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  1. Member
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    I'm new to AVCHDCoder, which seems to be doing everything I want perfectly. Simple objective, just producing BluRay folder/ISO/disc from one or more HD 1920x1080p input MP4 files (H.264 MPEG-4) with EAC3 DD5.1 640Kbps 48K 6-channel audio. I only need a simple main menu that allows me to navigate to the one or more titles I've added to that disc's project definition.

    Everything works fine as long as I only use the DEFAULT INTRO. In this case the intro movie filed 01200.M2TS is produced correctly, and the entire project is a success. The folder and burned disc can be played by software player as well as Oppo mechanical player. 100% success.

    However when I try to customize the intro, using either "custom intro" or "custom intro + playlist", I believe I'm doing everything I need to do in order to produce what looks (in PREVIEW) exactly what I'm trying tor produce! The cover image, movie details, etc., all looks perfect. But when I then push the CONVERT button the resulting 01200.M2TS intro file ends up being ZERO BYTES!!

    No matter what I try to do or change, I can't seem to figure out what I'm obviously doing wrong... assuming AVDHDCoder truly does support custom intro as I'm assuming. Is this a feature only available through "registered" versions (requiring a PayPal donation)? Is that the answer for my problem?

    If custom intro really should be available even for the free un-registered version of the program, can somebody who's had success building their own custom intro suggest what I might be doing wrong?

    Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.
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  2. Member
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    On the homepage it saids choose your own intro. I have a serial key for registered version i got years ago when the program was active. I could try my registered version to see if works for me. But it won't be for a few days. You could look into maybe muitiavchd it lets use custom menus not sure about the rest of the stuff you want to do. I can let you know if it works for me when being registered i can let you know.
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  3. Member
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    Thanks for your offer. I actually did make a PayPal donation yesterday, because I wanted to support the product (even though I know it is abandonware). Also I wanted to get a serial number to unlock whatever additional functions are only available to registered users. But at least so far I have not received any serial number by email, assuming I should still receive one even many years later than development ceased.

    So at least for now I can't test my own theory about whether "custom intro" support is only for registered users. But you'd think there would be something that pops up saying I cannot request that option as the unregistered program currently is. It actually went ahead and seemed to do everything it was supposed to. The only issue is that the intro movie file 01200.m2ts ended up never getting built, and thus was 0 bytes in size.

    As far as using multiAVCHD, I used to use that program years ago for exactly the same purpose as I am now wanting to use AVCHDCoder. In fact I originally tried using multiAVCHD, but it didn't work. I believe mulriAVCHD is not capable of dealing with MP4 input files with H.264/MPEG-4 transport streams inside. Years ago I had no trouble feeding MPG input files with MPEG-2 transport streams (from 1920x1080i HDTV) to multiAVCHD and having it do the remux-only to BluRay, and with wonderful titling and menu building. But it doesn't seem to work with MP4 H.264/MPEG-4 input (this time 1920x1080p HD videos).

    Anyway, the AVCHDCoder home page which describes what is extra if you donate and register the program with the serial number doesn't mention custom intro as being one of the restricted additional features. So I don't really think this is the answer. I think it is either (a) broken and simply doesn't work, or (b) I need to do something else or provide something else that I'm not providing. I assumed that the information retrieved from "search" simply overlays on top of the default intro movie, as is seen from PREVIEW. And this looks perfect to me when pushing PREVIEW. It's just that when the conversion runs there is no 01200.m2ts data produced. Seems like a bug to me.

    And that's why I'm asking if anybody else here on this forum who's used AVCHDCoder has successfully created your own custom intro movie? If so, what exactly were the steps you took to achieve that? What did you check, enter, provide, etc.? How did you get it done?

    Just to provide pictures of what I'm trying to do (using just one input file for the following):

    (1) here is my input MP4 file. Note that I've requested REMUX-MODE for video quality, to retain original source with NO RE-ENCODING OF VIDEO. I've also selected AC3 640Kbps for the audio output target, which happens to be exactly the same as the input audio format. Again, I'm expecting no re-encoding of audio, just perhaps re-muxing from EAC-3 to AC3 (if there is any difference).

