DVD WORKSHOP TIPS & TRICKS

[bombart]

Hi guys,

<snip>
*********

To avoid re-encoding :

1 - Never trim (edit beginning or end of file ) inside DVDWS . Do all your editing OUTSIDE DVDWS, BEFORE importing your video file into DVDWS .

2 - Version 1.0 does not have the "Do not convert ..." option. So, when you go into MAKE DISC option, choose CUSTOMIZE and set the bitrate to something HIGHER than what you have used for encoding with TMPGEnc , CCE or whatever software you used. Set it to 9000 , for example. DVDWS will NOT re-encode your video .

*****************
<snip>

Hello Lula. I'm really hoping you or someone else in this forum can help me stop DVDWS from RE-encoding my files. I've tried ALL the above steps in DVDWS 1.2 to no avail.

Can you guys also tell me how long it takes in the final stage to get the dvd? What I mean is, in the final stage, I choose the output to the VIDEO_TS folder option. That's when it starts creating the menu files etc and it takes AGES at the "audio/video multiplexing" stage.... this means that it is reencoding right? It takes like an hour at this stage and then one more step for like an hour(sorry, can't remember exactly what it says during this stage... I just get fed up and leave) Anyways, so after you've make your chapter points and made your menus.... how long should it take to make the VIDEO_TS folder IF IT IS NOT REENCODING!


thanks a lot.

Bombart.

[Lula1]

Hi ,

Petraman : have e-mailed you the audio synch patch for version 1.0

bombart : I still use version 1.0 in order to avoid some bugs mentioned by people who installed the update patches . It will avoid reencoding if you proceed as I have already explained. Cannot garantee that for 1.2 or 1.3 since I did not install them.
As for the time, I don't have the numbers, I would have to observe and note down. But if it is reencoding ( step 4 , I think ) you will see it take a long time at that phase ( "converting video file", if I am not mistaken).

[Patric]

OK, my reencoding issues with DWS have been gone since I started using my own DVD template in TMPEG. The template uses VBR for high quality. The bitrates are average=6000, max=8000 and min=2000. When burning, in DWS in the Finish menu select 'Customize'. Then in the Compression menu, set 'Video data rate'=Average and kbps=6000. Then mark 'Do not convert compliant...'.

Copy/paste the text below into notepad, save as A_DVD.mcf into the folder Template within the TMPEG folder.

