Frustrated, Very much so

[Nosferatu__]

Ok after trying several different ways with no success, spending countless hours converting burning etc. Ive come to the conclusion it's not for me lol. So the next step. I'm going to convert my avi files to mpg, then, what is a dvd authoring software that will NOT resize my already converted files so that I can put them all on one dvd? I have about 7 hours of video (entire 1st season of fraggle rock) that i had a friend rip from vhs to avi. Also, can i just burn mpg files to a dvd or do they have to be vob files ie dvd format? i tried doing this the other suggested ways ie calculating bitrates etc and wound up with video being to fast or sound to short etc. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD i just want to make a dvd with menu's etc without all this unforseen hassle. if nothing else offer up what programs you use etc....i'll try pretty much anything at this point. maybe once i get this solved i will put all 130 of vhs episodes of THUNDERCATS onto dvd but at this rate ill be finished in 2012. sorry if this post is a little confusing but im a bit frazzled myself so lol just try ur best i guess. oh and the tools ive been using are dvdsanta,tmpenc all versions lol, winavi which sux and basically anything else that has been sugested.

[redwudz]

TMPGEnc DVD Author won't resize, AFAIK, but most authoring programs don't resize. Adding extensive menus during authoring is about the only thing that would increase the size of a compliant DVD file.

You can burn MPGs direct to DVD as data discs, but there are not that many settop players that can use them. Even then, they should be formatted to DVD specifications. If you only plan to use them o a computer, DIVX or XVID is a good choice. You can also get a settop DIVX player and use that.

Bitrate calculation is based on the running time of the video and how big you want the file to be. Not really complicated.

90% of the time, I use TMPGEnc Plus encoder and TMPGEnc DVD Author.

What you need to do is get a setup in TMPGEnc that gives you the results you want, make it a template and use that. If all your videos are the same length, you just plug them in and start.

The all-in-one programs work well for some files, but have little adjustment. If you learn to use TMPGEnc (Or other similar encoders), it should not be complicated, especially if you are encoding similar type files often.

[nic2k4]

First, you really need to capture with a 720X480 resolution. If your PC has the power to do it, capture directly to MPEG2. TDA is a good program, for your project; just author the disc as you like and don't worry if it exceeds 4.7Gb. Once TDA has rendered the disc to your HD, load it in DVDShrink and it will make it fit on a blank disc, without losing too much quality. Nero Vision Express is a nice package that has pretty much all you need integrated. In combination with Nero Burning ROM and its StartSmart, makes it very easy to do projects like that. It's almost worth it to go out and buy another burner, just so you get all those Nero programs.

[trossin]

I'm in the 352x480 VHS to DVD camp. I find that oversampling and then compressing using high compression rates does not look as good as sampling at nearly the VHS resolution and using the available bitrate to make nearly flawless DVDs. I usually capture at around 4 Mbps (Mega bits per second) using MP2 audio with a Hauppauge PVR-250 card. I then use Ulead's DVD MovieFactory 2 ($40) to author and burn (about a half hour). No need to recompress as I tune the bitrate ahead of time for the amount of material I want on a disk. I usually tune it to a little over 2 hours per disk.

[jtoolman2000]

If you are looking to do this sort of work in the future and according to the # of VHS tapes you say you have, you may want to invest in a stand alone DVD recorder. Hook up your VHS machine to it and begin to transfer all you VHS to DVD. Most recorders will generate a simple meny structure that will allow you to choose between your different movies. I would not put more than 2 hours total per disk to retain a reasonable level of quality. I do this all the time myself and it gets all of those old VHS movies I've shot and recorded into a relatively more permanent format, unlike VHS. No matter what, you are looking at doing each movie as a 1:1 time transfer BUT the recorder will create a REAL DVD of each movies automatically burning it to disk in real time more or less. Once you finish filling each disk, you then finalize it and with then play on your regular DVD player hooked to yourt TV. Recorders will set you back form about $199 on up. You get what you pay for in this case though.

[nic2k4]

I'm with JToolman on that one too. That's the way I prefer to do my conversions, then it's a piece of cake to copy the files off the rewritable to my HD, to make nice menus in TDA.

[Nosferatu__]

tmpgenc plus only lets you do one file at a time or do i need an addon to let me encode multiple files at once....also should i encode them to dvd or what before using tda? when i try to batch encode multiple files it tells me invalid steam format and they are just avi's

[wwjd]

You need to convert the avi files to compliant mpeg2 files, which I beleive TMPGEnc Plus will do. Once you have compliant mpeg2 files you can use TDA to 'author' and burn to DVD.

