n00b - can't get readable DVD using ffmpegX + toast 5

[dbond]

I'm using ffmpegX to convert an AVI file to DVD mpeg2enc. Following the instructions on the developers site I drop the resulting folder into Toast 5 and name it properly (all caps etc), removed invis files, burn the disc and then when I get it into my DVD player it says "CANNOT READ". What could I be doing wrong?

I've been able to get an AVI converted to DVD using the same settings that will play on my DVD player, but that's only when I've used Popcorn to burn the disk. With this latest AVI, I can't burn using Popcorn because I get the CSS encryption warning.

Any advice, workarounds or solutions would be appreciated.

[frankiec]

You want to convert an AVI to DVD?

Some will swear by ffmpegX, but if you want to spend less time messing around and more time watching TV, with the girl, eating Cheetos, etc. do this:

1. Make sure the video is playable with QuickTime Player. Get DivX, XviD, 3ivx, etc.
2. Get Toast 7.
3. Press Video tab.
4. Drop in the movie.
5. Burn.

[dbond]

You want to convert an AVI to DVD?

Some will swear by ffmpegX, but if you want to spend less time messing around and more time watching TV, with the girl, eating Cheetos, etc. do this:

1. Make sure the video is playable with QuickTime Player. Get DivX, XviD, 3ivx, etc.
2. Get Toast 7.
3. Press Video tab.
4. Drop in the movie.
5. Burn.

So I would need to convert my AVI to a DivX file? Would there be any loss in quality in doing that? Does my DVD Player need to be able to read DivX? Because it can't.

Also, which option under the video tab of Toast 7 do I need to select? I've tried dropping the VIDEO_TS folder in Toast 7 as well, but I get that CSS Encryption error.

Thanks for the reply!

[Frobozz]

I agree that you should get the newer version of Toast. You don't say what setting you used in Toast 5. You must use the DVD setting in the Toast Other tab and click New Disc before adding a VIDEO_TS folder.

[dbond]

Hi Frobozz,

In Toast 5 I've tried selecting DVD from the "Other" tab.

In Toast 7 I've tried the "Data" tab with "DVD ROM (UDF)" selected.

Also in Toast 7 I've tried the "Video" tab with "DVD-Video from VIDEO_TS" selected. That might actually work it it wasn't for the "CSS Encryption" error I keep getting.

[frankiec]

So I would need to convert my AVI to a DivX file? Would there be any loss in quality in doing that? Does my DVD Player need to be able to read DivX? Because it can't.

Also, which option under the video tab of Toast 7 do I need to select? I've tried dropping the VIDEO_TS folder in Toast 7 as well, but I get that CSS Encryption error.

(Do you have a VIDEO_TS folder or an AVI that you want onto DVD? You mention both.)

Make sure the AVI is playable with QuickTime Player then drop it onto the Toast 7's Video tab and select the DVD-Video option. Toast converts it to MPEG2 and makes a DVD. That's all you have to do, don't think about it too much, just do it.

[frankiec]

Also in Toast 7 I've tried the "Video" tab with "DVD-Video from VIDEO_TS" selected. That might actually work it it wasn't for the "CSS Encryption" error I keep getting.

Are you trying to copy a DVD? You can't just copy the DVD's VIDEO_TS folder onto your hard drive and expect Toast to make a DVD out of it (legal reasons). Copy the DVD with MacTheRipper to remove the CSS encryption. Then use Toast 7 to burn (and optionally compress) the VIDEO_TS folder that MacTheRipper copied.

This link will help you more.

[dbond]

Hi frankiec,

I have AVI's that I've been converting to VIDEO_TS folders.

Non of my AVI's will play natively through Quicktime. I'd have to convert them using DivDocter. That the right way to go about it?

I normally just play AVI's (and pretty much everything else now) through VLC Player.

Anyhow, I tried what you suggested with Toast 7 without doing anything to the AVI. It's merrily converting at home. I'll post the results once I know them.

Thanks very much for everyone's help!

[dbond]

Success!

Ok, so I was wrong about the AVI playing through Quicktime thing. I guess I'm just so used to AVI's not necessarily working in Quicktime that I ASSumed they wouldn't work.

The test I did with dropping the AVI into Toast 7 as you suggested above worked perfectly. Quality isn't exactly outstanding, but definitely watchable.

Thanks again for your help! Hopefully the second test will work too.

[frankiec]

I'm glad you have success!

