multiple AVI to DVD (definately resolved)

[exekutive]

I wondering if there's a way to convert 2 AVI files and put them on a DVD as chapters or whatever. I don't need a menu or anything. Would you use ffmpegx to convert them and then use another utility to edit the IFO files or something?
Thanks.

[RioCreations]

Hi executive,

I use ffmpegX 0.0.9u. Here is what seems to work for me: I convert my .avi files into AVI XviDs with sound converted into .mp3 because Quicktime recognizes that format. I then import them into iDVD and cut each of them into chapters. The only drawback is that in iDVD you have a max of 120 min per DVD. It doesn't work by GB but by minutes. I do create menus in iDVD and backround pictures and music which fills up the DVD and you wind up with a swell finished product. I save my finished file as a .dmg which I preview in my Mac DVD player before I burn it.

Hope this helps you. If you have any other questions I'll help if I can since others have helped me and what comes around goes around.

Rio.

[Case]

I would convert AVI no.1 to DVD (.mpg), then AVI no.2 to DVD (.mpg), then author/burn the .mpg files with Toast, without menu and with continuous play.
This method avoids joining files and the problems associated with that, so the results should be good.

[RioCreations]

Hi Case,

If that method works fine with you then I wish you all the best...I have tried converting .avi and .mpg files with Toast 7 Titanium and adding chapters with it but the results were horrible and I had no sound...Now, by converting everything to AVI XviD and then assembling importing it into iDVD, my result are cool and much clearer! Let me know how things turn out for you...

Rio.

[exekutive]

Thank you all for the feedback.

Rio:
This seems like a lengthy process. I would have to wait for my videos to be converted at least two times, and then there's the associated quality loss with those conversions. I don't even care about having chapters or menus.

Case:
Let me make sure I understand correctly. I would convert my videos to DVD using ffmpegx like I normally would with a single file. Then I would grab the two VOB files out of their MPEG_TS folders and drop them into Toast, and Toast will create the re-create the necessary IFO and BUP files for me? Also, I don't want the videos joined. I want to be able to put the DVD in the player and press skip to go to vid#2, then back to #1 and so forth.

Also, what about the program Sizzle. Has anybody used that?

[exekutive]

OK I tried the Toast method.

I tried dropping my 4 VOB files (which I had created using the 'DVD ffmpeg' preset) into Toast using the 'DVD Video' function, and set it to no menus. Looked good at that point but when I hit the start button it started encoding my VOB files. I don't understand why since they were already DVD compatible and it looked like the process was going to take a loooooong time.

There has to be an easier way.

[Case]

Case:
Let me make sure I understand correctly. I would convert my videos to DVD using ffmpegx like I normally would with a single file.

Correct.

Then I would grab the two VOB files out of their MPEG_TS folders...

No, use the .mpg file, not the .vob files.

and drop them into Toast, and Toast will create the re-create the necessary IFO and BUP files for me?

Toast will re-multiplex the .mpg files (fast), but not re-encode them (slow), then create the necessary file structure. Set Toast to "Reencode: never" to make sure it won't re-encode files that are in spec.

Also, I don't want the videos joined. I want to be able to put the DVD in the player and press skip to go to vid#2, then back to #1 and so forth.

Vid#1 and vid#2 will still be two separate DVD titles, so they should be accessable as such. E.g., my player allows selecting the title by number.

Also, what about the program Sizzle. Has anybody used that?

Fine app; does what it's supposed to do, although somewhat basic. Sizzle 0.1 if you don't care for menus, Sizzle 0.5 if you do want a basic menu. If I remember correctly, Sizzle 0.1 also prefered mp2 audio, not ac3. Too bad it has gone the way of the dodo.

[RioCreations]

Hi Case,

I will try your method as well and I thank you as well for your explanation on this matter.

Rio.

[exekutive]

No luck yet. I tried it with Toast and got a coaster.

I encoded my AVI files with FFMPEGX using the DVD ffmpeg preset, except I turned off the DVD authoring option to leave the muxing for Toast.
Now I have vid1.ff.mpg, vid2.ff.mpg... etc. totaling about 2.7GB and they play fine in VLC.
I then created a new DVD-Video project in Toast, set encoding to Custom, turned off menus, and set reencoding to never.
Then I dropped my .ff.mpg files from ffmpegx into the new project. They came up as music icons.
The DVD burned very quickly and only 400MB were written to it. Apple DVD player would not play it saying it's an unsupported disc. VLC would play it but all I see is that same music icon and some track info and the audio is playing. No video. Ack!