When I have avi files, which I much prefer over mpeg, I do the following;

1. Convert avi to mpeg using CCE Basic. Very fast and an excellent mpeg encoder that costs $58. The size of the resulting mpeg file is primarily dictated by the bitrate you choose. I personally prefer a constant bitrate of 4 - 6 Kbits/sec at 720x480. Depending on the source/quality of the video you can probably use a lower bitrate and use variable bitrate.
2. Now that I have compliant mpeg2 files I use TDA to author and burn.
3. If the file is too large for a DVD then I use DVD Shrink to reduce the file that TDA generated, to the correct size. DVD Shrink is free and an excellent software app.
4. If I used DVD Shrink then I use DVD Decrypter to burn to DVD.

[jtoolman2000]

I have to insist that in this particular case, a DVD recorder is the way to go. They are very affordable at this day and seeing the amount of VHS tapes you seem to want to convert, I see no other simpler way achieve your goal effectively.

If you want to learn to do conversions then by all means spend the time to capture to your PC to 720x480 AVI, convert to MPG author and finally burn to DVD. ALl the time wandering if your files are proper DVD complient files.

Go with the recorder now and later spend the time with small DVD projects to master the many ways one can achieve a DVD.

Just trying to save you time, effort and agrevation bro.

[Nosferatu__]

ok lets remove the vhs portion of the subject. I already have the avi's on my pc from my friend who did the conversion from vhs to avi....luckily i have around 270gigs of hd all total. i will try what you said about the cinema craft which i will be purchasing here shortly. i prefer a dvd authoring app to direct record through a burner so that i may add nice menu's etc...now, where do i get additional menu's etc for the tda as i see not many that came with it.

[wwjd]

In general I agree with jtoolman2000 provided you do not want to add menu's, cut/trim and so on. Some DVD recorders have limited capabilites
for some menus and cutting but it is very limited.

If want to ad motion menus, chapter points, edit out commercials, cut or
trim out sections of a video then you pretty much have to do that on your computer. DVD's created by a DVD player can be converted to mpeg files using software apps like Videoredo, or TDA but now the process is just as complicated as starting out with avi files.

So my advice is to have a good idea of what you really want to do. For straight transfer of VHS to DVD then DVD recorders are the way to go.

[Nosferatu__]

wwjd, I already have clonedvd2 which will do the same job as dvd shrink so i think i have that part covered....as for the converting i am in the process of that now and i will try ur suggestion as it seems the one that explains exactly what it is that i wish to do. I will report back with my success or failure lol. i just need more menu templates for tda so im going to look arouns while the conversion process takes its sweet time. hmm i can only encode 1 avi to mpg at a time with cce?

[Nosferatu__]

UGH i tried just encoding one avi to mpg and the video pauses off and on while the sound keeps going. what in gods name am i doing wrong????
also with cce basic it just stops at 13 to 14% of the way through so i am getting a refund on that app.....tmpgenc xpress has been the best so far for me yet a bit slow. funny how i build computers for a living yet i can encode a avi file to get it to dvd lmfao

[wwjd]

Nosferatu__,

1. Do the avi files, before conversion, play ok on your computer?
2. About how large is a particular file for how many minutes of video? (If the avi files are small then they may be divx)
3. Were the original VHS tapes of store bought movies? (Your avi files may have macrovision in them)
4. Are the VHS tapes NTSC or PAL?
5. When encoding do you have other things running on the computer at the same time? (CCE and other apps are very CPU intensive when encoding)
6. Is the CPU sufficiently cooled?
7. What settings did you use in CCE Basic?

Comments:
o CCE Basic can in fact do a batch of files. With CCE Basic open just right click and choose add. Do this for as many files as you want to convert. As you add files they will be listed in the CCE window. You can then double click on each file and set up each file they way you want it. When done you can execute and each of the files will be encoded in the order in which you added them.
o CCE Basic is CPU intensive but is also very stable. I have done 100's of DV avi files without any problems.
o If your avi files are not corrupted in some way another approach would be to use an app called Ulead Video Studio 8. It is an all in one app that you can safely trim/cut, add transitions, make menus, author and burn to DVD. The trick is to leave the avi files as is, just load them into VS8 do your editing and let VS8 do the conversion to mpeg2. VS8 will let you know before it does the conversion if the file is too big for a DVD. You can either change the bitrate or write the DVD to a folder and use Shrink to reduce it to the correct size. Check out the VS8 or VS9 trial copy

[Ward River]

UGH i tried just encoding one avi to mpg and the video pauses off and on while the sound keeps going. what in gods name am i doing wrong????
also with cce basic it just stops at 13 to 14% of the way through so i am getting a refund on that app.....tmpgenc xpress has been the best so far for me yet a bit slow. funny how i build computers for a living yet i can encode a avi file to get it to dvd lmfao

Are you using AviSynth to frameserve the AVI file to CCE or are you just loading the AVI file directly?

