create menu > Click the drop down arrow in the Layout of the menu them box.(upper left)

That will put both movies on the Title page. I am sure you can make submenu's for each movie.

I just bought tMPGenc and DVD Author. I am making lots of mistakes trying to produce quality dvd from tapes. My most recent blunder was using Motion Search <highest> in a softball game video. The quality of the images was quite nice but too much catch and shutter duing movement. It took 15 hours to render on the only house computer.

[W_Eagle]

I am sure you can make submenu's for each movie.

Thanks. Well, how do I make submenus?

[Leoslocks]

Highlight the Track#1 Menu in the left pane. Scroll the down arrow above it in the title bar and select "New theme..."
In the Layout of the track-menu box, select the approptiate layout. All the sub menu's and main menu will share the same theme.

The content for each Track menu is determined in the Source Setup button. Select the Track in the left pane and Edit in the right pane. Use the Chapter cut edit button to create the Chapters that will show in the menu.

Spend some time in the Help files to familiarize yourself with the program. New software is not learned overnight. Embrace one small aspect of the program and learn it. Success breeds success.

[W_Eagle]

Thanks a lot.

[Leoslocks]

I am still learning to walk. Right now I am crawling through the steps to build some DVD's.
Actually, I am sliding back a few steps. It seems the last two projects ended up beautiful on the computer but catching and jerking on the TV. I am trying to backtrack and determine what adjustments to make.

You are quite welcome.

[W_Eagle]

It seems the last two projects ended up beautiful on the computer but catching and jerking on the TV. I am trying to backtrack and determine what adjustments to make.

Is your DVD jerky all along, or towards the end? If it's towards the end -- it's most probably bad media.

[Leoslocks]

I was using tMPGenc to create the MPG file set up like this:
MPEG-2 Video
720 x 480
2 pass VBR
Interlaced
Motion Search Precision Highest Quality
Another problem may be the Deinterlaced filter I used.

I have encoded the file again and like the results.
I uses a CBR of 7700 and Motion Estimate (Fast) for the precision setting. I would like to tweak the quality and may figure it out after a while.

[W_Eagle]

I was using tMPGenc to create the MPG file set up like this:

Indeed, TMPGenc Plus is the best tool.

MPEG-2 Video
720 x 480
2 pass VBR
Interlaced

So far, fine.

Motion Search Precision Highest Quality

Highest quality is but a waste of time, High quality is good enough -- that is what most experienced users here say. I always used High quality, never tried Highest quality.

Another problem may be the Deinterlaced filter I used.

I never used Deinterlace, so I don't know if it may cause any problem. Anyhow, why would you want to deinterlace?

I have encoded the file again and like the results.
I uses a CBR of 7700 and Motion Estimate (Fast) for the precision setting. I would like to tweak the quality and may figure it out after a while.

2 pass VBR will always give you better results and better control of quality than CBR.
Anyhow, to pinpoint the source of the problem:
1. Try avoid Deinterlace and see.
2. Burn first on known good DVD-RW media, to eliminate media quality as possible cause for jerkiness.
3. Watch burned DVD both on your computer and Standalone DVD player to see weather it is possibly caused by your standalone incommutability.

[Leoslocks]

why would you want to deinterlace?

Deinterlace seems to smooth the overall picture. I am experimenting with settings to learn what the effect means.

I always used High quality

I could recognize the difference between the Highest Quality and the Motion Estimate setting. The Motion Estimate setting produces good results with all the camera panning used to follow the action. The image quality of the Highest Quality setting is still much better. I will give the High Quality a go.
2pass VBR takes twice as long to encode. The wife will not let me leave the computer running all night to finish this kind of project.(It makes too much noise)

[W_Eagle]

I could recognize the difference between the Highest Quality and the Motion Estimate setting. ... The image quality of the Highest Quality setting is still much better. I will give the High Quality a go.

Experienced people here say they cannot tell the difference in quality between Highest Quality and High Quality, it's just a waste of time. Since I'm satisfied completely with High Quality, I never bothered to try the Highest one.

2pass VBR takes twice as long to encode.

Indeed, yet the result justifies it. In two areas it's better not to hurry -- sex and video authoring ...

