DVDAuthorGUI Problem...

[beckmen]

OK, I have tried this on two different computers, tried different projects, tried turning off 'ignore errors when authoring', defragged my HDD, restarted and terminated everything I could think of..but still, every time I hit 'Author DVD' I get...

++ WARN: [???] Target data rate lower than computed requirement!
++ WARN: [???] N.b. a 20% or so discrepancy in variable bit-rate

Then at some point it fails. I am at a loss here. My other computer's HDD benchmarks at like 60mbs to 100mbs, but this still happens. Does anybody have any insight? Here is the full log from the most recent failure (probably the 8th or 9th time I have tried to do it):

DVDAuthorGUI 1.021 - 2/2/2010
Send problems with DVDAuthorGUI to liquid_217@hotmail.com
***please wait while the titles are multiplexed.
*(mplex)multiplexing title: 2.....
INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $)
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\101.demuxed.m2v looks like an MPEG Video stream.
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\101 T80 2_0ch 192Kbps DELAY 0ms.ac3 looks like an AC3 Audio stream.
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\Episode 1 - Commentary 1_redux.ac3 looks like an AC3 Audio stream.
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\Episode 1 - Commentary 2_redux.ac3 looks like an AC3 Audio stream.
INFO: [???] Video stream 0: profile 8 selected - ignoring non-standard options!
INFO: [???] Found 3 audio streams and 1 video streams
INFO: [???] Selecting dvdauthor DVD output profile
INFO: [???] Multiplexing video program stream!
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Video stream e0 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\101.demuxed.m2v)
INFO: [???] VIDEO STREAM: e0
INFO: [???] Frame width : 720
INFO: [???] Frame height : 480
INFO: [???] Aspect ratio : 16:9 display
INFO: [???] Picture rate : 29.970 frames/sec
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 9574000 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Vbv buffer size : 229376 bytes
INFO: [???] CSPF : 0
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: AC3 Audio stream 00 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\101 T80 2_0ch 192Kbps DELAY 0ms.ac3)
INFO: [???] AC3 frame size = 768

INFO: [???] AC3 AUDIO STREAM:
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 24576 bytes/sec (192 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: AC3 Audio stream 01 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\Episode 1 - Commentary 1_redux.ac3)
INFO: [???] AC3 frame size = 768

INFO: [???] AC3 AUDIO STREAM:
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 24576 bytes/sec (192 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: AC3 Audio stream 02 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\101\Episode 1 - Commentary 2_redux.ac3)
INFO: [???] AC3 frame size = 768

