Windows Movie Maker AVI file into TMPGEnc

[kbigelow2000]

I was previously a Pinnacle 8 user and for whatever reason, that program has stopped working (and their tech support can't help me). So I'm on a 30 day trial of TMPGEnc. Previously, Pinnacle 8 did the whole process for me (capture, author, burn to DVD). Now, I'm trying to learn TMPGEnc. So my question:

I can capture w/ Windows Movie Maker and output to AVI. However, TMPGEnc won't import an AVI file. How do I get from Windows Movie Maker's AVI to an MPEG2 that TMPGEnc needs?

Thanks for any help here.

Kevin

[tekkieman]

Movie Maker 2 won't do an MPEG2. It will do a WMV that TMPGEnc will accept, but at that point, you've already taken the hit. It would help to know what you are capping from. There are other alternatives. I wasn't happy with the MM2 to TMPGEnc, and I was capping from VHS, so I used VirtualVCR instead.

Now, what to do with the 50G capture file........??????

[kbigelow2000]

Movie Maker 2 won't do an MPEG2. It will do a WMV that TMPGEnc will accept, but at that point, you've already taken the hit. It would help to know what you are capping from. There are other alternatives. I wasn't happy with the MM2 to TMPGEnc, and I was capping from VHS, so I used VirtualVCR instead.

Now, what to do with the 50G capture file........??????

I have a canon digitial camcorder. I capture using my firewire card. Ultimately, I want to take these home videos and put them to DVD. I want to maintain full DV quality throughout the process. I assume when you say "taken the hit", you mean I am losing quality. I want to avoid that. Will VirtualVCR do the AVI to MPEG2 conversion I need?

Also, I'm hoping to do this cheap/free. I am going to drop the bucks on TMPGEnc, so I'm hoping that the conversion from AVI to MPEG2 will be cheap/free.

Kevin

[jimmalenko]

I can capture w/ Windows Movie Maker and output to AVI. However, TMPGEnc won't import an AVI file.

um, yes it does. Try rearranging your codec priorities (more info here).

[kbigelow2000]

Sorry - thanks for your help, but I'm still struggling here. I'm on a trial version of TMPGenc - the version is DVD Author 1.5.20.62

This is the fix I think you pointed me to:
"If you have problem open DV AVI files"

The setting it talks about in "environmental settings" is not in my version of TMPGenc. Also, the 2 programs it refers to - the DV Codec and the Canopus only output AVI. The error I get from TMPGEnc when I import an AVI is this:

This is an illegal video file - For DVD standard you can only use MPEG-1 Video or MPEG-2 Video

Thanks again for any help you can provide

=== this is the fix I was following that you pointed me to ===
If you have problem open DV AVI files
First install a DV Codec and be sure that you can play DV AVI with Media Player.
Then try change the directshow reader priority, in TMPGEnc under Option->Environmental settings->VFAPI plug-in and right click on the DirectShow Multimedia File Reader and increase the priority to 2 or to the top of the plugin-list and reopen the video.
If that doesn't help you may need to convert the DV to Canopus reference DV (TMPGEnc do not support Microsoft DV AVI 1).

[bugster]

Sorry - thanks for your help, but I'm still struggling here. I'm on a trial version of TMPGenc - the version is DVD Author 1.5.20.62

This is the fix I think you pointed me to:
"If you have problem open DV AVI files"

The setting it talks about in "environmental settings" is not in my version of TMPGenc. Also, the 2 programs it refers to - the DV Codec and the Canopus only output AVI. The error I get from TMPGEnc when I import an AVI is this:

This is an illegal video file - For DVD standard you can only use MPEG-1 Video or MPEG-2 Video

Thanks again for any help you can provide

=== this is the fix I was following that you pointed me to ===
If you have problem open DV AVI files
First install a DV Codec and be sure that you can play DV AVI with Media Player.
Then try change the directshow reader priority, in TMPGEnc under Option->Environmental settings->VFAPI plug-in and right click on the DirectShow Multimedia File Reader and increase the priority to 2 or to the top of the plugin-list and reopen the video.
If that doesn't help you may need to convert the DV to Canopus reference DV (TMPGEnc do not support Microsoft DV AVI 1).

There are two programs called TmpGenc.

The original TmpGenc is an encoder. It will take your DV avi files and encode them to DVD compliant mpeg-2. Then you need to author for DVD. This is where the program you have, TmpGenc DVD Author, comes in (its by the same people).