    Image
    [Attachment 56085 - Click to enlarge]


    (2) here is the way OUTPUT looks, showing the one file playlist

    Image
    [Attachment 56086 - Click to enlarge]


    (3) Here is what the intro specification is, for pure "default intro"

    Image
    [Attachment 56087 - Click to enlarge]


    (4) And after running the conversion this is what the resulting \BDMV\Stream folder looks like, showing a non-zero 01200.m2ts intro movie as well as a non-zero 01201.m2ts menu movie.

    Image
    [Attachment 56088 - Click to enlarge]


    (5) Now instead of "default intro", I check "custom intro + playlist", and go through "search" to locate my movie thumbnail image along with other details about the movie in order to populate those five custom intro fields. I then push PREVIEW, and see the following (all of which is PERFECT)

    Image
    [Attachment 56090 - Click to enlarge]


    (6) And now after running the conversion this is what the resulting \BDMV\Stream folder looks like, showing a ZERO BYTE 01200.m2ts intro movie.

    Image
    [Attachment 56091 - Click to enlarge]



    So, what did I do wrong, or forget to do or provide?? Does this function actually work for anybody else?

    I did not manually provide either "cover" or "background" myself, because I assumed that when selecting the results provided from "search mode" that this would be all that is needed, assuming it's acceptable to me. And in fact the PREVIEW of what it theoretically is going to do is perfect!! The thumbnail image and 5 rows of detail info, along with the playlist in the upper left corner... I assumed this would all be overlaid on top of the default intro movie to produce a new intro movie looking just like the PREVIEW. If it did just that it would be perfect for me.

    And that's what I thought would happen, since PREVIEW looked perfect. It's just that 0 bytes got produced.

    Please help.
    Last edited by DSperber; 6th Dec 2020 at 06:48.
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  4. Member
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    I decided to try it myself since its been a long time since i used the program i am testing a blu ray movie of mine i made to mkv i am registered in the program. I am testing it custom intro provide by the program no menu just intro. so far has not failed pass 1 is so going has not failed i noticed that a different movie i tried failed before pass 1 cause it could not convert the audio. And it was in eac3. My own blu ray movie when i compress it to mkv i use regular ac3 5.1. So maybe thats whats going on with you. I don't know for sure.
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  5. Member
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    Originally Posted by Wizard23 View Post
    I am testing it custom intro provide by the program no menu just intro.
    The program offers several combinations.

    (1) Basic options:

    (a) add menu (01201.m2ts) and intro (01200.m2ts)

    (b) no menu and no intro

    (c) add intro (01200.m2ts) but no menu

    I have selected (a) which is the factory default, in order to produce (a) the opening intro movie as well as (b) the main menu with the 1, 2, 3, etc. navigation buttons to directly play the individual titles. That is what I want, and if possible I would like to customize the intro movie as is supposed to be possible, in order to show the movie cover thumbnail as well as some information items about the movie, as well as the "Playlist" (i.e. all titles on the disc) in the upper-left corner. That is the "custom intro + playlist" I'm trying to obtain.


    (2) for (a) and (c) above, both of which involve a intro, there are further sub-options about the intro:

    (a) DEFAULT INTRO <--- works perfectly for me, and I get both the opening default intro movie as well as the main menu with navigation buttons

    (b) CUSTOM INTRO <--- PREVIEW LOOKS PERFECT, but fails to produce any intro movie file, i.e. 0 bytes for 01200.m2ts

    (c) CUSTOM INTRO + PLAYLIST <--- PREVIEW LOOKS PERFECT, but fails to produce any intro movie file, i.e. 0 bytes for 01200.m2ts

    It is really (b) or (c) which would be fine with me, but both the creation of the 01200.m2ts intro movie fails, resulting in 0 bytes. Only (a) works, getting the standard default intro movie with nothing else informative on it.


    I have not actually tried the option of suppressing the MENU (with the title navigation buttons on it) and simply trying to produce only the customized intro movie. You say that "custom intro and no menu"works" for you, so I will try it myself right now. I don't know what specifically you've placed on your "custom intro". Did you get information from "search" as I did?

