mini-dvd to DVD (n00b)

[web-guy]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to all things digital video wise.
I did a topic search and a how to search and found
nothing specific to my needs.

May I please get some help in converting 30min blocks
of video from a mini-dvd to a fulll size dvd.

This is what I have and what I need to do.
I have 5 mini-dvds. Each with 30mins of video w/ audio
or less.

I have to put all 5 on 1 DVD. Single layer.

I have tried using sonic digital media but in order to
fit it all on I had to use extreme compression. Picture
quality was awful. I'm sure you can understand.
Further more when tried to clip scenes out of the
video Sonic did not clip, but instead hid the scenes.
Adding to the already huge file size as much as 500MB.
Crazy!

So I did some research.
Found Jashaka for video editing, removed video that way.
But turns out the finished product(exported video) was poor quality.
Tried to get help for Jashaka but it seems the project is dead in the water.
No help to be found, no updates in months.

So back to square one.
Then I found this forum.
Read about avi2dvd and other programs.
Found dvdx for ripping video to mpeg etc.

But in all of this I am simply overwhelmed.
Trying to figure out in a week what many of
You have been doing for years... I just can't do it.

I don't really understand what I've been learning,
just sort of winging it. So I need your help.

I need to take 5 mini-dvd 30 min video /w audio clips.
Put them onto one DVD. Hopefully with decent quality.
Original quality of video is not the best either.

I would like to have a menu with chapters.
Background image with music.

But aesthetics are 2nd place to actually getting this
thing to play in a DVD player.

I will need to burn 10 copies. I tell you this because
I am pretty sure I will burn 3 in PAL format for overseas
asian viewing. This is personal video, nothing illegal. lol.

Thanks in advance.

[mats.hogberg]

1st: Cramming 2.5 hours worth of hand camera on to a DVD-5 aint ever going to look good.
I'd first get the mpg out of each mini-DVD using VOB2MPG.
Edit with VideoReDo or Womble or other dedicated mpg editor that doesn't reencode unnecessarily.
Author as many of your final mpg files that fit on your media using TDA, and author to HDD.
Burn the DVD structure to disk with ImgBurn.
If you really have to put it all on one disk, at least use Verbatim Dual Layer disks.

/Mats

[web-guy]

So there really is no easy way to do this then?

Can i ask a question.

I did manage to take the 1.2GB video and convert to 700mb mpeg files.
But when I go to burn the mpeg to DVD it blows back up to 1GB + in file size.

Why is this? Audio?
I just don't understand.

thx

[guns1inger]

You should be able to get the video from one format to the other without re-encoding, so the size should remain around the 1.2 GB mark, but the quality will not be reduced. If you encode, especially to a smaller size, you are losing quality.

[web-guy]

What is re-encoding? I don't understand?
I used DVDX to convert/rip the mini-dvd into mpeg format.
I did lose some quality but it was acceptable.
It did shrink about 400-500MB in size. But when I go to sonic
digital media to create a svcd it blows back up to the original size.

One more question.

How do you use ISOs to create SVCDs with menus and chapters etc?
Would I create one iso for each mini-dvd. Add them to imgburn.
Use avi2dvd to create a menu and add chapters? I'm kind of out of my element here.

Not sure how to proceed.

I did look at the links posted for tmpenc and videoredo etc.. but it's all payforware. I'm not sure I want to d/l them. I really don't want to fork out $200 for software at this point. This is my 1st project.

Thx!

[mats.hogberg]

You're asking questions all over the place - Now it's SVCD, and using DVDx!
The way to proceed is to step back and start over. Relax, take a deep breath and focus:
1) Use VOB2MPG to extract the mpg files from your miniDVDs.
2) Author with an app that doesn't reencode during the process (as Sonic seems to do) like TDA or GUI for DVDAuthor (free). Use as many disks needed to fit your source material.
It's really not hard - if you don't insist on cramming it all onto one disk. In that case, you have to reencode each mpg at a lower bitrate (and most likely lower resolution, like 352x480) between step 1 and 2. Not hard, but time consuming.

/Mats

[web-guy]

yeah.. it does have to fit onto one DVD.

