Converting videos for Smart Rendering with TMPGEnc Authoring Works

[cp2k]

I need some tips/advice on converting videos into a format that is "Smart Renderable" with TMPGENC Authoring Works in case I want to burn them to Blu-Ray discs.

Most of my recordings are off air 1080p which take a lot of space in their native MPEG2 format. I've been converting them to 720p H.264 videos with VidCoder using a bitrate of about 4500. These play fine, but if I later want to author any of them to Blu-ray TMPGEnc totally re-encodes them again.

I've been reading about the manual setting adjustments for VidCoder and Handbrake and have tried them, but still cannot get a compatible file.

The closest I have gotten is leaving the files at 1080 and converting them, but TMPG still rejects them for the reasons shown in the screenshot.

My question is how can I get VidCoder or ffmpeg to re-encode them in a manner that will allow me to check all the boxes?

Here is what I've tried so far in VidCoder & Handbrake itself:

These are TV recordings so they're 29.97fps. I've tried using keyint= to set the GOP rate to be below the limit, but it hasn't worked so far.
I've also tried using vbv-maxrate to keep the bitrate below the limit (which works) and vbv-bufsize but no matter what I use for vbv-bufsize it still says "No VBV" on the file.

I've read in various places that your vbv-bufsize should be 1.5x the maximum bitrate, or 2x the maximum bitrate. In my case my actual bitrate is 4500, but it sees it much higher for some reason on the file. What should I use for vbv-bufsize and vbv-maxrate?

I'm open to any advice/suggestions anyone can offer. I would prefer to use VidCoder since I am use to it, but it seems to refuse to set the VBV Buffer. I'm open to using ffmpeg if that is an option. I've just never dealt with it directly before.

[ProWo]

You have to encode with profile high, not main also.

[cp2k]

You have to encode with profile high, not main also.

When I switch to "High" it breaks everything as far as Smart Rendering goes. Right now I'm using VidCoder with the following advanced options:

keyint=30:no-open-gop:vbv-maxrate=20000:vbv-bufsize=25000

No matter what I try it refuses to set the vbv-bufsize though, it always leaves it blank.

Here is the latest screenshot. Everything is perfect except for the blank vbv-bufsize


[Attachment 63568 - Click to enlarge]

[poisondeathray]

Right now I'm using VidCoder with the following advanced options:

keyint=30:no-open-gop:vbv-maxrate:20000:vbv-bufsize:25000

Is that a typo ? colon should be "="


keyint=30:no-open-gop:vbv-maxrate=20000:vbv-bufsize=25000

[cp2k]

Right now I'm using VidCoder with the following advanced options:

keyint=30:no-open-gop:vbv-maxrate:20000:vbv-bufsize:25000

Is that a typo ? colon should be "="


keyint=30:no-open-gop:vbv-maxrate=20000:vbv-bufsize=25000

Sorry it is, I have it set as = in VidCoder

[poisondeathray]

Is vidcoder not passing the commands?

what does mediainfo (view=>text) say about the vidcoder output?

Or use x264.exe

Also in that screenshot is "progressive sequence"; technically not legal either - although it's not flagged in your screenshot. It needs to be encoded mbaff or flagged interlaced, maybe tmpgenc is doing that somewhere (29.97 progressive , flagged progressive is not legal for BD)

[cp2k]

Here is the media info. It appears to be passing it, it just isn't recognized:

General
Complete name : H:\zVidcoder\1.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp42/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 9.93 MiB
Duration : 20 s 21 ms
Overall bit rate : 4 161 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2022-02-26 17:19:53
Tagged date : UTC 2022-02-26 17:19:53
Writing application : HandBrake 1.5.1 2022011000

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, RefFrames : 4 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 20 s 20 ms
Bit rate : 3 992 kb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 (30000/1001) FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.064
Stream size : 9.53 MiB (96%)
Writing library : x264 core 164 r3065 ae03d92
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=12 / lookahead_threads=2 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=30 / keyint_min=16 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=37 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=4000 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / vbv_maxrate=20000 / vbv_bufsize=25000 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2022-02-26 17:19:53
Tagged date : UTC 2022-02-26 17:19:53
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 20 s 21 ms
Source duration : 20 s 11 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 161 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 392 KiB (4%)
Source stream size : 392 KiB (4%)
Title : Stereo
Language : English
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1
Encoded date : UTC 2022-02-26 17:19:53
Tagged date : UTC 2022-02-26 17:19:53
mdhd_Duration : 20020

[poisondeathray]

nal_hrd=none

You're missing --nal-hrd vbr ; and you should use --bluray-compat for BD

[cp2k]

bluray_compat=1 fixed it, now TMPGENC Authoring Works sees it as smart renderable.

Thanks guys, I knew it was something simple but so few people still author Blu-Rays this way it's hard to get good feeedback.