Can't produce image file from joined mpegs

[evn64]

What's going wrong?

Taken steps
1: 2 mpeg files joined
2: demuxed
result: m2v and mp2, look ok
3: mp2 converted to 48khz, no problem
4: Dvd authoring in Sizzle
warning m2v is not conform dvd standards,
ignored it (as in Galactica's manual Divx to DVD)
5: Sizzle gets busy
6: Result: a dvd image with only the first mpeg ???

I converted the joined mpeg files with ffmpeg presets tot dvd specs.
Both half-dvd and full dvd
And joy... the m2v's and mp2's let Sizzle produce correct image files but...
It took almost 24 hours (image size from 480x576 to 352 x 576)
It took more than 24 hours (image size from 480x576 to 720 x 576)
and they both look like crap

Strange thing: every tool gives an 480x576 size from the orinal mpegs, except Quicktime pro that thinks its an 480 x 360 movie. (And crashes when i try to play it.

All tips are welcome.

[thoughton]

Which version of sizzle are you using? I only ask because you should be using 0.1, not 0.5 (extremely buggy).

Also i dont think you needed to join the mpegs to start with (just add each one as a new chapter in sizzle) but if youve already done so without problems then fine.

How is the quality on your original mpegs? Any type of conversion will lose quality, so if they were just average quality to start with (for instance they were VCD mpeg1s) the DVD quality will be pretty lousy.

[evn64]

Hi Thoughton,

I've tried both 0.1 and 0.5, and both came up with the same result.

I'm gonna try the 2 chapter option. Thanx.
Question: 2 chapters is not the same as 2 titles, right?
(Final escape maybe: 2 titles and at the end of part 1 a button 'start part 2')

The quality of the orinal mpg's is quite good. It's SVCD quality. But the worst thing from the converted file is not so much a more grainy and blurry image but the errors, strange red spots, green squares etc. that were not in the original mpeg's.

(zzzzzzzzzzz)
Just took a quick trie in Sizzle but eeuh..., how do you add a chapter here? I'm only able to split up the first title in smaller chapters...

[terryj]

What about just authoring them with Toast 6?


My question: How did you "join" your mpgs?
The proper way would be to demux each individual
mpeg, then rejoin them at the m2v level,
join their audio at the AIFF level,
then import the seperate components into Sizzle
0.1, video under video track, audio under audio track,
assigned to the first chapter, then create.

and no, two chapters are not the same as two titles.
You would do two titles if you had diffrent angles of the same movie,
you would do two chapters if you had two specific jump points,
say the beginning, and a climatic turn scene in a movie in the middle.

[evn64]

@ Thoughton:
Thanx a lot man! Your solution worked like a charm. I used Sizzle 0.1 where there is an option to add chapters. And it's soooooo fast compared to any converting proces. I might get some sleep this weekend...

@ Terryj:
I joined them with ffmpeg. But now i follow your guidelines to demux before joining. Looks like it's working also

And to author in toast 6: a nice after dinner job for a stormy friday night.

I like this forum and its visitors

[thoughton]

Glad to hear it's working!

[galactica]

FYI
the solution to your problem would be to demux remux your joined file
you had a classic case of time code error, which is why sizzle stopped where it did, right at the joining of the 2nd mpeg file.

general rule whenever joining multiple files
join
demux and remux final chunk to remove any time code errors

either way it sounds like your up and running