    I don't think it is the input movie file stream audio/video format which should come into play here. You are using MKV and I am using MP4, but the successful construction of the custom intro movie shouldn't have anything at all to do with the muxing of titles. The custom intro only involves overlaying your custom image and/or background and/or "search" results on top of the default intro movie to come up with the final composite result, as I see it.

    I will try omitting the menu and see if that allows my custom intro movie file to be produced.

    NOTE: if this works, I will next try to manually manipulate the contents of the relevant \BDMV sub-folders, copying the non-zero \STREAM 01200.m2ts file (and associated CLPI and PLAYLIST files from their own folders) into the other output I have that DOES HAVE A MENU. I really do want both custom intro as well as menu, because I want to be able to navigate to specific titles on the multi-title disc.

    We shall see what happens if I leave out menu,
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  6. Member
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    No success for me. For simplicity I'm just testing with a single input MP4 file. And (this maybe important) I select REMUX-MODE for "video quality", as I do not want any re-encoding of audio or video and resulting loss of original source quality.

    Although the intro movie file name was now 00000.m2ts with the main title now 00001.m2ts, the intro movie is still 0 bytes.

    Image
    [Attachment 56116 - Click to enlarge]


    I'm still using "search" to populate custom image and information about the movie on this "custom" intro. Maybe that's key to the problem.

    I will next try just checking "custom intro" and do nothing else. Nothing, no playlist, no thumbnail, nothing from the selected movie from "search". Let's see if that makes a difference. And both with and with menu, to see if that's relevant.
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  7. Member
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    Nope. No difference.

    Program appears broken, and despite PREVIEW looking perfect it cannot or will not actually create any custom intro movie file, from the barest minimum (just checking "custom intro") to a fully populated one showing thumbnail of case cover plus movie info plus playlist titles. No matter what it always seems to simply "quit" without actually writing out anything to the intro movie file, so that it always ends up with 0 bytes file size.

    I repeat, for anybody reading this thread. Are there any of you who have used AVCHDCoder to generate output that DOES HAVE CUSTOM INTRO MOVIE?? If so, how did you do it (i.e. each and every setting and option you selected)? And what kind of input files are you using, and are you specifying video quality "remux mode", or are you re-encoding??
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    Well, I guess I have to give up. Everything I've tried, every combination, every option, nothing has worked. Always 01200.m2ts ends up at 0 bytes.

    And yet, PREVIEW is perfect and shows exactly what I hope would be the resulting "custom intro":

    Image
    [Attachment 56158 - Click to enlarge]


    I'm just going to have to stick with "default intro", since the rest of the output BDMV results are perfect. My input MP4 files get REMUX'ed as I want into the BDMV output, with original source quality retained and no re-encoding. Other alternative BluRay authoring products may offer functioning and sophisticated Menu capability, but none seem to facilitate REMUX-MODE for video (if resolution and framerate are acceptable) and UNTOUCHED for audio (if possible) the way AVCHDCoder allows. So if some type of compromise is always going to be necessary I'd prefer REMUX-MODE over an informative CUSTOM INTRO or super-sophisticated MENU. The very basic title-navigation-only menu of AVCHDCoder will just have to suffice.

    I still have not heard back from Twan to my multiple emails regarding getting a serial number sent to me, from the PayPal donation I made to him. He has my money, but I don't have a serial number.

    Also still no response from Twan to my multiple emails asking about this 0-bytes 01200.mt2s issue from any sort of custom intro, and did he have a suggest for fixing it... or is the program simply broken as last he left it in its final 15.12/27 form many years ago.

    He's apparently simply gone. So it's take it or leave it for this program, exactly in its current/final state, such as it is.

    I have investigated one other possible alternative product, named TMPGEnc Author Works 6. Not free, and not cheap, but purportedly very very capable and function-rich. And it also supports REMUX-MODE (named "SR", or Smart-Copy") if possible and if the input clip satisfies all the minimum BDMV-requirements. Alternatively video is re-encoded (named "RE", or Re-Encode).

