Suitable program for converting .ts (HDTV?) to DVD with merged subtitle

[KOJV]

A program as described in the topic line would be the best.

I suppose there is none though, since I've tried every program I could find in the sticky topics on this forum, such as DVD2SVCD, The Film Machine, DVD Lab Pro...

I've done some VCR rippings through DVD Lab Pro and feel comfortable with that program, it's stable and so on, which can't be said about many other programs in this cathegory. But I'd be glad if someone could explain how to add a subtitle to a movie in DVD Lab? I just can't find a way, none of the standard formats (which Media Player Classic can save to, like .srt or .sub) can be imported to the assets in DVD Lab... how to do it?

Second then, if I'm gonna use DVD Lab, I need a program that can convert .ts container files (a MPEG-2 transport stream) to a format that DVD Lab can handle, without any quality loss whatsoever.

The project I'm undertaking is converting a High Definition release of a rare version of a well known action movie I found on some strange torrent site. There are five of these .ts files at 4.3 GB each, with the movie in high definition resolution and five channel surround sound. Included are also four .srt subtitles in some asian language. I'm planning to translate those to Swedish, create a completely new subtitle for the first disc (that srt seem to be missing) - using Subtitle Workshop as it seems - then re-author the movie, with the subtitles included, to be released as four or five proper DVD images. Hopefully without any quality loss in neither video or sound. Oh, and the subtitle is to be switchable with the DVD player Subtitle button, of course - not merged into the video picture.

I'd be very glad if someone could help me with this!

Thanks!

[Baldrick]

DVD-Video does not support high definition video frame sizes / resolutions so you must reconvert = lose video quality...but you will get very good dvd quality.

[KOJV]

Okay, that's good to know for a start. So, how should I go about converting the HD .ts to DVD while merging the subtitle?

(btw what disc format would I need to use to keep the hd quality?)

[Baldrick]

It would be easiest to convert the .ts files to DVD with switchable subtitles using the all-in-one converter ConvertXtoDVD. But you will get better video quality if you convert with a standalone mpeg2 encoder like tmpgenc, mainconcept mpeg encoder, quenc....but they might not be able to open the ts so you need to some frameserving, https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=261416 .


If you want to keep it in hd you need to make HD DVD or Blu-ray but a you need a HD DVD or Bluray standalone player then....or some very few dvd players can play .ts from dvdrs also.

[KOJV]

So I frameserve the .ts with DGIndex, use tmpgenc or the like to convert the fake AVI to mpv/mpa and then re-author the kaboodle with DVD Lab?

But I still need to know how to import a subtitle to DVD Lab then...


Or, take the easy way using ConvertXtoDVD, converting each .ts and .srt to a single DVD disc?


Either way, what about the high quality surround sound, will it be preserved or will I lose it? I figure it will be lost if the sound is converted to the wave format.

[KOJV]

ConvertXtoDVD processes 218 frames of the movie or 0,5% then hangs and generates an application error. What could be wrong?

[Baldrick]

Try use Projectx on the ts file and make a new ts files. It might be corrupt even if you can play it. And be sure to use latest ConvertXtDVD.

I think ConvertXtodvd keeps the ac3 audio...I have never tried convert a ts with it.

[KOJV]

Projectx is pure hackercrap and won't operate under Windows. You know any other software that can recompile the .ts files?

I've been looking through the settings of ConvertXtoDVD and yes, it seems to keep the audio intact.

[Baldrick]

Projectx works in windows, you need java installed or download the precomiled projectx http://download.videohelp.com/download/ProjectX_090.4.00.zip . Open the ts and click on quickstart.

You can also try MPEG2Repair, PVAStrumento or run it through videoredo and save as a mpg.

[KOJV]

Thanks for the link! Precompiled version wasn't available from SourceForge, they only had source versions.

Saving as mpg sounds interesting since that would open up for the possibility of using DVD Lab to reauthor. This has a couple of issues though 1) will the surround sound be preserved within an mpg file and 2) is there anyone who can tell me how to add subtitles to a project in DVD Lab?


Btw, Baldrick, I wish to thank you very much for this entire site as well as the help you've provided in this specific topic. You are most kind and we're lucky to have you!

[KOJV]

I have now used ProjectX to convert the .ts to another .ts named movie.new.ts.

The result is, as I play the movie in Media Player Classic, the characters speak Chinese - obviously some extra sound track in the original ts - but it only lasts for about three minutes, then the sound reverts to the original English stream.

I tried using ConvertXtoDVD on the new.ts but it still crashes at 0,5% - just a few frames further ahead.

[manono]

You can open it in DGIndex. Then File->Save Project and Demux Video. If PAL, make sure Video->Field Operation is set for Honor Pulldown Flags.

That will give you a D2V Project File, an M2V, and any and all audio tracks that might be in there.

If you have any sense, you'll frameserve with an AviSynth script file into your encoder of choice, reencode to DVD compliant 720x576 and, if using DVDLab, open the resulting video along with your audio files, and your subs in a format that DVDLab supports. TMPGEnc also accepts D2V files as input, for a slightly inferior way to do the job (not sure about Hi-Def sources, though). If using an AviSynth script to frameserve, you won't need the M2V, but just the D2V Project File.

http://www.neuron2.net/dgmpgdec/QuickStart.html

DGIndex is able to decode and index most MPEG1/2 streams including elementary streams, program streams, VOBs, VCDs, SVCDs, PVA files, and transport streams. Additional features include: video demuxing (m1v/m2v), audio demuxing (ac3, dts, aac, mpa, and lpcm), optimized iDCTs, luminance filtering, cropping, and more.

http://www.neuron2.net/dgmpgdec/DGIndexManual.html

[KOJV]

Thanks for the suggestions, manono!

