mpeg2 video to DVD via toast poor quality

[vwDavid]

Dear all,

I've come back to this forum after some time of absence. I have some questions that I can't solve.

When OS 10.4 came out my tyeditor used for mpeg2 extraction from my Tivo broke. Only recently have I got another program working, and I am encountering 2 problems with mpeg2 post processing of the resulting files:

Problem 1:

mpeg2 video extracted from the tivo: I used to burn it to DVD using Sizzle and rarely had a problem. Authoring a sizzle DVD with many titles is a lot of work, a lot of mousing and literally hurts my hands. I learnt that Toast would work with mpeg2 files, drag and drop, names, buttons, everything ready to burn. Toast muxes the mpeg2 files (which I though were already muxed?) and then burns. DVD mounts but gives many jitters and skips on my mac and in a stand alone. I'd rather not go back to Sizzle, I'd really like to get toast working. Any suggestions for me to optimize things?


Problem 2:

My new app for extraction tivo video on Mac OS doesn't support clipping out the commercials. Enter mpeg streamclip. I have v 1.1 and noticed 1.31 is available, but the developers website is gone. I am stuck working with 1.1. When ever I edit, clip an mpeg2 file in streamclip and simply just save the file, toast proceeds to choke when processing or encoding (note: it doesn't try to mux it) the clipped file. Does mepg streamclip change an mpeg2 file so that it functions differently in toast?

Thanks for any and all tips! -D

[Frobozz]

What's not clear is if you have updated to Toast 6.1.1.

[vwDavid]

You are correct, I have been using 6.0.9. Time to check the change history. Are there significant codec changes do you know?

[vwDavid]

It looks like MPEG Streamclip's developers site is alive again today. I have been trying streamclip 1.3.1 on the same MPEG2 file, clipped it and tried to toast it.

This time toast hasn't choked, but is processing it and encoding it and taking its sweet ass time about it too. What does streamclip do to the file that makes Toast want to encode it instread of mux and burn it?

Thanks

-D

[rumplestiltskin]

There's something that Toast doesn't think is kosher about the file; perhaps bitrate or a dozen other things. Why don't you try MPEG2Works instead (to create the VIDEO_TS folder full of VOBs)? Then Toast will only have to burn a UDF folder instead of doing a re-encoding (which is what may be screwing up the quality).

[vwDavid]

Will mpeg2works create a DVD with a menu so I can access 6-7 TV episodes? I looked at the website and couldn't figure out if I needed the Advanced version or not.


Question two, say I had two different Video_TS folders, two different TV shows for instance. How can I combine them into one DVD where I can access both titles?

[Frobozz]

I presume you've now updated to Toast 6.1.1. Version 6.0.9 had problems with Quicktime 7.

Toast demuxes and remuxes the audio of MPEGs and VOBs when authoring a new DVD. It doesn't do anything to the video unless it was encoded out of spec for video DVD. You can see the DVD specs by checking the What is DVD link at the top left of this page.

To put the video from two VIDEO_TS folders onto one DVD, simply drag the first of each VOB set to Toast and it will add the video. Toast then will author a new VIDEO_TS folder with both the videos. You can also drag the VOB to MPEG StreamClip and choose Export to MPEG, and then drag the MPEG to Toast.

[vwDavid]

Just tried a Toast 6.1.1 burn with video extracted from my Tivo, that hasn't been touched by streamclip.

Same problem, jumpy video, skips and repeats about 1/2 way through the episodes (abouy 7 25min episodes on the DVD). I guess I'll have to go back to Sizzle.

Anyone using Capty DVD?

[Frobozz]

I use CaptyDVD.

I don't know why you're having this problem with Toast, though. Toast usually stalls, crashes or gives an error message whenever there is a problem with encoding. Have you tried burning to a different brand of blank media?

You might also post this problem (describing the software you're using to capture your Tivo recordings and its resolution - i.e. 720x480 - at the Rosio Toast 6 forum. You may have found a combination of things that causes problems for Toast which its developers may want to know.

[live4ever]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure tivo mpegs aren't dvd spec - they are like 544x480 that's why Toast is re-encoding.

What does VLC or Streamclip say about it when you get-info?

[vwDavid]

Hi all, I'm back with some continuing problems and questions.

I have updated to toast 611 and the latest streamclip. Toast 611 will burn my tivo mpeg files if they are uneditted by streamclip with a simple re-mux.

If I try to toast a DVD with stream clipped files, toast 611 will recode the file taking upwards of 6 hours- often resulting in this disc is too small, 6.1 g need, 4.4 available when the source files are significantly less than 4.4 g.