[kbigelow2000]

Bugster!

Here you are helping me out again! Thanks.
Can I still get this original TMPGenc that does the AVI to MPEG 2 conversion? Just wondering where to get it from.

Thanks.
Kevin

[bugster]

Just click on the word TmpGenc in your own post.

[kbigelow2000]

I'm back. This time, money is the problem. To use TMPGEnc DVD Author for the authoring, it is $60. To get my AVI's to MPEG-2, I have to use TMPGEnc Plus 2.5 which is $50.

Maybe there is a post you guys could link me to that would help me accomplish what I want to accomplish at a lower cost. Here is my goal.

- Capture in full DV quality (I can do this w/ Windiws Movie Maker).
- I can also trim up my captures with Windows Movie Maker to get just the video I want.
- Then, I want to take that trimmed up AVI file and author it - menus, insert some still pics, replace the audio w/ some wave files.
- Then, burn this thing to DVD.

Again, I was doing this all w/ Pinnacle 8 SE until it broke on my and I can't fix it and neither can tech support!

Thanks again everyone for your help.

Kevin

[BSR]

DVIO or WINDV for the capture from Video camera process to DV on your hard drive(AVI), both Free.
VirtualDub for editing = Free
AVISYNTH and QUENC for the MPEG2 CONVERSION both Free
DVDAUTHOR 0.6 with DVDAUTHORGUI for MPEG2 to DVD = Free

I don't use all these programs, and not nearly as easy as your Pinnacle way, but all Free.

[jimmalenko]

Sorry - thanks for your help, but I'm still struggling here. I'm on a trial version of TMPGenc - the version is DVD Author 1.5.20.62

This is the fix I think you pointed me to:
"If you have problem open DV AVI files"

The setting it talks about in "environmental settings" is not in my version of TMPGenc. Also, the 2 programs it refers to - the DV Codec and the Canopus only output AVI. The error I get from TMPGEnc when I import an AVI is this:

This is an illegal video file - For DVD standard you can only use MPEG-1 Video or MPEG-2 Video

Thanks again for any help you can provide

=== this is the fix I was following that you pointed me to ===
If you have problem open DV AVI files
First install a DV Codec and be sure that you can play DV AVI with Media Player.
Then try change the directshow reader priority, in TMPGEnc under Option->Environmental settings->VFAPI plug-in and right click on the DirectShow Multimedia File Reader and increase the priority to 2 or to the top of the plugin-list and reopen the video.
If that doesn't help you may need to convert the DV to Canopus reference DV (TMPGEnc do not support Microsoft DV AVI 1).

You jackass

Sorry, had to get that outta the way.

As pointed out, TMPGEnc and TMPGEnc DVD Author are two different programs. That might have been useful information had you mentioned it a bit earlier.

You're not gonna like the sound of this, but I think you should invest some money. You can either get 1 program that'll do the lot for you, or you can get programs dedicated to one particular aspect of the process.

I use ScenalyzerLive to capture, VirtualDub to edit, TMPGenc Plus to encode, TMPGEnc DVD Author to author and Nero to burn.

The freeware way will work but will be complicated because the encoding process is code(script)-based. If you want to get your hands dirty then be my guest.

Just to head off on a tangent, can you remember if there was a Service Pack or something like that that you might have installed that stopped Pinnacle Studio from working ?

Have you tried a re-install of Pinnacle Studio 8 ?

Worst-case scenario: have you tried reformatting and reinstalling everything ?

Have Pinnacle provided any help whatsoever or are they just saying that it must be your machine ?

It seems to me like you might want to try a couple of these options first if money is an issue.

[Supreme2k]

If you want to use TMPGEnc for your Movie Maker files, you need to convert them using Canopus DV File Converter. WMM outputs to type-1, but they need to be in Type-2 for TMPGEnc.

[jimmalenko]

...I'm on a trial version of TMPGenc - the version is DVD Author 1.5.20.62

...

The setting it talks about in "environmental settings" is not in my version of TMPGenc.

...

The error I get from TMPGEnc when I import an AVI is this:

...

Then try change the directshow reader priority, in TMPGEnc under Option->Environmental settings->VFAPI plug-in and right click on the DirectShow Multimedia File Reader and increase the priority to 2 or to the top of the plugin-list and reopen the video.

...

If that doesn't help you may need to convert the DV to Canopus reference DV (TMPGEnc do not support Microsoft DV AVI 1).