INFO: [???] AC3 AUDIO STREAM:
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 24576 bytes/sec (192 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] SYSTEMS/PROGRAM stream:
INFO: [???] rough-guess multiplexed stream data rate : 10373400
INFO: [???] target data-rate specified : 10080000
++ WARN: [???] Target data rate lower than computed requirement!
++ WARN: [???] N.b. a 20% or so discrepancy in variable bit-rate
++ WARN: [???] streams is common and harmless provided no time-outs will occur
INFO: [???] Run-in Sectors = 91 Video delay = 13312 Audio delay = 0
INFO: [???] New sequence commences...
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 237568 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] STREAM bd completed @ frame 34550.
INFO: [???] STREAM bd completed @ frame 34589.
INFO: [???] STREAM e0 completed @ frame 33359.
INFO: [???] STREAM bd completed @ frame 34785.
INFO: [???] Multiplex completion at SCR=100145737.
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 222785 frame=033359 sector=00560919
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 1024 frame=034785 sector=00013252
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=034550 sector=00013163
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=034589 sector=00013178
INFO: [???] VIDEO_STATISTICS: e0
INFO: [???] Video Stream length: 1133659704 bytes
INFO: [???] Sequence headers: 2225
INFO: [???] Sequence ends : 0
INFO: [???] No. Pictures : 33360
INFO: [???] No. Groups : 2225
INFO: [???] No. I Frames : 2225 avg. size 64139 bytes
INFO: [???] No. P Frames : 8896 avg. size 49216 bytes
INFO: [???] No. B Frames : 22240 avg. size 24870 bytes
INFO: [???] Average bit-rate : 8147200 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Peak bit-rate : 10780800 bits/sec
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 15 Buf max 217783
INFO: [???] AUDIO_STATISTICS: bd
INFO: [???] Audio stream length 26715648 bytes.
INFO: [???] Frames : 874190104
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 67 Buf max 12739
INFO: [???] AUDIO_STATISTICS: bd
INFO: [???] Audio stream length 26535168 bytes.
INFO: [???] Frames : 34551
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 67 Buf max 12739
INFO: [???] AUDIO_STATISTICS: bd
INFO: [???] Audio stream length 26565120 bytes.
INFO: [???] Frames : 34590
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 67 Buf max 12739
INFO: [???] MUX STATUS: no under-runs detected.
*(mplex)multiplexing title: 3.....
INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $)
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\102.demuxed.m2v looks like an MPEG Video stream.
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\102 T80 2_0ch 192Kbps DELAY 0ms.ac3 looks like an AC3 Audio stream.
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\Episode 2 - Commentary 1.ac3 looks like an AC3 Audio stream.
INFO: [???] File C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\Episode 2 - Commentary 2.ac3 looks like an AC3 Audio stream.
INFO: [???] Video stream 0: profile 8 selected - ignoring non-standard options!
INFO: [???] Found 3 audio streams and 1 video streams
INFO: [???] Selecting dvdauthor DVD output profile
INFO: [???] Multiplexing video program stream!
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Video stream e0 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\102.demuxed.m2v)
INFO: [???] VIDEO STREAM: e0
INFO: [???] Frame width : 720
INFO: [???] Frame height : 480
INFO: [???] Aspect ratio : 16:9 display
INFO: [???] Picture rate : 29.970 frames/sec
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 9574000 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Vbv buffer size : 229376 bytes
INFO: [???] CSPF : 0
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: AC3 Audio stream 00 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\102 T80 2_0ch 192Kbps DELAY 0ms.ac3)
INFO: [???] AC3 frame size = 768

INFO: [???] AC3 AUDIO STREAM:
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 24576 bytes/sec (192 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: AC3 Audio stream 01 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\Episode 2 - Commentary 1.ac3)
INFO: [???] AC3 frame size = 768

INFO: [???] AC3 AUDIO STREAM:
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 24576 bytes/sec (192 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: AC3 Audio stream 02 (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\WorSub DVD Project\102\Episode 2 - Commentary 2.ac3)
INFO: [???] AC3 frame size = 768

INFO: [???] AC3 AUDIO STREAM:
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 24576 bytes/sec (192 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] SYSTEMS/PROGRAM stream:
INFO: [???] rough-guess multiplexed stream data rate : 10373400
INFO: [???] target data-rate specified : 10080000
++ WARN: [???] Target data rate lower than computed requirement!
++ WARN: [???] N.b. a 20% or so discrepancy in variable bit-rate
++ WARN: [???] streams is common and harmless provided no time-outs will occur
INFO: [???] Run-in Sectors = 91 Video delay = 13312 Audio delay = 0
INFO: [???] New sequence commences...
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 237568 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16384 frame=000000 sector=00000000
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=36689042 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 176082 frame=012214 sector=00139627
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14947 frame=012733 sector=00004851
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14947 frame=012733 sector=00004851
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14947 frame=012733 sector=00004851
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=36824210 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 190779 frame=012258 sector=00140494
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14755 frame=012781 sector=00004869
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14755 frame=012781 sector=00004869
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14755 frame=012781 sector=00004869
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=36869266 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 182441 frame=012273 sector=00140783
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14947 frame=012796 sector=00004875
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14947 frame=012796 sector=00004875
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14947 frame=012796 sector=00004875
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=36914176 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 211414 frame=012288 sector=00141071
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14371 frame=012812 sector=00004881
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14371 frame=012812 sector=00004881
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14371 frame=012812 sector=00004881
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=36959232 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 200967 frame=012303 sector=00141360
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14563 frame=012828 sector=00004887
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14563 frame=012828 sector=00004887
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14563 frame=012828 sector=00004887
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=37004288 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 200955 frame=012318 sector=00141652
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16003 frame=012841 sector=00004892
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16003 frame=012841 sector=00004892
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16003 frame=012841 sector=00004892
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=37049344 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 197209 frame=012333 sector=00141941
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16195 frame=012857 sector=00004898
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16195 frame=012857 sector=00004898
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 16195 frame=012857 sector=00004898
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=37094400 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 190358 frame=012348 sector=00142227
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14371 frame=012875 sector=00004905
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14371 frame=012875 sector=00004905
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14371 frame=012875 sector=00004905
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=37157449 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 170529 frame=012370 sector=00142633
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 15139 frame=012896 sector=00004913
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 15139 frame=012896 sector=00004913
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 15139 frame=012896 sector=00004913
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=37202505 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 190765 frame=012384 sector=00142922
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14563 frame=012912 sector=00004919
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14563 frame=012912 sector=00004919
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14563 frame=012912 sector=00004919
++ WARN: [???] Stream e0: data will arrive too late sent(SCR)=37247561 required(DTS)=0
++ WARN: [???] Video e0: buf= 192329 frame=012399 sector=00143211
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14755 frame=012928 sector=00004925
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14755 frame=012928 sector=00004925
++ WARN: [???] Audio bd: buf= 14755 frame=012928 sector=00004925
**ERROR: [???] Too many frame drops -exiting