    Unfortunately, the "clip format checker" built into TAW6 has found (correctly or incorrectly) four specific areas of non-BDMV-compliance with my input MP4 files. I question whether one of those discoveries is actually valid, but even so that leaves three items which in theory prevent their "SR" REMUX-MODE from being invoked.

    Image
    [Attachment 56159 - Click to enlarge]


    In contrast, AVCHDCoder only checks resolution and framerate, which for my MP4 clips allows REMUX-MODE to be requested. And the output BDMV is perfectly playable, both with software players as well as on my Oppo mechanical player. So maybe TAW6 is a bit too stringent and picky, or maybe they should offer an "override" option (currently not available) to force SR and hope for the best, like AVCHDCoder does. Worst case I could re-encode, but if resolution and framerate being acceptable is truly "acceptable" as the absolute minimum requirements and if REMUX-MODE output from TAW6 truly works, that would be fantastic to go along with their superior MENU functionality. I'd gladly pay their price, if they would allow "force SR and pray".

    Anyway, still awaiting some feedback from TAW6 (i.e. Pegasus) on my comments, complaints, and suggestions. In the meantime, looks like I'm going to stick with free AVCHDCoder and its minimalist DEFAULT INTRO and BASIC NAVIGATION MENU, but with REMUX-MODE for my 1920x1080p MP4/AVC (H.264 MPEG-4) input clips.
    Last edited by DSperber; 8th Dec 2020 at 21:25.
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  9. Member
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    There's a happy ending to this story and it has nothing to do with VSO's ConvertXtoHD product, which since it doesn't do what I had hoped it would thereby failed its trial period with me, and has long since been uninstalled from my system and never purchased. Nothing to do with DVDFab 12 BluRay Creator or TMPGEnc Author Works 6, or even AVDHDCoder.

    It has to do with our old friend multiAVCHD!!

    Turns out after all my unsuccessful struggles to find a usable BluRay Creator replacement product for multiAVCHD (which I'd been using successfully for years but for some reason couldn't get it to work with my latest MP4 files), I decided to go back and give multiAVCHD one more try... and managed to achieve 100% success. The primary mistake I'd made was failing to install the three additional software products required by multiAVCHD on the new computer I was using, which was the actual reason the MP4 files couldn't be decoded for conversion. I don't know how I overlooked that prerequisite, but I did. Very embarrassing.

    When I realized that oversight and actually installed the three required products (AVISynth, ffdshow, and Haali Matroska Splitter) sure enough I was now finally able to actually to really get started. Unfortunately, there was still some underlying problem with multiAVCHD not being able to properly handle the DD5.1 EAC3 audio inside these MP4 files. I had thought the MP4 files should really be acceptable, but there was clearly something either about them or multiAVCHD that just wasn't right.

    I then decided to see if I could work around the problem, by remuxing the MP4 file into M2TS format, which I did using VideoRedo TV Suite 6. VRD certainly can understand the imbedded DD5.1 EAC3 audio format and apparently got everything sorted out in the newly repackaged M2TS version of the MP4 file, because once I fed the M2TS files to multiAVCHD instead of the original MP4 files, now the program finally WORKED PERFECTLY!!! multiAVCHD accepts M2TS input files just as it theoretically accepts MP4 input files, but there must have been something odd about my MP4 files... which luckily got straightened out perfectly by VideoReDo's remuxing into M2TS.

    So, i have now achieved 100% success using multiAVCHD. Custom intro screen, custom navigation menu for the one or more titles, custom chapter navigation sub-menu per title with frame-thumbnails and titles for each chapter, remux-only audio and video that finishes in under 5 minutes with 100% original source quality... totally and completely everything I'd wanted to do from the get-go, and which I'd thought ConvertXtoHD could also have done for for me.

    Case closed.

    Image
    [Attachment 56336 - Click to enlarge]


    Image
    [Attachment 56337 - Click to enlarge]


    Image
    [Attachment 56338 - Click to enlarge]
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