Creating a DVD from multiples .avi episodes and....

[Huifax]

I know that this question may have benn done before, but i couldn't find a proper answer in the other post nor in the tutorials, so here is my trouble.

I have serveral episodes of LOST season 2 in .avi with AC3 sound (700 MB each) and the spanish subtitle for every episode, so how do it make them a DVD.

I know i can only have max 3 or 4 epsiodes per DVD but how do i add the subtitles? So every episode cuold be seen with its own subtitle.

Should I paste the srt. file on the .avi? How do I do it?

Is there a way to make the srt. file and the .avi file a DVD file (vob, vup)? How can I do this?

As you see, i do not know much about this subject, but i am eager to learn.

Best regards,

Huifa

[rumplestiltskin]

Try ffmpegX. It has the ability to add the subtitles and create the mpeg-2 multiplexed video file. Repeat for all of your videos. Then use Toast (my preference but there are other apps) and drop the videos into the Toast "Video" window. Make sure your burning DVD Video and not "Data". Watch the size indicator to keep things down to DVD-5 (assuming you don't want to use DL discs).

[Manolo]

ffmpeg is a good app.

Cheers,

M.

[Huifax]

Sorry about my ignorance, but would it be possible that you tell how to do it step by step. I have ffmpegX but i has so many options on video and audio.

I hope i do sound like a stupid girl but i am new on this.

Best Regards,

Huifa.

[Case]

Start by trying to follow the How-To as provided by the author of ffmpegX, and let us know how far you come with that.

[Huifax]

I have read the How-To you told me Case and tried many ways of encoding but nothing works for my purpouse.

Any idea which kind should i use?
MPEG4[.AVI] (mencoder)
MPEG4[.AVI])(ffmpeg)
XviD[.AVI](mencoder)
DivX 3 [.avi] (ffmpeg)
...you know the rest

I am really lost here, which one is the right one?

Also have many audio question, should I keep AC3 audio?
should i convert audio to mp3, mp2, aac?

Help guys!

Huifa.

PS: This is one of the files i am working on (name:lost.s02e02.hr.hdtv.ac3.5.1.xvid-ctu.avi)
This is how it looks on ffmpegX
file.png

[Case]

Any idea which kind should i use?

Summary tab: Choosing the preset: "DVD ffmpeg" or "DVD mpeg2enc", as you're going to make a DVD. Pick "DVD mpeg2enc" for now.

Video tab: The preset mentioned above has auto-set the Video Codec: MPEG2 [.MPG] (mpeg2enc). Click the Best button to lower the bitrate to 2994. Set Autosize to "DVD 16:9". Framerate should already be auto-set to "NTSC FILM".

Also have many audio question, should I keep AC3 audio?
should i convert audio to mp3, mp2, aac?

Audio tab: Set audio codec to "Passthrough", to preserve the AC3 as is.

Filters tab, Subtitles: To add a selectable subtitle, open a .srt text-based subtitle file in the "Load subs" field. Use the "Preview" button to preview.

Options: Select "Set 3:2" since your source is NTSC FILM framerate (23.976). De-select "Author as DVD", since you don't want a DVD per episode, but several episodes per disc.

Click the "Encode" button.

[Huifax]

Thank you very much Case. I am doing it as you told me to.

Just one more question: in the options tab should I de-select "decode with Quicktime" or "No SVCD Scan" or "Altivec" or "Bicubic"; those where select by default I guess.

Thanks again Case your very nice for take your time to explain these to me.

Best wishes,

Huifa.

[Case]

Decode with Quicktime: only use this if QuickTime Player playback is okay.
Decode with mplayer: good alternative
both off (with mpeg2enc) = decode with ffmpeg
There may be decoder differences; so if there are problems with one, pick another.
I'm not 100% sure if QuickTime will handle the AC3 passthrough correctly, so you may select mplayer to be safe.

"No SVCD Scan": always select, unless you make an SVCD.
"Altivec": Select on G4/G5, de-select on G3.
"Bicubic": High quality scaler. You want high quality, right?

[Manolo]

This will help me too.

Thanks,

M.

[Huifax]

I am working on it. Thank you very much for takeing the time to answer my so many questions.

When I have news about the process i will tell you how did it work.

Regards,

Huifa.

[Manolo]

Question here. I am doing the same as Huifa, following Case instructions, but when i try to see the progress in VLC i cannot see the subtitles pasted on the file. (It only has a 10% progressed)

Any clues?

Cheers lads,

M.

[thoughton]

Wait until it's finished before trying to play it :P The subs aren't burned into the picture like an AVI, so you wont see diddly at the moment.

