AVI vs MPEG authoring

[videodave]

My first posting - pls don't hate me.

I'm trying to learn the ropes to convert miniDV tape to DVD including editing and authoring. I have converted the miniDV tapes to AVI format (using software that came with my panasonic camera). I now want to author - add chapters and menus. Can I use AVI format as input to authoring software (looking for freeware option) or should I first need to convert to another format?

I tried converted AVI to VIDEO_TS format using DivXtoDVD? Is this the same thing as MPEG-2 format? I don't see any files with MPEG suffix? What about demuxing - do I need to do that also?

thanks

[mats.hogberg]

Well, DV is AVI already, so there's no conversion needed to achieve that. However, the DV AVI has to be encoded to mpeg2 prior to authoring.
divxtoDVD can convert to mpeg2 and author in one process, but leaves a bit to be desired in both areas.

/Mats

[gadgetguy]

Welcome to the Videohelp forums.
You need to read up a little. Start with "What Is DVD" over on the left. Then search the Guides for DV to DVD. There are several guides that use different software that you may or may not have. Some use free software, some use payware, some use a combination.
Some people use All-in-one software, some use different software for each step of the process
The basic steps and the software I use for each are:

Capsfer (Transfer from Camcorder to HDD) - WinDV
Edit - AviSynth and/or VirtualDub
Encode - QuEnc
Author - TDA
Burn - ImgBurn

With the exception of TDA, all of them are freeware.
Good luck

[videodave]

ok. I used WinDV to capture video and the free version of TempGEnc to encode (it took 3.5 hours to encode 1.5 hours of video into separate audi/video streams). I downloaded the 30 day trial version of TDA. In TDA, when I click Start at the Simulation step I'm getting the following error message:

"Standard audio stream missing. The track does not include an audio stream conforming to the DVD-Video standard. NTSC DVD-Audio streams must be at least in Dolby Digital or Linear PCM format. Use the track settings to convert the MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio into Dolby Digital and avoid this error from reappearing."

My audio is settings are: MPEG-1 Audio Layer II, 48000 Hz, Stereo, 384 kb/s. I tried changing the track settings in TDA but it wouldn't let me. What should the audio settings be? Where might I have gone wrong? How do I fix it?

thanks

[ZippyP.]

If you had the AC3 plug-in (payware) for TDA it would convert it, since you haven't paid you don't have it. Is there not an "ignore" button? Although MP2 is not in spec for NTSC DVD it plays fine in most players. Either that or convert the MP2 to AC3 with ffmpeggui (free).

[videodave]

ok. ffmeggui did the trick. I've just completed my first capture (WinDV), encode (TempGEnc, ffmpeggui), author & burn (TDA). Much thanks to everyone on the mail thread for helping out.
this forum is awesome!

[terjeber]

Just out of curiosity, given that software that allows you to edit your video, convert to MPEG-2 and author a menu-based DVD in a few, very easy steps, are available for less than $100, would that not be less of a hassle?

I would recommend looking into something like Sony MovieStudio+DVD or similar, which costs about $90, and makes this process easy.

Maybe it is just me who value my time...

[mats.hogberg]

...or don't value quality/flexibility? Those "Jack of all trades" applications rarely come near what dedicated applications can do.

/Mats