Cheers

Pat

object TMPEGConfigFile
MPEG.Text = ''
MPEG.WizardCategoryName = ''
MPEG.WizardSubFormatName = ''
MPEG.WizardCaption = ''
MPEG.WizardDescription = ''
MPEG.WizardTargetMedia = MPEGConfig_TargetMediaType_Unknown
MPEG.WizardAutoCalcVideoBitRate = False
MPEG.WizardAutoChooseList.EnableVideoSize = False
MPEG.WizardAutoChooseList.VideoSize = <>
MPEG.WizardAutoChooseList.EnableVideoGOP = False
MPEG.WizardAutoChooseList.VideoGOP = <>
MPEG.OutputStreamType = MPEG_OutputStreamType_System_VideoAudio
MPEG.OutputStreamType_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.StreamType = MPEGVideoEncoder_StreamType_MPEG2
MPEG.Video.StreamType_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.Width = 720
MPEG.Video.Width_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.Height = 576
MPEG.Video.Height_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.YUVFormat = 1
MPEG.Video.YUVFormat_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.DC_prec = 2
MPEG.Video.DC_prec_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.VideoEncodeMode = MPEGVideoEncoder_VideoEncodeMode_Interlace
MPEG.Video.VideoEncodeMode_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.FrameRate = 3
MPEG.Video.FrameRate_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.AspectRatio = 2
MPEG.Video.AspectRatio_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.RateControlMode = MPEGVideoEncoder_RateControlMode_VBR_2PASS
MPEG.Video.RateControlMode_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.MaxBitRate = 0
MPEG.Video.MaxBitRate_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.MinBitRate = 0
MPEG.Video.MinBitRate_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.MinAvgBitRate = 0
MPEG.Video.MinAvgBitRate_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.CBR_BitRate = 6000000
MPEG.Video.VBR_MultipassVBRAlgorithm = MPEGVideoEncoder_MultipassVBRAlgorithm_MultipassCQ
MPEG.Video.VBR_AvgBitRate = 6000000
MPEG.Video.VBR_MaxBitRate = 8000000
MPEG.Video.VBR_MinBitRate = 2000000
MPEG.Video.VBR_MaxPassCount = 2
MPEG.Video.VBR_Quality_P = 0
MPEG.Video.VBR_Quality_B = 20
MPEG.Video.VBR_EnablePadding = True
MPEG.Video.MVBR_MaxBitRate = 8000000
MPEG.Video.MVBR_MinBitRate = 2000000
MPEG.Video.MVBR_Quality_P = 0
MPEG.Video.MVBR_Quality_B = 20
MPEG.Video.MVBR_EnablePadding = True
MPEG.Video.AVBR_Quality = 50
MPEG.Video.AVBR_MaxBitRate = 8000000
MPEG.Video.AVBR_MinBitRate = 2000000
MPEG.Video.AVBR_EnablePadding = True
MPEG.Video.CQ_Quality = 65
MPEG.Video.CQ_Quality_P = 0
MPEG.Video.CQ_Quality_B = 20
MPEG.Video.CQ_MaxBitRate = 8000000
MPEG.Video.CQ_MinBitRate = 2000000
MPEG.Video.CQ_EnablePadding = True
MPEG.Video.VBVBufferSize = 229376
MPEG.Video.VBVBufferSize_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.GOP_SeqHeaderInterval = 1
MPEG.Video.GOP_SeqHeaderInterval_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.GOP_I_FrameCount = 1
MPEG.Video.GOP_I_FrameCount_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.GOP_P_FrameCount = 3
MPEG.Video.GOP_P_FrameCount_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.GOP_B_FrameCount = 2
MPEG.Video.GOP_B_FrameCount_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.GOP_BitStreamForEdit = False
MPEG.Video.GOP_BitStreamForEdit_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.GOP_MaxFrameCount = 15
MPEG.Video.GOP_MaxFrameCount_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.QuantizeMatrix_Intra_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.QuantizeMatrix_NonIntra_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.Profile = 4
MPEG.Video.Profile_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.Level = 8
MPEG.Video.Level_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.VideoFormat = 1
MPEG.Video.VideoFormat_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.DisplayWidth = 0
MPEG.Video.DisplayWidth_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.DisplayHeight = 0
MPEG.Video.DisplayHeight_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Video.MotionSearchSpeed = MPEGVideoEncoder_MotionSearchSpeed_Slow
MPEG.Video.MotionSearch_AlwaysHalfPel = True
MPEG.Video.UseFloatDCT = True
MPEG.Video.QuantizeMode = False
MPEG.Video.QuantizeModeVal_Intra = 35
MPEG.Video.QuantizeModeVal_NonIntra = 35
MPEG.Video.YUVBasicYCbCr = True
MPEG.Video.QuantizeMatrix_Intra = {
081013161A1B1D22101016181B1D222513161A1B1D22222616 161A1B1D222528
161A1B1D202328301A1B1D202328303A1A1B1D22262E38451B 1D23262E384553}
MPEG.Video.QuantizeMatrix_NonIntra = {
10111213141516171112131415161718121314151617181913 14151617181A1B
14151617191A1B1C151617181A1B1C1E1617181A1B1C1E1F17 18191B1C1E1F21}
MPEG.Audio.StreamType = MPEGAudioEncoder_StreamType_MPEG1_Layer2
MPEG.Audio.StreamType_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.SamplingFrequency = 48000
MPEG.Audio.SamplingFrequency_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.ChannelMode = 0
MPEG.Audio.ChannelMode_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.CantUseMono = False
MPEG.Audio.BitRate = 384000
MPEG.Audio.BitRate_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.CalcCRC = True
MPEG.Audio.CalcCRC_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.OriginalFlag = False
MPEG.Audio.OriginalFlag_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.CopyrightFlag = False
MPEG.Audio.CopyrightFlag_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.PrivateFlag = False
MPEG.Audio.PrivateFlag_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.Audio.EmphasisType = 0
MPEG.Audio.EmphasisType_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.System.StreamType = MPEGSystemEncoder_StreamType_MPEG2_Program
MPEG.System.StreamType_ReadOnly = False
MPEG.System.EnableCommentText = False
MPEG.System.CommentText = ''
end

[Zacron]

Great thread.

