Dual layer DVD created on PC freezes

[fotyc]

I'm not very technically smart about video... so pardon me if this is a dumb question. I am converting some of my old VHS tapes to digital and burning them to DVDs, and today I tried my first one that was too long to fit on a standard 4.5gb DVD. I have some dual layer Verbatim (DVD+R DL) disks for longer items.

I captured the whole thing, 2 hours and 25 minutes of digital video, then used the tool that came with my capture device (ArcSoft Total Media, I know it's junky but it's worked so far) and set a chapter break and then output my DVD image to my computer.

Finally I used ImgBurn to burn it to a DL disk. It didn't offer me any options to break the layers or anything but it did recognize I had two chapters. It burned fine with no errors.

When I play back the disk (I'm currently using VLC media player), it plays fine till it gets to a certain point (approximately 1 hour 40 minutes so I am guessing the end of the layer), then the video freezes but the audio continues to play and the minute/second count still moves. If I click ahead into the rest of the movie, I get a still image for the place I clicked, but it never resumes moving or asks me to turn over the disk.

What have I done wrong? I have a Samsung laptop, Windows 10, and the DVD R/W drive that came with the PC (Matshita DVD-RAM UJ8D1). I have searched for firmware updates for that drive but cannot find anything.

Is my problem related to how I burned the disk, how I'm trying to play it, or something else? I suppose if all else fails I can manually split the movie over two regular sized DVDs, but I thought I'd ask an expert audience... Thanks!

[sum_guy]

I'm thinking the problem is most likely the Arcsoft total media, ImgBurn rarely fails to burn a DL disk for me and many others. I don't know what your capture output format is, but it would be best if you ran the output, i.e mpeg, avi, etc... through AVS2DVD and then burn the DL with ImgBurn again.

[fotyc]

Thanks, I will try that. The ArcSoft software captures as MPEG, which won't open in some video editors so I have to export it via the Produce function, which puts a VIDEO_TS folder on my hard drive that I then use to burn from. (I hope that makes sense.) I tried to play the MPEG in Windows Media Player and open it in Windows Movie Maker, and in both I got it to play but saw no video, only got sound. Unfortunately, the ArcSoft software seems to be the only thing that will capture from the Diamond VC500 I am using.

[turk690]

If ImgBurn didn't give layer break options (a DL disc in the drive notwithstanding), then the DVD image file size might have been small enough to fit onto just one layer or there is just one title set with no chapters (layer breaks can only be between titles or on chapters). Relatedly, it's possible to put 2hrs 25mins of video onto a single-sided 4.7Gb DVD if a low-enough bitrate is chosen during encoding (>4Mb/s, with one 192kb/s sound, calculated from http://dvd-hq.info/bitrate_calculator.php).
With a valid DVD image file size larger than 4.7Gb and a DL blank in writer, ImgBurn presents explicit options on where to put the layer breaks. Ideally, the image should be written 50% on each layer. But it's rare for title breaks and chapters to coincide with that spot, so a rating system with multi-color stars show layer breaks from average to best, with a test player included for you to check each potential one and see if it's acceptable for you. The clue therefore is to have as many chapter points on the title around the point where the layer break might occur to give ImgBurn ample choice. There is also an option for "seamless" layer break, for DVDs to be played on players that support it (currently, namely, ALL).
What I'd do now is to inspect how big the VIDEO_TS folder is that ArcSoft made, then make a *.ISO file of it with ImgBurn. Mount this iso file with a virtual drive program (like Virtual CloneDrive) to mimic how an actual DVD burned from it will play, and note if it behaves like the DVDs burned after the fact.

[fotyc]

Actually, ImgBurn did show me a page with layer break options, and it looked to me like it recognized my chapter break so I thought I went on and accepted it. The break was at one place, and the spot it always freezes is about 20 minutes further on.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will keep this for when I have time to sit by the computer again and give it a go.

[DB83]

Well you said it yourself in reply #3.

The issue is not imgburn. The problem is the capture process. Some softwares will create non-compliant dvd mpeg which then must be remuxed for authoring.

Are you by any chance capturing to the same drive as your OS ? That itself is not recommended.

But in the first instance, load the captured mpeg into avstodvd. There is a setting in that about not re-encoding compliant mpeg. I would de-select that. If you do not, and it is compliant, it will just send the video as is to its muxer.

Test the authored dvd - HDD folder - in vlc. If there is still an issue you will have to recapture the footage.

[fotyc]

Yes I am capturing to my one and only drive, I'm not sure performance would be adequate capturing to a USB hard drive so I don't have a choice. I will play with it in avstodvd and see where I can get with it. All the DVDs I made that were under 2 hours were fine, this is the first one that has been too big for a single ordinary DVD. If I can't resolve this, then my longer VHS tapes won't be capturable by this method. Thanks...

[DB83]

If you must cap to your system drive then consider what else is running or could be running during the capture process.

Disconnect from the internet. Close down any AV and other background services. It does sound like a program is interrupting the flow of data.

Even so, capping to an external device should be fine unless you have a really old PC with only usb1 connection.

