Some recommendations please.

[karelj]

I am looking to get into tools that are more advanced than Nero's dvd tool.
The files I have are in mpg format from my PVR 150 capture card.
Checking the tools section, I see so many that I would like to try, but I work 6-7 nights a week and my time is limited.

I would like an mpg- dvd converter that has TMPGEnc DVD author simple and understandable interface, causes no loss in video quality and has the ability to re-encode to a lower bitrate. (I capture at 15000 kbps and would like to re-encode down to 9000.) Basic edit features to remove commercials would be appreciated but if I have to use another tool so be it.

I also have a question.. is it better to have the initial video file demuxed (is that the correct term??) then re-muxed (is that even a word?) by whatever tool I settle on?? Is there a benefit to this??


Thanks..

[mats.hogberg]

causes no loss in video quality and has the ability to re-encode to a lower bitrate.

That's impossible. Every reencoding (no matter to what bitrate) drops the quality. Lowering the bitrate even more so. You'd be better off capturing to the bitrate you want to begin with, if you're not doing some fancy filtering that'd require a reencode anyway.
Then, it's just a matter of capturing to some DVD specs format and just author using TMPGEnc DVD Author as you like it.

/Mats

[Bjs]

Ulead video studio .. 9 se in ebay cheap .

Most tool's now have there own demultiplexor's to use , though doing this before hand give's the user a little more control .

But then if you really want it all :

Dvdauthorgui (basic dvd project authoring)
Batchdemux (demux mpeg2 and vob)
Ifoedit (basic dvd authoring , plus more)
Vobedit (joining vob's , striping internal component's)
Rejig / dvdshrink (transcoding ... use rejig for all transcoding that dvdshrink stuff's up)
Besweet (Wav to ac3 , more)
Virtualdub (Various avi function's , frameserving , audio extraction , more)
Avisynth (scripting for video / audio .. motion menu's)
Gimp (menu's , including alpha layer's , animation's)
Bbmpeg (support's all dvd supported mpeg2 format's in output)
Pgcedit (dvd navigational command editor)
Dvddecrypter (dl burning , dvd rip)

Blender (more motion menu's)
Super (mov , asf , wmv and more conversion's)
Srt2sup (converst srt subtitle's to iforedit supported format
Subrip (rip subtitle's , and menu button's)
Subtitle workshop (various subtitle adjustment's)
Visualsubsync (create your own subtitle's , re-alignment)
Vobblanker
Vidchanger

Dvd playback

Koolplaya + ac3 filters + freedvdcodec
Ifoedit (not under xp)

Other :

Wax2
Screen recorder's (zd soft , camstudio)
Dvdslideshowgui (picture to mpeg2 fine)
Slideshow movie maker (avi , picture to avi , encode to mpeg2 using bbmpeg)
Reaper (audio tool)
Foobar (audio tool)
Wavepad (audio tool)
Krystal (audio tool)
Fast tracker (for freaky , snappy tune's)


Then you get serious :

Maya (2d/3d animation , game's and movie's)
Goldwave (very good audio editor)

That would just about cover all serious dvd creation's user's could come up with .

I have another 100+ not listed .

The chip's you have to go buy yourself ... lol

Now time for maya ...

[karelj]

causes no loss in video quality and has the ability to re-encode to a lower bitrate.

That's impossible. Every reencoding (no matter to what bitrate) drops the quality. Lowering the bitrate even more so. You'd be better off capturing to the bitrate you want to begin with, if you're not doing some fancy filtering that'd require a reencode anyway.
Then, it's just a matter of capturing to some DVD specs format and just author using TMPGEnc DVD Author as you like it.

/Mats

What I meant by "no loss in video quality" is no noticeable loss when I do a straight conversion from the captured file to dvd files without converting to a lower bitrate.
I am interested in the ability to re-encode at a lower bit rate since I capture at 15000 kbps for the best quality based on the abilities of the PVR 150 capture card. Using TMPEnc Author with that bit rate produced a message about the dvd being out of spec. and a couple of DVDs where the audio went out of sync if the dvd was fast forwarded or reversed.