I´ve got three questions:

1.) (and most important) Is it possible to make a DVD using DVD Workshop with different bitrate videoclips on the same DVD?
(for example one in 8000, another in 5000?)

2.) After a clip is finished playing can you somehow tell Workshop to go to a speciffic menu, and not the main it came from before activating play?

3.)
Can you play two clips in a row without menu´s between (not including the "First Play" option)?

Thanx.
-Zacron 8)

[Lula1]

Hi Zacron,

1 - I don't remember. I would have to check

2 and 3 - Yes it is possible. Read it at page 61 of the PDF Manual. Quite simple.

[Robert Simandl]

1.) (and most important) Is it possible to make a DVD using DVD Workshop with different bitrate videoclips on the same DVD?
(for example one in 8000, another in 5000?)

Not only can you do different bitrates, you can do different resolutions, too. I recently made a disc of three episodes of Alias. Two of them were 720x480 4000kbps that I captured.

I missed the third one, so I got it from Kazaa, 352x280. Don't remember the bit rate, but it was less than half the other two.

Other than the really obvious quality difference, no problem making the disc in DVD Workshop 1.3.

[youtwo2]

I NEED SOME INFORMATION I have dvdworshop it is possible to do ac3 in a SVCD or only mpg2 (5.1 ) surround sound. And with software can do it wav to ac3 or mpg2 (5.1) i no some LiKE BESWEET or HEADAC3HE BUT wich one or orderone it is better for doing that ? AND IS TO DO IT

[bmiller]

I've captured an Mpeg2 using the dvd settings in ati all in wonder,vbr 8000kb/s .It's a 2 hour pbs program.It plays fine on powerdvd.The file is 4 gb. I imported the file into dvd workshop,created all the meus and buttons i wanted.In the finish step i selected create image.It indicated 6 hours plus to make the image.I selected cbr 8000kb/s and selected don't reencode compliant file.
I let it run overnight and when i got up it had crashed.I tried it again,at 6 hours,and when it finished step 1,it was at 100%,and just sat there for an hour with 40 min. left on the time indicator.
Is there a way to save this file outside of dvd workshop,and prevent the reencoding.I've read on this thread to select a higher bitrate,to prevent this,but i don't have any options with a captured 8000 kb file.
Thanks for any help

[leebo]

Hate to pose yet another question rather than a tip, but hopefully it will result in a tip.

Anyone know of a way to create new templates for Workshop at resolutions other than the ones currently available?

I capture TV shows from satellite using a Pioneer DVR-7000 set top DVD recorder. There are several resolutions available, inc. 480X480, which generally are not standard DVD resolutions.

I copy these clips to my HD and author them to DVD-R. But the only program that allows me to author these non standard captures w/o re-encoding, in IFOEdit. These newly authored discs play on ALL players.

But IFOEdit does not allow menus. Workshop and others insist on re-encoding to 720X480, 352X480 (or whatever).

So, knowing that many other resolutions will play on all players makes me wonder why these other programs don't allow for this.

Seems to me many people with SVCD's (480X480) would benefit from this.

[bmiller]

Well i fixed the reencoding problem.I did the editing in tmpge,and then imported the file into dvd workshop.No more encoding.
I burnt the project ,and i have no audio.The audio plays in workshop,and the disk i made plays in powerdvd,but not on my dvd player.It was recorded at 48khz mp2.Should it have been 44khz?
Not sure what to do now.

[dvcd]

leebo:
1. author in ifoEdit, get result in folder ifoVIDEO_TS
2. author in UDW (and let it re-encoding), get result in folder VIDEO_TS
3. move vob files from ifoVIDEO_TS to VIDEO_TS.
replace?yes.
4. update the ifos with make-it-easy.
read details in guide "copy to dvd-5 with menu..."

