TMPGEnc DVD Author Menu

[adriana2]

would anyone happen to know how can i put a 30 sec video with audio in the background of my dvd menu? i have this avi file that i want to use in the background but TMPGEnc DVD Author would not accept it, so i converted to vob and used that but i can only see the video but cannot hear the sound. even though i have "use audio of background video as the menu BGM" checked.

[daamon]

Hi adriana2,

Welcome to the forums.

What did you use to convert the AVI to VOB? In particular, what is the audio format (WAV, MP2, AC3 etc.)?

It's correct that TMPGEnc DVD Author doesn't accept AVI as there's no encoding in that tool. And I believe (I'm sure I read somewhere) that TDA must have the audio for motion menus in WAV only. If it's not WAV only, then it'll be MP2 only - I can't remember which. Sorry... But I think it's WAV (uncompressed audio).

Also, you don't need to go as far as converting to VOB, you can encode the AVI to MPEG2.

[jimmalenko]

Yep, AVI to DVD-compliant MPEG w/ PCM WAV audio should work fine. What did you use to convert the AVI to VOB ? You can load the VOB into the latest GSpot version (2.52 Beta) and it should tell you what type of audio you have.

[adriana2]

daamon: i used divxTODVD to convert avi to vob. how can we encode AVI to MPEG2? that what i been looking for.

jimmalenko: here the gspot for the AVI and i shall post another for the VOB. i used divxTODVD to convert avi to vob.

[adriana2]

here vob.

[jimmalenko]

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=271697 might help you with your screenshots.

[jimmalenko]

AVI has VBR MP3 audio. The VOB has AC3 2ch.

When you say that you cannot hear the audio, is this when playing the DVD on your computer, or on a settop player, or are you previewing the motion menu ?

The following softwares can convert AVI to MPEG:
https://www.videohelp.com/tools?toolsearch=&s=&orderby=Name&hits=50&convert=AVI+to+MPG&...+or+List+tools

Of these, I like TMPGEnc Plus and the following guide:
http://members.dodo.net.au/~jimmalenko/AVI2DVD.htm

[adriana2]

both. i burned a copy to play on a dvd player and i could not heard anysound in the menu. i also tried playing on my computer with VLC media player and could not heard sounds too.

[jimmalenko]

OK. What about if you try playing the VOB (that you got from divxtodvd) on your computer ? Do you get audio then ?

EDIT:
I'm thinking that it might be coming back to not being able to render the AC3 in the motion menu without the optional AC3 plugin for TMPGEnc DVD Author (why I don't know since any titles with AC3 are allowed to pass thru).

[adriana2]

when i play the VOB file in my computer i still get no sound from the menu. only sound from the actual movie.

[gadgetguy]

I seem to recall TDA only allowing MP2 audio for menus, but it's a foggy memory...

[jimmalenko]

when i play the VOB file in my computer i still get no sound from the menu. only sound from the actual movie.

That almost sounds to me like DivxToDVD not being able to convert the audio for you from the AVI. You played the VOB that divxtodvd created and not the vob that TMPGEnc DVD Author created, right ? And you look to have an AC3 codec installed - does the movie have AC3 sound also ?

I seem to recall TDA only allowing MP2 audio for menus, but it's a foggy memory...

Yeah, I'm foggy on it as well .... I'm in PAL land so I probably would've tried MP2, but I can't remember if it was only MP2 that was supported. With issues possibly arising from AC3 editing and not having the plugin, I thought that PCM WAV would be a certainty.

[adriana2]

hey guys i got the AC3 Plugin and now it works!! thankss my first dvd!

[jimmalenko]

hey guys i got the AC3 Plugin and now it works!! thankss my first dvd!

Heyyyyy sweet !

[rkr1958]

I seem to recall TDA only allowing MP2 audio for menus, but it's a foggy memory...

MP2 defintely works ... that what I use when I encode my clips w/audio for TDA menus even though the tracks themselves have ac3 audio. I don't know if PCM audio works or not.

[rkr1958]

hey guys i got the AC3 Plugin and now it works!! thankss my first dvd!

I just read this after posting above ... do I understand you that vobs w/ac3 audio work for menu background w/audio if you have the ac3 plugin (which I do) ? If this is the case this is nice to know since I've been encoding my menu background audio to MP2.

[adriana2]

yup my vob file has AC3 codec(the picture up there) and when i got AC3 plugin for dvd author, video+audio finally work in the menu background. Before only video would work.

[jimmalenko]

yup my vob file has AC3 codec(the picture up there) and when i got AC3 plugin for dvd author, video+audio finally work in the menu background. Before only video would work.

Excellent !

I'll have to store this thread in the memory bank !

As I said above though, seems strange to me that it allows pass-thru of AC3 (2ch & 6ch) in titles, but needs th AC3 plugin for menus

[andy]

this really help alot to me thank. but i also have another question. i am trying to create a motion menu with only a picture and sound. is there any way that we can do so? i mean what i am trying to say is that when i play my dvd. it jump to the menu first. all it has is a picture with sound. the only problem is that i don't know how to do it in TMPGEnc DVD Author. it there any one can how me how. i am greatly appreciated. thank.