[Nosferatu__]

Nosferatu__,

1. Do the avi files, before conversion, play ok on your computer?
2. About how large is a particular file for how many minutes of video? (If the avi files are small then they may be divx)
3. Were the original VHS tapes of store bought movies? (Your avi files may have macrovision in them)
4. Are the VHS tapes NTSC or PAL?
5. When encoding do you have other things running on the computer at the same time? (CCE and other apps are very CPU intensive when encoding)
6. Is the CPU sufficiently cooled?
7. What settings did you use in CCE Basic?

1 yes they play fine
2 right now the avg file size is around 80-100 mb and they are divx
3 pre-recorded from tv
4 NTSC
5 nothing
6 deffinately sufficiently cooled
7 i didnt adjust anything i was just testing it out

and ward river, i added them directly

I KNOW I KNOW.......IM A PAIN IN THE ASS BUT MY ASS HURTS TO FROM ALL THIS LOL

[wwjd]

Since these are Divx files my suggestion for using VS8 is not valid. In fact I am not sure how much CCE Basic likes Divx. Even though Divx is avi it is highly compressed and manipulated avi.

My suggestion at this point is to go to the 'Guides' section of this site and look for guides on how to convert Divx to DVD. You should also look in
the 'Tools' section for software that converts Divx to DVD.

I believe the main problem you have is that your dealing with Divx files and the software you have been trying and using is really not setup for converting Divx to DVD (compliant mpeg2 files).

Good luck!

[jtoolman2000]

Well folks, see what I mean. In the time you all have been going at it back and forth I have converted, beutifully, i might add, an old 8mm of my son's jazz band performance back when he was in high school. I hooked up myu old 8mm cam to the DVD roecorder. COuld have easily been my VHS player or even my MiniDV cam. It looks as good as the original and I have a single menu + I am able to click next on my remote to go to chapters about every ten minutes. If I need a more advanced menu I pop this DVD into my PC and rip to MPG2 in TDA in about 10 mins and make a "Real" menu if that is what I think I might need. It DTA is not "enough" I'll pop the MPG in any of my other authoring programs. Remember that no amount of fancy menus as going to compensate for lack of content. My point is that it is the bottom line that matters and in this case you started out staring that you had years worth of converting to DVD. This is the quickest most painless way I can suggest to you. If you need to remove commercials, you can pause the recorder while you cue up the next section or even ommit a section you may not want. It's a rudimentary form of editing but if done right it will appear seamless.

Now since you already have Divx file sthat your friend converted for you. You could try any of the direct Divx to DVD tools that are available. Many free. I like Santa but some have had audio sych problems. Your Divx must be the proper format. I do simple DVDs in santa of tutorial AVIs ( Divx ). Santa will create a DVD complient set of folders which you burn to DVD-R
Look in the tools section. Meanwhile consider these recorders as they are really painless to use and do you really need fancy menus?

[wwjd]

jtoolman2000,

If I understand Nosferatu__'s problem correctly, he has Divx files on his
hard drive, which means that he would have to find a way to get them
to the DVD recorder. If he has a Divx player then he could burn the Divx files as data files to a DVD and then hook the Divx player to the DVD recorder.

I am not debating the ease of using a DVD recorder for fairly straight transfers of VHS, 8mm or whatever but it does not fit all situations.

[Nosferatu__]

if i had or could afford the recorder......i would do it......again ill say forget the VHS thing as i am way past that...commercials removed and the avi divx files are on my hard drive.....everything i have used does not work for me so i will be giving up at this time and wwjd sorry for the waste of ur time. i cant get them to mpg without them being huge or the encoder freezes while converting etc etc etc its always something with my trying this so ill face the truth and just stop trying lol. thanx again for everyones help

[jtoolman2000]

Cheap Divx player like the Phillips to the DVD recorder. Problem solved. The negative aspect is that he would have to burn half a dozen or so at a time to DVD-Rws and then pop them in the Divx player to create individual DVDs.
The whole thing would be lot easier to just start over with the original VHS tapes. That's what I would do.

I have just a few hairs left on my head and I would not want to pull those last few out trying to go the VHS to DIvx to MPG to DVD. Did I leave anything out?

[Ward River]

Use AviSynth

[nic2k4]

Just use VSO DivXtoDVD, works great and it's free.

