Is Lossless DVD Authoring Possible?

[blazin-j]

I have encoded an .AVI animation file using Cinemacraft Encoder to a high quality .MPV file that is about 4.1Gb in file size. However, after using TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 to convert it to the DVD/VOB format, I noticed that the total file size was about 2.5Gb, which leads me to believe that the authoring program compressed it in the conversion process. After viewing the DVD, it appears that the quality is not as good as the original too.

My question: Is it possible to go from .MPV to DVD/VOB without losing any quality? If so, what program would do this?

[guns1inger]

When you encoded using CCE you should have made sure that you encoded the footage within DVD specifications, then it would not have been encoded again by TDA3.

Is it possible to encode lossless for DVD - no. Mpeg-2 is, by it's nature, lossy. However if you encode it correctly the first time you should not have to encode it again in order to author it. The authoring stage should be lossless.

[AlanHK]

I have encoded an .AVI animation file using Cinemacraft Encoder to a high quality .MPV file that is about 4.1Gb in file size.

What are the specs of the MPV?

If the MPV is within the DVD spec then authoring should be lossless.
Try another authoring app that doesn't second guess you, like GuiforDVDAuthor.
Or Muxman (free version) and Rejig have very simple authoring modes.

[SCDVD]

It depends on the application you use for authoring. Encore just loves to stick it nose in your business and "help" you by reencoding your video whether you want to or not if it doesn't like the MPEG-2 files you import to author. Another reason that will cause it to reencode is if your project bit rate is set lower than the bit rate of the input MPEG-2 files.

Other authoring applications such as DVD Lab Pro don't reencode. If DVD Lab Pro finds something wrong with the input MPEG-2 files, it will tell you.

Personally I believe that encoding belongs in the editor, not the authoring program. I don't like integrated applications where the distinction between the editing application and the authoring application is blury.

[blazin-j]

Thanks everybody. I figured out the problem. The MPV was within DVD specs, but when I imported it into TDA3 I changed it from Interlace to Progressive not realizing it would force an entirely new transcode.

Personally I believe that encoding belongs in the editor, not the authoring program

My feelings exactly!

[ofbarea]

That's why I still using TMPGEnc DVD author 1.5 It does not re-encode.

[stiltman]

That's why I still using TMPGEnc DVD author 1.5 It does not re-encode.

Me too