[exekutive]

I tried a program by the name of myDVDEdit, and it looks like it might do what I want, but it looks really intimidating. I'm going to have to spend a bit of time playing with it ....

[adamantius]

One thing I've done is to use ffmpegX to encode several avi's to DVD-compliant mpeg-2's, keeping the "author" box unchecked (so the final results are mpeg's, and not VOB's in a VIDEO_TS folder). I then name or number them appropriately so their alphanumeric sequence matches their chronological sequence, or whatever desired order is, and put them in a folder. I then use the VCD/SVCD2DVD function in the tools tab, which is designed to make mpeg-1 and SVCD-compliant mpeg-2 into something vaguely DVD-compliant, and author them to a single DVD VIDEO_TS folder. Since these are already DVD-compliant mpeg's, it seems to work pretty well.

On rare occasions it doesn't work for some reason; then I use MPEG2 Works to author the multiple mpeg's as DVD chapters.

Either way is much, much faster than allowing Toast to re-re-encode them. I wish there was a way to turn that stinkin' feature off.

HTH...

[exekutive]

MPEG2 Works
"This option is not available in DEMO mode."

[exekutive]

I hate to revive an ancient post but I still haven't figured this out and maybe some new members know a solution to this problem using ffmpegx, Toast, and other freeware.

[Case]

No luck yet. I tried it with Toast and got a coaster.

You NEVER have to make coasters. Toast (and other authoring tools) can make disc images, which can be mounted and played in Apple DVD Player for testing. No disc waisted and you'll know if it is going to work.

...with FFMPEGX using the DVD ffmpeg preset...

The DVD mpeg2enc preset creates MPEG files that are more compliant. One of the benefits is: no music icons when dropped in Toast.

they play fine in VLC.

VLC plays just about anything, so it means absolutely nothing for compliancy.

They came up as music icons.
only 400MB were written

Those should be warning signs that the video wouldn't be included. Two words: disc images.

[i-Moi]

Here is what I do : it's not elegant, but it works everywhere, as far as I know :

1) I convert the movies to Xvid (mencoder) through FFmpegX
-> I get .avi files.

Let's say I have 4 of them, and around 4 Gb in total.

2) I create an empty VIDEO_TS folder, and I just put my .avi files in it.

3) I burn that folder, along with and empty AUDIO_TS folder, in Toast (or LiquidCD), using the DATA format (and NOT the Video one), choosing UDF.

I get a DVD which I play on my DVD player at home (it reads Divx and Xvid), and at startup, the DVD player shows the two folders VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS. I navigate to the VIDEO_TS, which contains my .avi files. I press ok on the one I wish to read, and it's ok...

Result : No re-encoding, it's universal, and simple, and free.

Bye

[exekutive]

You NEVER have to make coasters. Toast (and other authoring tools) can make disc images, which can be mounted and played in Apple DVD Player for testing. No disc waisted and you'll know if it is going to work.

I'm in Toast 8 right now and the only recorder I see is the physical one in my computer. How do I make images?

[Case]

Menu 'File' > 'Save As Disc Image' (Cmd-D)

And you can mount them as a new volume using the contextual menu (Ctrl-click the image file), then choosing 'Mount It'.

[exekutive]

It's alive!
That worked like a charm, except that Toast said it was muxing. I thought mpg2enc output is alread muxed. Only took a few mins anyways.

This forum is great. You guys are so helpful. Thank you very much.

[Case]

... except that Toast said it was muxing. I thought mpg2enc output is alread muxed. Only took a few mins anyways.

Toast re-muxes all program streams, so this is expected and unavoidable behaviour.

[kenzo69]

So far, so good. How do one make selectable subtitles in this process?

[kenzo69]

Resolved?

I dont see a reply to my question - so have can the thread be resolved?

Thanks in advance

[tomlee59]

Resolved?

I dont see a reply to my question - so have can the thread be resolved?

Thanks in advance

The thread was started by someone else, and apparently the issue was resolved to his satisfaction.

