VRO to MPEG2. Pansonic Dvd Movie Album....?

[paul28]

Hi all,

I am attempting (and failing) to convert vro to mpeg2. I'm using Panasonic DMR-E50 and a dvd-ram disc.
I've tried womble, tmpgenc+ and other s/w I've seen in posts.

I've read (in several posts) about software called Panasonic DVD Movie Album, I have tried to source this s/w but so far nothing. I believe that movie album is made by Canopus (I could be wrong).

Can anyone shed some light please ?

Thanks
Paul.

[bobones]

The MovieAlbumSE software is branded as Panasonic software and comes with retail Panasonic burners. It can export VR to MPEG2 and edit RAM in-place (with a burner) or virtually edit with a reader.

MovieAlbumSE also links with Sonic MyDVD to give a basic VR to dvd-video authoring suite. MyDVD is also included in the Panasonic retail package, but it's options are limited compared to TMPGEnc DVD Author. See this link for more information.

Have you tried TMPGEnc DVD Author (not TMPEnc Plus) to re-author to dvd? You can also just rename the VRO file giving it a .MPG extension, and then import it to any number of programs.

TMPEnc DVD Author might barf on VR recordings that contain multiple resolutions. MovieAlbumSE is useful in these circumstances for exporting to a fixed resolution; however, the problem can be avoided by making some changes to the recorder setup in the first place.

[paul28]

Hi,

I initially used tmpgenc dvd author but this failed. I've then tried tmpgenc and tmpgenc+,in all instances I have tried the renaming from vro to mpeg.

Thanks for the info on MovieAlbumSE, do you know if this is available for download at all ?

[macleod]

i have the e30 and have been doing what you say you cant?

What I do is use dvd-ram with the panny and then put it into my computer's dvd-ram player. Actually click copy on the vro file and then click paste on the hard drive. Then, I open tmpgenc dvd author, open the video as a "add file" and not dvd video. Do what I gotta do and then output it. Has worked for me each time I have dont that like a charm. I have also then used dvd2svcd (w/cce and TMPGENC) to convert that to a CVD or some other mpeg 2 file.

[paul28]

I'm glad that it works for you, just wish it was as straight forward for me !
I've searched through several hundred posts on this topic and the whole dvdram to whatever conversion seems to be somewhat of a grey area. Some people seem to be happy others have problems. I'm having problems !

I've emailed Panasonic ref MovieAlbum software, see what they come back with.

Any help would still be appreciated !

[macleod]

when you used TMPGENC DVD Author, what did you do. Actually, lets start from the beginning.

I am assuming that you took a dvd-ram and recorded everything at one sitting (you dont have playlists set up from multiple recording sessions).

Can you list the exact steps and things that you are doing with your recorder. That and tell us what "fail" means. I have been getting some heavy use out of my e30 and I think (hope) I can help you.

[apaw]

i am having problems too ...

some vro files that add on are split into 30 min segments for a two hour vro file....how can i keep it one big file and determine my own chapter breaks?

and...when i go to write the disk error comes up..the menu has no buttons and infinitely timeout..first play links to it this will lock up player ...under the compile button

help...

[macleod]

apaw,

are you taking the dvd-ram file out of the panny and then putting it in a standalone? Please provide a lot more detail or should I assume that you have recorded 1 file from the panny (no multple recordings on the disc), placed it in your pc dvd player, used tempgenc dvd author, burned the output using nero expresses dvd-video setting, and it fails on the apex 1225?

Basically, please provide more details. I dont know what you are doing or what you have done.

[apaw]

ok..i record on dvd-ram one file movie on panny..take it out, then into the computers dvd-ram drive...copy to hdd...open dvd lab..i get the two hour movie into dvd lab but its slpits into 30 min movie files!..movie 1,movie2..etc and each has its own menu button!

1) how can i choose the number of menus i want generated..not 30 min segments

2) and when i go to compile , i cant get past the first play error infinite timeout message

thanks

[paul28]

Hi,

Here are the steps I am following:

1. Record a 1hour episode of 'Stargate on DVDRAM disc using Panny'
2. Copy VRO file from ram disc onto pc's HDD
3. Rename file from .vro to .mpeg
4. Open TMPGENC Dvd Author and click the 'add file' button, add the renamed file.
5. In the editing section the first few frames appear as visible video, the rest of the frames are blank.
6. Compile the dvd, the result is visible video for the first few frames then just black

[macleod]

paul28

Dont rename the vro to mpeg. Just open it through tmpgenc dvd author as a file. I havent done the vro to mpeg renaming part and it is working great for me. Please confirm after not changing the vro file to mpeg to see if that fixed it. If that doesnt, my next guess is something with the panny settings.


apaw:

I know nothing about the authoring program you are using. Sounds like the software program is inserting the splits automatically into the video, which means that there is a setting somewhere that needs to be turned on or off. Barring that, purchase TMPGENC dvd author, which should resolve the issue.

[paul28]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply and advice. Unfortunately it didnt work. What settings are you using in your panny ? Perhaps I can copy them from you and see if this is the problem

Thanks
Paul.

[macleod]

I've actually been doing searches trying to get recommendations on settings outside of the out of the box settings. I have done recordings of home movie vhs on XP - EP using the standard settings. I am using panasonic dvd-ram 4.7 discs. I open it in tmpgenc dvd athor as a video file and it works great.

The only thing I can think of is that your version of tmpgenc dvd author isnt compatible OR your dvd player that you are using to rip down to your hd isn't "compatible"

[bobones]

I think mixed resolution recordings maybe the problem. TMPGEnc DVD Author can't import them as VROs, and it screws up if you rename to .mpg and import as a file.

These problem recordings happen when the Panny has the setting Hybrid VBR Resolution set to "auto". Change it to "fixed" and you'll never get mixed resolutions in one program (eg both 704x576 and 353x576) but you may get some block artifacting in fast scenes. (The panny recorders drop the resolution to avoid pixellization on difficult to encode to scenes, but increase it again when the required bitrate falls back down again).

Panasonic DVDMovieAlbumSE software would allow you to export an existing mixed res recording as fixed resolution mpeg (with mp2 sound) which would work in TMPGEnc DVD Author; however, the software is difficult to get hold of, and I don't know of any alternatives (but I'm sure there will be some).

[corryn]

I just stumbled across this thread - I'm having some difficulty working out which forum is most relevant to my problem ( https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=209034 ).
Could I use TMPGEnc DVD Author instead of WinDVD to pick up the files exported by MovieAlbumSE?

[wingnut]

Morning,

I've been discussing these issues in the following thread

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=831295#831295

(Its mostly me rambling on so I apologise if it gets a bit waffly !!! )


EDIT:
You may also want to check out my posting in this thread

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=831328#831328


Cheers

Ed