Captured dvb-s dvb-t mpeg video to DVD

[tonut]

Hello to all,
I have been capturing mpeg video directly from a satellite dvb-s and terrestrial dvb-t card for some time. I am using mpeg vcr to edit out adverts etc and saving as original format, quality etc. If i burn these files as data files to a dvd I can fit several hours at what I consider excellent quality (can't tell the difference from the original broadcast). This is fine when I play the disc on my cheap dvd player as it will accept almost any file format. However, my other dvd player (and family, friends etc) will not accept this format - only proper dvd-video discs.
If I create a dvd using the budget software I currently have it will not fit anywhere near the same content as I'm guessing it is converting / reauthoring the files? This also takes a very, very long time. Is there a quick way (software) of transferring the mpeg files into dvd format files without changing the quality? i.e. if I am able to fit 4.5 hrs of transmitted dvb mpeg onto a dvd-rom disc, I would like the same amount and quality on a dvd-video disc. Don't want to create menus, add subtitles or anything complicated like that. Just put the created dvd-video disc in my (format restricted) DVD player and play the first through to the last file.
Any help greatly appreciated - Thanks in advance!
Tony.

[Baldrick]

If you want a proper dvd-video disc you might have to reconvert because not all dvb streams arent dvd compliant. See www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech and compare with your files(identify with latest gspot, mediainfo). If they are dvd-compliant you can then author with tda or guifordvdauthor.

But easiest would be to use latest tmpgenc dvd author or convertxtodvd or dvdflick or favc or some other all-in-one dvd converter, they should be able squeeze 4.5 hours/dvd but you will lose quality.

You can also use Kiss DTV 2 DVD to convert to dvd-compliant streams and then author.

You could also make "xdvds", no reconverting but they wont be a proper dvd-video, I guess dvd-lab accepts dvb streams without conversion.

Another tool that you can test is DVR-Studio.

[tonut]

Thanks very much Baldrick for your quick and thorough response.
I will give your suggestions a try and report back.
Thanks again,
Tony.

[turk690]

I have a TwinHan 1034 DVB PCI card and routinely record programmes onto my PC HDD. I have full-fledge *.mpg MPEG-2 program streams right after capture. DVD-compliant resolutions are 720x576, 704x576, & 352x576, but nearly ALL channels I've tuned to do NOT use these. Some say it's deliberate (to complicate burning to a compliant DVD quickly) and/or lower resolutions eat up less bandwidth (therefore cheaper to transmit). Most channels use 544x576; a few use 480x576. The only ones I know beaming out a full 720x576 are MBC1, 2, 3, & 4 (intended for the Middle East).
There are two routes here: after chopping off commercials & the like, programs like DVD-Lab will author to a DVD (most other authoring programs will NOT accept non-compliant resolution files). The resulting disc, since it isn't fully DVD-compliant, will chose players; in general, the more branded it is (Sony, JVC, etc.) the less likely it will play such. On the other hand, Apex, Gold, etc. brand players will likely give it a go.
The other way is to take the program file & re-encode it to 720x576; this insures playability on nearly all current DVD players. But this step will necessarily degrade what is already a low bitrate stream (often just 2.5mb/s video) & takes time.
What I intend to do with the DVDs ultimately dictate which I way I go. If I strictly just want to archive a program, I just dump the entire captured file to DVD-Lab & make the DVD. This is as good as it gets to a bit-perfect copy of the original stream; I have a wretched little Coby DVD player that happily accpets the created DVDs. If I have to give the program to some other people for some reason, then this is where I have to re-encode them to compliant resolutions to insure best chances of playability.
Another issue here that occasionally crops up is that the captured file audio & video are out of sync. Since (despite what some claim) MPEG-2 streams are hard to manipulate, I use TMPGenc Express, where there is a choice to output to an *.avi file (I use a Main Concept DV AVI codec), open up file in Premiere, sync A & V, edit out the trashy bits, & encode back to a DVD compliant MPEG-2 file.

[tonut]

Thanks turk690. I will check the resolution of the captured files and experiment a little. Thanks to you and Baldrick I now have a much better understanding of why it takes so long to convert the mpg files to DVD and of the results to expect. Thanks once again to you both.

[borax]

The 'usual' (in Germany) chain of programs for dvb-s to dvd is:

projectx or pvastrumento for demuxing and transmit error correction
mpeg2schnitt or cuttermaran to edit out adverts etc
dvdlab or GfD for authoring

All these programs do not reencode and (except dvdlab) all are freeware.

[tonut]

Thanks borax, going to try these progs. over the weekend.
Tony.