This MPEG is Possessed

[deb]

I have had nothing but trouble trying to make a DVD from an old movie that I copied from my TIVO onto a DV tape. THe movie is 2:20 long. I used TMPENC to make the MPEG2 (I used the Wizzard, but modified some of the "Other settings" from a guide on this board - 2 VBR, high quality, etc.). The resulting size from explorer is 4,127. I've used the same process before with success on the finished DVD.

I then imported the MPEG into Spruce, which definitely struggled with the MPEG - freezing and stuttering. It was extremely difficult to get the chapter points - the marker kept jumping ahead and back to zero. When I burned a Video_TS file, it reported an error at the end that it couldn't read a video file. What actually happened is it never made the IFO file, just the VOBs.

I tried Movie factory and had similar problems where it stopped working right at the end and wouldn't write.

So I decided there was something wrong with the MPEG and made a second one with TMGenc - another 25 hours to encode. I had the same problems with the second MPEG in SPruce. When I previewed, it showed long portions of frozen video with audio playing in the backgound. I decided to burn anyway (to a DVD-RW) and the same thing happened with the missing IFO file and VOBs only.

I then tried Movie factory on the second one and couldn't get any chapter points in place at all - it kept jumping back to zero or freezing.

Finally I just burned it in Movie Factory with no chapters and it seems to have worked fine. I played the DVD_RW on my computer player and it played without any choppiness or stalling.

What is the problem here? Any idea what I might have done to cause this problem? I have a relatively new computer - fast with plenty of RAM. Any suggestions as to how to get either Spruce or Factory to work with chapter points? THis is a very long movie to have with no chapter points.

Thanks for any help,
Deb

[circleking]

Try a programme called VCDgear that I've been frequently recommending. You can download it from the TOOLS section on the left.

Run your mpg2 file thru VCDgear with FIX MPEG ERRORS checked and see if it detects and fixes any errors. If it does, then try authoring again.

If this doesn't work, check to make sure that your mpg2 file is formatted correctly for DVD----resolution, audio, etc. It should be if you used the presets in TMPGEnc.

[deb]

Thanks so much for the reply, Circleking. I'm impressed that you replied, considering that 73 people viewed my message.

I will definitely download VCDGear and add it to my arsenal (I think I need to make myself some instructional cheat sheets - if I don't use something for a few weeks I tend to forget what it's for!) I'd like to see what was wrong with the MPEG in case it happens again. Is this program for both MPEG 1 and 2?

I finally got the MEPG to work in DVD Workshop, with a simple menu. The problem is that it re-encoded or re-mpeged the file (or at least I assume it did because it took 6 hours to make the video_ts folders. It's an old movie, so it's hard to make comparisons, but it doesn't seem quite as sharp. That may be my imagination though - I am sort of brain washed about how much better TMPGenc is.

You mentioned using the correct format in TMPGenc. I use a formula I found at http://pwp.netcabo.pt/0165394101/TMPGENC_template.html - I assume it's compliant because it usually works. It takes horrendously long though - at least 24 hours or more.

What do you use?

Deb

[circleking]

TMPGEnc can take a very long time sometimes so that's probably not abnormal.

I'm going to try and get this DVD workshop when I buy a DVD burner of my own. Someone else recommended it also. One of my friends has SpruceUp and I've used that a couple of times. It worked OK. Another friend has Sonic ReelDVD and I've helped him a few times (This seems like a very nice programme), but he's the type that doesn't like other people to use his computer so I've not asked to use it personally.

So, as you can see, my opinions of DVD authoring software are not well developed. Keep reading here and you'll pick up on what's good and bad and in what way.

[deb]

Thanks for your help, Circleking.