Problems encoding XVID files to MPEG, XVID/DIVX codec remain

[damncoolguy]

Alright, my ideal here was to convert an XVID Pal file to MPEG NTSC so I could burn it in my dvd burner. I used Virtual Dub to extract just the video and Goldwave to extract just the audio (wav). I used TMPGEnc to combine them and make an MPEG file. I set the format to be NTSC and to be created as an mpeg1 and there were no problems, it made the file. But when I tried burning the file, there were 2 problems:

1) The Hewlitt Packard burning software ( Sonic MyDVD) I have, could not recognize the file as being NTSC...

2) The file was too big to fit onto a 4.7gig DVD+R (which was weird considering the file itself was only about 1 gig. This only happens when I try to burn DivX/Xvid files, since my software doesn't support them. The only Mpeg's I've encoded in the past were totally uncompressed, made from IFO files (DVD root files). And they take up the exact amount of room that they are. So my suspicion is that, even though I "supposedly" converted this Xvid file to Mpeg in a couple steps, the new file still has Xvid/Divx codecs in it that are still somwhat compressing the file and confusing my software. But that's just my guess. From what I understand, I thought to make an Mpeg file, the whole thing has to be decompressed, right? Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks.

[Laddydaddy]

If SonicMyDVD did not recognize your film as NTSC then you might have changed some of the parameters or used the wrong template (svcd?). As far as your file being too big, if you chose vcd project instead of DVD project the largest file you can use is 700 MB since Sonic assumes you are burning to a cd, not a DVD. Lastly, codecs are programs that compress and decompress videos. They are not part of the video, so your new file will not have a codec "in" it. Retrace your steps and see if you chose the right template in TMPG and DVD project (not vcd project) in Sonic. Let us know how you make out.

[damncoolguy]

You may be right about the parameters, currently I am trying another encoding session of mpeg-2 with parameters for NTSC. The thing I am sure of is that I did choose DVD project in SonicMyDVD (as opposed to VCD project). Like I said, the DVD+R project can hold upto 4.7 gigs, the mpeg file within the project took up about 6 or 7 gigs. Yeah I didn't mean to say that Xvid/Divx codecs were inside the file, but just some component of Xvid/Divx from the original file that is confusing the software may be in the new file somehow?

[Laddydaddy]

In your original post you said your file was 1 gig in size. Was that your original file or the mpg file created by TMPG?

[damncoolguy]

The file size that was created by TMPG (mpeg-1 file) was the 1 gig file. I just tried encoding the same file yesterday, but into mpeg-2 and with the correct paremeters for NTSC. When I tried burning it using SonicMyDVD and another software DVDIt!P.E. they both recognized the file as being NTSC, which is good... But something about the file is still confusing the software. One of the softwares said that the total size of the project was .35 megs, which we know obviously isn't right. So we fixed one of the problems... which is still better than nothing, so thank you.

Also, when I encoded this time (the MPEG-2 file), I noticed the quality wasn't as good as the other encodings I had done (MPEG-1 file, which retained the same quality as the original XVid file) with the same file. It was just more pixelated and blurry, still watchable though... and I thought Mpeg-2 was supposed to be higher quality....

[rodonoghue]

I have found that dvd authoring programs for some reason say that the file is too big for a dvdr disc so the way i would do it and haven't had 1 problem in x-amount of dvds would be.

1) use vdubmp3 to check for bad frames - guide on this site to delete if any
2) separate the audio if the sound is ac3, if not don't bother splitting
3) use the tmpeg template for a ntsc dvd with the avi as the video and the wav from goldwave as the audio
4) use tmpeg to de-multiplex the mpg into an m2v and mp2
5) rename mp2 to mpa
6) use ifoedit to author the m2v and mpa
7) burn folder that files from step 6 were created in (has to be VIDEO_TS)

voila - 1 dvd with just the movie on autoplaying when the disc is inserted into the dvd player

[Laddydaddy]

Ok, I just did a little experiment. I chose DVD project in MyDVD and imported a 701MB film. The icon at the bottom of the screen said I had 4.7GB left on the blank disc before importing the film, and 1.15gb left after importing the film. This means my little 701MB mpg1 (vcd) file is taking up 3.55gb of space.I know that MyDVD uncompresses the audio, but I doubt if the file will increase five fold because of the audio. I suspect that MyDVD will re-encoding the film to DVD standards using the best quality setting and using a very high bit rate. This coupled with an uncompressed audio would probably explain the large file size.

[damncoolguy]

Rodonogue - What do you mean by "author the m2v and mpa"? I've done the rest up till there...

LaddyDaddy - My audio was already uncompressed (via wav file from Goldwave) before putting it into TMPGEnc, so I assumed it would remain uncompressed when it came out as an mpeg file. Also, is there a way to tell MyDVD to not automatically re-encode for best quality?

Thanks Guys

[Laddydaddy]

TMPG will compress automatically compress your files. If you want it to stay uncompressed don't use TMPG to convert it. Although MyDVD will uncompress it anyway. I don't think you can stop MyDVD from converting if that is what it is doing.

[rodonoghue]

Rodonogue - What do you mean by "author the m2v and mpa"? I've done the rest up till there...

On the top bar of ifoedit you can author the dvd - when you select that a window comes up with buttons on (although it doesn't say which is which the top button is for the m2v video and the next button is for the mpa audio. Select the folder to output the vobs, bups and ifos (to keep it easy i call the directory VIDEO_TS) then click start or ok or whatever it says. Then just burn that directory

[funkguy4]

Anyone ever heard of TMPGEnc DVD Author or DVD-Lab? They don't give a rats momwhat kind of video you give them as long as it has no errors.