Otherwise i could have stuck with Sonic and put 2 videos on one DVD
and 3 on another. But i have been asked to put all 5 on one DVD.

And i would like to have chapters. Something as simple as clickable thumbnails. nothing fancy really. That's what i was looking at avi2dvd for.. and that's why i asked about iso'.

So then it all comes down to reencoding the videos with a smaller bitrate and resolution... do I have that right?

For the record, I've been using dvdx from the beginning.
That's how I got my mpegs. Takes forever though...
About SVCD..sorry about that. I realize it means something to you that it doesn't to me...hence n00b. Sonic uses VHS,SVCD,DVD etc as quality markers for burning a video disc. Sorry about the confusion. All I meant was SVCD quality. As I've said before, i don't need dvd quality..the original isn't even dvd quality.. lol


How would I find out the originals bitrate and resolution.
I think right now the res. is 750x480 or something..not sure though.
DVDX says something about using 350x288 for SVCDs. Which means file size should drop right. So I can also lower the bitrate if I knew the origirnal bitrate...

thanks!

[mats.hogberg]

As you're in NTSC land, you prolly have 720x480 mpg. 352x240 is NTSC VCD. Reducing resolution doesn't make the file smaller, but, a smaller resolution doesn't need as high bitrate as high res, and a lower bitrate makes for smaller file size.
From the top again:

• Use VOB2MPG to get the original video out of the miniDVDs.
• Reencode @3.500 kbps (leaves you some margin for menues and stuff) and 352x480 (QuEnc or HCEnc are good free mpeg2 encoders). Best would be to use 2 pass VBR, 1.000 (or lower) kbps min, 3.500 kbps average, 8.000 kbps max
• Author with TMPGEnc DVD Author (free 30 day trial available). At this stage you can also cut out unwanted parts.

/Mats

[hech54]

I would start by just ripping all of them to your computer....then build a DVD in DVDShrink.
But that is just my opinion.

[mats.hogberg]

That's a good (and simpler) approach, but:
The quality will be lower
There will be no menu. Each disk will be a separate title, only accessible by using the remote.
A twist of this theme would be to:

• Use VOB2MPG to get the original video out of the miniDVDs.
• Author with TMPGEnc DVD Author as an over sized DVD to HDD.
• Shrink the output from TDA with DVDShrink to fit your media.

But still, not as good picture quality as reencoding/resizing "by hand". Full D1 @ (transcoded down to) 3.500 kbps is too low to my taste at least.

/Mats

[hech54]

I didn't say SHRINK it in DVDShrink....build it in DVDShrink.
You can make an oversized DVD in DVDShrink as well....you don't HAVE to shrink.
My only assumption is that he would want each mini-dvd will be a separate title anyway
even WITH a menu created in TDA.

6 of one.....half dozen of the other I guess.

[mats.hogberg]

..and how would one squeeze this oversized disk from the Shrink stage down in size, without shrinking it?

/Mats

[hech54]

Lets recap.
From an apparent rookie (or newbie) who posts questions and statements like these(no offense web-guy):

So there really is no easy way to do this then?
What is re-encoding? I don't understand?
yeah.. it does have to fit onto one DVD
As I've said before, i don't need dvd quality..the original isn't even dvd quality.

DVDShrink and the 30 day trial version of TDA (both with COUNTLESS guides for them here on videohelp.com) are the easiest ways for this guy to do what he wants. It doesn't matter in which order he uses these products....after all...you yourself suggested DVDShrink to compress the oversized DVD down.

Oh and web-guy.....don't worrry about trying to make a PAL version of your stuff. It is not worth it. Most of the PAL World can easily play NTSC discs....especially since your discs are not professionally made(or pressed) and do not have a region code involved.

[mats.hogberg]

Fair 'nuf.

/Mats

[web-guy]

Thanks so much guys!

I'll go give this a shot, but be warned...
I'm not done asking questions. :-p

I'll be back!

-wg

[mats.hogberg]

be warned... I'm not done asking questions. :-p

We're ready!

