AVI to DVD for a newbie (ish)

[zworg2]

Hi,
I would be very grateful for any help that someone can offer.

I have a plextor504 drive, nero, dvd shrink, dvd decrypter and am fully familiar with them.
I am quite able to copy dvd's using the above.

I have virtualdub, autodubmod and TMPGEnc (none of which i am very familiar with)

What i am trying to do is produce a dvd from downloaded or home created avi files.

i have read and printed a couple of guides for avi to dvd, from this site, but they go into too much detail ( i am a newbie to this)

can anyone put in SIMPLE terms (i am not stupid but do find some stuff like this difficult, especially as i unsure of exactly what is going on) how i process an avi fiile to get files that burning software (preferably nero) will recognise to burn as a dvd.

i have used TMPGEnc and after nearly 5 hours!! got another file (m2v i think) which i dont know what to do with....

Is TMPGEnc the most suitable? I have heard that conversions shouldnt take as long as mine did. (my PC is not TOP of the range, 1.4GHz, celeron 384mb ram, 30gb HD)

Thank you in advance

David

[bugster]

convert your avi file to DVD compliant mpeg-2.

Load the mpeg-2 file into a DVD authoring program. Add chapters and menus if you wish. Create your DVD-Video files (.vob, .bup and .ifo files etc.)

Burn to DVD (many authoring programs will do this for you.

Simple enough ?

[zworg2]

Thankyou....

When i used TMPGEnc to encode a 700Mb+ AVI it took 7 hours!! and produced a 5Gb+ mpg file.

Does 7 hours sounds right??

and how do i get this 5Gb+ file into a form that will fit on a standard DVD (single layer) and be recognisable by my DVD player????

can i use ulead? or what authoring prgram do you recommend for a beginner?

?

thanks in advance

[mats.hogberg]

Does 7 hours sounds right??

Yes.

and how do i get this 5Gb+ file into a form that will fit on a standard DVD

You could go ahead and author it, then use DVDShrink to reduce it to fit a DVD-R, or, you could (better approach) adjust your bit rate (lower it) to make sure the file will fit.

can i use ulead? or what authoring prgram do you recommend for a beginner?

I'm sure Ulead can be used, but I'd recommend IfoEdit. It's dead simple to author a DVD. Just click Author new DVD, select your video and audio files and you're done.
DVDAuthorGUI also has a very simple approach to this task.

/Mats

[zworg2]

You could go ahead and author it, then use DVDShrink to reduce it to fit a DVD-R, or, you could (better approach) adjust your bit rate (lower it) to make sure the file will fit.

ok. thank you

the 5b+ file was created with a bitrate of approx 7500

what bitrate would you recommend to minimise the size of the file but still keep the quality of the video watcheable

thank you in advance (things are starting to make some sense)

[bugster]

what bitrate would you recommend to minimise the size of the file but still keep the quality of the video watcheable

Use a bitrate calculator. Click Here

If using 2-pass VBR this gives the Average value.

[mats.hogberg]

what bitrate would you recommend to minimise the size of the file but still keep the quality of the video watcheable

Imposible to say, as this varies with movie content. (High motion/action=high bit rate.)
As I come from (S)VCD world, I find any movie under 2 hrs on a DVD-R looks perfect I'm sure many videophiles would disagree, but... That equals about 4853 kbps video with a 224 kbps audio stream. If your sorce isn't that perfect to begin with, there's no use going higher, IMHO.

/Mats

[jjbodean1970]

i am noob and find TMPGEnc DVD Author very easy to use for authoring, haven't tried Ifoedit, good luck!

[jimmyjojo]

Zworg,

How did you get a SMALLER avi file encoded into a LARGER mpg file? I use Tmpgenc also, and whenever I "input" a 5gig avi, it ALWAYS "outputs" a ~1gig mpg!

I am not satisfied w/ the quality of the resulting mpeg video (to be burned into dvd) so I think it's b/c the mpg file size is too small.

What settings did you use?

[ZippyP.]

How did you get a SMALLER avi file encoded into a LARGER mpg file?

The size of any video file depends only on the running time of the clip and the average bitrate (in Kbps usually). Zworg used 7500 Kbps to create his 5 GB mpeg.

PS, zworg is using TGPO's old avatar!

[zworg2]

Thank you one and all I have finally managedto convert an AVI file to a playable DVD.

The following is the complete process that I used.

Please could you look over it and see if there is any serious duplication that I am doing, and any suggestions to cut it down.


1 ) Download AVI file
2 ) Use Bitrate Calulator with movie length and Audio bitrate of 224 to obtain bitrate (3-5k)
3 ) With this bitrate and TMPGEnc convert AVI ---> MPEG-2
4 ) With TMPGEnc Demultiplex MPEG-2 ----> Seperate Audio and Video files
5 ) With IFOEdit covert files into IFO, BUP & VOB
6 ) With DVD Shrink convert files into burnable file set
7 ) With Nero convert into ISO image file
8 ) With DVD Decrypter burn ISO onto Disk
&
9 ) watch it !!