...

As pointed out, TMPGEnc and TMPGEnc DVD Author are two different programs.

...

I use ScenalyzerLive to capture, VirtualDub to edit, TMPGenc Plus to encode, TMPGEnc DVD Author to author and Nero to burn.

Don't mind me, but has anyone noticed that TMPGEnc does not auto tool link whereas TMPGenc does at different times ?

[kbigelow2000]

You jackass

Sorry, had to get that outta the way.

As pointed out, TMPGEnc and TMPGEnc DVD Author are two different programs. That might have been useful information had you mentioned it a bit earlier.

You're not gonna like the sound of this, but I think you should invest some money. You can either get 1 program that'll do the lot for you, or you can get programs dedicated to one particular aspect of the process.

I use ScenalyzerLive to capture, VirtualDub to edit, TMPGenc Plus to encode, TMPGEnc DVD Author to author and Nero to burn.

The freeware way will work but will be complicated because the encoding process is code(script)-based. If you want to get your hands dirty then be my guest.

Just to head off on a tangent, can you remember if there was a Service Pack or something like that that you might have installed that stopped Pinnacle Studio from working ?

Have you tried a re-install of Pinnacle Studio 8 ?

Worst-case scenario: have you tried reformatting and reinstalling everything ?

Have Pinnacle provided any help whatsoever or are they just saying that it must be your machine ?

It seems to me like you might want to try a couple of these options first if money is an issue.

Here is the thing w/ Pinnacle - I was having some PC problems in general so I did a clean install of XP Pro. So I have verison 8.4 on CDROM and have upgraded to their latest patch 8.12.7. So I created a very nice project only to learn that when hitting "make movie", the program crashes and I must manually shutdown the PC. I started talking to Pinnacle and they had me uninstall, etc. However, the only thing I can get to work is 8.4 - problem: my project was done in 8.12.7 and can't be opened. So I have 2 options:

1 - backup my project files done in 8.12.7, re-install XP again, install 8.4 and upgrade and HOPE it opens my project files. OR

2 - move on. Give up on Pinnacle b/c I may do all that re-installation work to find out it fails again. Furthermore, what I know works - 8.4 - is buggy (that is why they moved to 8.12.7). So if I go w/ 8.4 or if I try new s'ware, either way I have to re-do my project.

Now I agree w/ the command line stuff - I'm good, but not that good. Here is thing - TMPGEnc DVD Author is 30 day trial - great! Risk free. However, the TMPGPlus to do the MPEG2 conversion won't let me do MPEG2 in the trial version (as soon as I open it, it says mpeg2 trial version has expired). I can do the MPEG1 w/ it, but I'd like to do a DVD quality project before I buy it. So I will have to drop bucks on something I'm not sure I'll even like which worries me.

You guys have been very helpful. Thanks.

[jimmalenko]

Here is the thing w/ Pinnacle - I was having some PC problems in general so I did a clean install of XP Pro. So I have verison 8.4 on CDROM and have upgraded to their latest patch 8.12.7.

Are there any patches inbetween 8.4 and 8.12.7 ?

I'm thinking that you could get lucky and find one somewhere inbetween that will alow you to finish your project.

So I have 2 options:

1 - backup my project files done in 8.12.7, re-install XP again, install 8.4 and upgrade and HOPE it opens my project files. OR

2 - move on. Give up on Pinnacle b/c I may do all that re-installation work to find out it fails again. Furthermore, what I know works - 8.4 - is buggy (that is why they moved to 8.12.7). So if I go w/ 8.4 or if I try new s'ware, either way I have to re-do my project.

1 - As I understand it, 8.4 is the only version you could get to work, and 8.12.7 crapped out on you. So chances of this working are pretty remote because effectively, that is what you have done to get to this particular point in time.

2 - I can now see your logic behind investigating new software.

However, the TMPGPlus to do the MPEG2 conversion won't let me do MPEG2 in the trial version (as soon as I open it, it says mpeg2 trial version has expired). I can do the MPEG1 w/ it, but I'd like to do a DVD quality project before I buy it. So I will have to drop bucks on something I'm not sure I'll even like which worries me.

You must have already used up the trial period on TMPGEnc Plus. I believe it writes certain files or registry entries to enforce this trial period.

From way out of left field, can you get a trial version of Studio 9 and see if that will open your project ? If it does, it might be worth spending money the full version because you should qualify for an upgrade.