Background picture looks bad DVD authored with GUI for dvdauthor

[stars]

Hi...

I have been using GUI for dvdauthor for a very long time and currently Im using V1.07.

Im trying to make menus with a background pic with text and a short mp2 sound file approx 43 sec long...

Everything works fine but the background picture is VERY BLOCKY and look like sh*it...

The aspect is 16:9 so the source picture is 720x404 and then rezied to 720x576 (PAL) so that the program
dosent need to rezise the pic..

But it looks like there is some sort of mpeg2 encoder that encode the menu toghether with the sound...
It looks like a Quenc with a very low bitrate and only 1 frame is used....

Is there a away to make the background picture crstal clear as the original pic or must i downgrade to version 1.01

stars...

[usually_quiet]

Unless the menu is animated, I don't think GFD V1.07 can use Quenc.

I made a test run using a still menu (Animated left unchecked on Project Settings tab) with ac3 sound. GFD used mpeg2enc.exe to encode the menu. (Quenc was selected for encoding animated menus.) The Animation Settings I used in the Menu and Background Properties dialog window were 1 frame, bitrate=7000, and 1 for Quality. It seemed fine.

[Midzuki]

Try a high-bitrate quantize matrix

(*if* the encoder you're using supports other matrices than the default one,
bien entendu.)

\\\\\\

[noemi7]

The aspect is 16:9 so the source picture is 720x404 and then rezied to 720x576 (PAL) so that the program
dosent need to rezise the pic..

may be it should be 1024x576 like most authoring program use for 16:9 menu (square pixel)?

[usually_quiet]

The aspect is 16:9 so the source picture is 720x404 and then rezied to 720x576 (PAL) so that the program
dosent need to rezise the pic..

may be it should be 1024x576 like most authoring program use for 16:9 menu (square pixel)?

It might be worth a try, but in my experience if a jpeg or bmp with the resolution (720x576 PAL or 720x480 NTSC) that GFD wants is imported for the background of a still menu, and it looks good pre-GFD, it still looks fine in the menu after authoring. I have tried using a few still captures from anamorphic 16:9 recordings made by my DVD recorder as menu backgrounds, and they were OK.

[filmboss80]

Stars:

Right-click on the menu itself and select Menu Properties. You'll get a screen that says "Menu and Background Properties." Under "Animation Settings" (even if it is a still image), slide the Bitrate all the way to 9000, and the Quality to 1. I ignored this setting because I did not have animated menus at the time, but the background stills and menu fonts looked like crap until I did this tweak. It certainly cleared up the problem, and I had sharp menus and fonts thereafter.

Also, under the Settings > Menu pulldown, I selected 2.0 under "Aspect Ratio for Size Presets," although I was doing 16:9 in NTSC. (It will be different for you, so look under the Help Index.)

Finally, under Settings > Permanent, I selected HC under "Encoder for Animated Menus." I don't know if that matters.

We'll have to wait until Borax weighs in with further insights. Although I use payware authoring applications for money projects, I still want to learn GfD. It is very impressive for being freeware.

[stars]

Hi...
First thanks all of you for your replies...

@ usually_quiet

You are right there I took a deeper look into it and noticed that GFD was using mpeg2enc.exe...
To get the best quality I used the settings 1 frame and set the bitrate to 9000.

The background pictures Iam using is pretty complex so if you were rendering with a ex HC encoder
You should at least use a bitrate of 5000 to get a good quality, but thats for moving pictures not a still pic.
So even if we are using a bitrate of 9000 the output mpeg2enc.exe gives us looks crapy..

Of coures I could use a background picture with less detail and that may solve the crapy look but the problewm is
still there..


@ Midzuki

That could solve the problem but I dont know if there is a way to change the matrix for mpeg2enc.exe via GFD

@ noemi7

I havent tried that. But GFD it selefe rezizes the picture to 720x576 (PAL) or 720x480 (NTSC).
I can give it a try...

@ filmboss80

I will try your tweak...
I also use HC encoder for the animated menus but as you say this dosent matter because we are using still menus.
Quenc is not so good HC is far more superior.

stars..

[borax]

Hi stars,

Two other possible tweaks to test:
1. Try to use some blur. Sometimes this just reduces the extreme contrasts of complex images enough, so mpeg2enc.exe can use more bitrate for the 'whole' picture as just for the extreme contrasts.
2. Force GfD to use HC as encoder by creating an animated menu. If you do not want any animation in the menu, just create and add a 100% transparent 32-Bit avi file anywhere on the menu (create a total black 10x10 pixel bmp image, load it several times into GfDGifTool, select transparent and black as transparancy color and save it as avi. Add this as animation). For duration, 1 second is enough.

