MPEG2 DVD Complient test tool

[WeeJavaDude]

Is there a DVD compliant test tool that will tell you if an MPEG2 file is DVD compliant. I have used restream and it gives me a lot of info but does not tell me if the file is DVD compliant or not.

Thoughts?

[duhmez]

352,240 mpeg1 , 352,480 mpeg2, 704,480 mpeg2, 720,480 mpeg2 29.970 FPS. then make sure the gop is not more than 15 , and if it has a sequence header in it. That's all you need. (For pal substutute 288 and 576 for 240 and 480)

[daamon]

hI WeeJavaDude,

duhmez is partially right:

Max frames per GOP for NTSC = 18 not 15. PAL = 15.
Frames Per Second (FPS) for PAL = 25 exactly.

The audio for NTSC or PAL must be 48,000Hz. Popular acceptable formats are PCM (also known as WAV), and AC3. MP2 is playable on most European stand-alone DVD players. There may be some others.

Best thing is to click on the "DVDR" link in blue, top left of the page.

I've not used restream - Check out GSpot, that gives loads of info.

Hope that helps.

[Baldrick]

hI WeeJavaDude,

duhmez is partially right:

Max frames per GOP for NTSC = 18 not 15. PAL = 15.
Frames Per Second (FPS) for PAL = 25 exactly.

The audio for NTSC or PAL must be 48,000Hz. Popular acceptable formats are PCM (also known as WAV), and AC3. MP2 is playable on most European stand-alone DVD players. There may be some others.

Best thing is to click on the "DVDR" link in blue, top left of the page.

I've not used restream - Check out GSpot, that gives loads of info.

Hope that helps.

gspot doen't work on mpeg files(only in beta that isn't released).

[daamon]

gspot doen't work on mpeg files(only in beta that isn't released).

Sorry WeeJavaDude for the misleading info, I assumed it did. It's a good tool for other formats though.

Cheers for the correction Baldrick.

[WeeJavaDude]

I basically understand the frame rate, aspect and resolution. I am looking for a tool that would run over the MPEG and indicates if DVD compliant. If not then spit out why it is not? I am supprised that there is not a tool out there. The reason I ask is that I am having an incompatability problem with ProShow and MyDVD 5. MyDVD 5 want to transcode the MPEG file produced by ProShow. Trying to determine who is not playing nicely so I can get this issued addressed. My guess is that it has to do with the GOP parameters, but I dont understand what restream is saying about GOP.

Was hoping there was a program that verified that an MPEG2 was DVD compliant.

[WeeJavaDude]

gspot doen't work on mpeg files(only in beta that isn't released).

Sorry WeeJavaDude for the misleading info, I assumed it did. It's a good tool for other formats though.

Cheers for the correction Baldrick.

Is there a place to get the Beta? Any idea when it will be released?

[daamon]

Hi WeeJavaDude,

I am looking for a tool that would run over the MPEG and indicates if DVD compliant. If not then spit out why it is not? I am supprised that there is not a tool out there.

Never heard of or seen one, but it would be useful - especially for the more finer points of DVD compliancy. I think an obstacle is that some producers of authoring software and manufacturers of stand-alone players are more relaxed than others on compliancy to standards. Meaning that if your mpeg2 isn't totally compliant, it may still be sufficiently compliant.

The reason I ask is that I am having an incompatability problem with ProShow and MyDVD 5. MyDVD 5 want to transcode the MPEG file produced by ProShow.

Try posting the steps you're taking, what you're trying to do and the actual error message - someone may be able to help whilst you're doing your on investigation.

My guess is that it has to do with the GOP parameters, but I dont understand what restream is saying about GOP.

Again, post the actual message you're getting.

As well as the max number of frames per GOP mentioned earlier, they can also be closed or open. This guide:

http://dvd-hq.info/Compression.html

...is for the settings in the TMPGEnc encoder, but it gives some interesting info on the GOP structure that may be of help (just type #gop at the end of the URL and hit "Enter" - it's right near the bottom of the page).

Hope that helps...

