AVStoDVD Support Thread

[MrC]

Originally Posted by rendez2k

Can the average bitrate be set? It appears to be grayed out on the video settings? What I'm essentially trying to do is encode a bunch of videos that are sized according to bitrate rather than disc size.

Bitrate textbox is disabled because avg bitrate cannot be set, but it is calculated by AVStoDVD. I think it is better to define first the DVD layout (number of titles, DVD size, etc.) and then add titles to project.

BTW, if you want to fix the bitrate, you can calculate output size manually and then insert it in 'DVD Size'/'Custom'. Roughly:

OutputSize [MB] = (VideoBitRate + AudioBitRate) x 1000 / 8 / 1024 / 1024 x Time

Example: you want to encode a 1 hr (3600 s) clip and with 6000 kbps video and 192 kbps audio. Then your OuputSize will be:

(6000 + 192) x 1000 / 8 / 1024 / 1024 x 3600 = 2657 MB

Now:

1. Load AVStoDVD
2. Add your file
3. Select 'DVD Size'/'Custom'
4. Insert "2657" MB
5. Check bitrate in 'Edit Title'/'General'

You could see little differences because AVStoDVD takes care of extra space for authoring stuff.



Bye

[OAKside]

Thanks MrC. Have went from AVStoDVD, to FAVC, to The FilmMachine, and now primarily back to AVStoDVD.
Cleanest of them all, everything works smoothly. Working preview and SSA subtitles (mod AVS script) are icing.

With Aften it'll be close to perfect. Checking out the alpha, appreciate the constant updates.

[MrC]

Hi OAKside and thanks for your kind appreciations.

I have visited your site and noticed you are a good visual artist. What about to contribute to AVStoDVD with some graphical stuff? It could be: new icons set, menu backgrounds or maybe, for upcoming multipage menus, some nice navigation buttons (page forward, page backward, move to end page, move to first page, play all, etc.).

Everything would be very very appreciated and, of course, your name and your website will be put in the acknowledge section.

Let me know



Bye

[MysticE]

Well I hope I can still 'lock in' a 6000 kbps bitrate with the new version. I can only do this with QuEnc now.

From MediaInfo:

Video
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@Main
Format settings, Matrix : Standard
Duration : 3mn 39s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 5662 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 6000 Kbps

Trying the same with Hcenc (which I would prefer) I get this.

Video
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@Main
Format settings, Matrix : Standard
Duration : 9mn 0s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 5668 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 9000 Kbps

This hampers me when I go to do my final compilation in Womble MPEG Video Wizard as it sees '9000 Kbps' and doesn't allow me to add as many of the music vids I've prepared, without it wanting to re-encode the whole batch. Hopefully, at least QuEnc will still work like it has.

[rendez2k]

Originally Posted by MrC

Bitrate textbox is disabled because avg bitrate cannot be set, but it is calculated by AVStoDVD. I think it is better to define first the DVD layout (number of titles, DVD size, etc.) and then add titles to project.

BTW, if you want to fix the bitrate, you can calculate output size manually and then insert it in 'DVD Size'/'Custom'. Roughly:

OutputSize [MB] = (VideoBitRate + AudioBitRate) x 1000 / 8 / 1024 / 1024 x Time

Example: you want to encode a 1 hr (3600 s) clip and with 6000 kbps video and 192 kbps audio. Then your OuputSize will be:

(6000 + 192) x 1000 / 8 / 1024 / 1024 x 3600 = 2657 MB

Now:

1. Load AVStoDVD
2. Add your file
3. Select 'DVD Size'/'Custom'
4. Insert "2657" MB
5. Check bitrate in 'Edit Title'/'General'

You could see little differences because AVStoDVD takes care of extra space for authoring stuff.



Bye

Thanks Mr C - I'm away for a week now but I'll do a full test when I get back. I'm guessing you have no plans to add a custom bitrate feature? It would be handy when I want to use AVStoDVD to encode and author in a 3rd party program such as DVD Lab (using the output to elementary streams feature)

[MrC]

@MysticE

I have not understood well what is your concern: if Womble MPEG Video Wizard does not accept your mpeg2 files because it looks at nominal (aka max) bitrate and not at average bitrate, then the problem is within Womble MPEG Video Wizard...

