AVI to DVD... from bad to worse

[saketini99]

OK, this is the second time I've tried this process and it just doesn't seem to be working...

I'm a total newbie to video conversions, dvd burning, etc... so I very carefully followed the "How to burn a DVD" in the how to's for ffmpegx.

My source format is an AVI file that plays just fine in VLC. The video is: mpeg4, yuv420p, 592x256 and the audio is: mp3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 80 kb/s

For my Target format I used the quick preset dropdown for DVD mpeg2enc. The video is: mpeg2enc mpeg2, 592x256, 1312 kbps, 23.976 fps, no crop and the audio is: ac3, 48000 Hz, 448 kbps, normalize. I changed none of the presets in any of the other tabs.

After ffmpegx was finished I was left with 3 files and one folder:
""".avi.ff.ac3
""".avi.ff.m2v
""".avi.ff.mpg
folder: """.avi.ff.mpg.DVD with 2 folders inside, an AUDIO_TS folder with nothing inside and a VIDEO_TS folder with 5 files inside.

When trying to load the "disc" into either the apple DVD player or VLC both players "see" the disc, but nothing plays..... just a black screen, no image, no sound... nothing. Both players see the total duration of the file.

I just can't seem to get this to work. Any thoughts? BTW, the encoding process took at least 8 hours to finish encoding a source file of only 700MB... is this normal?

Oh yeah, I also dropped the resulting VIDEO_TS folder back onto the ffmepx Source format pane just get a reading. This is what it says, video: mpeg-2, 592x256, 1312 kbps, 23.976 fps audio: ac3, 48000Hz, 448 kbps

[PiggyWiggy]

So...
You tried to open the VIDEO_TS folder in Apple DVD Player? You have to open that folder only.. The .ac3; .mv2 etc files are scrap which have been merged into the files in the VIDEO_TS... the AUDIO_TS should be empty... So it should be working fine... Delete the .mv2 and .ac3 files and open the VIDEO_TS folder it should be working fine... You can use VLC as well if I'm not mistaken.

[saketini99]

Thanks, but I've already tried that. I can open the "dvd" (the VIDEO_TS folder) in both the Apple player and VLC, both player's show the proper duration time for the file, but....

NO picture, no sound, just a black screen is shown. What could be wrong?

[PiggyWiggy]

Sure sounds weird... If you don't care much for the couple cents you could just try to burn it and play on a DVD player to test if it really is the vid streams that is causing the trouble. For the rest I'm not the best in solving problems, someone else who is should respond to this though...

One tip, when starting the encode you can let it run for a couple of minutes and check the vid stream that has been made so far if it looks fine.. Try to do the same with this, as in re-encode it. If it is wrong again abort the progress and paste the text in the 'info' window of the progress app... That allways helps people trying to solve your problem.

[guns1inger]

VLC uses it's own built in codecs, so it can playback pretty much anything. Those codecs are not available to other applications to use. I suspect that you are missing the correct video codec, or have an older version of the right codec, which is why you have no image int he final output.

VLC is brilliant because it can playback damaged files, partial files, obscure formats etc., but it can also give you a a false sense of security.

[PiggyWiggy]

VLC uses it's own built in codecs, so it can playback pretty much anything. Those codecs are not available to other applications to use. I suspect that you are missing the correct video codec, or have an older version of the right codec, which is why you have no image int he final output.

VLC is brilliant because it can playback damaged files, partial files, obscure formats etc., but it can also give you a a false sense of security.

Problem is that VLC won't play his file proper as well.. So I guess something went wrong when encoding... Did you delete the .mv2 stream yet? If not, try to play that. If that won't work either then something went wrong encoding... if it does play back proper try to 'author' the files again with ffmpegx Tools tab...

[guns1inger]

VLC will play the avi, just not the output. It can't play the output because it was encoded without the correct codec to decompress the stream for the mpeg encoder. The problem isn't VLC or the output, it is the fact that the mpeg encoder cannot decode the source. If you re-read my post, that was what I said the first time around.

[saketini99]

well, ffmpegx also could play the original source AVI when hitting the "play" button. If I were missing the proper codec would it still be able to?

As to testing the .mv2 stream, when I double clicked it to test it it tried to play in the Quicktime player as the default player associated with that file type. But Quicktime was unable to play it. So subsequently I've trashed it....

BTW, how can I check if the correct codecs are installed? I'm pretty sure I did so when I first ran the program setup.

[Case]

well, ffmpegx also could play the original source AVI when hitting the "play" button. If I were missing the proper codec would it still be able to?

The "play" button uses mplayer for playback. But mplayer is just one of the possible decoders for conversions. fffmpegX can also use QuickTime and ffmpeg for decoding. A missing QuickTime component wouldn't be noticed by using the "play" button. Check to see which is used in the Options tab of ffmpegX.

As to testing the .mv2 stream, when I double clicked it to test it it tried to play in the Quicktime player as the default player associated with that file type. But Quicktime was unable to play it. So subsequently I've trashed it....

QuickTime needs the MPEG-2 Playback Component to decode MPEG-2 video.

BTW, how can I check if the correct codecs are installed? I'm pretty sure I did so when I first ran the program setup.

This is about QuickTime codecs. Try to play your AVI in QuickTime Player. If it fails, then ffmpegX-with-QuickTime-decoding will fail, too. Make a choice: install the proper QuickTime codecs, or select an alternate decoding engine in ffmpegX.

[Case]

Target format: mpeg2, 592x256, 1312 kbps

This resolution will not work for DVD, and it looks like BAC error.
Also check the "Set 3:2" checkbox, as you are dealing with a 23.976 fps source file going to DVD.

[odoc]

Hello
Sorry to bother you but I have followed instructions & tried Videohelp forums etc.

I am trying to add subtitles when converting avi to a DVD (and I tried avi too) using ffmpegx.
I am able to see subtitles in 'Play' but not 'Preview' (nothing happens when I click on Preview) VC works fine to view
and when the file is finished, no titles.
The original file is a DVDRiP.XViD-PHENiAC.avi subtiles are .srt

any help ?
Thanks
pd