Process aborted due to above error
There was an unknown error. Please review the log for more information.

[video_magic]

Hello, try this.

Get the newest version of DVDAuthorgui from here (version 1.023) as you use 1.021 :
http://download.videohelp.com/liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl?p=download

And get the free encwavtoac3 version 4.5 from here:
http://code.google.com/p/wavtoac3encoder/downloads/list

Save your project first in dvdauthorgui!, then come out of it and completely uninstall it. Restart Windows.

Install the new version of DVDAuthorgui 1.023

Load your project which you saved. Try and author your DVD. If it still doesn't work, try remaking your audio file/files using the encwavtoac3 and a bitrate of 256 if you have the space (your audio in your project which you can't author may be corrupted or out of spec somehow? ).

Of course then try it again with the new AC3 audio you made.

If it still doesn't work, check your project its' self for DVD compliance (bitrate spike in your video m2v or m1v stream?) - if applicable could you reencode respecting a maximum bitrate value of 7400?.

[beckmen]

Tried installing the new version, but it does the same thing. Then I tried using encwavtoac3 to convert the audio, but when I plug it in and try it does the same crap. However, I authored a DVD of just the main titles and their audio tracks and it worked. So I am thinking you might be on to something with thinking the root of the problem is with the additional audio tracks. They are kind of hinky. I am going to try plugging them in (one by one) to Womble and authoring a disc with JUST the commentary...then demuxing and seeing what happens when I use that ac3 file.

EDIT: It worked at first, but then when I did it for the first two episodes, it fails again. I think I might be giving up on using this software and looking for something else...

[manono]

It looks to me like you're getting buffer underflows from having all the bitrates together sometimes go over the limit. Did you use some video encoder like TMPGEnc that doesn't honor the max bitrates you set? I see 2 alternatives, reencode the video setting a lower max bitrate, or drop one of the audio tracks.

You can also do a quick mux using Muxman and when it aborts, check the log in the root of the C Drive. You'll also find out in the process if there's something funky about your audio files as it won't accept them in the first place if there is.

[liquid217]

I am tending to agree with manono, that you are going over the data rate limit. You can try one of the other muxers that DVDAuthorGUI uses, by selecting them under 'tools' (tcmplex, or download ffmpeg). More than likely, they will have a similar error. Looking at mplex, it reads from the header that the bitrate for your video alone is:
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 9574000 bits/sec

That doesn't leave you much room to add multiple audio channels, not to mention the multiplexing overhead.

[beckmen]

Well, I ripped the titles from DVDs, and the DVDs always worked and played just fine. I used DVD Shrink to rip to the HDD (turned off vob parsing, or whatever you call the 1gb chunk thing) then DGIndex to demux the streams.