@rendez2k

I will wait for your test and for a complete report (as usual). Thanks.
About using AVStoDVD as mpeg2 encoder tool and then using a third part sw for authoring, may I suggest a "strategy"?

1. Define how long (time) will be your DVD. i.e. 120 min
2. Define how big (size) will be your DVD. i.e. 4435 MB
3. Define how many titles will be stored in your DVD. i.e. 10x12 min
4. If you have at hand all titles, load them all into AVStoDVD setting wanted DVD Size. Select 'Output/Elementary MPEG2 Stream" and press Start.
5. If you don't have at hand all titles, and you want to encode one by one, then divide DVD size per your titles and put that number in 'DVD Size/Custom Size'. i.e. 443 MB per title. Of course option 4 is better.

The message is: forget bitrate and focus on filling DVD size. Leave AVStoDVD do the weird job to calculate the best bitrate for you.



Bye

[gizzin]

Speaking of aften, What kind of implementation would that require? MrC

I also agree with Mr.C, you just let the program figure out what the best bitrate is to fill up the dvd. He's giving you the way how you do it manual, which isn't that complicated. It wouldn't make much sense to add that as a feature, as it would just confuse the less advanced user. 95% of users probably want to fill the dvd anyways...

[MrC]

Originally Posted by gizzin

Speaking of aften, What kind of implementation would that require? MrC

Very simple indeed. If you look at 2.1.2 Alpha source code, you will find its implementation draft in the audio encoding section (modStart.bas file).

Just to do some testing by myself to finalize it.



Bye

[MysticE]

Originally Posted by gizzin

Speaking of aften, What kind of implementation would that require? MrC

I also agree with Mr.C, you just let the program figure out what the best bitrate is to fill up the dvd. He's giving you the way how you do it manual, which isn't that complicated. It wouldn't make much sense to add that as a feature, as it would just confuse the less advanced user. 95% of users probably want to fill the dvd anyways...

Really? There are many tools out there for "the less advanced user". Nero Vision, DVD Flick, ConvertXtoDVD to name just a few. Why limit a program's functions that offers encoder choices, Script modification etc? Your comment that you want it noob friendly (that being able to quickly lock in the bitrate is somehow "unfriendly") makes no sense to me.

[gizzin]

MysticE, I was referring to rendez2k. MysticE, so what your problem is you what to set a max bitrate for your encodes, by locking bitrate for all profiles? Ya I found this a little confusing at first. Unless you lock it in it will automatically choose with video profile to encode, and thats determined by the bitrate. If you want change the maximum bitrate do it in the audio/video tab where it has minimum and maximun avg bitrate. I'd never use anything but 2pass encode with HC. You can also choose what video profile, it the edit title, when you right click a specific title <-- thats what i normally do. I think this is what your asking right? I personally think mrc should get rid of the video profiles, and just have the choice what encoder you use. But he creates the video profiles with quality vs time, and he does it very well in my opinion. I guess that idea goes back to the ease of use thing. When you lock in a profile, your just using that specific profile for all bitrates...not the bitrates its showing. Also why is everyone using other authoring packages. the menu creation and muxman pretty good? no?

[ummus]

Sir, as per your suggestion, my system is formatted as NTFS. AVI files converted into DVD files fully 100%. But, at the time of burning that files in DVD, the Nero shows "DVD Video files reallocation failed. The resulting DVD Video might be unplayable. Do you want to continue?" Why Sir?

[MrC]

Originally Posted by ummus

Sir, as per your suggestion, my system is formatted as NTFS. AVI files converted into DVD files fully 100%. But, at the time of burning that files in DVD, the Nero shows "DVD Video files reallocation failed. The resulting DVD Video might be unplayable. Do you want to continue?" Why Sir?

Hi ummus. I have really few info to give you an answer. Maybe you can send me by email AVStoDVD project log file, or write here more detail on your project settings.

