Conversion of AVCHD video to MPEG 2 ( DVD )

MattAdamson wrote on 12/25/2009, 11:58 AM

I'm trying to convert some edited M2TS ( AVCHD ) files from my Canon HF10 camera to MPEG 2 so I can distribute them to friends with a standard DVD player with a SD television.

Unfortunately some of the video files seem to hang if I simply add the single M2TS file to the timeline, then select render as and use the MPG 2 option. If I try one of the many available conversion tools e.g. http://www.emicsoft.com/mts-converter.html it converts fine so it seems an issue in Vegas.

Has anyone else experienced this issue? If so do you know workarounds / alternative solutions to achieve the same result? I'm not concerned with creating a full DVD menu just having raw files which can be played on a DVD player. MPG2 usually plays fine hence why I chose that format.

Many thanks

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 12/25/2009, 1:25 PM
Unfortunately some of the video files seem to hang if I simply add the single M2TS file to the timeline, then select render as and use the MPG 2 option.

More information is needed. Full details of your original files, complete render settings, system information, Vegas version, that kind of thing.

Also, "seem to hang" is not descriptive. Exactly what happens, what error messages do you get, and how are you able to reproduce the behavior?

If what you are really describing is the MPEG-2 render remaining at 100% and not seeming to complete for a while, this is normal. It is working on the audio. Leave it alone, and check back later . . .
BudWzr wrote on 12/25/2009, 4:22 PM
Use AviDemux, Vegas is not a transcoder.

Also, you need to resize the frames, probably lower the fps to 30, and transcode the audio to AC-3 or PCM.

Luckily, AviDemux does all this and much more.

Enjoy!

P.S. FREE and User Friendly
Sebaz wrote on 12/25/2009, 4:44 PM
Use AviDemux, Vegas is not a transcoder.

Vegas IS a transcoder. As long as it accepts the source format, and you want to export to any of the formats in the Render As dialog, it transcodes to any of them.

I never had any problems exporting a timeline from files recorded in my Canon HF100 to DVD. Just make sure that the deinterlacing in the project settings is set to "interpolate fields" to preserve the interlacing correctly.
BudWzr wrote on 12/25/2009, 4:57 PM
OK, whatever.
MattAdamson wrote on 12/26/2009, 12:25 PM
Thanks Budwzr

However I'd really like to use Vegas pro to perform this function really as I've paid a lot of money for it e.g. 500 dollars and don't really feel I should have to shell out e.g. 35 dollars for other products..

I'm not sure what else I can add to the full details for this. The properties of the source media are shown as the following in Vegas

Streams
Video: 00:00:11.520, 25.000 fps interlaced, 1920x1080x12, AVC
Audio: 00:00:11.520, 48,000 Hz, Stereo, Dolby AC-3

I'm using Vegas 9b ( 9c actually crashes rendering ) and my OS is Windows 7.

In relation to the "hang" the rendering complete might stay at say 45% and never change although the elapsed time continually increases. No error messages are shown.
BudWzr wrote on 12/26/2009, 2:01 PM
Matt,

Once you transcode the file you can load it up in Vegas and do whatever you want, and burn to DVD.

AviDemux is FREE: http://mulder.dummwiedeutsch.de/home/?page=projects#avidemux
MattAdamson wrote on 12/26/2009, 2:44 PM
Thanks, I tried using that tool but it seemed to terminate unexpectedly. Not sure if I did this right, I opened the M2TS file, selected in the Video drop down "DVD (mpeg2enc)" from the default "Copy"

I'll certainly log the issue with Sony Vegas support as we shouldn't have to use 3rd party tools to do this.
MattAdamson wrote on 12/28/2009, 5:26 AM
I think perhaps this issue could be related to the fact the clips are so large e.g. I edit lots of small clips to create one single M2TS file. When I've rendered my final output I delete all source clips and just keep the single M2TS file.

I drag the single M2TS file which shows as one clip on the timeline and then "Render As", perhaps Vegas can't handle large clips well.
BudWzr wrote on 12/28/2009, 11:30 PM
Matt,

I do this all the time with AVCHD 1080i.

Avidemux is not terminating, it minimizes to the tray so you can do something else.

Anyway, here's the process.

Open the source file, in the video section choose what codec you want, then go into the configure button, then resize, crop, color correct, change fps, whatever you need to do.

If you want DVD for mat, it's 720 X480 AC-3 audio

Choose AC-3 in the audio section, and bitrate.

Then save as AVI

That's it.
BudWzr wrote on 12/28/2009, 11:35 PM
If you want to see what it's doing, just maximize it and pause it, if it pauses then it's not crashed. I never had a crash, maybe it took longer because of a high action scene. Also you can see the HD light flash to know it's OK.

After the "crash" did you check the file? It DOES leave the partial render there, unlike Vegas which is all or nothing.
BudWzr wrote on 12/28/2009, 11:37 PM
Matt,

I can't really support the tool here because this forum is for Vegas, and i want to respect that. I'll probably get booted anyway though on Jan 2, but check the wiki.
pavlas_petr@centrum.cz wrote on 12/29/2009, 1:18 AM
I do have the same problem lately. I never had a problem on my Wista Ultimate 64 bit. I was told the Windows 7 is much better OS and installed it on my PC. Since the time I have never been able to render to MPEG2 SD format. I asked the support but never got any advice which would help me. So I can not render to MPEG2 anymore! Sad, because otherwise I do like the Vegas.