I've never messed around with changing the bitrate of a video stream before, don't know if I have the tools for the job. If there alternate DVD authoring software out there (free or fully functional trial) that will alter the bitrate automatically so I don't need to re-rip everything ten more times? I have already spent so many hours ripping, converting, reconverting and muxing that I am starting to lose my mind.

[liquid217]

As I mentioned previously, try one of the alternative multiplexing engines I include in DVDAuthorGUI (tcmplex or download ffmpeg). If you don't already have ffmpeg, download it from here:
http://ffmpeg.arrozcru.org/autobuilds/
and drop the ffmpeg.exe in the bin directory where DVDAuthorGUI is installed. From what I have been testing, ffmpeg does very well for multiplexing. Mplex is rather old, so it may be reading something wrong.
Most of the free dvd authoring tools use the same multiplexing engine(s) that DVDAuthorGUI uses, with the exception of muxman.

[beckmen]

OK, I tried using ffmpeg and it authored OK...but the alternate audio streams are not on the disc. Regardless of me importing them, and DVDAuthorGUI seeing them (saw tracks 1, 2 and 3 as options when I was doing the menus), the end result only had the master audio.

Trying tcmplex now, but I already noticed it said something about PAL, when it's a NTSC project. Will report back when it finishes, but don't have much hope of this working, either...

[liquid217]

Agh. That was my mistake. Yes, there was a bug where DVDAuthorGUI would not handle multiple audio streams correctly when using ffmpeg. I had fixed the problem, but had never released the new version. Here is the link:
http://download.videohelp.com/liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl?p=download

Sorry about that... Too many irons in the fire.

[beckmen]

tcmplex didn't work. I would have said this sooner, but I tried 5 or 6 times to post a message and it wouldn't go through.

It's 6:15AM. Logic dictates I should go to bed. But I am going to try installing 1.024 and trying to author again...because sometimes I don't know when to call it a night and pick it back up tomorrow. Will report back...IF the forum decides to work.

UPDATE:
Seems to have worked fine. Burning to DVD to test it in a set-top player. Will have to re-author since there are still tweaks to be made, but now there is hope where once there was none.

liquid217, what handle shall I credit you for under the DVD's special thanks?

[liquid217]

So it worked under ffmpeg? (with 1.024 i would assume). I've been considering packaging ffmpeg with the GUI, and having it as the default multiplexer.
And thanks for the credit, although none is really necessary. liquid217 is fine if you do though.

[beckmen]

Yeah, it was ffmpeg that finally did the trick.

Like I said, I am going to tweak some stuff, fix a menu (forgot to put the text for a button on one of them), etc and then there is two other discs in the set. So I will let you know how that stuff goes.

UPDATE:

Before I go on, I will explain that this is a public access comedy show that my friends and I do. So when I refer to episodes, or commentaries, or whatever...you know what I mean.

OK, a few issues that I don't understand:

I have the nav commands set to go to the next episode when any given episode ends (episodes are on their own title). Episode 2 goes into episode 3 fine, but episode 1 just freezes when it gets to the end. Happened with two different authors.

For some reason on my editing computer (way better at encoding stuff) whenever I start DVDAuthorGUI, SmartSound Installation comes up. Which is weird, since SmartSound is already installed...I was using it earlier tonight. I end up having to rapid-click cancel a bunch of times until it gives up.

Bah, the other stuff I will look into tomorrow, it's possible that I did something wrong. Problem is, my PowerDVD hates these files, so in order to test the disc I need to actually burn it off and put it in my BD player. Two discs down (thankfully DVD-5s, so I am not losing much money) already with problems. I guess that's the way it goes.

[liquid217]

Try doing a full install of DVDAuthorGUI. the "SmartSound Installation" sounds vaguely familiar. Seems like it was an activeX component issue. It isn't anything I use with DVDAuthorGUI. You didn't say what OS you are running, and it isn't in your profile. Information like that can help track down those type of issues. Anyway, googling it, shows several people have this come up on unrelated software. They seem to recommend updating it, and it will correct itself.
As to using a software player, I can't recommend VLC enough. It is one of the best open source players I have ever used.