[jboyd]

does anyone know which method exekutive used and was successful with in this thread by any chance? i-Moi's or Case's?

thanks.

[exekutive]

The only difference is iMoi's method won't work on non divx-enabled DVD players.

[kenzo69]

Yeah right!

THIS FORUM IS IS FOR DWELLING UPON THOUGHTS ON HOW TO USE THE DIFFERENT5 TOOLS, and not for learning anything USEFULL at all.

Im a seasoned bittorrenter at various communities, but STILL Im unable to compres or encode to DVD with DECENT quality!


Screw this whole community and the everlasting inability to shed light upon issues posted.

The forum is a contionious babling on and on forever about ideas, and suggestions, instead of clear-cut answers.

It has completely rendered my ability to use ffmpegx as a valid tool USELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanx a bunch for wasting my time AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN, ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC.....................

I REALLY cant say how many HOURS I have wasted using the advice in this forum to NO AVAIL... It really bugs the shit out of me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Case]

The forum is a continuous babbling on and on forever about ideas, and suggestions, instead of clear-cut answers.

fo·rum, n.
A medium for open discussion or voicing of ideas.

[jboyd]

ok, i'm going to do some more files before burning the disk, but dropping the .mpg files which ffmpegX has created (having chosen "DVD mpeg2enc" in ffmpegX) into toast 6 while on its Video setting is looking quite hopeful. one intermediate question:

having chosen "DVD mpeg2enc" in ffmpegX and using it on a .wmv movie i get the following files, assuming the original file called movie.wmv :

movie.wmv.ff.m2v
movie.wmv.ff.ac3
movie.wmv.ff.mpg
movie.wmv.ff.mpg.DVD which is a folder and contains
-VIDEO_TS (also a folder)
--VIDEO_TS.BUP
--VIDEO_TS.IFO
--VTS_01_1.VOB
--VTS_01_0.BUP
--VTS_01_0.IFO
-AUDIO_TS (a folder)

that's in the order which they're created i think. the third file in that list, the .mpg seems to be the required one so (a) is it possible not to create the .m2v and .ac3 files? (probably not), and (b) is it possible not to create the files following on after the .mpg file -- the DVD-like folder? (probably yes). how?

thanks

[Case]

(a) is it possible not to create the .m2v and .ac3 files? (probably not), and
(b) is it possible not to create the files following on after the .mpg file -- the DVD-like folder? (probably yes).

(a) Uncheck Keep Elementary Streams in the ffmpegX menu. The .m2v and .ac3 files will still be created, but automatically deleted after generating the .mpg file.
(b) Uncheck the Author As checkbox in the Options tab to avoid the DVD authoring.

[jboyd]

Case, thanks very much for the reply/info.

[jboyd]

dropping the .mpg files which ffmpegX has created (having chosen "DVD mpeg2enc" in ffmpegX) into toast 6 while on its Video setting is looking quite hopeful.

i was wrong, not so hopeful. doing it that way, having clicked burn in toast 6, doesn't just start to burn the disk but some kind of translation started which looked like it would take a very long time. i was hoping the ffmpegX conversion which i've gone through would be the only main lengthy conversion, so rather than dropping it into toast's Video pane, i dropped the .mpg movies which were output by ffmpegX (having chosen "DVD mpeg2enc") directly into the Data pane and chose "DVD-ROM (UDF)" in toast's options burned that to a disk put it in dvd player and it says "can't play this disk". [edit: have also tried the same as previously described but rather than dropping mpgs directly into data pane in toast, used the usual dvd folder structure with the mpgs in the VIDEO_TS folder -- dvd player couldn't play that either). so looks like i'm possibly back to square one if these .mpgs aren't any good.

any way to use these .mpg files (which ffmpegX created from choosing "DVD mpeg2enc") in toast to burn a dvd which a dvd player can play? (without lengthy further conversion by toast)

if the answer to that is no, any way to convert movie files (note the plural of files -- i can do this with 1) into some format with ffmpegX and burn the output of ffmpegX with toast without toast going through another very lengthy conversion?

i'm not fussed about the details of the end dvd (index, continuous or not continous play etc.) -- anything that plays on a dvd player in any fashion is the goal.

thanks.