Tivo -> VideoRedo Plus -> gui4ffmpeg -> dvdstyler problems!

[Jeff R]

I am trying to work out how to convert files recorded on my Tivo to a DVD-compliant format. I know I can do this using Sonic's MyDVD, but this program just stinks and I am not very happy with it.

I have VideoRedo Plus, which allows me to edit the Tivo-format file and save it as an MPEG or VOB. That's fine, but it is not necessarily in a DVD-compliant format. High quality on the Tivo, which I normal use, is 480x480. So I need to do some recoding to put it into full- or half-D1.

This is where I run into problems. Now, I can take the file output from VideoRedo into Nero or Sonic and make a compliant DVD after hours of transcoding. The output is good, but I don't understand why I can't get the same result with freeware tools.

I take the VideoRedo output MPEG or VOB into gui4ffmpeg, and convert to either full-D1 or half-D1.

The full-D1 (720x480) can be taken into DVDStyler, but the output DVD is unwatchable because any scenes with movement are jumpy. I thought this was bitrate, but even if I set the bitrate in gui4ffmpeg to 9000 kbit/s (as high as it allows), the quality does not improve. So I am obviously missing something there. What settings should I put into gui4ffmpeg (or ffmpeg directly even) to get a full-D1 movie that is acceptable? Both Nero and Sonic encode to full-D1 by default (AFAIK) so the problem does not lie with the input quality.

Alternatively, if I encode to half-D1 (352x480), the motion quality looks acceptable but I end up with a line of distortion across the bottom of the screen, or the movie is placed wrong on the screen. (it is shifted left, so that it wraps around and reappears on the right side of the TV)

I have taken the output and burned the DVD using either Nero or Imgburn.

I have tested these things as best I know how:
1) I have burned many movies from my Tivo using the commercial software, so I think that the burner and media can be eliminated. Also I know the input Tivo files are sufficient to make a good DVD, at least using commercial software.
2) The burned DVDs from gui4ffmpeg/dvdstyler/imgburn play without problem on my computer.
3) My standalone DVD player can handle half-D1 movies made using Nero to do the transcoding.

So I think that I must be ending up with something from gui4ffmpeg that isn't compliant, but I am at a loss to understand where! I'd like to be able to use DVDStyler, but I can't get the movies into a usable state.

Advice, please!

Jeff

[OldAmateur]

How do you transfer your TiVo captures to your computer? Is it via TiVo-To-Go, or is your TiVo also a DVD recorder, or do you have some other method?

How does the VideoRedo output depart from DVD compliance?

[FulciLives]

I have never used ffmpeg for video encoding but obviously you are not setting it up correctly. Make sure you have the field order set correctly ... also check to see if there are any special "options" you can select for resize that says "interlace" etc. because your TIVO video will be interlaced and resizing such video can be "tricky" especially if you try to do any cropping etc.

Anyway ... the field order and the fact that your footage is interlaced are the two things that come to mind so check your video encoder software for those issues.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Jeff R]

I am transferring the files to my computer using Tivo-to-Go. The output from VideoRedo Plus is not inherently DVD-compliant -- it has the same dimensions, etc of the original Tivo file but is in a standard MPEG or VOB format than can be read by programs other than MyDVD. That is really the major thing VideoRedo does -- it means that shows can be burned to DVD with software other than MyDVD.

I know nothing about field order... gui4ffmpeg asks for the desired output bitrate, format (PAL or NTSC), resolution, and some audio info. There is nothing about interlacing or field order, so maybe those are things that I'm missing.

Jeff

[FulciLives]

You need a "real" MPEG-2 DVD spec video encoder.

The two most popular "inexpensive" options would be TMPGEnc Plus or CCE Basic ... I believe both are about the same price ... about $60 US Dollars each last time I looked.

TMPGEnc Plus is a bit easier to use but CCE Basic is "better" for a couple of reasons ... one it works in the same colorspace as your video without needing a colorspace conversion (which TMPGEnc requires and this often causes "slight" variations in brightness/contrast in the output) and two it is MUCH faster than TMPGEnc Plus which really adds up if you will be converting a lot of stuff over time.

However CCE Basic almost requires that you use AviSynth to get the "most" out of it. AviSynth is easy enough to learn ... at least for the "basics" ... but some find it too difficult to use.

So CCE Basic has more of a learning curve but it surely is worth it if you have the tolerance to learn new things that aren't click this click that simple.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman