AVStoDVD Support Thread

[jond]

Sorry, I forgot to include version info: I am using release 2.8.2, 27 June 2015.

Regards,

Jon D

[jond]

thats strange, i have never encountered that
and i have use all kinds of re-arrangements on the menu
but mainly static picture, but sometimes motion menu

BUT i am not using the latest build , although i have dl newer builds, the one i have installed and using is 2.6.0 from Feb 2013

Any chance you could attempt the same three title arrangement with your setup and see if the links are good?

Fingers crossed,

Jon D

[manolito]

Hi jond,

the way you can influence how the link associations are set is the setting for "Max Thumbs per Row" in the menu wizard under "Options". For your desired layout you need to set this option to 1.

The different colors of the connecting lines are a representation of the arrow keys on your remote.


Cheers
manolito

[theewizard]

thats strange, i have never encountered that
and i have use all kinds of re-arrangements on the menu
but mainly static picture, but sometimes motion menu

BUT i am not using the latest build , although i have dl newer builds, the one i have installed and using is 2.6.0 from Feb 2013

Any chance you could attempt the same three title arrangement with your setup and see if the links are good?

Fingers crossed,

Jon D

here you go
i loaded 3 sci-fi shorts, chooose a random background picture, processed all the way to the saved DVD folder
opened file with vlc, motion menu, all links are correct, played perfectly

[jond]

I tried setting Max Thumbs per row to 1 and the links are correct as long as I keep the thumbs in a vertical line. If I stagger them like this:



then the links still get messed up. I wanted to stagger them in order to be able to read the titles.

Do you have any other suggestions I could try? (The only one I can think of is to keep the thumbs vertical and move the title text to the right of each thumb but I'd prefer to stagger the thumbs if at all possible.)

Regards,

Jon D

[manolito]

If you drag thumbnail #2 slightly to the left so that there is a small overlap to the other thumbs then it will do what you want. IMO this will be the best you can get from the A2D menu wizard.

If you need more menu power I suggest to create the menus with DVDStyler. Use A2D to create muxed MPEG2 files and load them into DVStyler. Under "Properties" make sure that "Copy" is specified for video and audio. In the thumbnail properties you can set the action for all 4 arrow keys separately according to your needs. The only (small) drawback of this method is that you cannot use MuxMan for authoring, you have to use DVDAuthor instead.


Cheers
manolito

[theewizard]

this works fine, no problems, is your problem there when you process this to a DVD folder
i am processing all the way to dvd folder, this ver 2.6 does not do active menu preview testing of menu functions

also i have max titles per row at 4 even though there are only three in this test
the max i have ever put on a disc is 6,

and i have re-arranged them all over the menu page and never had a LINK problem

[abrogard]

Can I just jump in here and ask a question? It seems to be a general support thread with everyone's questions just asked right there in the body of it?

I have this MKV from a DVD9 that I want to burn to DVD5 but it is just a little too big.

I was told to use AVStoDVD and uncheck the 'direct stream copy' in the video menu but I can't see any such choice to uncheck.

Is there some way to burn this onto DVD5 and compress or perhaps split it over two disks, with AVStoDVD?

[theewizard]

Two choices
You can reset to a lower bit rate for the video encoding

Or change the size setting to DVD 9
Then after the video folder is created
Use dvdshrink
To shrink it down to DVD 5

I can't post a menu picture, I'm not on my pc with avstodvd

[abrogard]

Okay. Don't do the Burn, do a write to folders: Output DVD Folders. ?

Then Shrink.

Good. Thank you.




Edit later: Back where I started. DVDShrink won't open it. "Parameter Incorrect"

That's where I was before I got to this thread. Couldn't get Shrink to accept the original files - which were/are - a DVDDecrypter rip - so on advice from a forum I put them through MakeMKV and got the MKV. Then the idea was to put it through AVStoDVD. That brought me here because of the size problem, was going alright until then.

Perhaps I'll try changing the video encoding rate unless there's other alternatives.

[manolito]

I was told to use AVStoDVD and uncheck the 'direct stream copy' in the video menu but I can't see any such choice to uncheck.

Is there some way to burn this onto DVD5 and compress or perhaps split it over two disks, with AVStoDVD?

Hi abrogard,

of course AVStoDVD can reencode a source to fit on a DVD5 blank.



Load the source, click on View/Edit Title settings and select the Video tab. Uncheck Auto Video Setup and Direct Stream Copy, then select your preferred encoder.

Make sure that you have set your output DVD size to DVD5.


Cheers
manolito

[abrogard]

Well thanks for that. I just gave it a try, took all afternoon.

Finished up with IMGBURN saying there's not enough room on the disk, do I want to continue anyway? I said No.

When I was configuring AVStoDVD it was just as you said - I found that page and the stream copy thing embolded once I unselected the auto video and I had it set for DVD5 and I had it set for Burn.

I noticed that it did nothing about changing the size of the output file which, as I was saying, was set for a bit too big (4488MB).

So I did something wrong?

[theewizard]

two things

same page
uncheck Auto bitrate, then set avg bit rate at 7500
this will lower the size

#2
output DVD Folder NOT burn

#3 now use imgburn to make an image file from the folder, then burn the image file

IF folder is still too big you can shrink it

i have ALWAYS had better luck outputing to DVD folder

this also gives you a permanent copy on file if you wish to save it

the time involved is very close, maybe a few minutes difference, and you get to keep a copy instead of having it all disappear at the end of the process

[abrogard]

You're so right. I virtually always keep copies. That's why I had a dvddecrypter in the first place instead of a dvd shrink copy. Because I wanted to keep a 'complete' copy.

Screwed up this time didn't I?

O.K. I'll do it again. Follow your suggestions. See how I go. Thanks for hanging in with me on this.



p.s. I just started doing it again and I see that the av bit rate is 5550 currently. And that gives an output size as I was saying of about 4800MB

If I change it to 7500 I get an output size of 6000MB

So I've changed it to 5000 and it now says 4384MB output size.

That'd be the right way to go?

I'm writing to a folder.

[theewizard]

you can also change the max bit rate setting, while your changing the avg bit rate setting

you did not mention the 'run time' lenght of the video

a video much over 100 minutes, does need lower settings, to get to fit on a single layer disc

[davexnet]

Avstodvd picks the bitrate using a calculation based on the source(s) runtime. Not usualy necessary to mess with the average bitrate.
Perhaps you should post the A2D log.

[abrogard]

Well it worked this time, thank for all the clues.

Looks like it does the calculation itself - autobitrate? Then why it chooses to settle for something that it then says is going to be too big I don't know, but that is what happened. 4800MB as I remember.

Anyway, all done now. I didn't keep the log. I could of course do it all again and post that log if people wanted me to - if it was of sufficient interest, but I think not, really, eh?

Now I know how to do it. Pleased by that.



p.s. what's the AVI2DVD thing I've found? It seems to have built in provision for creating 2 disks. Is it any good, anyone know?

[davexnet]

Had a weird thing in 284 alpha, reverted back to 283 and proiblem vanshed

BatchMux log file --> C:\Documents and Settings\Dave New\Desktop\test\muxtest_BatchMux.log
BatchMux: ERROR - destination folder does not exist...

[manolito]

This thing is already solved - it is always a good idea to check the Doom9 forum if any problem with A2D arises...

Have a look here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1754873#post1754873

Download the fixed BatchMux version here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1755445#post1755445


Cheers
manolito

[davexnet]

Thanks manolito - looks good

[davexnet]

For a dvd made up of many (same specs) small, individual source files, the Tools/Join Source Titles is a great option.
For certain type of DVD, much better to deal with a single title/multiple clips. Only problem is, A2D does not insert a chapter point
at the start of each clip within the title.

I can see from the way that "Join Source Titles" is implemented, the total time is known, but any info about the individual clips is lost.

Is this something that may be possible to implement? Just wondering ...

An example where this would be very helpful: I have 40 or 50 short soccer clips. I wanted to create a DVD with one title
and a chapter point at the beginning of every new clip. Having them in individual titles is much harder to
navigate when the disk is played on the TV.

PS a second thing I thought of, perhaps a way to do "join source titles" with non-identical spec source files could be considered?

Thanks -
Dave

[manolito]

Only problem is, A2D does not insert a chapter point
at the start of each clip within the title.
Is this something that may be possible to implement? Just wondering ...

Hi Dave,

this is already implemented. Did you overlook this message box?



Works well for me, just one catch: The chapter points will be off if a frame rate conversion is involved in your encode.

PS a second thing I thought of, perhaps a way to do "join source titles" with non-identical spec source files could be considered?

IMO this is not possible with the join method used by AVStoDVD. A2D joins the SOURCES using an AviSynth script, and this requires sources with identical specs. For sources with different specs you have to join the encoded MPEG2 files instead.

I am not aware of any automatic way to do this, but doing it manually is not very hard. I know two easy methods:

1. Encode your titles to separate elementary streams. Then use Cuttermaran to join the titles and add chapter points with one single click. Finally mux the Cuttermaran output with MuxMan using the chapters.txt file created by Cuttermaran.

2. Use DVDStyler. There is an option to add a new file "as a chapter" which effectively combines the encoded input files to one title. You still have to set the chapter points at the start of every new source file by using the "Properties" menu, but this also is just one click.


There is one restriction for both methods: The source files can have different specs, but they must be encoded with the same aspect ratio. You cannot combine files with different AR into one title set, the DVD specs do not allow this.


Cheers
manolito

[davexnet]

Hi manolito, OK I see what you're saying. Yes (unfortunately) there is frame rate conversion 50 fps decimated to 25 for DVD.
When I first saw it (before you explained it) I just assumed it was either broken, or it wasn't doing what I thought it would.

Appreciate the tips for dealing with non-identical sources. It's been quite a while since I looked at DVDStyler, likewise Cuttermaran.
It sounds like a reasonable process.

Thanks again -
Dave

[manolito]

There is a semi-automatic way to get the correct chapters for sources with identical specs:

Download a free tool called "ChapterGen".
In A2D go to the "Chapters" tab and export your chapters to a file.
Load this file into ChapterGen.
Use Input FPS and Output FPS to correct the chapter points.
Export the chapters using the MuxMan format.
Import this chapter file into AVStoDVD.


Good luck
manolito

[Evilkyo]

You'll add x265 support?

[davexnet]

You'll add x265 support?

Doesn't it work now through the directshow decoder ?

[manolito]

X265 (HEVC) input works just fine, LAVFilters and the current ffms2 versions can decode it.

I think Evilkyo wants that AVStoDVD supports X265 output, but this is highly unlikely IMO.


Cheers
manolito

[Evilkyo]

X265 (HEVC) input works just fine, LAVFilters and the current ffms2 versions can decode it.

I think Evilkyo wants that AVStoDVD supports X265 output, but this is highly unlikely IMO.


Cheers
manolito

Exacly manolito! I wanted to convert a x265 video to DVD by AVStoDVD but it is impossible. Too bad it is not to be implemented.

[davexnet]

X265 (HEVC) input works just fine, LAVFilters and the current ffms2 versions can decode it.

I think Evilkyo wants that AVStoDVD supports X265 output, but this is highly unlikely IMO.


Cheers
manolito

Exacly manolito! I wanted to convert a x265 video to DVD by AVStoDVD but it is impossible. Too bad it is not to be implemented.

You're (apparently) agreeing with manolito, but then you make a statement that contradicts his point.

Are you trying to make an DVD from H265 as the source?

[Evilkyo]

X265 (HEVC) input works just fine, LAVFilters and the current ffms2 versions can decode it.

I think Evilkyo wants that AVStoDVD supports X265 output, but this is highly unlikely IMO.


Cheers
manolito

Exacly manolito! I wanted to convert a x265 video to DVD by AVStoDVD but it is impossible. Too bad it is not to be implemented.

You're (apparently) agreeing with manolito, but then you make a statement that contradicts his point.

Are you trying to make an DVD from H265 as the source?

Yes, but i got a error.