DVD-lab Pro question

[SameerK]

Ok, so I am trying to burn 24 10-minutes episodes onto one DVD...I'm encoding it with Canopus Procoder, but a 10-minute episode is just about a 500 mb VOB file...so 24 episodes would be 12 gbs...

my question is, will DVD-lab Pro recognize that I am trying to put all that crap on a single dvd and will shrink the sizes of them? If not, is there a way to reduce video bit rate in Procoder? Thanks.

[tdan]

DVD-Lab is an authoring program. It will not do any encoding for you. You need to encode your material in a DVD compliant format, and then you can use DVD-Lab to create your DVD.

So, to answer your question - no.

Dan

[SameerK]

yea i figured that...so obviously I have to go in Procoder and change the bit rate settings. But I'll tell you honestly I have no idea how to do that or even what bit rate setting to put it on

[freebird73717]

even what bit rate setting to put it on

Use a bitrate calculator. The videohelp.com bitrate calculator can be found in the tools section. I have never used procoder so I couldn't help as far as how to change the settings. Have you looked in the manual? There is also a guides section to the left that I'm sure will have guides for working with procoder.

[pchan]

You can download Bitrate Calculator from the TOOL section. Unzip the BitrateCalc folder and double click the BitrateCalc.html. I use 4hrs or 240mins and the bitrate is about 2300 in order to fit into a DVDR.



Use Procoder and convert your AVI file to MPEG2 at 2300 average bitrate. Convert your audio to AC3 format that DVD Lab can accept. Oce you have done with your convertion to MPEG2 and audio to AC3. Launch DVD lab and import your MPEG2 video cllips and AC3 files.

I assume you already know how to use DVD-lab Pro to author a DVD.

[JimJohnD]

The Pro version has this feature available from the 'Tools' menu, although I have not used it myself.

Reduce MPEG size
This will reduce bitrate of the mpeg file and its size using DCT−Domain Transcoder. DCT is not a full file transcoding, it reuses
the existing Motion vectors and therefore the recompression is extremely fast. The reasonable resizing is up to 70%. The DCT
transcoder will try to resize as much as possible to the desired new size, however this may not be actually realistic for sizes below
50% of original size. or for short movies. It works on elementary streams only.

[SameerK]

Thanks a lot pchan & JimJohnD..I'll try it out tonight when I get back from work. Do you think it would be easier to join the 24 episodes together first, then run the encoding @ 2300 kbit/s? If so, what's an efficient, easy-to-use program to join AVIs?

I dont know how to use the authoring tool in DVD-lab Pro yet, but there's a tutorial off of the dvd-lab website that I can follow. As far as authoring goes, how much space on the disc would the authoring take up? I'd imagine little to none, as it would just be a simple menu, with a background. No super special features needed.

[reboot]

Simple authoring like that, will take up about 500k (depending on the size/quality of the background picture). If you use a built-in background and buttons, they're already optimized.
There's also DVDLab tutorials right here!

[SameerK]

well I calculated my bit rate to be about 2000, but when I go into Procoder and try to change it, it only goes down as far as 2500. Does this mean I should try and put the 24 episodes on 2 discs rather than 1?

Also, the tutorial shows the input files as .mpv and .mp2, my file is a vob. It should still burn correctly with vobs, correct? If not, how would I change those settings in Procoder?

[pchan]

I did try authoring a DVD using DVD-lab PRO with MPEG1(VCD) format. VCD bitrate = 1150. For this, you can use TMPGEnc and it's free and just use the NTSC or PAL VCD template. Just convert 2 or 3 episodes and test it out on a DVD+RW or -RW whichever your DVD burner can take.

As for the disk space, I compile my output to the hard disk and use Nero to burn onto DVD later. So, I need about 5~6gig of free hard disk space. DVD Lab Pro has a feature that burn directly to DVD media. I never try that.

Need not combine all the episodes and DVD-Lab Pro has a neat Playlist feature that plays all the episodes continuously.

[SameerK]

interesting...alright, do you suggest encoding in NTSC or PAL? I know most dvd players should play both

[pchan]

It depends on your video source. If you are sure, please use GSPOT and check confirm. It's best you stick to the same format as your source since most DVD players are multi-format.

[SameerK]

k, it doesnt explicitly say NTSC or PAL, but its FPS is 23.976...meaning it's NTSC 3-2 pulldown, correct?

[pchan]

Yes, that's right !

[aguillon]

Just one thing to add to all this:

DVD Spec allows for NTSC and PAL VCD video streams, but not VCD audio.

