WMV to DVD compliant MPEG2 - TDA3 or DVD Maker - what is the right way?

[MagicSparky]

Hi all,

what's the right (or better) way to encode the following WMV file to DVD compliant MPEG2 (NTSC).

VirtualDub and GSpot give me these infos of the source:

WMV file, 479MB
640x480, 23.790fps
Bitrate 4127kBit/s

I'm on Windows Vista and tried two solutions. Both methods give me a good looking picture quality while playing the MPG file on my pc with vlc.

1. Method: Throw the source in Windows DVD Maker and let encode. The output (MPG file) has these specifications (GSpot):

MPEG2
Length: 25:26
Frms: 45,763
kbps: 8042
Pics/s and Frames/s: 29.970
Progressive / NTSC
Pic:720x480 (4:3)
SAR 1.500 (3:2), PAR 0.889 (8:9), DAR 1.333 (4:3)

2. Throw the source in TDA 3 and let encode. The output (MPG file) has these specification (GSpot):

MPEG2
Length: 25:26
Frms: 32,579
kbps: 4671
Pics/s: 23.976
Frames/s: 29.970
Interlaced, 3:2 Pulldown, NTSC
Pic: 704x480, Seq ext: 720x480 (4:3)
SAS 1.467 (22:15), PAR 0.909 (10:11), DAR 1.333 (4:3)

What makes the difference. TDA makes the file interlaced with 3:2 pulldown, DVD Maker not.
On my pc I can't see any difference in picture quality.
What's better or, in other words "the right way" to encode?

Thanks in advance.

__
Sparky

[guns1inger]

TDA uses the Mainconcept encode and has encoded the file the correct way. Movie Maker has not. To get to 29.97 fps Movie Maker has blended or duplicated frames, which is far less than ideal. Movie Maker, while flagging the output as progressive, has in fact produced interlaced output. It may have blended all frames, then split them into fields (ugly if it has), but NTSC 29.97 fps is interlaced for DVD.

Personally I would have used FAVC with HCEnc, which would produce a far better result than Movie Maker, and would have done so much faster than TDA. However if you have paid for TDA and are happy with it, that is the way to go in this instance.

[MagicSparky]

Hi guns1inger,

thanks for your lightning fast answer.

I don't have paid for TDA, I used the trial version.
Are there any other tips or recommendations for commercial programs to use (Ulead, Vegas,...) ?

I check FAVC and HCEnc immediately.

[guns1inger]

I use Vegas, but I don't use Vista at home, and Vegas isn't certified for Vista yet.

That said, I don't encode to mpeg-2 with Vegas most of the time anyway.

[TBoneit]

As guns1inger the TDA3 looks proper and will result in a smaller file.

I use TDA3, I use TMPGEnc Xpress 3, I use TMPGenc Plus, I lso use TDA 1.5. All licensed. The main advantage of TDA 3 is that it can also encode to Ultra Divx and creates a .divx file with chapters and menus using the same interface for DVD or Divx output. If you plan on getting a ultra divx certified player at some point then TDA 3 is the easiest way to go. It should be noted I have two Ultra Divx players and I use both types of output.

I mainly use Xpress 3 for encoding to DVD and run it in batch mode overnight when I do encoding.

[MagicSparky]

Thank you, TBoneit.

I've tried FAVC and I'm impressed with the output quality. I do some more test with my source file. Thanks again guns1inger for the tip.

Anyway, what authoring programs for DVD are good at a pro-sumer point of view.
I've checked TDA 3 and I like it, but there are to much options that I don't need anyway. For all the options the price is good.
I would like to test Ulead DVD Workshop but it's a little old and not Vista certified.

The things I need in a authoring prog are the following:
- I would like to do some heavy DVD menu work with Photoshop. The authoring app should be able to work with psd-files.
- I don't need various transcoding options in the authoring app. I will feed it with dvd compliant video stuff only.
- I do not need more than two audio tracks per video.
- Motion menus and multiple VTS are nice to have, but not so important.

Which tools are good and useful with that options in mind?

Aehm, I hope this is always the right forum to post this - if not I open a new thread in the right one. Please advise.