Simple VOBs to DVD-ready MPEG 2 HOW?

[Flarch]

I bought a DVD of a film i could only find a Region 2 version of. It's ripped to a VIDEO_TS folder and region free but, of course, is still PAL. Without shrinking it from DL DVD size, Toast will not convert to NTSC.

I'm looking to make one big DVD-ready MPEG 2 file with the audio and video tracks from the VOB's so i can drop it into Toast and let that convert it to a dual layer NTSC DVD.

I've been searching my various video tools and i can't seem to find one, or a combination, which will get the job done without messing up something.

I thought Visual Hub was the answer because it will do batches (i.e. all the VOB's for the title at once), has a check-box to stitch the results together, and in the advanced settings, audio and video pass-through can be chosen. I made a test on just the first 2 VOBs and it went without a hitch, and Toast didn't complain about the result either.

All attempts to get Visual Hub to do the same with all VOBs, and most attempts on combinations of VOBs, have failed. Say i choose the first 3 VOBs in the title. VH will create new MPEG files for each of them, with unaltered audio and video tracks. As the process finishes, up, Visual Hub erases the (blahblah)temp.mpg files without actually creating the stitched version, except one one or two occasions.

What's the best way to accomplish this?

[ffooky]

MPEG Streamclip. Open the first VOB of a VTS and it'll ask if you want to open 'em all.

[pixel zombie]

i use YADE X to extract one vob file and then i use visualhub to convert to ntsc..you can also use yade x to extract the separate scenes and then use VH to convert them, this way you have the option to use Toast to make a DVD with a simple menu

[terryj]

Open in MpegStreamclip. It asks to open all vobs.
Fix Timecode Breaks. Export to DV-NTSC.

Drag and Drop the DV-NTSC file into VisualHub,
tell it to author the mpeg-2 video and ac3 audio.

Drag and Drop those assets into Toast, with the selection
checked " Do Not Re-encode assets.", in the Video Tab window.
Pick a Menu style. Burn to Disc.

[Flarch]

Thanks for the suggestions.

MPEG StreamClip did indeed make quick work of creating the MPEG 2 file as i first intended. Oddly in the case where i dropped the large file into Toast, it didn't give me a choice as to where to put chapters, but seems to have inserted them at regular intervals. However, Toast did a horrible job of PAL to NTSC conversion. Where motion is quick there's a blurring effect, and there are jerks like frames being dropped. Even the text of opening credits looked a bit ragged. I'm sure i got satisfactory results in the past with a test clip. Maybe it didn't like MPEG 2 to MPEG 2 or Deinterlacing.

That brings up a further question: Should video always be left interlaced for DVD?

Open in MpegStreamclip. It asks to open all vobs. Fix Timecode Breaks. Export to DV-NTSC.

Drag and Drop the DV-NTSC file into VisualHub,
tell it to author the mpeg-2 video and ac3 audio.

Drag and Drop those assets into Toast, with the selection
checked " Do Not Re-encode assets.", in the Video Tab window.
Pick a Menu style. Burn to Disc.

This procedure brings up a couple questions:

Is MPEG Streamclip up to doing the PAL --> NTSC conversion properly?

Why go to DV as an intermediate format? Besides going from MPEG to DV then back to MPEG for video, it means converting away from AC3 and then back for audio does it not?

[guns1inger]

If the source is interlaced, then yes, generally you should leave it interlaced. When processing interlaced footage you must be very careful about resizing the frame (which you must do for PAL to NTSC conversion) or can do all sorts of damage to the image.

Honestly, unless you are prepared to spring for FCP, the Mac is pretty limited for options for good quality video conversion, especially for free. Even FCP isn't a flexible as it might be. There should be no call for an intermediate format during PAL to NTSC conversion. If you must use one, look at a lossless compression format instead of DV.

I would suggest you look at ffmpegX for DVD - DVD format conversion as an option.

[Herve]

]MPEG StreamClip did indeed make quick work of creating the MPEG 2 file as i first intended.

