downloaded AVI to DVD? Still stuck!!!

[russ stevens]

Hi all,

I am still having problems with my avi's, converting them to DVD-R. Can anyone please talk me through the process? The AVI's are from downloads. Are these files simply DIVX's, the quality is excellent on playback using VLC?

I am frustrated, please help!

thanks once again.
Russ

[pixeljammedia]

Hi all,

I am still having problems with my avi's, converting them to DVD-R. Can anyone please talk me through the process? The AVI's are from downloads. Are these files simply DIVX's, the quality is excellent on playback using VLC?

I am frustrated, please help!

thanks once again.
Russ

Step 1 - Read the sticky at the top of this forum about being new to the forum.
Step 2 - Do a forum search on AVU to DVD.

alternate step 2 - read Galactica's tutorial on his website. (URL found in afforementioned sticky)

[russ stevens]

yes, i have read the rules and am just about capable of understanding them.

My post is just what it says it is ... I have tried Galactica's DIVX to DVD explaination and have had no luck, so am asking if there is another way to go. Is that ok with you?

I hope someone can help. I am now thinking that the file could be corrupt and so am trying another AVI file in MPEG2 Works, but at about 10 hours a movie, I will have some wait! Just seeing if anyone could help.

By the way, thank you Galatica and all the others that have already tried.

Russ

[thoughton]

I seem to recall Galacticas tutorial uses mpeg2works which I've only tried a few times so not to sure why it isnt working for you. However I often convert avis to dvd with ffmpegx. Just drop the avi onto ffmpegx's dock icon and try a dvd preset.

PS Does your avi file play in Quicktime Player? If it does, and you have quicktime pro, you might want to chop off a minute or so and use that as your test file to see waht method works best for you (and not have too wait 10 hours for results).

HTH

[thoughton]

Oh also, I noticed you said you played your divx files back in VLC. VLC can play divx without any codecs, but to use quicktime (i.e. mpeg2works) on a divx file you will need a divx codec installed... this might be why you get a black screen in your other thread.

[terryj]

#1. Most AVI's that are downloaded have been encoded in xvid, not DIVX. I assume you are scouring Usenet or Kaaza for these files?


#2. You will first need to make the AVI more "QT Compatible" before
trying to move it to MPEG-2.

3. To Do so you will need the following:

A copy of ffmpegx
A copy of Divx Doctor II
A copy of QT Pro 6
the 3ivx D 4.51 plugin for QT Pro 6

Here are your steps. Pay attention, this is gonna go kinda fast:


1. Install the 3ivx plug-in.
2. After install launch QT Pro 6.
3. Open the downloaded .avi in QT Pro 6.
Copy down te dimensions of the file.
4. Close QT Pro 6.
5. Open ffmpegx.
Select the downloaded .avi in your input tab.
6. For video choose the following settings:
MPEG-4[.AVI]
ratio 1:1
size: 352 x 240--this should be equal to half your orig size
NTSC

Under Audio:
Select Passthrough
bitrate: 192 mbps
sampling: 48000 khz

7. Save as: name of file_fix.avi ( remove spaces, use _ instead)

8. click encode.
9. Terminal will launch, and re-create the file into a more likeable spec.
10. When it beeps it is done, go launch DIVX Doctor II.
11. Select the fixed file, drag and drop onto DDD II, and it will
make a QT compatible .mov file.

12. Open and play the file in QT Pro 6. Check for artifacting, bad audio,
out of sync audio, etc.

13. If eveything is ok, then do one of the following:
A. If using iMovie 3 or 4, import the QT .mov file in and then send to iDVD 3 or 4.
B., If using DVDSP2, bring the file in as an asset, and make a DVD.
C. If using Toast 6, drag and drop into Toast 6 DVD window under Video
tab, and make a DVD.

14. IF not, go back to step 6, and cahnge the audio to " Mp3" with same settings.

[thoughton]

Hi Terry, I'm sure your technique works, but I had a few questions,

Is there any particular reason you dont just go straight to DVD from ffmpegx? without encoding to mp4 in between?

Also how do you avoid getting horizontally-squeezed video when you import a widescreen format into iMovie? This seems to happen to me everytime I try it...

And what does dropping the mp4 onto divxdoctor do to it?

Cheers

[russ stevens]

thanks so much Terry. I've dropped the avi into ffmpegX and its proccessing at the moment. Is there anything other than dvd doctor 2 that I can use?

Many thanks everyone.

