Having 1 million problems burning DVD (1 Viewer)

[Vince Maskeeper]

Basically it all boils down to this:

I want to join 50-60 clips on one disc as a single title with chapter breaks. I went round and around trying to do this with 5 different apps, and failed.

So, I wanted to just put them into an editor like vegas or premiere and export a new clip as a whole (and use a cheap dvd software item to make the chapters). I have 2 types of MPEG2 files I'm trying to join- ones I exported from Vegas, and ones I exported from TMPGenc.

The problem is Vegas will not recognize the TMPGenc files, and Premiere 6 will not open either.

TMPGenc will open the vegas files- but their join function is not useful to me:
1) I'd like to add a title card to each clip.
2) The audio files are seperate- so I can join the video, but not the audio.

I just wanna be able to open my files (which read fine in media player by the way)- drop them into an editor and output a standard MPG2 file. This seems, so far, to be impossible.

Any suggestions?

 

[Brian Teal]

I have used VirtualDub to merge AVI files, and I believe that it would work the same way with mpegs. You might have to multiplex the audio files to their respective clips before you merge them, though.

Try www.doom9.net for many guides and extremely helpful forums on video conversion.

 

[John_Berger]

My Ulead Media Studio Pro works just fine. I've done exactly what you're talking about numerous, numerous, numerous times since I prefer to make my DVDs as a large, single MPEG-2 file with each segment as a different chapter.

MSP 7.0 handles 16:9 editing as well, which is really nice if you're trying to make an anamorphic DVDs.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

John,

Can you outline exactly which apps you use, top to bottom?

I am having tons of problems, and am going to try Ulead Studio- but anticipate further issues...

I'm imagining that the Ulead engine doesnt do VBR MPG2 files? If not, how do you create them- do you export AVI from Ulead and then encode MPEG2 somewhere else?

Also, I have Ulead DVD Workshop-- and the one thing it can't seem to do (besides join the damn files on one title) is attach an audio file to a video file. TMPGenc does, what I think is standard, and exports the vid and aud as seperate files. But Ulead DVD Workshop can't attach an audio file to a video file...

So if I get Ulead Studio I could create VBR files by exporting AVI and then encoding in TMPGenc, but I'll end up with sep aud/video streams which ULead DVD seems retarded about.

Ugh.

-V

 

[Rob Gillespie]

An easy way would be to concatenate the .avi files together using VirtualDub, then run the, through whatever you use to process into MPEG2. It would then just be a case of adding the chapter points when you author the disc.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

The problem with this is several fold:

1) I was kinda hoping to add title cards for each clip-- which I dunno if I could link the files with jpegs between. I could get over this desire, if it weren't for other problems, like...

2) The files are not AVI, but MPG2. Also, the MPEG 2 files came from 2 different MP2 encoders (the one in Vegas and the one in TMPGenc)-- and unfortunately I can't find anything that can read both (aside from Ulead DVD Workshop, which can't join the files and can't attach audio stems to video files). I'm wondering if Virtualdub could read MP2 to join them at all, let alone these two different MP2 types.

3) The files have audio and video in different files, so I dunno if Virtualdub can join the audio and video files-- and if not, I'll be stuck trying o drop the finished video into ANOTHER NLE to add in the sound files, and syncing up by hand. And even moreso- it seems that the only decent DVD app I can find that works is Ulead DVDworkshop- and, although it seems to be the standard way to do it, Workshop can't link audio to video files.


So, I'm a little lost as to the best way to do this. I thought I did the right thing: I prepared all of my clips as MPEG2 files with separate video/audio files--- only now it seems that getting these clips onto a DVD is pretty much impossible. I'm amazed at how obtuse and clumsy this whole process seems to be- I'm amazed that 2 different mpeg2 engines create completely different types of files- and each type is only recognized by a handful of applications.

Welcome to the wave of the future.

 

[John_Berger]

I use Pinnacle Studio for capturing, since I have the Studio Deluxe with the AV/DV bridge. So, I have no choice but to use Studio.

I use Ulead Media Studio Pro for editing and creation of the final DVD-ready MPEG file. Versions 6.0, 6.5, and 7 all handle MPEG-2 natively.

I'm now starting to use Ulead DVD Workshop for DVD authoring, although the Dolby Digital and 16:9 functions of Sonic DVDit still have great appeal, depending on the project. The DVD Workshop AC-3 add-on is just way too expensive at this point. From what I understand, DVD Workshop can do 16:9 DVDs if you manually activate the "Advanced" function, which really seems stupid to me. I mean, if the product has all of these features, DON'T HIDE THEM!!

The only other thing is that I use Sound Forge to extract the audio from the AVI files to WAV where I normalize and when necessary equalize the audio. At that point I load up each video file in Media Studio Pro, turn off the audio for the video clip, add the normalized WAV file, then do the same with the remaining clips.

Afterwards, I create one large DVD-ready MPEG-2 file.

So if I get Ulead Studio I could create VBR files by exporting AVI and then encoding in TMPGenc, but I'll end up with sep aud/video streams which ULead DVD seems retarded about.

I don't understand why you'd even want to do this. Create the final MPEG-2 file in Mediao Studio Pro, add each segment as a chapter in DVD Workshop, and just make sure to check the "Do not convert compliant files" when writing so that it doesn't go through the useless process of re-rendering. There should be no need to work with AVI at all except for the source files, and there is definitely no need to bring TMPGenc into the picture from what I can see.

Too bad that you live in Ohio. I'd say "Come on over" and I'd be glad to show you the whole process. :frowning:

 

[John_Berger]

The files have audio and video in different files, so I dunno if Virtualdub can join the audio and video files-- and if not, I'll be stuck trying o drop the finished video into ANOTHER NLE to add in the sound files, and syncing up by hand.

