How to create a DVD-R with multiple video tracks (multiple shows)?

[10SPRO]

First of all, congratulations on your website and forums. I am very impressed with the extensive knowledge and detailed discussions. Your contributions and recommendations are greatly appreciated by everyone; I am sure.

Let me start by saying I have read the forums and guides extensively. I am familiar and own several of the freeware/shareware and commercial software describe on the forums. But, I need your expert opinion on the steps and the tools needed to create a DVD-R with multiple edited video tracks on it.

I copied the contents of a DVD-R, created on a Panasonic DMR E80H home recorder, unto to my PC hard disk. I use TMPGEnc DVD Author to open the VIDEO_TS folder copied to the hard drive. The VIDEO_TS folder contains six sets of VOB, BUP and IFO files. One for each of the six shows (tracks) recoded on the DVD-R using a Panasonic DMR E80H home recorder. TMPGEnc DVD Author does an excellent job to show the six different video tracks on its “Source Setup” window.

From the TMPGEnc DVD Author “Source Setup” screen, I select the track to edit. After editing the track, I press the “Output” pushbutton at the top of the TMPGEnc DVD Author window (next to the “Create Menu” pushbutton). From the “Output” screen, I select the option to create a DVD Folder (VIDEO_TS, AUDIO_TS). I follow the same steps for each of the six individual tracks. TMPGEnc DVD Author creates a folder named Volume[1-6]; one for each of the six tracks. Each of the six Volume folders contains a VIDEO_TS and a AUDIO_TS folder.

Here are my questions:

1. How do I create a main menu listing the six tracks; one for each edited video tracks? How do you “associate” the track on the main menu with its corresponding edited video track?
2. How do you compress each video track so that the resulting DVD-R contains all six edited video tracks with a main menu listing each track? How do you author a DVD-R containing a main menu and the six video tracks edited?

Presently, I can create six individual DVD-Rs.

Thank you very much!

Edwin

[Baldrick]

if you want one dvd with a menu add each clip to a new track(at the bottom left select add new track) instead of creating several dvds(Output=create final DVD).

[mats.hogberg]

Not familiar with your choice of source material, but the way to do multi title DVDs is to add one track for each title - then select video source for each track. The menus are pretty much on automatic with TDA.

(Oh, Baldrick beat me to it!)

/Mats

[ZippyP.]

How do you compress each video track so that the resulting DVD-R contains all six edited video tracks...

Since you are using a video recorder then the easiest way is to select a recording mode that will put all six episodes on one disk. If your shows are 1/2 hour each then you need at least a 3 hour mode, for 1 hour each you need 6 hours.

Or you could re-encode your material at a lower bitrate using something like TMPGEnc. It might be better quality than the DVD recorder, especially when the recording time is more than 2 hours per disk. 1/2 DVD resolution at 2300 kbps won't be too bad looking and will put 4 hours on a disk. Use 2-pass VBR for better results.

Also, you could use DVDShrink on the authored "over-sized" DVD to get it down to size. TDA will let you author it if you choose. Don't expect miracles, high levels of compression will look crappy.

[10SPRO]

if you want one dvd with a menu add each clip to a new track(at the bottom left select add new track) instead of creating several dvds(Output=create final DVD).

Thank you very much. But, how do I associate the Episode on the main menu with each individual track added? Using TMPGEnc DVD Author, what would be the best way to create a main menu with multiple episodes listed; one for each of the individual video tracks (video_ts ) added? I am ending up with one main menu with Episode 1 and 73 chapters. It is difficult to directly access the start of each of the six video tracks when playing the DVD-R on a home DVD player.

I appreciate very much your extensive knowledge and recommendation.

Edwin