AVI to DVD not outputting Video_TS or Audio_TS folders

[threesixes]

Ok everyone. I am having a major issue here. I have attempted to convert an avi file to be watched on my home dvd player to no avail. I use the default DVD ffmpeg format to convert but I only get a .mpg file output which does not have audio. Is there something I am missing? Are there any settings I must have checked in order to get this to work? I have converted this file numerous times and have spent many hours. Can anyone help me? I am a total noob to converting using my mac so any help will be appreciated.

[ddd]

Before clicking (Encode), there are a couple of things to note:

(0) Open the AVI with QuickTime Player and play it.
Do you get sound?
(This relies on what codecs are installed enabled for the Mac OS X install)
ONLY If "yes" is it safe to choose "Decode with QuickTime" in the (Options) panel (which is the default!)

(1) the progress bar in the "ffmpeg progress" app is often only meaningful for the video encoding process. Frequently the audio encoding is done separately (after the video). Therefore you may see the progress bar at 100% for a long time before the audio finishes encoding.

(2)...so when it is done encoding both the video & audio there may be BOTH a .m2v (mpeg2 video) AND a .mp2 (mpg2 audio) file that then have to be "muxed" together to generate the final .mpg file (Mpeg2 w/ audio & video).

(3) the .mpg then has to be turned into "VIDEO_TS/*.VOB" files
This is enabled in the (Options) tab:
ensure that "Author as: = DVD (VIDEO_TS)" is selected.

(4) the menu item "ffmpegX --> Keep elementary streams" is on ffmpegX will leave the .m2v, .mp2, and .mpg files lying around when it is done.

This should get you a bit further, but check the HOW-TOs at ffmpegX.com - they're actually quite decent ;-)

All the best,
./ddd

[threesixes]

Thanks for your help. I have done what you mentioned but still have problems. I get the audio and video folders but the audio is empty. When I attempt to burn the movie to dvd using Burn it says that the file is too large and I need to delete some audio files. I honestly do not know what is going on now. I have read the how-tos on the ffmpeg site but nothing has to do with my exact problem.

[Case]

I get the audio and video folders but the audio is empty.

A regular DVD-Video has an empty AUDIO_TS folder and a VIDEO_TS folder with many files (which contains the video and audio). The AUDIO_TS folder is for use with DVD-Audio discs.

When I attempt to burn the movie to dvd using Burn it says that the file is too large and I need to delete some audio files. I honestly do not know what is going on now. I have read the how-tos on the ffmpeg site but nothing has to do with my exact problem.

What is the size of your VIDEO_TS folder, and what is the duration (time) of your movie?

[threesixes]

The VIDEO_TS folder is 4.39 GB and the duration of the unconverted file is 2:17:56. I have noticed that the .mpg file that is output does not have the ending of the video either, which is not that big of a deal but the output also does not have any audio.

[Case]

The VIDEO_TS folder is 4.39 GB

A DVD-R should hold 4,700,000,000 bytes or 4.37 GB, so your video is likely a bit too large for a single layer disc.

and the duration of the unconverted file is 2:17:56.

138 minutes to be encoded at 29.97 fps and DVD frame size, can do with an average bitrate of 3742 kbps ("Best" button in the bitrate calculator of ffmpegX). [At 23.976 fps, the bitrate could be even smaller.] That would result in 4176 MB (= 4.08 GB), well within the limit.

If you have a Requantizer, like DVD2One/Popcorn/Toast 7, then you could shrink the DVD files faster than encoding all over again.

[ddd]

If you have a Requantizer, like DVD2One/Popcorn/Toast 7, then you could shrink the DVD files faster than encoding all over again.

Dunno about the others, but I purchased Dvd2OneX 1.x a while back and still have nothing but good things to say about it.
(I have yet up upgrade ($) to 2.x)

All the best,
./ddd

[threesixes]

Thanks a lot for all of your help and patience. I will attempt to re-convert the file and will post my results later this evening. I will be looking into getting DVD2One this week, looks like a great program.

[raulveiga]

Hi
I have a similar problem...
I choose the avi file, select the target format which is DVD mpeg2enc. In the filters tab, I load my srt file, I choose the size, the position, test it with the preview, it all works fine (the video the subtitles and the audio). In the options tab I choose decode with quicktime, because when I try it with mplayer I get an error. This is what happens: I get a huge mpv file and a folder with an audiodump.wav file and a stream.yuv file. At the end of the process it gives a failure msg and in the info I read that its because the program couldn't find an mpa filve, while all the time it created and mpv one!
I always make sure to check the Author as DVD (video_ts) box on the options tab, that file names of both my movie and subtitle have no space or special characters, so why wont it work?
Finally when encoding with quicktime, I get a m2v file, which when tested with VLC doesn't even have audio (not to say obviously no subtitles).
So what am I doing wrong?
I'm following exactly what the how-to's say, but this is what I get.
How can make this program create the DVD and the VIDEO_TS folders?