[leebo]

Thanks for the tip.
However, I think there is a mis-understanding (either you or me).

I want to author a DVD using non DVD resolutions (but resolutions that play on any DVD player anyway), WITHOUT re-encoding but include menus.

As I said, IFOEdit will author these non DVD compliant mpegs (such as 480X480) without re-encoding, and any DVD player will play them. But IFOEdit dosn't do menus.

DVDWS will take all day to re-encode these mpegs to either 352X480 or 720X480.

[igalan]

I burnt the project ,and i have no audio.The audio plays in workshop,and the disk i made plays in powerdvd,but not on my dvd player.It was recorded at 48khz mp2.Should it have been 44khz?
Not sure what to do now.

Probably your DVD player doesn't support mp2 audio tracks. Not all NTSC DVD players support Mpeg1-Layer 2 audio, in this case you have to use PCM audio (much larger file, so the video may not fit without higher compression)...

[dvcd]

leebo: did not misunderstand
1. you get 480x480 vob in ifoVIDEO_TS
2. you get 720x480 vob in VIDEO_TS, and menu in VIDEO_TS
3. replace 720X480 vob with 480x480 vob (and keep menu)

[bmiller]

Igalan,you.re right.What i did to get around it is in dvd workshop,i selected vbr,8000 kb,which is the same as the original file,and also selected lpcm.In the next screen i selected create dvd directory,and dvd workshop proceeded to reencode the audio only,and not the video.My file size increased from 4.0gb to 5.1.
I then loaded the file from the video_ts folder into instantcopy,and burned a dvd from there.Everything worked out perfectly.I couldn't cut any more video,so this was the best approach.
I was surprised that dvd workshop only re-encoded the audio though.This method saved hours of time re-encoding the whole file in tmpge.the video didn't need re-encoding as it was already dvd compliant.
Maybe someone has a different approach,like re-encoding in tmpge as alower bit rate,but everything looks ok.

[MikeInNM]

Reading many post as to why DVD Workshop uses this "odd" size for menu templates and the troubles that this causes people.

I work with photos and sizing quite a bit and I too struggled with this understanding. Consider the following standards:

PAL 720 x 576
NTSC 720 x 480

Due to Computers using round pixels and TV's using square ones it is accepted that if you want your 720 x 480 TV image to appear properly it should be designed on the computer at 720 x 540, then uncheck the aspect ratio and reduce it (squish) to 720 x 540. Won't look right on the computer but it will look right on the TV.

The Ulead menus offer only one choice of size for backgrounds. Same menus for PAL and NTSC in a "one size fits all" scenario. Also you notice none of these "stock" menus are lifelike. In other words no humans, no faces, no pets, nothing that would really appear incorrect if it were squished.

I think Workshop uses this "unique" 768 x 576 size because it reduces in aspect ration to 720 x 540 perfectly (pre-squish size) and it can also be used for PAL because of the 576 width.

NTSC TV = Taller than Wide Pixels.
PAL TV = Shorter than Wide.

[bmiller]

I found out my toshiba 3750 doesn't like mp2 audio,but does like lpcm.The problem is the audio file size is huge.I converted it to ac3,but dvd workshop won't import ac3,and it won't play on powerdvd.It does play in windows media player.
Is ac3 a compliant dvd audio type for dvd players.I'm looking for an audio compression that will play in a set top box?
I see that ulead has a ac3 patch,but it's expensive.
Thanks.

[Lamont Cranston]

I converted it to ac3,but dvd workshop won't import ac3,and it won't play on powerdvd.It does play in windows media player.

DVDWS with the 1.3 patch will import a muxed mpeg2 with ac3 audio but not ac3 as an elemental stream. If you want DVDWS to play the ac3 you need to add PLAYAC3=1 to the DVDWS.ini file and have a ac3 codec installed in your system (PowerDVD...). If you have elemental streams, MV2 and ac3, you can mux them with TMPGEnc. The muxed mpeg2 file with ac3 audio can be imported into DVDWS 1.3. Make sure you have Do not convert checked on the burn page.