/Mats

[web-guy]

I'm back.
I need some help.

btw:
Thanks for the previous help. it worked great!!
I managed to use dvdshrink, vob2mpeg, and dvd styler to
create a working dvd with chapters. Forget the menus...
this is too frustrating as it is...

But one problem in all of this good news...
Some of the video, actually each imported video at times
seems to skip and stutter... at which point all audio is promptly
lost. The video continues to stutter for a few seconds and then
returns to normal. At which time the audio will also return. Sometimes
it stays gone until I forward or rewind the dvd.

Does this make any sense?
Has anyone encountered this before and can it be fixed?

BTW:
DVDSHRINK is amazing at re-encoding, the speed, the result... fantastic!

Aside:
I did try gui for dvdauthor, but it was too hard to use.
DVD styler was very easy to use.

[mats.hogberg]

Some of the video, actually each imported video at times
seems to skip and stutter... at which point all audio is promptly
lost.

At what point do you experience this? On the finished DVD? If so, I would suspect some media problem. Be sure to use high quality media - see www.nomorecoasters.com for a rundown of what's good media and what's not.
I tend to burn at max 1/2 of max writer/media burn speed. Some would say this is just VooDoo, but my intuition tells me the chances for a good burn are better if done slow.
Another rule (as I tend to use cheap media as I am cheap! ) is to keep the size down at or below 4.2 GB. 2nd rate media is usually fine until the outer part of the disk, and by keeping my data a little smaller, that part is unused.
But as you seem to get breakups all over the disk this is probably not the cure in your case.
Things to check:

Do the MPGs play fine (after the VOB2MPG stage)?
If you author to HDD as DVD structure or ISO image (you should, as you're going to create 10 copies!) - can you play the DVD from HDD and make sure there are no breakups?

/Mats

[web-guy]

Argg...

It is the videos! No, after vob2mpg they stutter but recover quickly unlike when they are burned to DVD. It is more noticeable on DVD.
Any suggestions?

DVDs I am using are Maxell brand. DVD+R. FYI.

thx

[hech54]

I have a suggestion for you.
I know....yet ANOTHER program for you to use BUT it is simple, small and free.

Here we go. Download a program called FixVTS.
Fire it up and drag your VOB into FixVTS.
Look at the check boxes...make sure ALL boxes are checked(especially Fix In Place - No Backup)...and click either Cleanup or Full DVD(doesn't matter which really).
Wait for it to complete(or at least 99%).
Now continue with your DVD creation.

FixVTS was originally designed with discs from DVD Recorders in mind...designed to fix the inherent errors that sometimes occur...errors
that don't effect the DVD playback but errors that occur when we work
with them in a computer.

[mats.hogberg]

So the mpgs stutter after vob2mpg. As vob2mpg only "unwraps" the vob, it'd seem like even the VOBs have errors. Can you try to play the VOBs before processing them with vob2mpg and see if the problem is still noticeable?
That the problems are more noticeable on disk than in the files are surely just because you use different players that react differently to the errors.
Maxell is just a brand - According to NoMoreCoasters, the disks can be made by 4 different manufacturers, some good, some bad. Take a look at the media ID instead. It will tell you the true story.

/Mats

[web-guy]

I tried fixvts and then tried playing the vob file.
It seems to play well enough.

I then used vob2mpg and places where the vob file
was fine the mpegs, created by vob2mpg, seem to
stutter.

Even then I tried to create an ISO image using dvdstyler.
But I kept getting errors about fixing vobus, audio out of range,
remultiplex, and somewhere it said it fixed about 11 vob errors?

I'm going to try fixvts again and then vob2mpg again.
I'll make sure not to run anything else while running vob2mpg.

But do you gentlemen have any further suggestions.

Thanks for all your help thus far!
I've managed to learn more than I'd ever wanted to learn
about video and audio. All because things have not gone
smoothly. lol.

But I'm glad, this is another skill set to add, and a fun one at that!
Pretty soon i'll be able to make custom DVDs!! It's an amazing thought!

[web-guy]

Um... running vts again didn't help.
Video still stutters at points.

The VOB actually seems to stutter now too...
Should I re-encode again with dvdshrink? will it help?

Are there any ways to minimize chances of getting
bad vob files after encoding?

thx a million guys