Authored DVD plays 3 seconds audio/No video

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Gents and Fellow Forum Members:

I’m having an unexpectedly tough time burning a dvd (which should have been very simple to execute) with an MPEG-2 file that will play on a external/set-top box dvd player which is annoying me to no end and wasting lots of time. Maybe my file is corrupt (worse case) & will need to be redone from the master project timeline in CS3, however, before I go into my odyssey and trouble you gents in that respect I wanted to first demultiplex the file and tackle this bull from another angle.

So, what’s the best, easiest and most straightforward application here that will do the job well?

All suggestions welcome!

Thanks!

[guns1inger]

So you have an mpeg-2 file that plays, but you can't author it, or can't burn the authored version ?

Can you post a mediainfo of the mpeg-2 file ?

You can use rejig to demux the file

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

The quick, to the point answer is I attempt to "author" it using a wide array of standard tools (nothing unconventional & been down multiple paths) and then when I stick the resulting burn (std dvd disc) into my blu ray player, all it does is play the audio for about 3 seconds with no picture than crap out.

Yeah, maybe media info will find something out of order.

Coming right up!

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

General
Complete name : V:\Lee Jamieson Funeral.mpg
Format : MPEG-PS
File size : 4.08 GiB
Duration : 58mn 53s
Overall bit rate : 9 912 Kbps
Video
ID : 224 (0xE0)
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@High
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, Matrix : Default
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=15
Duration : 58mn 53s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 9 652 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Bottom Field First
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.932
Stream size : 3.90 GiB (96%)

Audio

ID : 192 (0xC0)
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 2
Duration : 58mn 53s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 224 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -67ms
Stream size : 94.3 MiB (2%)

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

This is a funeral I filmed last month and got to get it done ASAP because the family is asking about it!

[edDV]

So you shot DV and encoded with what?

The file appears nominal DVD complaint. The bit rate is near max spec but variable encoding may result in excessive bit rate spikes. I'd encode CBR at those bit rates.

So how are you authoring it?

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Gotta Ask:

In Rejig do I use file mode and how are the following parameters handled?

1) Re-Compress Job
2) Re-Compress All
3) 1 Pass/Recompression factor (%)
4) 2 Pass/Total Output Size (MB)

I don't know what does what & what is relevant to the task at hand.

thanks

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Hi EdDV

A belated Happy New Year!

This file was a result of using Adobe Media Encoder in CS3 to a dvd MPEG-2 compliant file.

I do not like the quality of CS3's direct "from the master timeline" burns so I go a different route to get there.

I tried using QuEnc, DVD Flick, Dvd Forge, ImgBurn and DVD Author GUI.

[intracube]

Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@High

I'm pretty sure DVD-Video doesn't support MPEG-2 Main@High (also called MP@HL). It should be Main@Main (MP@ML - Main Profile@Main Level).

The video will probably need to be re-encoded to change this.

[edDV]

Go back to DV master and encode to DVD spec. Pick your route.

[guns1inger]

If you don't like AME's mpeg-2 output you could output to DV, then use AVStoDVD to encode to DVD compliant elementary streams (select this from the Output option), then author with your tool of choice, or let AVStoDVD output a compliant DVD structure and burn with Imgburn.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Gunslinger, Thanks as always for your kind suggestion which I'll give a go. I hope it can author to dvd without futher re-encoding.

EdDV & Intracube: that being the case, I re-encoded twice once as seperate streams and the other as MPEG which is my preffered format.

Intracube: Thanks for the heads up as to the incompatibility issue which I'd like to digest and understand. Would you or any other forum member take a minute to two and explain to me what's the difference between a high profile as to how it impacts on the process and resulting quality (if any)and the "main profile" setting which is dvd spec? Thanks!

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Gunslinger, to clarify:

Premiere Pro is capable of producing a reasonable quality MPEG file considering what it is, however the quality deteriorates when you burn directly to a dvd from the project timeline as opposed to just compressing it with Adobe Media Encoder/Encore.

I permit PP to at least do the encoding but that where it stops.

[filmboss80]

Would you or any other forum member take a minute to two and explain to me what's the difference between a high profile as to how it impacts on the process and resulting quality (if any)and the "main profile" setting which is dvd spec? Thanks!

Read this:

http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#3.4

[neomaine]

... all it does is play the audio for about 3 seconds with no picture than crap out. ...

Bad media?

[redwudz]

Canon GL-2 Guy, in the future please use a more descriptive subject title in your posts to allow others to search for similar topics. I will change yours this time. From our rules:

Try to choose a subject that describes your topic.
Please do not use topic subjects like Help me!!! or Problems.

Thanks,
Moderator redwudz

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

I apologize Sir Redwuz.

Will do.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

I've used Verbatum and Memorex so far. The media appears to be good as the resulting dvd will play on my computer. However, it bombs out consistently on my BRay/DVD player!

Since this funeral service will be distributed widely amongst the family members concerned, naturally I don't want them to chance getting a dvd that's a coaster and useless.

[neomaine]

I'd dump the Memorex for sure. Verbatims should be OK. If you want dependability, TY only.

[edDV]

EdDV & Intracube: that being the case, I re-encoded twice once as seperate streams and the other as MPEG which is my preffered format.

When you encode high bit rate MPeg2, make sure you use a DVD VBR profile that limits bit rate spikes to DVD max rate (~9.8 Mb/s) or encode CBR. A general MPeg2 VBR profile may have bit rate spikes higher than DVD max spec.

[intracube]

Would you or any other forum member take a minute to two and explain to me what's the difference between a high profile as to how it impacts on the process and resulting quality (if any)and the "main profile" setting which is dvd spec? Thanks!

The MPEG-2 video standard has a wide range of features/capabilities. The profiles and levels define and limit these features for different applications. For example, 'main profile@main level' limits the resolution to 720x576:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpeg-2#Video_profiles_and_levels

Note: DVD supports a restricted version of MP@ML - the video bit-rate is limited to ~9.8Mbit/s, even though MP@ML supports up to 15Mbit/s. There are other restrictions for DVDs - GOP length, for example.

[Canon GL-2 Guy]

Thanks to all that contributed. That was very informative. I'll plan better for the next project with the above in mind.

AVS to DVD 233 did the trick!