DVDiT PE file sizes are HUGE!!!

[duranh]

OK. I've created all my menus and added my video files. The files are already encoded as mpeg-2. When I go to build the folder for the dvd, the projected file size says it will be close to 10 gigs! I've tried lowering the bitrate, but it never gets small enough to actually fit onto a dvd. I've also tried to create a new dvd with the avi files instead of the mpeg-2 and let DVDiT do all the work, but the projected file size is still too big.

Any help??? If anyone needs more info, I'll be happy to give it. I'd really like to get this dvd menu stuff done. I've tried all kinds of programs and this DVDiT seems to be pretty easy to use and I can get everything on it that I like, but this file size has me stumped.

If I can't get this working, then I guess my next option is to just wait for Adobe Encore to come out. I'm patiently waiting to get that one. It looks like it may be one of the best ones out there.

But anyway, HELP ME PLEASE!

[lordsmurf]

Never let DVDit! encode your video. It's not great at it. It will not re-encode compliant MPEG files. However, do let it convert your audio to AC3. It's the best conversion I've ever found.

[duranh]

Alright then. I encoded the avi files with TMP and pulled them into DVDiT. Is there a setting in there that I'm missing that is telling DVDiT to go ahead and convert anyway? Because even when I pull in my files that are already converted (they're 2 gigs each - 2 files), the projected file size is about 9 gigs.

[lordsmurf]

Restart the project. Mislinked or double-linked files. Something is wrong. Just restart the project. Happens once in a great while.

[duranh]

Tried that. Didn't work. It's still too big. Is there a setting I need to change so DVDiT doesn't try to reconvert my movies?

[LisaB]

duranh,

I think by default DVDIt! will try to encode the audio to LPCM.....this is ridiculous, and will make the audio huge (basically uncompressed CD quality). Instead you need to change the project setting so it encodes to Dolby Digital (AC-3).

LordSmurf, I'm interested in putting SVCD on DVD. Can I use the sequence header patching trick with DVDIt? Is there a way to tell whether DVDIt will try to re-encode my video *before* compiling? Is there a way to get DVDIt to accept 48K MP2, like most other authoring programs? It seems to insist on re-encoding the audio, even if the audio is already DVD-compliant 48K MP2.

Why does such an expensive program not have the capability to make multi-title sets?...even TMPGEnc DVD-Author makes multi-title sets. Without multi-title capability, everything has to be the same frame-size, frequency, and aspect ratio!

[lordsmurf]

LordSmurf, I'm interested in putting SVCD on DVD. Can I use the sequence header patching trick with DVDIt? Is there a way to tell whether DVDIt will try to re-encode my video *before* compiling? Is there a way to get DVDIt to accept 48K MP2, like most other authoring programs? It seems to insist on re-encoding the audio, even if the audio is already DVD-compliant 48K MP2.

MP2 is not compliant audio in NTSC. It only accepts WAV or AC3, and only outputs WAV or AC3. I don't think it even takes PAL MP2.

The sequence header trick does work. But I only did it once, and that was when the method first came out some months ago. I have very little SVCD material.