You can change Toast's encoding settings. The Custom settings that work best for me:
Average Bit Rate: 4.0 Mbps
Maximum Bit Rate: 8.0 Mbps
Motion estimation: Best
Half-PEL: On <-- Gives better results.
Reencoding: Automatic
Field Dominance: Automatic
Aspect Ratio: Automatic
Audio Format: Dolby Digital
Date Rate: 192 kpbs <-- On the smaller side so more space for video.
Dynamic Range Compression: Off

What I also do is change the disc setting (above big burn button) to "DVD DL" and then I encode with Save As Disc Image. After that, I burn that image with Toast 7's compression (formerly included with Popcorn) to a single-layer disc. This has been discussed on the Roxio forum and gives better results.

Remember that you're encoding to a lossy format (MPEG-2) from a lossy format (DivX). Lossy to lossy isn't good, but it's the only way to get it to DVD. Same concept of encoding a MP3 to AAC or saving a JPEG as another JPEG. Ouch! With each lossy generation you're losing quality. It's not necessarily Toast doing a lousy job.

Again, you should be able to play most movies in QuickTime Player with the right codec/component (DivX, 3ivx, XviD, AC3, etc.). So, if you can't play a video then ask on the forum. Toast will only encode what's QuickTime-playable. (The AC3 component in QuickTime 7.0.3 is broken but with the 7.0.1 reinstaller it works again. Lots of DivX AVIs include AC3 audio.)

[dbond]

^^^ Thanks for the additional info!

So I tried a second AVI and when I played the DVD the audio was off. Like way ahead of the video.

The audio matches up perfectly when I play the file in Quicktime or VLC Player, but when I convert it using Toast or ffmpegX, the audio seems to shift by abot 10 seconds or so.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again for you help. I really appreciate it.

[frankiec]

So I tried a second AVI and when I played the DVD the audio was off. Like way ahead of the video.

The audio matches up perfectly when I play the file in Quicktime or VLC Player, but when I convert it using Toast or ffmpegX, the audio seems to shift by abot 10 seconds or so.

If it plays fine with both VLC and QT and encodes badly with both ffmpegX and Toast...hmmm...something could be funky with the AVI itself and how it was made. I've never had this problem but others have.

Did you use DivX Doctor on the AVI? If you did, you could try the original. If you didn't use DD on it, you could try it. (I've been making DVDs from AVIs without using DD.)

Encode the movie with Toast by choosing Save As Disc Image. After it's done, mount the image and play it with DVD Player. If it's in sync burn the image with Toast. If it's out-of-sync after that your player's pickiness could be the culprit.

I'm interested: Open the movie with QuickTime Player, press Command-I for Movie Info. What does Format say?

[dbond]

I haven't tried DivDoctor on it yet. That will be my next step.

I'll post that info for you soon.

[dbond]

Hi frankiec,

I tried running the AVI through DivDoctor and the resulting .mov file had the same audio problem as when I convert it.

Here's the movie info you were wondering about. Hopefully you can make some sense of it.

Formet: Generic MPEG-4, 576 x 240, Millions
MPEG Layer 3, Stereo, 48.000 kHz

FPS: 23.98

Playing FPS: (Available while playing.) 24

Data Size: 692.99 MB

Data Rate: 1330.54 kbits/sec

Normal Size: 576 x 240 pixels

I'll try the Disc Image option soon.

[dbond]

PS. Some of the info changes (obviously) to the following once it's run through DivDoctor:

Formet: 16-bit Integer (Big Endian), Stereo (L R), 44.100 kHz 3ivx D4 4.5.1, 576 x 240, Millions

Data Rate: 2615.18 kbits/sec

[dbond]

Ok, tried the Disk Image through Toast thing. Audio is still way out of sync.

Dang.

[frankiec]

dbond,

You could try this... What you want to do is separate the audio and video tracks and then paste the audioless video track onto the videoless audio track and scale it to fit the audio track's time. (You have to have QuickTime Pro.)
1. Open the AVI with QuickTime Player.
2. Press Command-J for Movie Properties.
3. Select Sound Track. Press Delete. Close Movie Properties.
4. Now you have just the video. Press Command-A then Command-C to select all the video and copy it.
5. Close the movie. DO NOT SAVE IT.
6. Reopen the same movie.
7. Press Command-J for Movie Properties.
8. Select Video Track. Press Delete. Close Movie Properties.
9. Now you have just the audio. Go to Edit on the menubar. Choose Add to Selection & Scale.
10. Now save the movie using Save As. You can quickly save as a reference file or if you're paranoid you can save as a self-contained movie.

Use the created MOV file as the file to encode/burn. Encode to a disc image and see if this works.