Does anyone here actually know how to author a blu-ray disc?

[_Al_]

It is working!
It just looks it does not work for you because of unreasonable demands.

You did not answer if it is elementary streams that do not work or any of your videos. Because I know it worked.
If it is just elementary stream, then add your audio to it, mux it with whatever there is around, try "clever ffmpeg" or whatever, avidemux.

[Alwyn]

Magix Studio 2024 can't even recognized a video file as a video file - I'm not sure how one manages that level of incompetence, to make a video editing software that doesn't recognize video files that are rendered to the proper standard for the format it's supposed to be able to burn to.

Post the MediaInfo report of this file, or better, post a sample.

[Alwyn]

Here's an example of what Vegas is capable of doing

https://archive.org/details/friday-night-videos-1983-12-23

A project like this requires being able to combine VHS transfers, various downloaded videos including youtube rips, DVD rips, CD rips, and such. Vegas is a very powerful tool, it's too bad they can't seem to work out the glaring glitches and bugs in it that can bring momentum to a grinding halt at a moments notice...

Whoopy doo. Apart from the flashy rolling title, Magix could do that with ease.

[texas1]

I don't do streaming at all, still use blu-ray Verbatims 25gb and I swear by multiavchd which will accept your AVC file. God bless the man who developed multiavchd , been using it for over a decade. It's flawless, wow, what a product.

[poisondeathray]

I don't do streaming at all, still use blu-ray Verbatims 25gb and I swear by multiavchd which will accept your AVC file. God bless the man who developed multiavchd , been using it for over a decade. It's flawless, wow, what a product.

Not as-is - he needed to change the extension , but apparently did not like multiavchd


@Army
Another "trick" for software that "doesn't see" certain file types, is the "*.*" trick . In the file open or import dialog box, type in "*.*" (without the quotes) , hit enter

If it doesn't import, try changing the extension (to you know what) and repeat

But Magix Studio is the "studio" line, so not the "pro" line . It's geared for ease of use and consumer level software, so they probably don't expect pre-rendered BD elementary video assets. Also it's primarily a video editor, not an authoring tool, so I wouldn't be surprised if it couldn't import elementary streams

So if none of those work, mux it into a container as _Al_ suggested

[munair]

No one here authors to blu-ray here anymore since most videos we watch are streaming,just cause you want to author doesn't mean there needs to be away.

I do.

[LetsGetPhysical]

No one here authors to blu-ray here anymore since most videos we watch are streaming,just cause you want to author doesn't mean there needs to be away.

I do.

I have found it very enjoyable to author a custom Blu-Ray. If you are creating multiple videos, it can be like an Art Form.
The free BD-encoder program multiAVCHD has an incredibly versatile set of encoding features.
It is a real joy to create a one-of-a-kind Blu-Ray.

I think johns0 is not being fair in saying that we don`t need to have a way to author simply because streaming is so prevalent.
But in his defense, I recently bought an external BD writer for $40 from a video editor who said he hardly ever used it because streaming had become the way for his customers. And this is why he sold it.

On a related note, the DVD Forum, which is a group of people who handle the administration of DVD specifications, has recently been dissolved (Jan 31, 2025). In the process, the proprietary specifications of the DVD format, which formerly required you to pay $5000 to read and to also sign a non-disclosure statement, have been given to the chief library in Japan. It would seem, therefore, that you no longer need an expensive license to make full use as you see fit of the DVD specifications. This can be seen as a great loss or as a great gain, or as both.

It reminds one a bit of when Adobe gave everyone full access to their PDF proprietary information in 2008.

[LetsGetPhysical]

There is a potential of hardship/hate/hell unleashed when producing a BD. . . Whatever negative scenario....

Sort of related: One neglected aspect in manufacturing a DVD drive was that one company would interpret the DVD specifications differently than another company would because the wording in the specifications was at times vague and was translated from Japanese. One time I returned a DVD to a store and they had 3 DVD drives and they said you would get a refund only if it did not work on any of them.

[Santiago]

Authoring Works 7 has a free trial. I have had good results.

[armyofquad]

Well, after wasting my time with Movie Studio 2024, I find that IT WILL NOT BURN WITHOUT A RE-ENCODE!!!!

I've specified several times that this is not what I want. And yet, here we are!

Not sure why no-one seems to be able to come up with a working method to just author a damn disc already!

[Santiago]

Authoring Works does re-encode. However, the quality is very close to the original. Give the free version a test trial.

[armyofquad]

I have gone to great lengths to encode to the settings i want!!!!!

If software developers cannot handle the fact that people encode things to their desired specs for reasons, they should find another line of work!!!!

Getting sick and tired of this bullshit - it should not be so damn impossible to author a damn disc!!!!!!

[Alwyn]

Well, after wasting my time with Movie Studio 2024, I find that IT WILL NOT BURN WITHOUT A RE-ENCODE!!!!

