Advice on conveting mp4 to mpeg2 for dvd

[LMotlow]

You'll see many script variations. Your mp4 source is already YV12, so you don't need the Convert line. I used this in Avisynth:

vidpath="F:\forum\littlebase22\A\"
aud = ffaudiosource(vidpath+"mp4 sample.mp4")
vid = ffvideosource(vidpath+"mp4 sample.mp4")
audiodub(vid,aud)
AssumeFPS("ntsc_video",sync_audio=true)

ColorMatrix(mode="Rec.709->Rec.601")
Crop(170,0,-166, 0)
Blur(0.3,0.5)
QTGMC(InputType=1,preset="very fast")
Spline36Resize(704,480)
return last

The rest was TMPGEnc Plus 2.5, then TMPGenc MPEG Editor v3 for AC3 audio. I made progressive and interlaced versions. Both look the same IMO. Will try them sometime on my older DVD player circa 2002. I still see earlier compression noise, but didn't address it. I also left a small black border remnant on the bottom of the frame (sorry, got in a rush and didn't notice).

Your new m2v encodes look much better than earlier. Nice work. You might note that DGIndex generates an AC3 audio file for each d2v. You can post them for someone to take a look.

[littlebase22]

Appreciate you testing out the video yourself Lmotlow.

Figured out the audio im just encoding with the audio output ffmpeg safemode. Re encoded again with the blur down a little but. Before it was at 0,1.25 now I set it at 0,1.20 and used spline36resize and hcenc 2 pass. I think its the best ive done yet.

http://files.videohelp.com/u/237173/sample%201.demuxed.m2v
http://files.videohelp.com/u/237173/sample%202.demuxed.m2v
http://files.videohelp.com/u/237173/sample%203.demuxed.m2v

[LMotlow]

All three clips look pretty good to me. That wire frame gridwork came out well, those can be tough to clean up. That segment isn't in the mp4 sample, so I couldn't play with it. Some of that twitter is in the original, which makes it even tougher.

Anyway, for what it's worth (had some time to waste this morning) .....

Downscaling is tricky, and so is re-encoding. I made a standard def BluRay version of the mp4 at high BD-compatible bitrates to illustrate that high bitrates, even from a clean low bitrate original, can get good quality up to a certain point -- beyond that you get diminishing returns. I used 9000 target VBR, 15000 max. I used 16-bit dithering for the Spline36 resize. Slows processing quite a bit. The link is a biggie (sorry), 133MB. mp4_SDBDi.m2t

Going from 1920x1080 down to DVD can be even more ornery. Another member posted this hi-def TV capture converted to 16:9 DVD. Higher bitrates really won't get you much more than seen here. Only 33MB DVD standard this time, @29.97 telecined 6500 kbps VBR: AVCHD_DVD_01_R3.mpg

[littlebase22]

Wow LMotlow that standard def blu ray file came out amazing. I appreciate you playing around with it but the audio doesn't play for some reason on my computer? maybe I need a codec or something it just plays a cracking noise. Im actually waiting for a blu ray writer to come in the mail so when im ready for that ill get your help on that.

Edit When changing to lav the audio works in the video you posted.

[LMotlow]

Audio plays on mine. It's standard Dolby AC3 and looks like OK sync. I just re-tested on 3 different players and a USB stick on my Oppo (Looks kinda smeary on VLC player, but I never cared much for that player anyway). Maybe a problem with playing .m2t on your setup? It's encoded as BDMV (i.e, MPEG2 for BluRay, not h264).

I used a different denoiser for the BluRay, a mod of MVDegrain2 posted here a while back by 2BDecided. Slow as hell. For the 16-bit resize you'd need the dither Avisynth plugin. And used other tricks like blurring luma only instead of luma and chroma:

savechroma=last
Blur(0.5,0.8)
MergeChroma(last,savechroma)

Sometimes it helps, sometimes not.

The 16-bit dithered resize (helps prevent banding and other chroma problems. Depends on the video):

Dither_convert_8_to_16 ()
Dither_resize16 (720,480, kernel="spline36", cplace="MPEG2")
DitherPost()

But work like that takes a toll on time and isn't always worth it.

I see in a post elsewhere that you might have LAV and some other package? You should use one or the other. LAV screwed me up.

[littlebase22]

Ok update. I uninstalled ffdshow and lav now im using haali media splitter. I noticed when encoding the video while either lav or ffdshow was ticked the video had a fade in sort of at the beginning and it would be cut out, I notice when haali is default the video encodes with the video fade in. Im guessing that caused the audio delay. Only thing now is I have to select for audio is ffmpeg safe mode. Without the blur in script when I use wavi+aften the audio encodes sometime and sometime I get an error message saying ERROR: audio channels or incorrect 6 vs 2 or 2 vs 6 I cant remember then it goes into safe mode. When I add the blur in the script and use wavi+aften I don't get the error message but audio I sped up like the chipmunks and I have to select ffmpeg safe mode manually. Why do I get that error message and why wont the audio encode normally with wavi+aften when I put blur in the script?


Edit: I so downloaded ffdshow again but only downloaded the audio decoder to try and prevent the problem from above happening. Did like a 15 sec test run and the video encoded with the fade in and audio seemed ok. Encoding again will let you guys know that outcome.

[LMotlow]

My workflow is almost completely different from yours (no MeGUI), so don't have an answer. But it'll get straightened out.

[littlebase22]

Ok seemed to figure it out. Encoded again and everything in sync!!! What I did was just install the ffdshow audio decoder. I think the problem was the video wouldn't encode with the fade in,audio not being in sync and got messed up cause of everything installed like ffdshow audio and video, lav, and haalii. So I uninstalled lav, and ffdshow video decoder. Just used the a2d sources and used hcenc 2 pass with blur and 36resize. It seems ok! Heres my graph picture does it look right?




Should I pick directshow or ffmpeg source over a2d? It seems like it did a good job for video and audio. I never messed with them settings besides the audio source when it would messed up. But removing all them decoders and splitters I think solved it. Just have now ffdshow audio decoder and haali.