How do I stop MyDvd from re-encoding?

[yamato72]

This particular trial-by-dvd-fire started here:

http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=117895&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

Now what I want to do is load my TMPGEnc-encoded mpegs into MyDVD without having them bastardized. No matter what settings I use in TMPGenc, though, I get the dreaded "your file will be re-encoded" message.

I searched VCDHelp as well as the Sonic forum, and thought I'd found a solution -in a couple places on their forum. One guy posted this:

MPEG-2 video for DVD projects must have these settings:
Parameter NTSC (525 lines @ 59.94 Hz) PAL
(625 lines @ 50 Hz)
Frame size (width x height) 720 x 480 pixels
720 x 576 pixels
Display frame rate 29.97 fps 25 fps
Group of pictures (GOP) size (see Note)
36 fields/18 frames maximum
30 fields/15 frames recommended
30 fields/15 frames maximum
24 fields/12 frames recommended
GOP structure Closed. IBP or IBBP
Output aspect ratio 4:3 (standard TV) or 16:9
anamorphic (widescreen TV)
Bit-rate
(CBR or VBR)
Minimum 2.0 Mbps
Maximum 8.0 Mbps
See “Choosing bit-rates for DVD” on page
101 for more information.
Profile and level Main profile and main
level (MP@ML)
VBV buffer size 224 KB (1,835,008 bits)
GOP sequence header interval 1 per GOP (one
sequence header before every GOP)
Filename extension .m2p, .m2v, .mp2, .mpg,
.mpeg, .mpv

It's supposed to be straight out of the manual.

I checked and double-checked every possible setting but no workie-workie. So my question is, has anyone succesfully done this?

[bugster]

Which version of MyDvd are you using, must be 3.0 or above at a guess as 2.3 that I have wouldn't re-encode! You could try changing the TmpGenc DVD template, on the GOP structure tab of settings, set Number of P picture to 4 (for NTSC). This helps with some issues with Dvdit 2.3

Or better still, use a different (better) authoring package if you can lay your hands on one. I would reccomend Ulead DVD workshop or Dazzle DVD complete. Both have their idiosyncracies but both will do what you want without re-encoding. I am sure others will too.

[mormondad]

I'm using Sonic MyDVD 3.5.1. I too am annoyed at its insistance upon re-encoding my files. Even more annoying is its further insistance upon de-muxing the audio and adding a new sound file to the DVD. This, essentially, doubles the file size of whatever file I want to put on the DVD.

I know it is a nearly impossible goal, but I've got to fit 10 hours of video (not necessarily high quality) on to a DVD. The files I captured with SnapStream PVS are small enough to do that - but I'm stymied when MyDVD re-encodes and doubles the file size.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[yamato72]

I'm using ver 3.5.1 of MyDVD, just trying to see if I can get any use out of it (came with my burner) before I spring for something else. I encoded the same 90-second avi with TMPGEnc last night at least eight different times, all with the same result. I have tried every conceivable setting on every tab in TMPGEnc with no luck. I've tried VBR, CBR, #GOP, closed GOP, Max frames in GOP, VBV buffer size, EVERYTHING.

Has ANYONE succesfully imported a TMPGEnc-encoded mpeg2 file into MyDVD, and if so, how'd ya do it?

The only light at the end of this long, dark tunnel, is that I'm seriously ready to get a Canopus ADVC-1394, which includes WinProducer3. Has anyone used this app, and will I have any better luck? I've downloaded the trial version and will try it out tonight....

[yamato72]

The resounding silence would seem to mean that this is impossible with MyDVD. Is that an accurate assumption? Thoughts on WinProducer?

[rjs123]

I feel your pain.

Im having the same problem with CCE and MyDVD.

I cant find anything that is incorrect and like you I have also tried a lot of different settings but it wont accept the mpg files.

I did get it to work once but I have no idea why, I swear I didnt change anything that I already had tried once or twice before.

I also am finding just because MyDVD accepts it that doesnt mean Spruce or DVDiT will. Why is this??? I thought there are specific standards for DVD. How can one think the file is ok and the other program says its not.

[yamato72]

I finally got SpruceUp working and burned my first DVD succesfully last night. I'm capping and editing with VDub (HuffYUV, 720X480), encoding with TMPGEnc, importing the mpegs into Spruce, creating the DVD on my hard drive, then burning to DVD with (no joke) the freebie EZ-CD Creator 5 that came with my burner. It worked like a champ. My next step will be to find a cheapo N-L editor, and I should be set.

I actually have not tried importing an m2v/wav combo (in order to try and stay in the PCM-audio realm), but I'll post my findings when I do. I've got 2 hours of capping followed by probably a day's worth of encoding (on a P4!) before I'm ready to burn my next project. Time to move the PC out of the room I sleep in....

The great thing about Spruce is since it can't re-encode, that's one less headache to worry about.

[rjs123]

I figured out my problem with CCE2.5 it was the DVD Compliant option. As long as I have that off everything is fine. I think the reason is, with it on no matter how I set the MAX bit rate it would always write 9800000 to the headers on the mpg file. MyDVD didnt like that and would always reencode it. Now with the DVD Compliant switch turned off it properly writes the actual MAX bit rate during VBR and MyDVD doesnt reencode. Ive been encoding with multipass MIN2500 AVG6000 and MAX8000

Im just a newby here but I know that 9800000 is the MAX read speed for a DVD player but I read somewhere that number also includes audio which is I guess is why MyDVD doesnt like it. (?)

Have some really really nice results on the TV but they are rather jerky on the computer. I think its a field order problem but Im not really sure. My target was the TV and for that they are as closed to perfect as Im going to get with the HI-8 source.

Any recommendations on how to encode HI-8 for the TV and the computer?

[Smart Dumb Guy]

The DVD Compliant option was my problem too with CCE 2.5, so that's definitely it.
MyDVDs help says its expects a Maximum of 8.0 Mbps.
BTW, is there a tool that will allow you to edit the header?

I was using TMPEGEnc 2.58 to create MPEG2 files for MyDVD 3.51 using the DVD NTSC template (never messed with the GOP) and have never had it once reencode.
Never tried PAL though.
BTW, I almost always demuxed the video and audio from the AVI before encoding though, since MyDVD doesn't handle anything except PCM anyway.