Audio has to be MPEG2 48hz to be compliant.

You can easily create a custom template in TMPGEnc (load the NTSC VCD template then use the Unlock template and modify the audio), which outputs elementary streams (audio and video separate) with Video as NTSC VCD and audio as Mpeg2 48hz (works for me).

Don't forget to rename the video files from mp2 extension to mpv (DVD Lab Pro will accept them).

Once you load the files in DVD Lab, you ll get a non critical warning that your video files are of low quality but that the DVD will probably play - just press ok.

From there, you can use the files as per normal - it should author into a perfectly fine DVD (I generally create a small menu and create links from one movie to the next).

Cheers

[pchan]

Audio has to be MPEG2 48hz to be compliant.

Exactly. I use Virtualdub to convert audio 48Khz that DVD-lab Pro can accept.

[SameerK]

Yea, for some reason when I set the audio to 23.976, Windows gives an error after about 10 seconds of encoding and is forced to shut down the program (Procoder). But when I set it to 29.976, it works perfectly fine.

I dont understand the difference b/w the two bit rates and what effect that will have on my output file. For those of you who havent kept up, the original video's bit rate was 23.976.

There's also an option for 24.976...Should I try selecting that one instead of 29.976?

[reboot]

Audio doesn't have a bitrate!
Extract audio from the source and set it aside.
Encode video only to m2v. If you want 23.976, you have to set 3:2 pulldown in encode mode.
Transcode audio to 48khz ac3 in something like ffmpeggui.
Import AC3 and m2v into dvdlab.

[SameerK]

thanks reboot, ill try that when i get back from work

if it's not bit rate, then what unit of measure is it?

[GeorgeW]

Audio doesn't have a bitrate!

[freebird73717]

Audio doesn't have a bitrate!

Are you sure????????? When I encode audio with besweet it gives me several different bitrates to choose from.

Although the original poster is confused between bitrate and frame rate and I know what you were referring to reboot.

I just don't want the original poster to get more confused.

SameerK you are referring to the framerate (FPS) of the file. 23.976 is NTSCFilm and 29.97 is standard NTSC. Always try to encode your mpeg with the same frame rate as your source file.

Basically just follow reboot's instructions and you will be fine.

[SameerK]

Yea, frame rate is what I meant for the FPS

Procder successfully changed my source to a .m2a and a .m2v file. Can DVD-lab Pro accept .m2a files? Do I have to change it to .ac3 format (as reboot was saying)?

Any advantage to using ac3 instead of m2a?

[SameerK]

I encoded the source to a ac3 file using ffmpeggui, and as far as I can tell, both the ac3 and the m2a sound exactly the same. It's just that the m2a file takes up about 330 mb, and the ac3 file uses about 15 mb. Again...any differences or advantages in either for authoring?

[pchan]

@SameerK,
Start simple. Just use one of your video clip that you already encode to MPEG2 and audio to ac3, and use DVD-lab Pro to author a simple NTSC DVD. Burn it to a DVD-RW or DVD+RW, whichever DVD RW media you prefer. Test it out on DVD player and pay attention to the audio sync.

If it's OK, you are set to author your DVD. Of course, the next phase is to learn how to use DVD-lab Pro to setup your DVD control menu.

[freebird73717]

@SameerK,
Of course, the next phase is to learn how to use DVD-lab Pro to setup your DVD control menu.

Check out the link to reboots dvdlab guides he provides in his signature.

[SameerK]

sounds good, thanks guys, will come back if i run into any more problems

[pchan]

Check out the link to reboots dvdlab guides he provides in his signature.

Exactly ! It's excellent guide !

[reboot]

Audio doesn't have a bitrate!

Are you sure????????? When I encode audio with besweet it gives me several different bitrates to choose from.

Although the original poster is confused between bitrate and frame rate and I know what you were referring to reboot.

I just don't want the original poster to get more confused.

SameerK you are referring to the framerate (FPS) of the file. 23.976 is NTSCFilm and 29.97 is standard NTSC. Always try to encode your mpeg with the same frame rate as your source file.

Basically just follow reboot's instructions and you will be fine.

SCREW BESWEET! It's totally misleading. Audio does not have framerate!!!
(OK, so you caught me. I meant framerate, not bitrate)

[freebird73717]

SCREW BESWEET! It's totally misleading. Audio does not have framerate!!!
(OK, so you caught me. I meant framerate, not bitrate)

8)