BTW, have you tried ImgBurn as burning sw? Does it complain about DVD video files? If not, and if the burned DVD is OK, I would be pretty sure that AVStoDVD is doing fine its work.



Bye

[manolito]

@ummus

"DVD Video files reallocation failed. The resulting DVD Video might be unplayable. Do you want to continue?"

This has always been one of the Nero messages you can safely ignore.
And as MrC said, IMGBurn is a much better burning software than Nero.

Cheers
manolito

[MrC]

Originally Posted by MysticE

Really? There are many tools out there for "the less advanced user". Nero Vision, DVD Flick, ConvertXtoDVD to name just a few. Why limit a program's functions that offers encoder choices, Script modification etc?

Ah, MysticE, you really know how to challenge me! You !

OK, I will add bitrate customization, but only title by title.



Bye

[rendez2k]

Originally Posted by MrC

Ah, MysticE, you really know how to challenge me! You !

OK, I will add bitrate customization, but only title by title.



Bye

If bitrate customization is hidden away in the video settings, I can't really see it confusing new users as most won't even look in there! If features for the advanced users can be added then why not? I'm sure we all want AVStoDVD to be the best!

And thanks yet again Mr C for considering adding it!

[gizzin]

I'm confused here, MysticE said he use to able to lock the bitrate, but now he can't? and so mr.c said he would add bitrate customization, but from what I read, He already did that somehow? I assumed he meant the avg bitrate...

[MrC]

I mean direct bitrate customization, in Title Edit window:

http://avstodvd.googlepages.com/AutoVideoBitRate.PNG

Does it accomplish your feat request, rendez2k & MysticE?



Bye

[rendez2k]

Originally Posted by MrC

I mean direct bitrate customization, in Title Edit window:

http://avstodvd.googlepages.com/AutoVideoBitRate.PNG

Does it accomplish your feat request, rendez2k & MysticE?



Bye

That does it for me! Can't wait for the update!!

[MysticE]

Originally Posted by gizzin

I'm confused here, MysticE said he use to able to lock the bitrate, but now he can't? and so mr.c said he would add bitrate customization, but from what I read, He already did that somehow? I assumed he meant the avg bitrate...

The earlier versions were quite a bit different. Back then I'd choose my encoder (HCenc) and max bitrate, output to mpg and run with it. I use it to convert various music videos of all types, PAL, NTSC VOB's (FS and WS), and various AVIs that I would then convert to 16:9 NTSC. It was a very quick process as most things were pretty much available from the main screen. These I would compile into DVDs with Nero Vision and later Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD which worked better as I could normalize the volume and standardize the audio to almost anything I wanted. Neither app would re-encode. The ability to tweak the script, preview the results and the addition of pulldown made it easier to use and more versatile than the older version of Mainconcept Enc that I was using, while maintaining the same or better quality.

The program has changed into quite a different animal now. I have to wait for the authoring process and then rename the resulting VOB (*****.mpg) and delete the rest, no big deal. I can lock QuEnc into 6000 kbps, but for some reason the nominal bitrate created by HCenc at 6000kbps does not agree with Womble anymore. I've finally found a rhythm to set/adjust/tick/untick/tab here/tab there the various things I need to do.... it took awhile (). I'll just trust Mr. C's judgement that at 6000kbps QuEnc is fine and run with it.

I think it's time to pony up with a Donation as this version does do what I need (works great for the occasional long running time Xvid movies I sometimes do) although I will be trying the new one.

[MrC]

@rendez2k

Be patient. Just some days of my onw testing.

@MysticE

I agree with you that AVStoDVD until release 1.2.3 was quicker when dealing with just one file. You can understand that flexibility and more features are (almost always) against speed.

Why do you need to have a muxed MPG file? Because Womble does not accept elementary mpeg2 streams? BTW, I suggest you not to rename VOB to MPG, because VOB files contains also some authoring info. If you really need a single MPG file, I would use ImagoMPEG-Muxer to mux m2v+ac3 files output by AVStoDVD.

And maybe, someday, you will see single MPG file output coming back...



Bye