Authoring --> I already encoded the file!!!

[cradix]

Why am I spending all this time worrying about encoding an MPG properly from an AVI to be just the size I want with just the right amount of quality, only to have DVDit or DVD Workshop come right on by and muck it all up again?

What's the best practice for taking an AVI to a DVD? Why do the authoring apps want to rencode your MPG if it's already encoded? I realize it's gotta do whatever it does to get its VOB, but how do I tell it to, for the most part, LEAVE MY MPG ALONE!

I guess my real question is: Why go though all the trouble of encoding an AVI if the authoring program insists on encoding again?

Thanks guys.

[cyberfox]

Well, I know this problem. Because my packaged-delivered Pinnacle Impression DVD SE don't support writing on DVD+R medium, I'm now trying out several other authoring programs. Yesterday I tried Ulead Power Tools which is the same as Ulead Workshop DVD but in german.

My problem is, that my Adobe Premiere isn't able to export MPEG2-Streams with the video AND the audio track in one single file. It's always creating two separate files. Now I've exported the material without encoding it into MPEG2 but leaving it in the DV-format. Then I used Ulead Power Tools to encode it before burning a DVD+R. Unfortunately the DV-Codec needs 19 GB for a 90 minute video!!!!

If you get some answers to your question, would you be so kind as to inform me via eMail?

Timo Rohrberg
mailto: timo.rohrberg@gmx.de

[bugster]

Authoring WITHOUT re-encoding. Plenty of apps do it. Ulead DVD workshop will do it, I don't use it but have read somehwere the trick is to set the 'quality' settings to values above those used in your mpegs, then it will not re-encode.

Same with DVDit, there is a way to stop it re-encoding. Can't remember the details but search the forums for details.

Other Authoring packages that don't automatically re-encode. Dazzle DVD complete, Spruce, there must be others.

Hope this helps.

[cradix]

That makes sense and seems pretty simple if you're using CBR, but what about a 2 pass VBR MPG?

The only option for VBR in DVD Workshop is "Variable" at XX bitrate. How does this compare to TMPGEnc's 2 Pass VBR with 6000 MAX, 2000 MIN, 3000 AVG? What about a 3 Pass using CCE?

If the video settings are identical, but I have DVD workshop reencode the audio at a different bitrate, would that make it reencode the video, too?

Thanks so much!

[bugster]

cradix wrote:

That makes sense and seems pretty simple if you're using CBR, but what about a 2 pass VBR MPG?

The only option for VBR in DVD Workshop is "Variable" at XX bitrate. How does this compare to TMPGEnc's 2 Pass VBR

Just set the XX value to equal to or greater than the MAX used in TmpGenc.

If the video settings are identical, but I have DVD workshop reencode the audio at a different bitrate, would that make it reencode the video, too?

Don't know about that, suggest you try it, I reckon you should be OK, but thats just a guess.

[cradix]

Just set the XX value to equal to or greater than the MAX used in TmpGenc.

What do you know? That worked!! Thank you so much, bugster! I'm still not sure if just reencoding audio forces a reencode of video or not, but I'm not going to worry about it.

Thanks again. --Matt