problem encoding avi-->DVD mpeg2 with subs

[cuuixsilver]

Hi,

I've been trying to encode a movie with .srt subs and have hit a weird problem; so far I haven't found it anywhere else. The first time I tried encoding, it failed, but since repetition seemed to help others, I tried again a few times and finally the progress went to 100%, and the progress window said finished.

Strangely, while the original avi was 700 mb, and the mpg produced was 2Gb, the movie .vob file is only 347 mb. That was the first signal that something was wrong. I couldn't get the DVD player.app to play it, but VLC seemed to open it ok, and to show the subtitles. However, a few minutes (maybe 4 or 5) into the movie, the video froze and the audio kept going. And going.

My guess is that all the video didn't get encoded, but I don't know why the progress would show as finished, and I don't know what to do about it.

Has anyone seen this before or have a suggestion?

Thanks!

--edited to fix my lousy typing

[beachrat]

Sorry that I can't help but I am having the exact same problem -- except I have tried many times with many variations and it never works. Sometimes the preview works for a short time, as you say. But the last several times it has just hung and/or crashed -- after several hours. Highly annoying.

I came here looking for something else (to find how to convert .srt to iDVD-usable format so I can try some other tools. The promotional materials say it can be done but I can't find it via any menu or tab) but thought at least you should know that someone else is having exactly the same problem with AVI and substitles! It certainly made me feel better to see that I'm not the only one. Well it made me feel better until I saw no one has answered your question...

So far, for me ffmpegX can't do anything other tools I already have can't do, and has wasted three days of my life with this bug.

If someone else has a solution to this problem, I hope they will share.

[Case]

Strangely, while the original avi was 700 mb, and the mpg produced was 2Gb, the movie .vob file is only 347 mb.

Try playing the MPG file. Is that complete on video and audio? If so, try the Author tool with the mpg and srt as input. You won't have to wait on encoding then, so it'll be fairly fast.

[beachrat]

I re-ran my .avi overnight using a tip from another thread -- I think from you, Case -- that suggested checking the "Set 3:2" option for mpeg2enc on the options screen.

Whether it was that or some new configuration of the stars above, this time (finally) the processes ran all the way through completion of the VIDEO_TS files, *and* they were a reasonable size ... and the DVD I set to burn while I was at work has just finished playing fine all the way through.

Yay!!

Now I still want to figure out .srt to .sub and other things that could enable me to work with various file types to author menus and chapters ... but hey, it's good that there's always more to learn.

Getting subtitles to work, especially selectable, is huge for me, though. Molto coolness. The shareware contribution is going out tonight!

Thanks.