How to convert a TS file to DVD with free software

[BlackAdder]

I've been looking around for awhile for an easy way to convert an HDTV TS file to a DVD quickly and with good results. I looked at some of the one click options out there that use ffmpeg, but was never happy with the results. The DVDs produced always had lots of judder and I didn't think the quality was as good as it should have been.

After some experimentation I finally settled on a method that is relatively easy and makes great looking DVDs. Please be aware that when I say, "easy", I don't mean "press a button and it gets done." What I mean is that the total time from start to finish is relativley quick, easy, and repeatable. I don't mind pressing a few buttons, espically when it's the same process every time. I also don't bother with menus. Blank DVDs are cheap. I put one video on one DVD. This keeps me from having to design a menu and it ensures that I can use the hightest possible bitrate for the encoded file.

This min-guide is really just an expanded form of my notes. I hope that it is helpful to someone.


Let's get started. Here are the tools I use. All of freely available. I'm not going to provide links. You know how to use Google.

AVISYNTH 2.5
MPEG2DEC3.DLL
DGIndex 1.4.9 beta 13
FitCD v.1.2.8
HCenc 0.19.0.1
IFOEdit 0.971
ImgToolBurn 2.1.0.0

• A. DGIndex
  1. Load up the TS file and hit F4 to save the D2V project file.
  2. When it's done you should have a D2V file and an AC3 file

.

• B. FitCD,
  1. Open the D2V file and set the destination to DVD.
  2. You might have to play with the settings a bit in here to get the results you want.
  3. When you are done hit Save Script and save your AVS file.

• C. HCencGUI
  1. Open the AVS file and press the Make DVD Compliant button
  2. It should say that the script loaded succesfuly. If not, make sure you have the proper dlls in the AVIsynth plugin directory.
  3. Press Encode and HCenc will begin the encoding process

• D. IFOEdit
  1. Go to DVDAuthor/Author New DVD
  2. Select the m2v file made in step 3 as your video source and the AC3 file made in step 1 as your audio source.
  3. Hit OK to Save. Note: Be sure to create a VIDEO_TS AND AUDIO_TS folder. All files go in VIDEO_TS

• E. ImgToolBurn
  1. Hit CTRL-ALT-B to bring up the build menu
  2. Browse to the folder where your VIDEO_TS AND AUDIO_TS folders are located.
  3. Hit the Calculate button
  4. Under Output, seltect your DVD Drive.
  5. Hit the Write button

I'm sure there there some improvements to this method that could be made. Any constructive criticism/suggestions would be appreciated.

[lumis]

hdtv2dvd http://www.svcd2dvd.com/HDTV2DVD/

By our very own ChrissyBoy.

What I do is cut my transport streams with womble mpeg-vcr (usually removing commercials, etc), and once I have all the files without commercials, I put them together in one or two large files (depending on length). After that I drag on in to hdtv2dvd and have it output to an mpeg file, once it's done converting to an mpeg file, it will automatically create a menu-less dvd files, but I usually end the process after it's done with the actual work. I then take the fully dvd spec mpeg-2 file in to the authoring program of my choice.

[BlackAdder]

I tried hdtv2dvd and it's a great program. Like I said, I don't care for the output of ffmpeg. What would be great is if HDTV2DVD could use different encoders, such as HCEnc.

[Soopafresh]

Are your performing IVTC on film sources?

Are you using DirectShowSource or Mpeg2Source ?

How are you removing commercials ?

[BlackAdder]

So far my TS files haven't been film sources. I'll cross the bridge when I come to it. I am using mpeg2source in AVISYNTH. Commercials? I heard DVDRedo is good, but one of my goals is to use only free tools.