[fotyc]

load the captured mpeg into avstodvd. There is a setting in that about not re-encoding compliant mpeg. I would de-select that. If you do not, and it is compliant, it will just send the video as is to its muxer.

Is the setting "Keep MPEG DVD Compliant Video"? Is that the one I should uncheck?

[DB83]

^^ Yes.

[fotyc]

OK I have been playing with this for awhile and so far it's working well, it re-encoded the video and it plays in the preview window and I was able to give it my chapter choice, I wanted to place it somewhere between scenes instead of having it choose a chapter mechanically; I deleted all the chapters except the one I want to use - it's able to use less than the full first side of the DL disk, I hope! We'll see how the output plays once it's done creating the files. If this works, I will be able to convert my other longer VHS tapes by this means. Thanks!

[DB83]

Best to check the encode in a player tho such as VLC and not just rely on an internal one.

Quite easy to import the created folder in to imgburn. There is no direct author/encode/burn process.

[fotyc]

Yes I will play it in VLC before I waste a third Verbatim DL disk on this...

[fotyc]

OK I tested the VIDEO_TS folder in VLC, it played perfectly at all points I skipped to, knew the chapter division I created, and looked fine. There is a separate AUDIO_TS folder in the same directory as the VIDEO_TS folder - is that right? Do I need to do anything to be sure I get audio on my DVD? I didn't get a separate AUDIO_TS folder before when I created a DVD on my HD.

[DB83]

The audio_ts folder is empty and you can safely burn a disk without it.

I always include it tho just incase you had a fussy player that looks for that folder. It should be ignored.

[fotyc]

OK, one more question (I hope the last...) I chose my chapter break intentionally to come between scenes, like it would have in the theater... I brought up my DVD folder in ImgBurn and ran Calculate, with a DL disk in the drive, and got the dreaded 'end of the world' message:

E 17:20:26 Unable to find any cells that could be used for the layer break!
E 17:20:26 The minimal size of this image is 4118613 sectors.
E 17:20:26 The layer break must be between sectors 2031701 and 2086912.
E 17:20:26 Sector 2031701 falls within VTS_01 (Title), which starts at sector 359.
E 17:20:26 Relative to the start of VTS_01 (Title), the layer break must be between sectors 2031342 and 2086553.
E 17:20:26 Relative sector 2031342 falls within PGC 1, Cell 1, which starts at relative sector 0 and ends at 2133940.
E 17:20:26 Relative to the start of Cell 1, try splitting between sectors 2031342 (3967.46 MB) and 2086553 (4075.3 MB).
E 17:20:26 Operation Failed! - Duration: 00:00:21

Does this mean I have to redo the entire DVD production and somehow make a better guess at where to break the chapters, or else let it randomly split it in the middle of a word? I split a 2:25:00 movie at approximately 1:18.

I see ImgBurn lets you specify a layer break, but I specified it as a frame # in AVStoDVD and I don't know how to translate the frame # to a sector/cell?

[DB83]

But did you select one that was offered to you or try to chose one yourself and ignore the choices ?

The dialog clearly states that the layer break can only be set at a limited place irrespective of your chapters.

I do not do dual-layer but I would have thought that a chapter can span layers. But you can not set the layer before the allowed points.

There is a support thread for the program and is well contributes to by the program's author.

[fotyc]

Thanks... I guess I need to regenerate my DVD image and not get creative... I think I was actually trying to set the layer after the allowed points. I think I know what to do now.

[fotyc]

My problem seems to be solved... DVD burning now. My biggest problem seemed to be that AVStoDVD built an image larger than the size I configured - the AVStoDVD guy said I needed to set a custom size of something like 7900mb. That led to the creation of a DVD with size of 8200mb and it fits on my DL. I kept the chapter list generated by AVStoDVD and also added a number of my own choosing to that list, and when ImgBurn showed me my choices of breaks there were two and one of them was the one I set. Thanks for the help and for pointing me to the other forum as well.

[fjordgirl]

Hi..i have a question similar to the one above.. i have home video in mpg format.. i converted it to a video_ts folder but when i used imgburn it tells me end of the world and i have no option to set a break point. how do i go about fixing this problem? thanks..

[Kerry56]

Hi..i have a question similar to the one above.. i have home video in mpg format.. i converted it to a video_ts folder but when i used imgburn it tells me end of the world and i have no option to set a break point. how do i go about fixing this problem? thanks..

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?/topic/6376-how-to-deal-with-the-end-of-the-world-p...em-in-imgburn/

[fjordgirl]

i did that. when i reopen the new file in imgburn it tells me there is a new area that needs to be split and i just keep going in circles. i never do get the option to actually pick a split in imgburn

[hech54]

If there are no chapters in your original video clip(one, large lump of video) then burning programs have an almost impossible task of trying to pick a layer break which will appear seamless when played back.

[fjordgirl]

how do i make chapters then? and sorry if this is already covered.. im new to this site and not sure how to go about it.

[hech54]

how do i make chapters then? and sorry if this is already covered.. im new to this site and not sure how to go about it.

It has to be done in whatever you used when you "converted it to a video_ts folder".