[dizzie]

Hey, I know that this is an old topic, but I'm having similar problems.

I'm trying to create a DVD from an MP4 I made of my dual layer Lord of the Rings disc, so I have a hard-copy backup that fits on a single layer DVD. I created the MP4 with Handbrake (Mediafork). It's size as an MP4 is about 2.5 GB. Whenever I try to convert it to DVD with FFmpegX, the progress bar gets to about 60% and I am left with a .m2v file that is about the same size as the original MP$.

By the way, the MP4 DOES play successfully (and quite beautifully) in Quicktime. It was ripped at a bitrate of 2000 in Mediafork. I tried to have Burn create a DVD with the MP4, but the folders it creates are huge - too big to fit on a single layer disk. Any ideas from anyone will be MUCH appreciated - thanks for your insights!!!

[dizzie]

Update - while the m2V file was incomplete - only about an hour and a half of video - it DOES play in VLC, albeit without sound. Perhaps I'll just try it again.

[wjohn13]

To jump on this guys post like others on here, so we don't have to start new threas and possibly get scolded, I am going to do the same. Hello there, first time user, and I pretty much got everything right from what I can see, but when I hit the Encode button, it is done in about 5 seconds, and I have no idea where to go look for the Video TS file. I looked where I put Save As.., but it isn't there. It seemed to be just a little to quick when it encoded, so maybe I did something wrong. If I should start a new thread, just let me know, and I will. I am so used to using DVD Santa on my PC, but I want to learn how to do this on my Mac since I pretty much don't have a PC anylonger. Thanks for you help in advance.

[purplesky]

I too am converting .avi ith .srt subtitles to DVD. I am using mpeg2enc, and have set the video to NTSC and DVD 16:9. On my powerbook with OSX 10.4.9 I only get the x.ff.m2v file and the info window says the source has no audio. But when I do it on another computer (not sure about the OS software version, it is in another location), with the exact same .avi/.srt files, the same ffmpegx&binaries, it works fine, I get x.ff.m2v, x.ff.mpg, x.ff.ac3, x.ff.mpg.DVD folder.
Does anybody know what the issues is? Could it be related to the OSX version or QuickTime problem reported in another thread? There doesn't seem to be a way to go back to an an older Qucktime version without also going back to 10.3, which I can't do for other reasons.

[Case]

Could it be related to the OSX version or QuickTime problem reported in another thread?

Not likely. That problem is reported to happen on OS X 10.3.x, not on OS X 10.4.x.

There doesn't seem to be a way to go back to an an older Qucktime version without also going back to 10.3, which I can't do for other reasons.

Maybe there is a difference in (3rd party) QuickTime components on the two systems. You could sync that, but maybe you don't have to: Take a look at the Options tab. Check to see it Decode with Quicktime is selected. If so, change that to Decode with mplayer, then try to encode again.

[purplesky]

Thanks Case, I will try mplayer, never thought of that.
As it turns out, I have the same OS and Quicktime on both machine so I am totally stymied. Why one machine stops claiming it cannot find audio, while the other goes all the way is beyond me. There must be some obscure setting that is different, but I cannot find it. It may be related to subtitles, I managed to make a DVD of another .avi file which did not also have .srt subtitles.

[purplesky]

Thanks again. Using mplayer worked, except that subtitiles were burned in, not selectable. I fixed the Quicktime components as suggested by Case and went back to Quicktime and now everything is fine, with selectable subtitles.

[dizzie]

awesome suggestions, I'll try it, too

[olterman]

hey, I am having this problem only I am getting the m2v file plus a wav file, the encoder says it is finished.... shortly after my whole mac locks out and crashes. NO DVD folder and no mpg

[Case]

I am getting the m2v file plus a wav file. NO DVD folder and no mpg

The wav file is an intermediate file for conversion to ac3 or mp2. If the latter was not created, then that suggests an error during audio conversion. Check the wav file for completeness. (Is the duration the same as the video part?) If complete, then you could do the remaining steps one by one, that otherwise would have been done automatically.

shortly after my whole mac locks out and crashes.

That is not normal, and unlikely to be related to ffmpegX. Do you have enough free hard disk space? Time for some system maintenance, I think.