With MSP, just place the audio file (I'm assuming WAV) in the appropriate location in the audio time line. Done. When you create the final MPEG-2 file, everything is joined/overlayed/etc.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

This was my assumption- but doesnt seem to be the case.

Sonic foundry products (Vegas, Sound Forge, DVD Architect) won't recognize the TMPGenc exports at all. DVD Workshop reads the video okay, but since TMPGenc exports vid/aud as two different files, Workshop had no way to rejoin them.

I guess I'll track down a copy of Ulead Media 7 and see what I think- it might be the solution to all the problems-- ironic, since when I think Ulead, I think cheap kmart software. Guess my judgements are about to be updated.

-V

 

[John_Berger]

ironic, since when I think Ulead, I think cheap kmart software. Guess my judgements are about to be updated.

I first got MSP 5.2 when I bought my old Matrox Rainbow Runner capture system, and I absolutely love it. I'm going to sound like a Ulead marketing person but I really think that it is a very underrated company.

Yes, there are some things that Premiere can do that MSP can't, but there are some things (truly useful things) that MSP has been able to do for a while that Premiere only recently started to do, namely native MPEG-2 conversion. I've even made some video projects that had no less than six video elements at one time! Sure, it took a while to render all of those overlays, but it did it without a hiccup.

Full D1, half D1, NTSC, PAL, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, QuickTime, blue screen effects - I've made them all. (Blue-screening was so unbearably easy that I was embarassed when I found it. I kept trying different complicated things to do simulate it, and found out that a right-click and two left clicks are all that I needed to do. ) V7.0 also has 16:9 functionality where the preview window is a real 16:9 aspect ratio so that you can see exactly what the frame is supposed to look like without having to mentally extrapolate the image in a 4:3 window.

Discounting available plug-ins, I would rank Media Studio Pro up there with Premiere - honestly. I'm sure that some people are ready to faint at that statement, but it's true.

I think that the K-Mart software idea is valid because a lot of their products are meant toward the home user. Media Studio Pro and DVD Workshop are probably the only two desktop products of their entire line that are meant for power users. Those aren't products that you'd see in K-Mart.

 

[Ken Chan]

since TMPGenc exports vid/aud as two different files, Workshop had no way to rejoin them.

A DVD authoring program that can't read separate audio files is pretty low-end. But TMPGEnc has a built-in multiplexing tool to recombine the video and audio.

I seem to recall Vegas (is this 4.0?) not liking video-only MPEG files. Once you put the video and audio back together, try reading that with Vegas again.

//Ken

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Ken- can you point me to this tool? When I open Tmpgenc I get wizards- and can't really find my way around.

-Vince

 

[John_Berger]

Hey- when you export your files, do you do AC-3 audio? I tried that and DVD workshop sees it (it is listed in properties)-- but I dunno if it will work on the disc properly.

I use whatever is part of MPEG-2 files, which I doubt is Dolby Digital AC-3 but rather standard MPEG digital audio. DVD Workshop natively supports only PCM or MPEG audio. The rather expensive AC-3 add-on is the only way to truly support Dolby Digital 2.0 in DVD Workshop.

 

[John_Berger]

When I open Tmpgenc I get wizards- and can't really find my way around.

If you cancel out of the wizard and go to the main program, the bottom should give you the option to select the audio file, the video file, the output file, and the stream type. The System (Audio+Video) stream type should create a single MPEG file.

Use the Setting button to select the type of video and its attribute (bit rate and so forth) that you want to use.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Media Studio 7 has an option under the setup for the media type to select audio type and bitrate, and it does AC3. Will try it in Powerdvd and see if it works.

-Vince

 

[Ken Chan]

Media Studio 7 has an option under the setup for the media type to select audio type and bitrate, and it does AC3

That might be just a flag setting for tagging the audio when it gets burned to the disk, for audio encoded by a separate program. If you were actually encoding AC-3, you'd probably know; the program would mention it and show a progress bar or something.

If you're serious about making DVDs, you should look into AC-3, because PCM takes a lot of bitrate, and MPEG audio (usually MPEG Audio Layer II, "MP2" as it were) is not part of the NTSC DVD standard, although some players might support it.

In addition to what John said, there is/was a separate multiplexing tool, off the main menu. It might have been "Tools", which brought up a tabbed dialog with a mux, demux, splitter, and joiner. I don't have it installed here, but I can check later. Which version are you using?

//Ken

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I have several AC3 encoders/decoders- but of course, how to encorporate them into the files, attach them to be burned, etc-- i assume will be more trouble than it is worth.

 

[John_Berger]

I have several AC3 encoders/decoders- but of course, how to encorporate them into the files, attach them to be burned, etc-- i assume will be more trouble than it is worth.

Is the AC-3 sequence 2-channels or 5.1? If it's 5.1 I don't know that DVD Workshop will handle that, but in truth I've never tried either.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Ok, after spending 2 months reencoding video files, setting up chapter markers, designing menus- i finally finished my video DVD project in Ulead.

Went to create the disc, it runs for about 8 seconds and says CANNOT CONVERT VIDEO FILE, gives and error number and stops. I'm guessing I should go back and re-encode all my video files without AC-3?

I've tried leaving the box checked for not re-encoding compliant files (although the main editor setup does not allow for AC-3 files, just LPCM and MPEG)... it also makes you set bitrates, when all these files were VBR coming out of Ulead's own editor.

The worst part, of course, is that i can find no real help for this program (despite even posting on their forums)-- and that the only help online is for COPYING DVDS!

Ugh

-Vince

 

[John_Berger]

If you're talking about DVD Workshop, I believe that there is some modification that needs to be done to the .ini file to allow incoming AC-3.

Are your files already DVD-ready? If so, make sure that you have the "Do not convert compliant files" option checked.