[mats.hogberg]

Yes, 15000 kbps is out of the DVD standard. I'm surprised it'd play at all. (See WHAT IS top left)
Even if 15000 kbps is the highest quality the 150 card can deliver, the quality of your end product, the Video DVD, would be better if you captured at let's say 8000 kbps and just authored, rather than capturing at 15000, reencode to 8000 and then author. Not to mention the overall increase in speed from capture to finished DVD.

/Mats

[karelj]

So there will be quality degradation if I capture at 15000 then re-encode down to 8500??

I use that high bit rate because the 150 is not the greatest for quality, but the result at 15000 was impressive.. especially since I am capturing a 480i resolution feed via Svideo from my Hi def dvr.
My capture of an episode of '24' at 8000 kbps showed some minor artifacting issues.... my capture of an episode of Lost at 15000 kbps was, as I said above, impressive.

If I wasnt so pressed for free time, I would re-capture '24' at 15000 kbps and use TMPGEnc to create a DVD spec file then use TMPGEnc DVD Author to create the dvd and compare it to the old 8000kbps version. I would also capture 'Lost' at 8000kbps and compare it to the version I am creating now in TMPGEnc which was the 15000kbps capture but will be encoded down to DVD spec also.

You are correct about the time issue. It takes about 2 hrs for TMPGEnc to convert to a DVD spec file, and this is without filters such as noise reduction - which I would love to use for dark, 'grainy' shows such as '24' - But this is something I can leave running when I got to sleep or go to work.

I appreciate you guys being patient with me and continuing to assist. I just want to get the best quality I can.

[mats.hogberg]

I just want to get the best quality I can.

Right, and you get that by encoding your source as few times as possible.

/Mats

[harley2ride]

I'm not familiar with the functions of the PVR 150, but it sounds to me like you would be better off to capture as AVI, using HUFFYUV, and then encode at 8500 bitrate to mpeg2, after you edit out the commercials. There are a few different solutions to edit out your commercials.

[karelj]

THe PVR 150 cannot capture to an AVI format..

mats.hogberg - I see your point. It's just that my brain is stuck in "capture at premium quality, re-encode at a slightly lesser level = great quality".
As I understand it, the process involves the initial capture/encode by the card, then encoding to a DVD spec file(as far as bitrate goes), then converting to DVD ready files.
Does the conversion to DVD ready files also result in quality loss?? I am trying to understand the nitty gritty of the entire process.

I guess I will have to run my afore mentioned tests to satisfy my curiousity.. I am just worried that capturing at 8500 kbps will produce a poor quality source to create my dvds from.
I will also post my concerns over at some forums that deal with my capture card line, maybe other owners can shed some light.

[mats.hogberg]

No, once you have DVD compliant mpg file(s), the authoring process doesn't reencode - at least as long as you use a decent authoring app lige TDA or DVD-Lab (or some DVDAuthor GUI).
I have a Hauppage 250 card myself, and have created a few templates for capturing different length movies/shows - all ready to be authored and burned without further processing. 2 hrs movies, I capture at 1/2 D1 to make up for the low bitrate needed to fit that much.
Also, make sure you feed a good strong noise free signal into the card, as any noise in the picture eats bitrate like h*ll.

/Mats

[karelj]

What are the benefits of capturing at 1/2 D1?? I keep reading that it's best to capture at full resolution.. although I did read one guide who said that captures from television broadcasts are best done at 1/2 D1.
I normally capture 1hr programs. If it is, for example, a 2hr finale I split it across 2 dvds.

[Dr_Layne]

1/2 D1 is fine for VHS or other low resolution video sources. Anything better, I use full D1.

[mats.hogberg]

What are the benefits of capturing at 1/2 D1??

The benefit is it's half the number of pixels in each frame, theroetically letting you get away with half the bitrate while maintaining the same quality. If the source has no higher resolution than 1/2 D1 (as some say analog TV signal do, even if it's hard to talk about analog resolution) there's no benefit in using full D1 when encoding it.

/Mats