Splitting mpegs

[SilverDales]

OK I have an avi file of a movie and when I go to convert to DVD in TMPEG it shows the resulting file would be over 7G. Is there a way to split this file when I author over 2 DVDs or is it best to split the avi first then convert each file to seperate discs?
Hope people understand this.
Cheers

[teegee420]

You can split the file within TMPGEnc by going to File>MPEG Tools>Merge and Cut, click "Add" and select your file. Then highlight your file and click "Edit". Before you start encoding, how long is your avi? You can probably fit the whole thing on one DVD if you use the correct bitrate.

[SilverDales]

The AVI is 2.64G so when I put it in TMPEG for conversion it shows over 7G in the resulting MPEG2 file.It was originaly 3 AVI files but I joined them hoping I could try and get it on 2 discs.

[SilverDales]

Also when I go to the "edit" on TMPEG it says my "AVI is an illegal MPEG video stream" as all the file types it lists don't include avi's.

[teegee420]

Maybe I wasn't clear. You can only split mpegs within TMPGEnc, and I asked how long your movie was, not how big it was.

[SilverDales]

Sorry, showing my ignorance and noobness.
I went back to TMPEG and used the wizard. Inp8ut the video file and the seperate wav file and it seems fine now, earlier it was showing 170% now its 99.99%. Don't know what I did different but it seems to be working.

[FOO]

You can set the bitrate on the encode to make it however big you want.

[teegee420]

Sorry, showing my ignorance and noobness.

Don't appologize. I was new at this too once and I've done some pretty stupid crap myself.

I went back to TMPEG and used the wizard. Inp8ut the video file and the seperate wav file and it seems fine now, earlier it was showing 170% now its 99.99%. Don't know what I did different but it seems to be working.

Whatever works, right?

[SilverDales]

Well it has now finished encoding. There are 2 problems. 1 the film is Saving Private Ryan and on fast panning etc it gets quite pixelated and 2 ther was a "Stream writing error" at 97%, luckily thats during the closing credits so I'm not that bothered.
Any Ideas guys BTW teegee I think the length of the film according to TMPEG was 3.44.35 I cant believe it is really that long. after encoding and loosing the last 3% it is 3.39.54

[teegee420]

Hmmm. That can't be right. I looked it up and it's only 2 hours 50 minutes long. Could you cut and paste all of the info in the box on the bottom of the main window(just below output file name)? Also, did you decompress the avi's audio to wav and use that as your audio source?

[SilverDales]

Yes I did seperate the audio to a wav file. as I said earlier it was originaly 3 avi files that i joined together. It is also set up in T^MPEG with a CBR bitrate as you can see

[teegee420]

Ugh, look at that bitrate! 2184kbps??? That's your problem right there. Did you use the project wizard?

This is just an opinion so take as that, you hould use 352x576 with a bitrate of around 3300. Use the project wizard. If the little bitrate calculator won't get in that range than something is seriously rotten in Denmark.

[SilverDales]

lol
Denmark? Whats Denmark got to do with it?

[SilverDales]

This is what I get when I use the wizard and those settings ypou said. This is why I was originaly asking how to split the file onto 2 discs.

[teegee420]

lol
Denmark? Whats Denmark got to do with it?

It's a figure of speach. I meant something foul migt be afoot. From the looks of your second screen cap I think I'm right. When you play your avi is it 3 hours and 44 minutes long. Doubtful? Not unless you have the super-duper extended director's cut version(doesn't exist). For some reason TMPGEnc is having trouble reading your file.

I think it's time we look at your file a little more closely too. Try opening up the avi with G-spot. I'm curious which 4cc it uses. I'm thinking Xvid. Maybe installing FFDSHOW will help.

[SilverDales]

here we go teegee



hope this helps
I knew it was a figure of speech, just hadn't heard it before.
Appreciate the help your giving me.

[teegee420]

Well it's not Xvid. Open TMPGEnc and go to Options>Environmental Setting>VFAPI Plugin and raise the Directshow Multimedia File Reader priority to 2. The key here is getting TMPGEnc to recognize the correct length of your avi. I'm hoping this will do the trick. If not I'm fresh out of ideas.

[teegee420]

Wait a tick, I just noticed that G-spot reports the erroneous length too! How long does the thing play in your movie player(not sure which one you use)?

[SilverDales]

I'm afraid it didnt work. made no diference, when i changed the bitrate to 3300 like you suggested earlier.

[teegee420]

Wow, that's too bad. You don't see any distortion at all in your avi at the moments where your mpeg stumbles? This may just the result of trying to encode a compressed file using an already highly compressed Divx source. You even lowered the resolution to 352x576? Anyhow, sorry I couldn't be of more help to you. I'll be watching this thread to see if someone else can offer better advice. Probably learn a thing or two myself. Good luck to you.

[SilverDales]

Heh thanks for all your help, it was not to be.
But...
I have a cunning plan as Baldrick would say...
What if I converted to MPEG as the wizard set up giving me 170% then... Authoring with TMPEG DVD Author Then... Spliting with Shrink 3.1 and then Burning onto 2 discs.
What do you reckon?

[teegee420]

I suppose it could work but I really think you should get the situation with your avi straightened out first. Someething is wrong with it. TMPGEnc should not be reading it as 3 hours 40 minutes. Did you check to see how long the thing plays in your media player yet? You're really gambling by moving foward without addressing that issue.

[dcsos]

FRESH IDEA
CHOPPER XP
a freeware MPEG cutting utility

[SilverDales]

I use BS player and when I play the AVI in that it also says it is 3.44.37 or there abouts.
I no longer have the original 3 AVI's cos of space etc.
oh well.
Might be better to just rip it off my mates DVD

[teegee420]

A very wise choice.

[SilverDales]

Its a shame cos I wanted to crack this one. I hate being defeated.
Once again thaks for all your help