Here is a streamclip info of a raw tivo file of mine:

Type: MPEG program stream

Duration: 1:00:00
Data Size: 1.57 GB
Bit Rate: 3.74 Mbps

Video Tracks:
224 MPEG-2, 480 × 480, 4:3, 29.97 fps, 3.50 Mbps, upper field first

Audio Tracks:
192 MP2 stereo, 32 kHz, 192 kbps

Stream Files:
Churchill Man of Destiny - The Lions Roar.mpg (1.57 GB)

and here is the file that has been streamclipped:

Type: MPEG program stream

Duration: 0:49:54
Data Size: 1.29 GB
Bit Rate: 3.70 Mbps

Video Tracks:
224 MPEG-2, 480 × 480, 4:3, 29.97 fps, 3.50 Mbps, upper field first

Audio Tracks:
192 MP2 stereo, 32 kHz, 192 kbps

Stream Files:
Churchill Man of Destiny - The Lions Roar clip.mpeg (1.29 GB)

I'd like to be able to edit out the commercials using stream clip and burn fairly quick DVDs using toast.

I need a bit of help figuring out the paramaters that toast needs to burn quick DVDs with a remux only and to find out what streamclip is doing that mixes this up and how to correct it.

Additionally, I have recently been advised to change the resolution and bitrates my tivo records at to a more DVD friendly numbers. I have done this, but see no change in my files.

Interesting that the info that Quicktime gives more my files is different than streamclip listing the resolutions at 480*360.

Help!

[Frobozz]

How are you saving the edited MPEG in Streamclip? You have several options including Save As..., Convert to MPEG, and Convert to Headed MPEG. Have you tried each of these?

[vwDavid]

As you mentioned, I further explored the options. I have tried save as and export MPEG before- but not export headed MPEG. I did that on my problem shows and the difference was that toast told me upfront (instead of waiting 6 hours) that there is not enought disc space.

[vwDavid]

For reference I have just read this thread:

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1264318&highlight=toast+m1a#1264318

Again, working in Toast 6.1.1 with Jam, I have used streamclip to export to headed m2v and m1a. I have never worked with the individual files in toast before and it seems to me that toast does not link the m2v to the m1a. I am confused how to setup a video DVD using the speraate video on audio files.

If I drop them on toast I get a 49 minute video track and a 36 minute playlist.

Thanks for your continued help with this.

[Frobozz]

I don't know how Toast handles a .m1a separate stream, but the way it works with PCM/AIFF and AC3 is that you drag in only the .m2v stream. If the accompanying audio stream has the same name (except for the extension) and is in the same folder, then Toast automatically adds the audio stream with the video. If Toast can't find a matching audio stream a window appears asking you to locate the stream.

You can tell if the audio is present by clicking the Edit button next to your video Title. There you'll see a description of the video and audio (if any) to be authored to the DVD.

[NoCalME]

After you've made your cuts in MPEGStreamclip, you should select Demux to M2V and M1A to give you audio and video elemental streams.

[vwDavid]

Yes YES! Thanks for everyones help! I demuxed to m2a and m1v, dropped the m1v's on toast and noticed it auto linked the audio for it. Burned, beautiful!

many thanks fo videohelp and all you guys for putting up with my weeks of troubleshooting!

[vwDavid]

I've noticed that toast is still encoding my m2v's its just way faster than the mpegs...

I'll report back when I have a substantial amount of 720*480 video to process. All of the above conversation is in regards to non standard 480*480 video.

-D

[vwDavid]

update:

Tried my encodings with Toast7 set to reencode: NEVER. It worked very well accept for the last mpeg on the disc had chipmunk audio and fast video which means it didn't remux the 32000 khz audio properly. It did it for all the other files which were captured identically.

BTW, chipmunk speed is only on the standalone DVD player, not my Mac which is obvious I guess.

[aersloat]

For some reason Toast 7 isn't resampling the audio on my audio streams either although my player is handling the dvds just fine. I am hoping that johnsolo gets the audio transcoding implemented on download in TivoTool soon now that he has it for streams. You might want to try to burn your 480x480 to svcd rather than dvd as that resolution is in spec. I don't know if you have played with changing your bitrates too, but I have found that bumping my bitrates and changing my quality to 0 for 720x480 makes a difference. I am assuming that you have a series 1.

[AntnyMD]

The 480x480 resolution is within spec for SVCD, but the bitrate is too high. If it works, the SVCD will be nonstandard (like the DVD he made).

[vwDavid]

For some reason Toast 7 isn't resampling the audio on my audio streams either although my player is handling the dvds just fine. I am hoping that johnsolo gets the audio transcoding implemented on download in TivoTool soon now that he has it for streams. You might want to try to burn your 480x480 to svcd rather than dvd as that resolution is in spec. I don't know if you have played with changing your bitrates too, but I have found that bumping my bitrates and changing my quality to 0 for 720x480 makes a difference. I am assuming that you have a series 1.

Yes, I have changed my bitrates now, but I have a backlog of older 480*480 video I am archiving and VCDs are not of interest to me so I'm doing DVDs.

Have you Asked John if the audio resample is on his horizon?

Thanks for the tips.

[vwDavid]

I guess I also need a method for converting existing mpeg2 videos with audio, or streamclipped demuxed m1a's at 32 khz to DVD standard 48 Khz so I can get away without encoding in toast.

Can anyone suggest a util for this?

[vwDavid]

The mpeg Streamclip author has e-mailed me and suggested audio resampling would be available in an upcoming version. Timeline was not conveyed.