Russ

[galactica]

my tutorial works for DIVX encoded .avi's
as pointed out if its 3ivx or some non divx encode, it may not work

sounds like you are on the right foot.

also keep in mind, it could be due to downloaded file, these are not always the most trusted sources of video files [if you know what i mean]

[pixeljammedia]

Didn't mean to accuse you of the inability to follow forum rules. Your first post was kind of general. I had no idea what you had tried and there have been a rash of lazy and petulant folks around here.

terry's steps should work fine. You'll find in FFMPEGX that the aspect ratio is already seen above the selection buttons once the avi is selected. You should also consider doing the audio and video encodes seperately (by unchecking the boxes) as this tends to minimize the encoding errors.

The main mpeg2 encoders you'll find are FfmpegX and Mpeg2 Works. You can also use mencoder through the CLI.

[thoughton]

I'm still wondering what is the point of reducing the original avi to a half size mp4... seems like many hours of encoding and a significant loss in quality for no good reason? Why would we want to encode such a low resolution to mpeg2?

[terryj]

Hi Terry, I'm sure your technique works, but I had a few questions,

Is there any particular reason you dont just go straight to DVD from ffmpegx? without encoding to mp4 in between?

Hello,
Yes, it's because I choose to do my builds either in iMovie or FCP4,
depending on the type of project. Say for instance, the downloaded
janet/Justin vid, I just wanted to bring it into iMovie, slow down the ending, and at the end add pict clips of the "wardrobe malfunction",
so as I could generate a q&d one off.

for a longer project, such as say a downloaded copy of "Ogenki Clinic",
where I would want to add chapter marks, and possibly subtitles,
then I would go first to FCP4, then out to DVD.

Rarely, do I go straight from ffmpegx, unless its a quick one off
to VCD, but then I would stop at VCD builder first.

Also how do you avoid getting horizontally-squeezed video when you import a widescreen format into iMovie? This seems to happen to me everytime I try it...

And what does dropping the mp4 onto divxdoctor do to it?

Cheers

1. In the step where I refer to Opening the vid in QT PRO first,
and writing down the dimensions, this is how I avoid it.
If the dimensions in QT PRO say 864 x 436, then I divide it up
by half and list those as my target size in ffmepgx.
Hadn't had any problems with squeezing video....

2. DIVX DOCTOR II "fixes" the file from AVI ( containment wrapper)
to QT .MOV ( actual true format), thus eliminating any of the
.avi wrapper problems you see when going to edit and export
to another format such as DV. ( lost audio, no audio etc.)
It's an old school trick, and one that still has its uses
(often pre-cautionary).

[russ stevens]

hi terry,

thanks for all the help so far! I've have finally come to the conclusion that FCP4 is the solution too! However when I drop the .mov file into the timeline, I have to expand it in wireframe as it is too small. Do you have the same problem and if not, what can I do?

Thanks once again.

Russ

[russ stevens]

by the way... a 1hr 43 movie takes 40 hours to render. Does that sound right to you???

(I'm working with a 1ghz 512Ram Powerbook

[thoughton]

1. In the step where I refer to Opening the vid in QT PRO first,
and writing down the dimensions, this is how I avoid it.
If the dimensions in QT PRO say 864 x 436, then I divide it up
by half and list those as my target size in ffmepgx.
Hadn't had any problems with squeezing video....

I still dont get it Are you only halving the vertical dimension? Or are you halving both dimensions (and making the whole thing 1/4 of the size of the original)? Unless you are also letterboxing in ffmpegx ... And if you are halving both dimensions why why why? Doesn't this reduce your pristine avi to mere vcd resolutions?

2. DIVX DOCTOR II "fixes" the file from AVI ( containment wrapper)
to QT .MOV ( actual true format), thus eliminating any of the
.avi wrapper problems you see when going to edit and export
to another format such as DV. ( lost audio, no audio etc.)
It's an old school trick, and one that still has its uses
(often pre-cautionary).

Interesting. I remember doing this to recover sound which QT used to "lose" when playing avis from the PC world (and also avis produced by forty-two 1.5), but since QT 6.5 and that QT AC3 codec appeared I no longer have this problem and havent used divxdoctor since. I'm not even sure if divxdoctor has any purpose now, but if I ever lose my audio when exporting to DV I will give it a try.

I'll leave aside the question of whether a mov is a format or a container and whether or not there is anything 'true' about it

Cheers!

PS Russ, 40 hours sounds like an awfully long time.

[terryj]

terry's steps should work fine. You'll find in FFMPEGX that the aspect ratio is already seen above the selection buttons once the avi is selected. You should also consider doing the audio and video encodes seperately (by unchecking the boxes) as this tends to minimize the encoding errors.