What subtitle formats does DVD Lab support? I can't import any of the regular formats like srt or sub.

[KOJV]

DGIndex will only demux the first audio stream, which is the Chinese overlay. Sounds like The Sims talking, which makes it quite silly for these hard core action characters the movie is about. :-p

How can I make DGIndex demux the third audio stream, which is the English original surround track?

[KOJV]

Seems the answer lays within Streams menu, Set PID. I changed the PID to another one and now it's demuxing the surround sound track.

[KOJV]

I found out how to add subtitles in DVD Lab too. You need to click the Subtitle sub-row on the Movie, Import an .srt or .sub or the like, then Generate Subtitle Stream. This will become an asset.

[manono]

Making all kinds of progress now. I apologize for my incomplete post earlier. I've never captured anything, and have never needed DGIndex for transport streams, and thought that all audio was always demuxed. But upon further reading, I came across what I think you also discovered:

Use the "Detect PIDs: PAT/PMT" option to list the programs and their associated streams, and to select the desired streams to be decoded.

http://www.neuron2.net/dgmpgdec/DGIndexManual.html#DetectPIDsPAT

And there's a lot more about PIDs in the Stream Menu section.

[KOJV]

Okay, so now I've reencoded the demuxed video with TMPGenc then reauthored with DVDLab. But fast movements are sluggish and the video is out of sync - the sound and subtitles synch with each other. The video goes about a minute ahead of the sound after five minutes of film.

Damn, this stuff is hard.

[manono]

Hi-

Darn, too bad. If the subs and audio are synched up, then I guess the problem is with the video. It's too fast. I don't use TMPGEnc (and as I said earlier, I don't cap), so I don't know what you may have done to give yourself wrong-speed video. Is the source and destination framerate the same (25fps, I guess), and you're not changing anything there (PAL->NTSC, or NTSC->PAL)? Being a minute off after 5 minutes is a lot. Like maybe you converted from 25->29.97fps. I'd check my TMPGEnc settings closely if I were you.

[KOJV]

TMPGEnc changed the FPS, yes I think so, perhaps even from 23 to 29 fps. So that would explain the large delay. The video is too slow, not too fast, the audio comes up ahead of the corresponding action on the screen.

Then DVD Lab does something called 2:3 Pulldown on the video. I don't know if this is to blame as well.

In total, the 35 minute video becomes 40 minutes long.

[manono]

The video goes about a minute ahead of the sound after five minutes of film.

The video is too slow, not too fast, the audio comes up ahead of the corresponding action on the screen.

Well, make up your mind, which is it?

No, pulldown doesn't have anything to do with it. Encoding for the wrong framerate initially could definitely have something to do with it. Check the source framerate, and make sure you encode for the same.

[KOJV]

Okay, I'll have another go at reencoding in TMPGEnc.

[KOJV]

I used the wizard this time and the fps rate was corrected. The movie is in perfect synch now.

But I found a problem, which I traced back to the output of DGIndex. The video is fuxx0red. Movements, especially when they're large and fast, look kind of interlaced, like every other pixel line is missing. Upon a closer look I realized this is applied to the entire view of the video, not just movements. So basically, the video quality sucks.

What could I have done wrong when using DGIndex to cause this? The bitrate is lowered of course, but that shouldn't cause this kind of problems.

Perhaps TMPGEnc can open the .ts right away? I'll give it a try.

[KOJV]

Nope, it can't.

[KOJV]

I gave ConvertXtoDVD another go with some different settings and here's the result: www.dallas.kojv.net/convertxtodvd

What could be wrong with my msvcrt.dll?

[manono]

Hi-

If you have a small piece of the source ts file, I or someone else could have a look and make suggestions. Your problem sounds like interlacing to me, but without something to study, I can't be sure of the problem and how to fix it. If it's an NTSC movie, it probably just needs to be IVTC'd back to 23.976fps, and then have DGPulldown run on it afterwards. Or pulldown applied during the TMPGEnc encoding.

If you don't know how to test with IVTC applied, or need instructions on how to cut a piece, or where to upload, just ask.

[KOJV]

Well, try and instruct me on how to cut out a piece of the .ts and tell me where to upload it.

[manono]

Open the TS file in DGIndex, find a place with action/movement, and use the [ and ] buttons to isolate a small section. 10-15 seconds will be plenty. Make sure Video->Field Operation is set for Honor Pulldown Flags. Then File->Save Project and Demux Video. Upload the resulting M2V to http://rapidshare.de/ or http://www.megaupload.com/ and post the link here when done.

[KOJV]

Alright. Seems the error wasn't in DGIndex though, cause now there's no error in the video. I probably confused the TMPGEnc output for the DGIndex output.

Here's the output from DGIndex:
http://www.dallas.kojv.net/videohelp/dgindex

(about a minute of the movie with dts sound file)


I've been thinking though... perhaps it's for the better to save this project until HD DVD burners and discs get down to a decent price as well as software that can handle HDTV come around...?

Strange how they all want us to buy HDTV compatible televisions so bad they give us one for free if we buy seven windows for the house or whatever... while a writeable HD-DVD disc (1 single burnable disc) is 125 kronor ($18 or €14) and the burners aren't even available yet.

[manono]

The links don't work for me. And I said 10-15 seconds would be enough.