[adriana2]

that was kinda what i want but i had no lucky find it. most show starts out with like the theme song and video so i wanted to show that lil part first then comes to the menu where you select your episode. but snice i had no luck i just put the theme song and video in the background and you can select the episode at the same time. sorry but i have no idea how we do that, maybe someone else?

[rkr1958]

Check out this thread ... jimmalenko and manono gave approaches where you could have a first play clip before going to the menu.

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=287694&highlight=

[jimmalenko]

i am trying to create a motion menu with only a picture and sound. is there any way that we can do so? i mean what i am trying to say is that when i play my dvd. it jump to the menu first. all it has is a picture with sound. the only problem is that i don't know how to do it in TMPGEnc DVD Author. it there any one can how me how. i am greatly appreciated. thank.

All you need to do is create an MPEG using a still image and your audio. The video is just that one still frame for the entire duration whilst your audio plays. Any MPEG Encoder should be able to take a BMP or JPEG and do this for you.

Check out this thread ... jimmalenko and manono gave approaches where you could have a first play clip before going to the menu.

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=287694&highlight=

Just reading that thread re: Motion Menus and the following two posts give good alernative ways of doing this:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1428468#1428468
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1428820#1428820

Manono's suggestion is much "cleaner" than the way I suggested.

[andy]

thank you guy, but i think u miss understood what i was asking. what i want to do is how to combine a picture.jpg and an audio from a dvd that i have to make a vob file.

what i was trying to do is when i insert my dvd in. it will jump to a still menu with sound.

i like jimmalenko answer:

All you need to do is create an MPEG using a still image and your audio. The video is just that one still frame for the entire duration whilst your audio plays. Any MPEG Encoder should be able to take a BMP or JPEG and do this for you.

is there any way u can tell me what pmeg encoder that can do so. i just got TMPGEnc MPEG Editor but it can't do it. can u tell me which encoder can do it and show me how to do it. thank.

[jimmalenko]

TMPGEnc Plus can do it.

Browse to your JPEG (or other image file) as video source, then browse to your audio source as .... erm, audio source. Load your template and go from there.

[rkr1958]

yup my vob file has AC3 codec(the picture up there) and when i got AC3 plugin for dvd author, video+audio finally work in the menu background. Before only video would work.

Excellent !

I'll have to store this thread in the memory bank !

As I said above though, seems strange to me that it allows pass-thru of AC3 (2ch & 6ch) in titles, but needs th AC3 plugin for menus

Just tried this too ... a couple of things I noticed ... (1) TDA apparently converted the AC3 audio (input) for the menu clip to PCM & (2) the converted menu audio volume level was significantly lower than the original level of the AC3.

To match audio volume level I used Goldwave to strip the audio from the menu vob file (which is now PCM), use Goldwave to maximize the audio (but I choose a normalized level that is -6 dB ... not the default 0 dB). This seems to produce an audio volume level on par with the original AC3 audio (to my ears at least). I then use TMPGEnc-Plus to encode the audio to MP2 and then multiplex that audio with the video from the menu vob file. This seems to produce a menu with background music that has a volume level close to that of the AC3 audio of the movie.

[jimmalenko]

@rkr1958:
I don't suppose you'd have one of your earlier projects close to hand where you've used MP2 from the get-go, to see if TMPGEnc DVD Author converted the menu audio to WAV also ?

I think it would be beneficial to nut this out completely

[rkr1958]

@rkr1958:
I don't suppose you'd have one of your earlier projects close to hand where you've used MP2 from the get-go, to see if TMPGEnc DVD Author converted the menu audio to WAV also ?

I think it would be beneficial to nut this out completely

Yes I do ... TDA seems to convert both AC3 & MP2 to LPCM audio.

[jimmalenko]

@rkr1958:
I don't suppose you'd have one of your earlier projects close to hand where you've used MP2 from the get-go, to see if TMPGEnc DVD Author converted the menu audio to WAV also ?

I think it would be beneficial to nut this out completely

Yes I do ... TDA seems to convert both AC3 & MP2 to LPCM audio.

Nice work ! Thanks for that. Very interesting to know !

[lordsmurf]

720x480 @ 8.0Mb/s CBR with LPCM WAV stereo is the default of a DVD menu. Most software sticks to that, though a great many of them allow other options.

[rkr1958]

Nice work ! Thanks for that. Very interesting to know !

Thanks.

720x480 @ 8.0Mb/s CBR with LPCM WAV stereo is the default of a DVD menu. Most software sticks to that, though a great many of them allow other options.

So the menu clip's video & audio should be of these specs ... otherwise TDA (or any other authoring package) re-encodes it? Is that correct? Is there anyway to get TDA to accept a video clip with LPCM audio for the menu background?