Correct, as AI said in post #29.

So much angst... did you actually do a BD author and burn to check the quality?

[armyofquad]

The quality of a re-render doesn't matter to me. I will not re-render. Period. I rendered the way I did for a reason. I created the files I wanted as I wanted for reasons.

I do not have time for bullshit software from people that have no respect for their end users - overriding the end users settings and desires on a project is a complete lack of respect.

I don't understand why no one can make a ******* blu-ray authoring app that uses the basic standards of functionality and actually ******* works!

[dannyboy48888]

Can you post a mediainfo query of said file? I've done discs in multiavchd and tmpeg authoring works, and bdrebuilder without recoding. They don't take *raw* h264 streams though so you will have to mix them into a mkv, mp4 or m2ts container. Mkvtoolnix or tsmuxer can do such task.

[armyofquad]

I might have found a better solution - I found an installer of DVD Architect 6.0 Pro, newer than the version of 5 I have that keeps freezing on me. I managed to get it to take more than 2.5 hours of AVC video footage, but still need to build out chapters and a menu.

[jimbobub]

How to make staxrip videos bluray compliant for use with TMPGenc and notes about TMPGenc

These videos will be smart rendered (SR) instead of reencode (RE) with TMPGenc.

This is for both 1920x1080p (23.976 and 24fps) and 1280x720p (60fps, 24fps and 23.976).

Almost all settings can be done via the GUI. Go to x264 options.
1) Under Basic
Set level to 4.1
2) Under Slice Decisions
Set ref frames=3
Set B-frames=3
Set B-pyramid=strict
Set B-Adapt=optimal
Set Slices=4
A 1 second gop is used
for 23.976fps and 24fps use max gop size of 24 (keyint=24)
for 60fps use max gop size of 60 (keyint=60)
3) Under Other
Cabac is checked
4) Input/Output 3
enable compatibility hacks for bluray support is checked
5) Custom--->Custom top box
type this in without quotes "--nal-hrd=vbr"
6) Under rate control
set vbv_maxrate=20000
set vbv_bufsize=15000
7) Under VUI
video format-->NTSC
colorprim -->BT.709
colormatrix -->BT. 709
transfer -->BT. 709
range --> TV
8) Under Resize in resize window
PAR has to be 1:1

Other notes
b-frames as reference is supposed to be disabled. I assume the either
staxrip doesn't have the option or that it is disabled by default. If it does have the option I could not find it or perhaps it is under
another name. According to what I could find on the web, open gop is not necessary. Also according to the web, selecting --bluray-compat activates other settings such as --aud. Anyhow it all works with TMPGenc. I also tested on my standalone bluray player and the bluray video plays fine.

1 second gop vastly improves seek times and is bluray compatible.

With TMPGenc all files in the same track have to have all the same
video properties such as ref frames, resolution, level, frame rate, aspect ratio etc. Audio also has to have all the same properties such as sample rate (48 khz), type (such as ac3), etc. Different tracks can have different properties but again all in the same track have to have the same properties. A file can be bluray compliant but when combined with another for example a different resoluion, TMPGenc will reencode it or some of the other files (marked as RE) in the same track. Put this same file marked as RE in its own track and it will be marked as SR.

Some of the settings are flexible as long as they conform with the level selected. For example vbr_maxrate and vbr_bufsize. Constant rate facter (crf) is also selecable. I used 20. Reference frames and slices are also adjustable but have to conform to the level used.
One more thing I noticed. When playing 4:3 dvds on the modern wide screen tvs, the picture quality is no where near how it was on the old crt tvs back in the day. Converting to x264 and adding the black bars, the quality is much better.The standalone player does a decent job playing a 16:9 dvd however.

[jimbobub]

Forgot to add, .mkv files are fine. TMPGenc accepts them fine. So does multiavchd. No need for raw files and demuxing and all the extra steps. I'm old school as well. I will only send my family and friends videos on discs. Records have made a comeback. I've even heard that to a degree so have dvds. BD-R htl discs are good for archiving. The usbsticks will fail at some point. Sure standalone players will fail but they can be replaced. As long as the discs are handled properly, they will outlast us all. The feeling of handling the physical media is more satisfying than abstract stuff such as usb sticks and the apple crap.

[armyofquad]

Forgot to add, .mkv files are fine. TMPGenc accepts them fine. So does multiavchd. No need for raw files and demuxing and all the extra steps. I'm old school as well. I will only send my family and friends videos on discs. Records have made a comeback. I've even heard that to a degree so have dvds. BD-R htl discs are good for archiving. The usbsticks will fail at some point. Sure standalone players will fail but they can be replaced. As long as the discs are handled properly, they will outlast us all. The feeling of handling the physical media is more satisfying than abstract stuff such as usb sticks and the apple crap.

Thanks.