MPSC just wraps your VOB files and build its new "informations"

Toast did a horrible job of PAL to NTSC conversion.

Toast does not really convert standard, it just drop or duplicate some frame to fit the NTSC standard.
If you want a real conversion, you can use these softs:
- free: avisynth + JESdeinterlacer (will produce interlaced stream whatever your original file, it does a very good job for conversion, better than MPSC)
- free but needs the Apple's codec: MPSC: it will duplicate frames BUT much nicer (it will blend frames for more smoothness)
- not free: BitVice + the one in my sign (will convert progressive PAL streams to progressive NTSC streams, and interlaced ones to interlaced NTSC)

Should video always be left interlaced for DVD?

DVD specifications says YES.
the contents of your movie can be progressive or interlaced
but it's wrapper (VOB) is always interlaced.
In front of your DVD reader, you certainly have a sticker with "progressive scan", it means that it is able to read non-conform DVD streams (aka progressive wrapper)

Open in MpegStreamclip. Export to DV-NTSC.[...]

Is MPEG Streamclip up to doing the PAL --> NTSC conversion properly?

yes, see above

PS: try JESdeinterlacer (and take a look of the resulting stream on tv, great work)
bye

[Flarch]

In between checking this board, i tried feeding the MPEG 2 with AC3 through Visual Hub (which of course uses ffmpeg) with audio pass-through and conversion to NTSC. I was suspicious when it finished in about 40 minutes.

The result was rather blocky, and it's minimal interface doesn't specify FPS so i forgot to check. It came out 29.97 fps though from film. It also came out 768 x 576; too big for NTSC DVD i believe?

Advanced settings has a box for FPS, size, cropping etc., but i wouldn't know what to enter to make it DVD compatible.

-----

Thanks for additional info.

- free: avisynth + JESdeinterlacer (will produce interlaced stream whatever your original file, it does a very good job for conversion, better than MPSC)

Avisynth? For Mac? And yikes, no GUI!

- free but needs the Apple's codec: MPSC: it will duplicate frames BUT much nicer (it will blend frames for more smoothness)

Open in MpegStreamclip. Export to DV-NTSC.[...]

Is MPEG Streamclip up to doing the PAL --> NTSC conversion properly?

yes, see above

For DV or other formats, but i don't see a way to get StreamClip to convert to NTSC in MPEG 2.

I would suggest you look at ffmpegX for DVD - DVD format conversion as an option.

I had taken a look at this as i used to use it quite a bit but it's complex UI, scarcity of info on what's compatible with what, and myriad settings worry me:

The original information reads:
Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 720x576, 8500 kb/s
Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s

I never know whether to use mpeg2enc or ffmpeg (i've heard it uses outdated versions) and the preset halves bitrate and alters the audio. Setting video to NTSC-Film (as per the original fps) and choosing "Auto-Size", then pass-through for audio yields:

For the DVD preset:
Video: mpeg2enc mpeg2, 720x480, 2994 kbps, 23.976 fps, no crop
Audio: Passthrough, 48000 Hz, 224 kbps

But that's a far slower video bitrate. There are no calculator presets for a dual layer DVD which is what i'd like to leave it as and it reports anything over 4000 kb/sec as "too high". Whether i choose ffmpeg or mpeg2enc, i have no idea what to do with the various other settings under "Filters" and "Options".

Anybody used MovieConverter Studio which explicitly claims it does smooth PAL <--> NTSC? ($22)

If only there was something as sophisticated as Handbrake for MPEG 2!

Any further advice?

[Herve]

For DV or other formats, but i don't see a way to get StreamClip to convert to NTSC in MPEG 2.

MPegStreamClip and JESDeinterlacer export to DV (and give the resulting DV to iDVD or Toast)

I would suggest you look at ffmpegX

it will duplicate frames (same behavior than QuickTime/iDVD, Toast or VisualHub).

Anybody used MovieConverter Studio

me (but don't trust me and try yourself )

PS: Try with JESDeinterlacer (and an intermediate file in DV). It owns the best algo for framerate conversion on Mac, for interlaced streams.
bye