Newbie needs help - wmv to DVD and iMovie

[Jeff555]

Complete newbie question here:

I need to convert a non-protected .wmv file to whatever format is necessary to burn a DVD that I can view on a commercial (non-PC) DVD player. I purchased ffmpegX, because I was told that could do it. Problem is there are dozens of destination formats to choose from! Which one do I choose?

For burning, I have a full version of Toast 6 Titanium.

A related but separate question: I have also tried dropping the .wmv file into iMovie HD (version 5.0.2), but that doesn't work. What format can iMove accept?

I'm running Mac OS 10.4.1.

BTW, I followed instructions at http://ffmpegx.com/dvd_sub.html but the result was a zero K file!

Thanks!

[Case]

For help with ffmpegX, Videohelp.com has an ffmpegX forum.

For help with ffmpegX, please post the Process Information log on the forum, to better diagnose what prevented the program to convert your file with current settings. You may access this log by clicking the blue "i" in the ffmpegX Progress window after a conversion attempt. This may hold clues that could help us give you better advise.

I purchased ffmpegX, because I was told that could do it.

ffmpegX is shareware that you may try before you purchase. If it works for you, then you should register and buy the license key. I'm pretty confident you can make this work, if you're willing to learn a bit about how ffmpegX works. More on that later.

Problem is there are dozens of destination formats to choose from! Which one do I choose?

The instructions at http://ffmpegx.com/dvd_sub.html say you should choose the "DVD ffmpeg" or "DVD mpeg2enc" preset. For many kinds of source files either one will do, but for specific files one preset may be preferred over the other.

I have also tried dropping the .wmv file into iMovie HD (version 5.0.2), but that doesn't work. What format can iMove accept?

iMovie was made with the DV file format in mind. It will also convert some other formats (mov, mp4) to DV on input.

I'm running Mac OS 10.4.1.

I hope you mean 10.4.11. If not, you may consider updating.

For best advise, you should provide source file characteristics, such as:
- codecs used in the WMV file
- video framerate
- video resolution

Also consider installing Flip4Mac player, a free QuickTime Component that helps QuickTime understand WMV files. Not only will this help QuickTime Player play your WMV file, it also can help ffmpegX process WMV files that it can't decode using built-in libraries.

[Jeff555]

Yes, my OS is 10.4.11.

I chose the "DVD mpeg2enc" preset in ffmpegx. The instructions say to search for a movie.DVD file---but no such file is created. Instead, it creates a .mpg file. When I drop that into Toast, using the DVD-ROM (UDF) tab as per the instructions, it does NOT show a Video_TS file like I would expect.

Here are the details:

Encoding started on Sun Mar 15 14:52:07 PDT 2009
FFmpeg version CVS, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Mac OSX universal build for ffmpegX
libavutil version: 49.0.0
libavcodec version: 51.9.0
libavformat version: 50.4.0
Seems that stream 1 comes from film source: 1000.00 (1000/1) -> 30.00 (30/1)
Input #0, asf, from '/Users/Jeff/Desktop/lesmovie.wmv':
Duration: 00:24:36.6, start: 5.000000, bitrate: 3101 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Audio: wmav2, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Stream #0.1, 30.00 fps(r): Video: WMV3 / 0x33564D57, 720x480
Codec type mismatch for mapping #0.0 -> #0.0
...

What am I doing wrong? Do I need to use ffmpegx to convert the .wmv file to [what format??] and then drop that into iMove and burn? Or convert it to [what format???] and then drop it into Toast? What should the file look like in Toast? Usually, when I burn DVDs in toast there are two folders, VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS. How do I convert the .wmv file to that?

I was hoping this was an easy task that could be managed in a dozen clicks or less, without becoming an expert on a hundred different codecs and conversion guidelines.

Very frustrated, but very grateful for any help you can provide.
...

Also, iMovie rejects the .mpeg file, saying it cannot be parsed. If I try to drop the original wmv file into iMovie, flip4mac seems to kick in, because the imported clip says in LARGE letters "created by flip4Mac" which ruins it for viewing.

[lawnman]

Check out VisualHub. It's not developed anymore but you can find it.

[Case]

Instead, it creates a .mpg file.

That file will be empty. No conversion took place yet.

If I try to drop the original wmv file into iMovie, flip4mac seems to kick in, because the imported clip says in LARGE letters "created by flip4Mac" which ruins it for viewing.

They do that to promote the sale of their "Pro" version ($29). ffmpegX won't need the Pro version.

When fffmpegX successfully converts you WMV to DVD, it will first create an .mpg file, then "author" that into a DVD folder with a recognizable VIDEO_TS folder. You may drop that into Toast for burning.

Input #0, asf, from ' .wmv':
Stream #0.0: Audio: wmav2, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Stream #0.1, 30.00 fps(r): Video: WMV3 / 0x33564D57, 720x480
Codec type mismatch for mapping #0.0 -> #0.0

This is a log from using the "DVD ffmpeg" preset, not the "DVD mpeg2enc" preset. The error is saying that it gets confused if the audio (stream #0.0) is listed before the video (stream #0.1), if it doesn't get told about it.

--
(A) Open your source file in ffmpegX. Select the "DVD mpeg2enc" preset. Go to the Video tab. Set the framerate to "NTSC (29.97)" (ffmpegX's guess may be unreliable for WMV). Go to the Option tab. Make sure "Decode with QuickTime" is selected. Encode.

or:
(B) Open your source file in ffmpegX. Select the "DVD ffmpeg" preset. Go to the Video tab. Set the framerate to "NTSC (29.97)" (ffmpegX's guess may be unreliable for WMV). Go to the Audio tab. Select "Invert mapping" (this refers to the stream numbering). Go to the Option tab. Make sure "Decode with QT" is selected. Encode.

About the framerate: In general, it is usually best to keep the target framerate the same as the source framerate. Unless your source file is not 29.97 fps and your DVD player wants NTSC. Then you have no choice but to do a framerate change.

[Jeff555]

Thanks for your help. I followed your instructions, and used method A. It created a .wmv.ff.m2v file. Now should I drop that into Toast, or should there be a VIDEO_TS folder somewhere?

[Case]

It created a .wmv.ff.m2v file.

ffmpegX should have created more: the .m2v file is only the converted video. Are you sure it finished? There should also be an .ac3 file, an .mpg file and the DVD folder.

[Jeff555]

It worked! Thanks for all your help!