[stars]

Hi borax..
thanks for the answer

I will try the tweaks tonight...

( currently at work )

regards stars..

Edit...

I went for tweak NR. 2

Worked out fine with HC encoder V0.23 and a bitrate of 4000....but there was a another issue..

mplex.exe was complaining about buffer under runs all the time..

This is not new to me because GFD (mplex) seams to be more sensitve about multiplexing audio and video...
So lately I have to multiplex the audio and video sepertly and then insert the file into GFD.

But know I had to use mplex so the only way was to copy an older version of mplex into the GFD lib.. the
version from GFD V1.04 INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $)

And every thing turned of fine, good quality and everything was in sync...

Here is the logg form mplex used in GFD V1.07

*mux to TS1back.mpg
INFO: [mplex.exe] mplex version 1.9.0 (2.2.7 $Date: 2006/02/01 22:23:01 $)
INFO: [mplex.exe] File f:\tvixhd3\TS1Backg.m2v looks like an MPEG Video stream.
INFO: [mplex.exe] File f:\z-home\HemmaDVD\menyljud.mp2 looks like an MPEG Audio stream.
INFO: [mplex.exe] Video stream 0: profile 8 selected - ignoring non-standard options!
INFO: [mplex.exe] Found 1 audio streams and 1 video streams
INFO: [mplex.exe] Selecting dvdauthor DVD output profile
INFO: [mplex.exe] Multiplexing video program stream!
INFO: [mplex.exe] Scanning for header info: Video stream e0 (f:\tvixhd3\TS1Backg.m2v)
INFO: [mplex.exe] VIDEO STREAM: e0
INFO: [mplex.exe] Frame width : 720
INFO: [mplex.exe] Frame height : 576
INFO: [mplex.exe] Aspect ratio : 16:9 display
INFO: [mplex.exe] Picture rate : 25.000 frames/sec
INFO: [mplex.exe] Bit rate : 4000000 bits/sec
INFO: [mplex.exe] Vbv buffer size : 229376 bytes
INFO: [mplex.exe] CSPF : 0
INFO: [mplex.exe] Scanning for header info: Audio stream c0 (f:\z-home\HemmaDVD\menyljud.mp2)
INFO: [mplex.exe] MPEG AUDIO STREAM: c0
INFO: [mplex.exe] Audio version : 1.0
INFO: [mplex.exe] Layer : 2
INFO: [mplex.exe] CRC checksums : no
INFO: [mplex.exe] Bit rate : 32768 bytes/sec (256 kbit/sec)
INFO: [mplex.exe] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [mplex.exe] Mode : 0 stereo
INFO: [mplex.exe] Mode extension : 0
INFO: [mplex.exe] Copyright bit : 0 no copyright
INFO: [mplex.exe] Original/Copy : 1 original
INFO: [mplex.exe] Emphasis : 0 none
INFO: [mplex.exe] SYSTEMS/PROGRAM stream:
INFO: [mplex.exe] rough-guess multiplexed stream data rate : 4350744
INFO: [mplex.exe] target data-rate specified : 10080000
INFO: [mplex.exe] Setting specified specified data rate: 10080000
INFO: [mplex.exe] Run-in delay = 7200 Video delay = 7200 Audio delay = 10800
INFO: [mplex.exe] New sequence commences...
INFO: [mplex.exe] Video e0: buf= 0 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [mplex.exe] Audio c0: buf= 0 frame=000000 sector=00000000
++ WARN: [mplex.exe] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=7314 required(DTS)=7200
++ WARN: [mplex.exe] Video e0: buf= 99212 frame=000000 sector=00000049
++ WARN: [mplex.exe] Audio c0: buf= 0 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [mplex.exe] Scanned to end AU 1079
INFO: [mplex.exe] STREAM e0 completed
INFO: [mplex.exe] STREAM c0 completed
INFO: [mplex.exe] Multiplex completion at SCR=3883885.
INFO: [mplex.exe] Video e0: completed
INFO: [mplex.exe] Audio c0: completed
INFO: [mplex.exe] VIDEO_STATISTICS: e0
INFO: [mplex.exe] Video Stream length: 13423046 bytes
INFO: [mplex.exe] Sequence headers: 72
INFO: [mplex.exe] Sequence ends : 1
INFO: [mplex.exe] No. Pictures : 1080
INFO: [mplex.exe] No. Groups : 72
INFO: [mplex.exe] No. I Frames : 72 avg. size162403 bytes
INFO: [mplex.exe] No. P Frames : 289 avg. size 3841 bytes
INFO: [mplex.exe] No. B Frames : 719 avg. size 861 bytes
INFO: [mplex.exe] Average bit-rate : 2485600 bits/sec
INFO: [mplex.exe] Peak bit-rate : 3780400 bits/sec
INFO: [mplex.exe] BUFFERING min 29 Buf max 235543
INFO: [mplex.exe] AUDIO_STATISTICS: c0
INFO: [mplex.exe] Audio stream length 1380864 bytes.
INFO: [mplex.exe] Syncwords : 1798
INFO: [mplex.exe] Frames : 1798 padded
INFO: [mplex.exe] Frames : 0 unpadded
INFO: [mplex.exe] BUFFERING min 15 Buf max 779
**ERROR: [mplex.exe] MUX STATUS: Frame data under-runs detected!
*creating menufile TS1Menu.mpg
DVDAuthor:pumux, version 0.6.14-GfD-2.
Build options: gnugetopt iconv freetype
Send bugs to <gfd@boraxsoft.de>