I am happy to do all of this every time as it WORKS !! And the only stages that take very long is the first two; downloading you cant do much about and the second is the main conversion.

thank you again to alll who have helped, a great introduction to this forum.



P.S. I just thought of my Avatar (promise i didnt plaugarise {yeah so thats spelt wrong, its tooo late at night for me to care!!) just an idea that came to me.[/i]

[jimmyjojo]

Zworg,

When/how do you "reattach" your Video and Audio files after separation? I was a little confused reading your steps...

thanks!

[zworg2]

When/how do you "reattach" your Video and Audio files after separation?

i dont really...

4 ) With TMPGEnc Demultiplex MPEG-2 ----> Seperate Audio and Video files
5 ) With IFOEdit covert files into IFO, BUP & VOB

step 4 creates seperate files and step 5 uses those two files to create the files that are used on a DVD

(i dont fully understand it...but those steps worked!.....

[jimmalenko]

How did you get a SMALLER avi file encoded into a LARGER mpg file? I use Tmpgenc also, and whenever I "input" a 5gig avi, it ALWAYS "outputs" a ~1gig mpg!

You are a freak !

I am not satisfied w/ the quality of the resulting mpeg video (to be burned into dvd) so I think it's b/c the mpg file size is too small.

Your bitrate is too small, that's why.

[ZippyP.]

any suggestions to cut it down.

When you convert your avi to mpeg, in the last window of the project wizard select "output audio and video as individual elementary streams." This will create seperate MP2 (audio) and M2V (video) files, no need to de-multiplex an mpeg if you do that.

[Augster]

Wow that's a LOT of steps. LOL! It's got to be simpler.

I got lost in all the reading, didn't you say a 700 MEGABYTE file became a 5 GIGABYTE FILE when encoding in TMPGenc???

That is NOT right. I had the same thing happen to me today in Premiere's output, but I was starting with a 11GB file that GREW to 65GB and took my whole disk. That was a wasted hour.

If you have 700MB worth of AVI files, it shouldn't take long AT ALL to encode in TMPGenc, (NOT 7 hours). After using TMPG, the file size should be SMALLER when COMPRESSED to MPEG-2. A setting was not right or the AVI was not recognized correctly or something.

Can you find like a 2-minute .avi sample file to work with? It makes all your trial and error go a LOT quicker. Hit this link: http://dvd-hq.info/Compression.html to read a REALLY good guide to TMPG for DVD. Or hit Lordsmurf.com and read his guide, it's sweet too.

Since you already have the AVI files, and if it is 700MB, it'll be a REALLY SHORT video, so here's the process I would do. Hopefully TMPG won't F it up again for you. If it's going to take more than a 1/2 hour to an hour for encoding, quit TMPG and come back here for help.

1. You have the AVI files. Open TMPGenc PLUS! and hit the Browse button to find your video. Then click the ES Video. We are only doing video in TMPG.

2. Click settings. MPEG-2 should be selected. Use Lordsmurf's guide for the rest of the settings. For only 700 MB, I would use CBR 8000 and do Motion Estimate in 8 bit. Follow the Lordsmurf guide step by step. Especially the part about the GOP. That WON'T be set up correctly upon initial opening. Hit save when finished with the settings. Then hit browse for where you want your file to be saved. THEN hit START. If the estimated time is again 7 hours on a 700 MB file, hit cancel.

3. MPEG-2 file is now encoded. You can watch it in Media Player if you would like. There won't be any sound obviously.

4. SOund. WIth only 700MB pre-encoded you could go full PCM, but here is the process for AC3 via Virtua Dub and ffmpgui. Both available to the left.

5. Open VirtualDUb. File-Open AVI. You are using your initial PRE-TMPG Avi file for this. I don't have it in front of me, but you go, Audio-Processing or something similiar, then you go Audio- Compression or something, and select 16-bit, 48000, stereo, then you go File-Save WAV, and find a place to save it and let it export the new WAV file. You have to go into Audio TWICE.

6. With your PCM (WAV) file, you could burn straight to DVD, but for future reference to save space, lets make it AC3. Open FFMPGGUI. Browse for your newly created WAV file. Select the bits you'd like. 192 for okay sound, on up the ladder. Usually 256 or something is "best". Browse to where you want the AC3 output, and process it. For this project, it should only take a few seconds to a minute.

7. So you have your no-sound MPEG-2 Video, and your AC3 audio. Now open TMPG DVD Author, Create new project, Add file, and find the Video and audio files respectively. If you want to make your menus look pretty, now's the time. If you want to create chapters and thumbnails for those chapters, now's the time. If you just want to see if this stupid process worked, browse for a suitable place to output to(somewhere you'll remember) then hit OUTPUT.