[ronnylov]

There is a tool in Womble MPEG2VCR that is called MPEG GOP fixer or something similar. It may fix GOP problems to make the video DVD compliant. I think PVAStrumento also can fix or at least report GOP problems if you demux your mpeg. It store some notes in a log file.

Most DVD authoring software does some kind of compliance test when you import your video. If you can import it and create a DVD without any problems then it's probably compliant.

[LisaB]

I've found that TMPGEnc DVDAuthor is pretty good about letting you know if there is a problem with a source file, and what exactly that problem is.

Get DVDAuthor, and then just try to add the questionable file to a new DVDAuthor project....it only takes a few seconds to do this.

GOP issues are common, but also there must be a sequence header for every GOP....DVDAuthor will tell you what the problem is.

Fortunately, the sequence header problem is easy to solve....just use the "Merge & Cut" option in TMPGEnc tools. You don't actually have to merge or cut anything, just input your source file and create a new output file...TMPGEnc will insert sequence headers where they need to be...

[WeeJavaDude]

There is a tool in Womble MPEG2VCR that is called MPEG GOP fixer or something similar. It may fix GOP problems to make the video DVD compliant. I think PVAStrumento also can fix or at least report GOP problems if you demux your mpeg. It store some notes in a log file.

Most DVD authoring software does some kind of compliance test when you import your video. If you can import it and create a DVD without any problems then it's probably compliant.

Not necessaryly true. with MyDVD 5 it imports just fine it is when you burn the DVD that it does it compliance test. My whole goal here is to figure out why it is failing the compliance test so I can go back to ProShow or MyDVD and ask them to fix the problem.

I am making some progress, but any tools that might give a hint would be most helpful

[daamon]

Hey WeeJavaDude,

People are trying to help and making suggestions as to what might help you. But without specifics to go on they can only make educated guesses.

Like I said previously:

The reason I ask is that I am having an incompatability problem with ProShow and MyDVD 5. MyDVD 5 want to transcode the MPEG file produced by ProShow.

Try posting the steps you're taking, what you're trying to do and the actual error message - someone may be able to help whilst you're doing your on investigation.

My guess is that it has to do with the GOP parameters, but I dont understand what restream is saying about GOP.

Again, post the actual message you're getting.

[Milo]

A scan in PVAStrumento will tell you if you're video contains non-compliant GOP (more than 15 frames for PAL)

Womble mpeg-vcr or mpeg video wizard can also check for gop size and FIX it. (that implies partial mpeg re-encoding)

Some DVD authoring apps accept mpeg files even if they're not fully compliant (for example DVD Maestro) and it's a good thing since some (most ?) DVD players accept partially compliant DVD.

[WeeJavaDude]

A scan in PVAStrumento will tell you if you're video contains non-compliant GOP (more than 15 frames for PAL)

Womble mpeg-vcr or mpeg video wizard can also check for gop size and FIX it. (that implies partial mpeg re-encoding)

Some DVD authoring apps accept mpeg files even if they're not fully compliant (for example DVD Maestro) and it's a good thing since some (most ?) DVD players accept partially compliant DVD.

Sorry for not being as clear as I should have been. If the tools I had provided a easy way to dump the information I would have easily provided it. Should have taken screen captures. I will next time.

To close the loop here. I might have located the problem with the help of some folks at PhotoDex and MyDVD. When you create a Slide show using ProShow it is suppose to be 7500 CBR. Well what actually occurs is that
is spikes over 8000 CBR at the start of the slide show. I believe this spike is what is resulting in MyDVD to re-encode the slide show. I am anxiously awaiting the ProShow's next Beta release to see if they have corrected this issue. If they would have provided a mechanism to adjust the Bitrate it could have been lowered to 7000 CBR to get around this issue. Too bad... I believe this is the issue , but I will not be sure until after I get the Beta.

Speaking of Beta.. Anybody got any word when the Beta will be released. I was orginally told first part of January and know it is almost the end of Feb with no Beta.

[duhmez]

8000 is compliant even if you use pcm audio, so if this is why it's failing, it's not because of a compliance issue, but an artificial software limitation.
You can use restream to patch the header and force the mpeg to report as having a lower or higher actual bitrate than it actually does. This may help.