[Case]

deleted

[Huifax]

I did what you told me, but i got 2 files, one .mpg with no subtitles on it and other .m2v with faster images, like Benny Hill scketchs.

What could be the problem? What do you mean by subtitles are not burned onto the video? How do I get the file and the subtitle to make a DVD with 3 or 4 episodes?

Regards,

Huifa.

[Case]

Test this: Drop the mpg file on Toast's Video tab, create a disc image, mount the disc image, and see if you're able to activate the subs in Apple DVD Player.

[Manolo]

I just tried this but i had a problem with the subtitles. (alway on ffpmegX)

I select .avi DivX with MPEG4 [.AVI] (mencoder) with audio passtrough and filters "Load Subs" I loaded a .srt file on Arial Font, ISO-8859-1, Size 4, on preview everythings ok.

But the result is a file with really small subtitles uncomfortable to be seen in a TV from regular distance.

ideas?

Cheers lads,

M.

[Huifax]

it is possible that toast 7 takes mora than 12 hrs. to make the disc image that you told me Case?

I think not, so i'm going to start all over again.



Huifa.

[Huifax]

I tried again and the first part is very fast, but i gets stuck on the final part of the bar... and it seems it wont advance more; yesterday was the same, all night waiting and it didn't finish.

It says: "Multiplexing LostS02E01.ff.avi"...

The complete name of the file is LostS02E01.ff.avi.mpg after the converting process that Case told me.

Case where are you?

Best wishes,

Huifa.

[Case]

it is possible that toast 7 takes mora than 12 hrs. to make the disc image?

I was hoping for something like a 10 minute process...

I tried again and the first part is very fast, but i gets stuck on the final part of the bar... and it seems it wont advance more; yesterday was the same, all night waiting and it didn't finish. It says: "Multiplexing LostS02E01.ff.avi"...

So Toast doesn't like the file. I suppose it chokes on the subtitles, as I've done it with regular video+audio mpegs many times. Sorry to waste your time like this.
Hard coded subtitles may be an easier route.

[Huifax]

Do not worry at all, good id ideas are always welcome, but luck it did not work.

What do you mean by: Hard coded subtitles may be an easier route?

Thanks for all the help,

Huifa.

[pixeljammedia]

Could you just use the elementary streams (.m2v and .ac3) and use Sizzle to mux in the subtitle track? Just convert it from .srt to .sub using subtitler and then add a track per title.

[Huifax]

Do you mind telling me how to get those elementary stream?

Could I do this for get 3 or 4 separate episodes on a DVD?

I have Sizzle and Subtitler, so I think I can do what you told me if you just guide with the first part.

Best wishes,

Huifa.

[Huifax]

This is maybe an heresy, but: should i try PC apps for this?



Huifa

[Manolo]

Dont say that, someone will have an answer.

I was wondering the same, what did case mean by Hard Coded Subtitles?

Cheer up girl.

M.

[thoughton]

what did case mean by Hard Coded Subtitles?

DVD subtitles are normally seperate from the video and audio data. It's only when you play it back that the subtitles are displayed in front of the video. That's why you can turn them off, change language, etc.

Hardcoded (or 'burned in') subtitles are actually 'burnt' into the video picture itself. So you can never remove/change/hide them. This is very common with imported (legitimate) Chinese VCDs.

[thoughton]

This is maybe an heresy, but: should i try PC apps for this?

If you have access to a PC with the necessary software, then go for it. PC support for subtitles is far more extensive than the Mac. The other side of the same coin is that there are so many more video-related apps on the PC side that it can be a little difficult to seperate the wheat from the chaff. Us Mac people like to think that whil we have fewer apps, they are of higher quality! (howeer in some cases this is wishful thinking!)

[Manolo]

Thanks for the explanation, now it cristal.

Do you know how can I burn subtitles in an .avi file? I wont remove/change/hide them.

I am a spanish speaker so english audio with spanish subs it is all I need.

Cheers,

M.

[Huifax]

Thanks but I wont go top the dark side, i like to think the same that you said, fewer apps but higher quality.

I am still lost here: how do I get a .m2v and .ac3 from an .avi file with ac3 audio with ffmpegX?, so I can demux (whatever that means) with sizzle with the .srt file (converted to .sub)

You know all i wanted to make was a few dvds of Lost Season 2 with subtitles for each episode, but i has been impossible.

Case help me a lot but I have not seen him around for awhile.

Best wishes,

Huifa.

[Manolo]

Seems that all run out of answers.

I am starting to lose faith in solving the subtitle problem.

M.