mpg to DVD problem

[toughdiamond]

For some time I've been happily making good DVDs from the mpg files that my ADS-Tech capture card produces, using an old version of TMPenc DVD Author. But recently I've noticed that DVD Author sometimes rejects mpg files from other sources (e.g. the Web), on the grounds of there being header problems or the wrong parameters, although I can play these files perfectly well on my computer.

So my questions are,

1. Are some mpg files simply unsuitable for making DVD files, or is DVD Author just being too fussy?

2. If there is a set of parameters for "DVD-ready" mpgs, what are they?

3. Should I try to convert the "bad" mpgs to a format that DVD Author can handle (in which case, is there a free convertor anywhere that can reliably do this?), or would upgrading DVD Author be a better way to go?

Thanks in advance

[guns1inger]

The short answer is in two parts

1. There is a specification for compliant mpg files for DVD authoring. You will find the details summarized in What is DVD (top left corner)

2. A lot of video available for download is encoded by muppets with little or no idea of what they are doing, using rubbish programs like WinAVI.

Frankly, if you haven't encoded it yourself, you cant trust it.

[toughdiamond]

Thanks, Gunslinger

I found this on that page:

Technical Info for DVD-Video
PAL
Video:
Up to 9.8 Mbps* (9800 kbps*) MPEG2 video
Up to 1.856 Mbps (1856 kbps) MPEG1 video
720 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1)
704 x 576 pixels MPEG2
352 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard)
352 x 288 pixels MPEG2
352 x 288 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard)
25 fps*
16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720x576)

Which seems to be saying (for PAL) that the mpg size has to be one of those listed, the framerate has to be 25fps, and that there's a maximum allowed bitrate. Dunno what that line about "anamorphic" means.

So I guess my next move should be to run those rogue mpg files of mine through some kind of resampler that's up to the job........preferably freeware as long as it works. Any suggestions?

[redwudz]

For MPEG videos off the net, I would check their format with Gspot 2.70 to see how they compare to the DVD MPEG specification. If you need to re-encode, you could try FAVC (Using HC encoder). It should accept a MPEG, though it's more commonly used with AVI type files. Re-encoding will cause some quality loss, but if they won't play anyway, not a problem.

FAVC will do the authoring also. If that's a problem, you could learn to use the free HC encoder or maybe QuEnc, though I haven't tried either with a MPEG re-encode.

[toughdiamond]

Thanks redwudz,

I've downloaded those goodies.......apparently I need Avisynth and .NET framework Version 2 as well, for FAVC - not that it's a problem, I've grabbed those too
http://favcfavc.googlepages.com/home

When you say
you could try FAVC (Using HC encoder).,
do you mean I should simply install HC (with no need to launch it) so that it provides something that FAVC needs, like a codec?

Anyway, I'll give it a whirl and report back. Losing a bit of resolution won't be a big problem, most of the files I'm talking about are fairly blurred to begin with, nothing like full DVD quality.

[redwudz]

If you install HC, FAVC has a option to select it. I've only used FAVC a couple of times, and only with Xvids, but it seems to do a very good job and has a lot more adjustments to tinker with than ConvertXToDVD. So you should be able to 'fine tune' it a bit for the best results. I use [s:5907f882bf]for[/s:5907f882bf] ConvertX mostly for PAL>NTSC conversions, but it's payware compared to the freeware FAVC.

Anamorphic: https://www.videohelp.com/glossary?A#Anamorphic

Anamorphic
Process where a “wide” video image (typically in a 16:9 widescreen format) is compressed or squeezed horizontally to fit a more narrow video display standard but expands to full size when played over a wide video display.

[guns1inger]

FAVC installs everything it needs except .net. This includes HCEnc and all the other applications it uses in the background to perform it's magic. FAVC also uses the favored DGPulldown method of format conversion for NTSC->PAL/PAL->NTSC conversion. I believe the author is also considering including custom pulldown conversions as well for a future release.

[Marvingj]

Favc is great

[toughdiamond]

I see.....looks like I'm in for an interesting weekend 8)

Anamorphic - yep, that figures. The first capture I ever did looked like it wasn't going to work because on the computer it looked squashed horizontally. But when I played it in the DVD player on the TV, it was the right shape and filled the screen. Clever stuff!

Thanks for your help, folks. It's the first time I've used this forum and already it seems like you've given me everything I was hoping for.

I'll let you know how I get on

[toughdiamond]

Well, I tried FAVC.....it turned out to require the framework.net thing, which required Microsoft Installer before it would budge......but FAVC did eventually work after I'd installed that stuff.

I got FAVC to turn avi files into perfectly playable DVD files, and it did a proper job of a clip that Source Creator & DVD Author had messed up....but FAVC doesn't directly load mpgs. They just don't show up in the browser. Is this something to do with the HC encoder? I installed that, but don't see quite how it fits into things.

GSpot is impressive - lots of hard data about the files there 8)

[guns1inger]

It's a FAVC thing, however the work around is pretty simple. Use FitCD to create a simple avisynth script to load the mpg file, then load this into FAVC instead.

[toughdiamond]

Thanks, but I'm afraid I don't quite understand

I've downloaded FitCD, but I don't see how to use it for getting FAVC to open mpegs. I see that FitCD can open an mpg (lower pane, click Source). Do I then simply click Save Script, leaving all the settings as default? That should give me an AVS file - so what next? Do I then use FAVC to open the script?

I've never worked with scripts before, and don't really understand why/how they're used, though I see they're a common feature of a lot of video work, and I've seen them referred to a lot on the Web. I come from an audio background where such things are unheard of.

[guns1inger]

Just think of avisynth as being like any other editor or effects program, except that you tell it what do through written commands in a script. There is no other interface. However, whenever an avisynth script is opened, what the program that opens it sees is the video and audio stream that avisynth has produced.

Before getting too carried away, use g-spot to see if the mpeg file is already compliant. If it is, you are better off just authoring it instead of using FAVC.

DVD Flick is another alternative. It will load mpeg files, however it won't re-encode them by default if they are compliant. You can change this in the project settings dialogs.

[toughdiamond]

Thanks....it's this frameserver concept I need to get used to. I've been reading stuff about it....seems that anything (even Windows Media Player 6) that can open an avi file can also open an avs script, the script behaving like a fake avi file.

I'll give the programs a whirl when I get home tonight, and see what they do.

[toughdiamond]

OK, I got FitCD to save an AVS script from a mpg, and sure enough FAVC was able to load it 8)

I looked at some of my rogue mpg files with Gspot. One of them had UK framerate and USA pixel dimensions .