- LC

[bmiller]

I find it rather odd that my dvd player will play xvcd's made with mp2 audio,and a dvd encoded with mp2 audio will not play. It is clear that the dvd player will play mp2.Power dvd will not play it either.
Is this because it's a dvd and not vcd?I hope that it will work with ac3,so i can compress the large pcm audio files.

[igalan]

It's odd that you can have MPEG2 audio in a xvcd and not in DVD... Anyway if you don't want to speng GB on uncompressed audio I see no other way except to use ac3 audio. Since Ulead DVDWS 1.3 won't encode to ac3 (unless you spend big bucks on the AC3 version), the best way is what Lamont Cranston suggests: remux the AC3 stream with Tmpgenc, and author with DVD WS 1.2 or 1.3. Be sure that the muxed file will fit on a DVD-R, to avoid reencoding.

[heula]

Anybody figured out how DVD Workshop will accept dts sound files?

[bmiller]

I tried a clip with ac3.I de-multiplexed in tmpge,re-encoded the audio to ac3 in Besweet,and the multiplexed with tmpge.Loaded it in dvd workshop,made a couple of templates,and burned to disk from workshop.It didn't reencode anything in workshop,and the audio plays fine.

[heula]

I know how to make my movies with ac3 in workshop but now I'm trying to make them with DTS and that is not accepted by workshop.

I make my dts files with Surcode dvd dts pro.

[frogster]

Thanks to Lula1 for this thread.

I've been using this prog for a couple weeks and I haven't encountered the "reencode" problem. i creat a template at the desired resolution and use a higher bitrate than my input mpeg files.

one question i would like to ask is, can you create a menu so that a single item will play a sequence of mpeg files?

[frogster]

I'm still trying to figure out if and/or how to have a single button initiate play of a sequence of mpegs

as a test, i joined 5 mpegs together with tmpgenc. it seemed to work well, but the end of the joined mpeg missed a portion of the last mpeg joined. i must have hit the filesize limit or something.

[capitola]

I have this particular problem with Ulead authoring products I wonder if anybody have experienced. During chapter creation, I could not specify a particular frame I want to use as it jumps to the next I-frame (in my case, the next 10 frames). This is no good as I could not capture the exact moment to set a chapter. This know problem is caused by using software encoding programs (like TMPgenc in my case) in the way the GOP is setup. I have values I = 1; P = 4; B = 1. Should I be using I-frame only or other setting to avoid this problem? What would be the drawback? Thanks in advance.

[bmiller]

In the past i have been using ati mmc 7 for capturing my videos.I thought i'd try dvd workshop.I can see the video in the preview window,but i can't hear any audio.I have the capture audio selected.
My ati card is internally wired to my soundblaster on the cd audio in plug.I have cd audio as the source in mmc 7,and it plays fine.
In dvd workshop,the source defaults to" what you hear",and when i try to select cd audio,the apply button is greyed out and i can't change it.
Anyone run in to this problem before.
thanks

[tauzlns]

I am trying to make a dvd with 4 separate svcd files so it will play on my dvd player. After I have finished all the converting of audio and everything I add the videos to the lineup in dvd workshop 1.3. But when I try to create a dvd directory it shows my files being multiplexed. When I went to test the vob files my second movie has been attached on at the end of one movie. When I burn these files will the video return to menu after the first movie or will it just continue right onto the next movie? oh yea I also marked each file "Last Menu" under the After Play option.

[bmiller]

Well i finally got the audio problem solved.I thought i would install the upgrade patch to 1.3.It installed ok but my mpeg capture settings disappeared.The only plugin is the directshow plugin,and before i had the mpeg plugin to choose from.Is this normal after the upgrade?
I installed the patch to the dvd workshop file the installer defaulted to.
If it is i'll go back to 1.0
Thanks for any input.

[meandhers]

I've enjoyed reading this thread, and have not used this proggy for DVD, but have for SVCD before.
To make a DVD, can I just drop and drag Mpgeg2 encoded for DVD like I could for SVCD, or do I need to IFOedit and make VOBs?
Thanks