The wife will not let me leave the computer running all night to finish this kind of project.(It makes too much noise)

Aha ... that explains it all ... luckily (or unluckily) no woman here ... you can let TEMPGenc run during day time, while at work.

[Leoslocks]

Set it up in the morning and see what I have when I get back.

Rereading the tutorials and I see several issues with my setup. I suspect the deinterlace was part of the problem. Another setting was "Quantitized Matrix" tab had the "no motion search for still picture . . ." box checked.

I setup tMPGenc last night and just started it this morning. I realized a problem as I was driving to the first job. I did not frame serve the AVI. . .
Use High Quality for Motion search and the DVD looked real good but the audio was off about 2 seconds after the event.
I'll have another go at it tomorrow.

I have Phillips RW and a Plextor RW disks. I burn everything on the RW and just recycle the disk.

As far as using 2 Pass VBR, I can still fit about 70 minutes on the DVD with a CBR of 8000.

[johns0]

For putting 2 or more movies i found it was better to have each movie in its own track in tempgenc dvd author.If you add both movies in the same track they will play together as one.Also its easier to add chapters to the separate movies.

[W_Eagle]

I suspect the deinterlace was part of the problem.

May well be so -- only experiments will tell you.

Another setting was "Quantitized Matrix" tab had the "no motion search for still picture . . ." box checked.

I've learned not to touch any of the default settings of TMPGEnc, unless it was recommended by a Guide, or experienced user here, or unless I know exactly what I'm doing.

I did not frame serve the AVI. . .

You don't have to FrameServe the avi file, you can just load it in TMPGEnc.

... the audio was off about 2 seconds after the event.

Is the Audio in sync on the avi file?

As far as using 2 Pass VBR, I can still fit about 70 minutes on the DVD with a CBR of 8000.

2 Pass VBR, to my taste and understanding, is not for having smaller file size -- it is for having best results at a given file size. Yet, CBR of 8000 is more than enough to safely encode on CBR, probably even 4000 is. If I'd have bitrate of 7000, I'd put 2 movies of 3500 on the same DVD disk.

[Leoslocks]

It turns out that the Field Order (tMPGenc default) was set wrong. I needed to use the Top Field A setting. That cured the jitter in the motion scenes.

Perhaps the B field was not the default but it found its way into the setting and tMPGenc starts up like it was shut down.

The High Quality setting gives excellent results. I am quite pleased with the final product. It is much easier to watch than the origional tape. I tried to set up a 2 Pass vbr with the max of 9000 but could not get the setting to stick. When I get another computer up I will try the 2 Pass VBR and see how it compares.

Using the VT Adjust setting in the Source Range filter seems to have the audio in sync. Now to burn about a dozen of this DVD for the team.

[W_Eagle]

It turns out that the Field Order (tMPGenc default) was set wrong. I needed to use the Top Field A setting. That cured the jitter in the motion scenes.

Perhaps the B field was not the default but it found its way into the setting and tMPGenc starts up like it was shut down.

Nope, the B field is the default -- I remember reading that for some capture cards it needs be changed to A.

I tried to set up a 2 Pass vbr with the max of 9000 but could not get the setting to stick. When I get another computer up I will try the 2 Pass VBR and see how it compares.

Another puter wouldn't help. In TEMPGenc template file (DVD.mcf) the MaxBitRate line states 8000000. In order to set an higher bitrate, this line should be changed with a text editor. Maximum allowed bitrate is 10000 kbit/second minus the audio bitrate. When using 224 kbit/second for audio, maximum allowed video bitrate is 9570 kbit/second.

Using the VT Adjust setting in the Source Range filter seems to have the audio in sync. Now to burn about a dozen of this DVD for the team.

It looks like you are close to mastering the art/trade of home video making.

[Leoslocks]

It looks like you are close to mastering the art/trade of home video making.

Not exactly. A little success goes a long way though.

I changed the DVD.mcf MaxBitRate line 8000000 to 9000000. I changed every 8k in the file to 9k and still couldnt get it to stick. I will look into it a little deeper.

For putting 2 or more movies i found it was better to have each movie in its own track

I hope I remember this when I get around to two or more movies on one DVD.