[DarrellS]

You are not going to fit one Data DVD onto one MPEG2 compliant DVD.

Since you are using DivX files, I would use VSO DivXToDVD to to convert to VIDEO_TS folders.
For 7 hours of episodes, it will probably take two DVD-Rs. I fit 12/50 minute episodes on three DVD-R discs.
If you want menus then you have to use an authoring program like TDA to author and burn but if you don't need a menu then you can author with DVDshrink and burn with DVDdecrypter.

For jtoolman...

Cheap Divx player like the Phillips to the DVD recorder. Problem solved.

If he had the Philips player, he wouldn't need to convert to DVD, he could just burn one Data DVD and watch with his stand alone DivX player.

[jtoolman2000]

If he had the Philips player, he wouldn't need to convert to DVD, he could just burn one Data DVD and watch with his stand alone DivX player.

Then maybe he should spend the $69 and get one.

If he cannot afford it then maybe he is in the wrong hobby!

Sorry about my hard ass answer but there really IS a simple solution to this!

[DarrellS]

Then maybe he should spend the $69 and get one.

I would highly recommend it. Since I deal with alot of DivX and XviD files, that's what I bought. I couldn't see spending alot of money on a player that wouldn't play them. I didn't have alot to spend in the first place.

A DVD recorder is a great idea for copying your VHS collection but since I only have 5 or 6 VHS tapes, it wouldn't be worth it for me to buy one. Besides, I enjoy the editing part of the process and a recorder would take the fun out of it for me.

If he cannot afford it then maybe he is in the wrong hobby!

The $69? Yes, but you don't need alot of money in this hobby (except for DVD discs) since there are so many freeware programs out there. You don't need Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro to make decent movies or an $800 DVD player to play them on.

[jtoolman2000]

I meant the video hobby in general. Some of us will just do DVD backups using freware apps. You still need a fairly good computer and a reliable DVD burner. Not to mention good media. Original DVDs are also between $15 and $25 a shot which is a reason why there is so much piracy, but that is a diferent subject.

I am into the whole aspect of video production so yes, I've had to shell out a substancial amount of bucks just to have the mid line essentials. I do not mean my previous statement to be taken as derogatory in any way. It's just that the truth is, you have to invest on at least some equipment to facilitate what we want to do in a reasonable amount of time and affort.

But back to the original subject. Nosferatu, take all those AVIs and convert them in any of the "a one click avi to dvd" converters available. I will not reccomend any as that is always a subjective choice. DVDsanta will automaticaly "Shrink" the files you load to fit the final DVD target size. Obviously the more files you load the worse the final DVD quality will be.
If the AVIs are really good, I would restrict it to no more than 120 minutes total original video onto one DVD. The recordings I do on my DVD recorder are always at the next best quality sertting which is 120min. I have not really detected much diference between the 60 min and the 120min setting. It gets progresively worse with anything beyond 2 hours. The same thought applies for converting avi to dvd in a on shot program. Keep it to two hours per disk and you will not be unhappy with the results. Try to pack more and you will get worse quality than the original tape you started with and that is would be conterproductive.

[Nosferatu__]

ok im using the VSOdivxtodvd right now, great output quality and ive figured out the part about not putting to many files to get better quality...although tda will not import the dvd files after vso is done...hmm interesting. i think ill just go back to the one i started with which is ulead dvd moviefactory now.....converting mpg to divx avi so that i can continue using the vsodivx2dvd will be my next task. thank you all for being patient and helping me out here.....and TOOLMAN no offense taken

[nic2k4]

To import the files in TDA, did you click on the top button or the one below (can't remember the button names)? The second button is for importing files from a DVD disc, this is what you want to do.

[DarrellS]

ok im using the VSOdivxtodvd right now, great output quality and ive figured out the part about not putting to many files to get better quality...although tda will not import the dvd files after vso is done...hmm interesting. i think ill just go back to the one i started with which is ulead dvd moviefactory now.....converting mpg to divx avi so that i can continue using the vsodivx2dvd will be my next task. thank you all for being patient and helping me out here.....and TOOLMAN no offense taken

Yes. TDA will author the DVD. You have to click Source SetUp and then click Add DVD video. A browser window will pop up for you to find the VIDEO_TS folder that you made.

Just to be safe, I always put a dummy AUDIO_TS folder in all my DVD folders along with the VIDEO_TS folder. Some aps will not add the audio if an AUDIO_TS folder is not present. I don't know why since the audio is not stored in the AUDIO_TS folder, but...

Also, you don't have to convert regular mpeg files to avi before using VSO DivXToDVD. You can convert mpeg files to DVD with this program also. It will accept a few different file types.