This is true Pixel. FFmpegx will give you the size/aspect ratios when you
select your source. I just always check these in QT PRO, that is just my
work ethic....And yes, encoding video and audio seperate can often fix
encoding errors, especially on files where a variant of xvid and/or windows audio on the PC side was often used for "encoding" the .avi.


[quote="thoughton"]
I still dont get it Are you only halving the vertical dimension? Or are you halving both dimensions (and making the whole thing 1/4 of the size of the original)? Unless you are also letterboxing in ffmpegx ... And if you are halving both dimensions why why why? Doesn't this reduce your pristine avi to mere vcd resolutions?[/thoughton]

First you have to remember, you are not using your original Pristine AVI
for more than input. The original pristine avi is still intact.
What you are working off of is the re-encoded to Mpeg-4 new file
ffmpegx has created by re- encoding from the source data .

Second, by reducing the file size dimensions, you are "tightening" up
the resolution. Kid of like the old trick they taught us in college about
DPI--"you can tighten it by going smaller than original, but cannot make
it tighter by going larger, because there is no info [pixels] to add."

When the info from re-encoding the original .avi is being put to the new
file, at half size it is "tightening" up. The Quality is comparable to the source, and in some instances were the original was encoded with xvid,
the new mpg-4 is better than the xvid original at half size.

And as for halfing, I split it evenly, both H & V, down the middle.
If the source was 704 x 480, I set the output size to 352 x 240.
That's both Horiz and Vertical, at 1:1 aspect ratio.
When I check it in QT PRo, it comes up as half the original size not 1/4,
because that would be 176 x 120?


Sorry if my methods are baffling to you...it however works beautifully.

Also, I don't letterbox in ffmpegx...really haven't letterboxed anything.
I guess I'm old (or is that new) fashioned and just prefer fullscreen.

a 1hr 43 movie takes 40 hours to render

- that is too long. Are you using Standard DV for your rendering or
DVC/DVCPro? I have seen it with DVC Pro Codec, and changing the codec
selection under preferences back to Standard DV should make it normal...

Also check your sequence settings...Your import should not come in small. I'm breaking for lunch, but I know it is there in the settings...

[thoughton]

First you have to remember, you are not using your original Pristine AVI
for more than input. The original pristine avi is still intact.
What you are working off of is the re-encoded to Mpeg-4 new file
ffmpegx has created by re- encoding from the source data .

Yes, that was evident. When I said "reduce your pristine avi to mere vcd" it was in the sense of "encoding a 704x480 avi to a 352x240 mp4".

Second, by reducing the file size dimensions, you are "tightening" up
the resolution. Kid of like the old trick they taught us in college about
DPI--"you can tighten it by going smaller than original, but cannot make
it tighter by going larger, because there is no info [pixels] to add."

If we were talking about reducing the size of a non-dvd-standard-size avi, then it seems possible that going down to the next smaller compliant size would "tighten" it up. But if all you're doing is halfing each dimension then I dont see how it helps.

When the info from re-encoding the original .avi is being put to the new
file, at half size it is "tightening" up. The Quality is comparable to the source, and in some instances were the original was encoded with xvid,
the new mpg-4 is better than the xvid original at half size.

I don't know why, but I have a hard time believing this. Perhaps the mp4 looks 'tighter' at 352x240 than the original avi did at 704x480, but if you play them both on a TV screen I dont see how the smaller one can possibly look better than the larger one.

Secondly, I don't know where your xvids are coming from, but the ones I'm seeing are virtually indistinguishable from DVD (if both are played back fullscreen on a Mac screen). Making them any better would be difficult.

And as for halfing, I split it evenly, both H & V, down the middle.
If the source was 704 x 480, I set the output size to 352 x 240.
That's both Horiz and Vertical, at 1:1 aspect ratio.
When I check it in QT PRo, it comes up as half the original size not 1/4,
because that would be 176 x 120?

Sorry that was me being unclear - when I said 1/4 size I meant you only have 1/4 of the screen pixels you used to have.

Sorry if my methods are baffling to you...it however works beautifully.

Also, I don't letterbox in ffmpegx...really haven't letterboxed anything.
I guess I'm old (or is that new) fashioned and just prefer fullscreen.

Ah, I see why you are able to use iMovie then. You must only ever convert 4:3 video (?). If you tried it with widescreen input I think you would get the 'squeezing' I'm talking about.

Cheers!

[terryj]

[quote="thoughton"]

Ah, I see why you are able to use iMovie then. You must only ever convert 4:3 video (?). If you tried it with widescreen input I think you would get the 'squeezing' I'm talking about.

Cheers!

aaah..you are perhaps correct.
One day I shall have to try a widescreen project....