8. Open NERO, Go to DVD. GO to DVD VIDEO template. Uncheck Joliet. Why? I don't know. Click new. Open the Video_TS file that is INSIDE the VIDEO_TS file, the inner screen. That's important. Now, on the right side, browse to find the files that the DVD author created. Open the VIDEO_TS file and select all. Now copy those to the opened VIDEO_TS file on the Left. Now click BURN.

You should have a watchable DVD with menus. See if you like the quality. From the experimenting I have done, and using Lordsmurf's guide, the time it takes to encode an MPEG-2 using HIGHEST in TMPG instead of Motion Estimate, is unbelievable and the quality gained is negligible. Especially if using CBR. In my tests, I was using a 2 minute clip of a basketball game I have caught on MiniDV. Using CBR8000 and Highest, the encoding time was 12 minutes for a 2 minute file. Using CBR8000 and Motion Estimate, it took 4 minutes for the same 2 minute file. 6:1 or 2:1, your choice. I noticed really no difference in quality during motion. Your results may vary. If you use a VBR expect the encoding time to take longer. Another option is CQ at 100% with 8000/3000 high low. This is also good if paired with the Mo Est. and saves a bit more space than the CBR. But if you have a 700MB AVI, and that's the only thing you want on the disk, use CBR for sure.

Wow that's a lot of typing. LOL!

Good luck! Any more problems, come on back.

Augster

[ZippyP.]

didn't you say a 700 MEGABYTE file became a 5 GIGABYTE FILE when encoding in TMPGenc???

That is NOT right.

That's perfectly normal for a Divx-Avi encoded to DVD mpeg at 7500 Kbps. The bitrate was a little too high for it to fit a DVD though.

If you have 700MB worth of AVI files, it shouldn't take long AT ALL to encode in TMPGenc, (NOT 7 hours).

Depends on your settings, it could take even longer.

After using TMPG, the file size should be SMALLER when COMPRESSED to MPEG-2.

It depends on the type of source and the bitrate settings. If you start out with DV-AVI then a DVD mpeg is usually smaller. In this case it was a 700 MB Avi, probably around 90 minutes or so judging from the bitrate and file size of the mpeg.

[mats.hogberg]

1 ) Download AVI file

Quastionable, but OK...

2 ) Use Bitrate Calulator with movie length and Audio bitrate of 224 to obtain bitrate (3-5k)

Exactly

3 ) With this bitrate and TMPGEnc convert AVI ---> MPEG-2

Right on!

4 ) With TMPGEnc Demultiplex MPEG-2 ----> Seperate Audio and Video files

Unnecessary step, as Zippy has pointed out.

5 ) With IFOEdit covert files into IFO, BUP & VOB

True.

6 ) With DVD Shrink convert files into burnable file set

Why? If you calculated you bit rate correctly, the output from IfoEdit should fit on a DVD-R

7 ) With Nero convert into ISO image file

Disagree - There are too many settings in Nero - Use imgtools classic instead.

8 ) With DVD Decrypter burn ISO onto Disk

Spot on. But sa you've made the image with Nero, you could as well burn with Nero. It's the creation of the image that determines how compatible the DVD will be, not the actual burning.

/Mats

[zworg2]

Hi,

Quote:
4 ) With TMPGEnc Demultiplex MPEG-2 ----> Seperate Audio and Video files
Unnecessary step, as Zippy has pointed out.

Cool i did wonder about that bit!..should cut some time out

Quote:
7 ) With Nero convert into ISO image file
Disagree - There are too many settings in Nero - Use imgtools classic instead.
Quote:
8 ) With DVD Decrypter burn ISO onto Disk
Spot on. But sa you've made the image with Nero, you could as well burn with Nero.

This bit is easy bit, i am used to copy DVD's so not so worried about this bit.

Quote:
6 ) With DVD Shrink convert files into burnable file set
Why? If you calculated you bit rate correctly, the output from IfoEdit should fit on a DVD-R

this is the bit i didnt understand, i tried with IFOEdit's output and it didnt work?!! but as this stage doesnt take very long i am not too bothered, more confused!

thanks...i'll try and cut out the multipexing and come back again if i cant get that bit too work!

David

[mats.hogberg]

6 ) With DVD Shrink convert files into burnable file set
Why? If you calculated you bit rate correctly, the output from IfoEdit should fit on a DVD-R

this is the bit i didnt understand, i tried with IFOEdit's output and it didnt work?!! but as this stage doesnt take very long i am not too bothered, more confused!

The output from IfoEdit is (at least to me) ready to be burned to DVD-R.
Just create two folders, AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS, "beside" eacother and let IfoEdit output to VIDEO_TS. Then create an image containing those two folders.

/Mats

[zworg2]

The output from IfoEdit is (at least to me) ready to be burned to DVD-R.
Just create two folders, AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS, "beside" eacother and let IfoEdit output to VIDEO_TS. Then create an image containing those two folders.

yeah i tried that, and it didnt want to know, when then creating the iso, an d error came up saying something about missing or incorrect file ???

i tried burning it anyway and it didnt work, i tried burning straight from the ifo output and that didnt work either? !!