Here is the logg from the mplex used in GFD V1.04

*mux to TS1back.mpg
INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $)
INFO: [???] File f:\tvixhd3\Temp\TS1Backg.m2v looks like an MPEG Video stream.
INFO: [???] File f:\z-home\HemmaDVD\menyljud.mp2 looks like an MPEG Audio stream.
INFO: [???] Video stream 0: profile 8 selected - ignoring non-standard options!
INFO: [???] Found 1 audio streams and 1 video streams
INFO: [???] Selecting dvdauthor DVD output profile
INFO: [???] Multiplexing video program stream!
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Video stream e0 (f:\tvixhd3\Temp\TS1Backg.m2v)
INFO: [???] VIDEO STREAM: e0
INFO: [???] Frame width : 720
INFO: [???] Frame height : 576
INFO: [???] Aspect ratio : 16:9 display
INFO: [???] Picture rate : 25.000 frames/sec
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 4000000 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Vbv buffer size : 229376 bytes
INFO: [???] CSPF : 0
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Audio stream c0 (f:\z-home\HemmaDVD\menyljud.mp2)
INFO: [???] MPEG AUDIO STREAM: c0
INFO: [???] Audio version : 1.0
INFO: [???] Layer : 2
INFO: [???] CRC checksums : no
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 32768 bytes/sec (256 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] Mode : 0 stereo
INFO: [???] Mode extension : 0
INFO: [???] Copyright bit : 0 no copyright
INFO: [???] Original/Copy : 1 original
INFO: [???] Emphasis : 0 none
INFO: [???] SYSTEMS/PROGRAM stream:
INFO: [???] rough-guess multiplexed stream data rate : 4350744
INFO: [???] target data-rate specified : 10080000
INFO: [???] Setting specified specified data rate: 10080000
INFO: [???] Run-in Sectors = 89 Video delay = 13019 Audio delay = 0
INFO: [???] New sequence commences...
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 237568 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio c0: buf= 4096 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Scanned to end AU 1079
INFO: [???] STREAM e0 completed @ frame 1079.
INFO: [???] STREAM c0 completed @ frame 1797.
INFO: [???] Multiplex completion at SCR=3889737.
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 236496 frame=001079 sector=00006639
INFO: [???] Audio c0: buf= 1024 frame=001797 sector=00000684
INFO: [???] VIDEO_STATISTICS: e0
INFO: [???] Video Stream length: 13423046 bytes
INFO: [???] Sequence headers: 72
INFO: [???] Sequence ends : 1
INFO: [???] No. Pictures : 1079
INFO: [???] No. Groups : 72
INFO: [???] No. I Frames : 72 avg. size162403 bytes
INFO: [???] No. P Frames : 289 avg. size 3841 bytes
INFO: [???] No. B Frames : 719 avg. size 861 bytes
INFO: [???] Average bit-rate : 2485600 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Peak bit-rate : 3780400 bits/sec
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 22 Buf max 219849
INFO: [???] AUDIO_STATISTICS: c0
INFO: [???] Audio stream length 1380864 bytes.
INFO: [???] Syncwords : 1798
INFO: [???] Frames : 1798 padded
INFO: [???] Frames : 0 unpadded
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 15 Buf max 779
INFO: [???] MUX STATUS: no under-runs detected.
*creating menufile TS1Menu.mpg
DVDAuthor:pumux, version 0.6.14-GfD-2.
Build options: gnugetopt iconv freetype
Send bugs to <gfd@boraxsoft.de>


Thanks all for the help... hope this will bring some light on something

stars...

[stars]

There is some problems with mplex..

see post above

regards stars

[borax]

So the 'old' mplex was better? Maybe I should include both versions?
Because for other streams, the new mplex did a better job...

Most of these problems can be avoided, if MuxMan is used as authoring engine... Maybe you should try it too.