Question on elementary streams and DVDA-2.0b

tfc wrote on 11/23/2004, 1:47 PM
I'm just getting into elementary streams and have several questions:

1) Can 2.0b use elementary streams to make a DVD, i.e. - ones with extensions of .m2v and .mpa? If so, how does one do it or set it up? The full manual is kind of skimpy on exactly how to do this.

2) Can 2.0b use elementary streams made and/or demuxed from programs outside of Vegas? In other words, if 2.0b could use these streams, do they necessarily have to have been made in Vegas?

3) Are there different file extensions other than .m2v and .mpa which differentiate it as having been made in a program other than Vegas?

4) What is the advantage of using elementary streams in 2.0b vs. a muxed stream, any?

Thanks!

Comments

ScottW wrote on 11/23/2004, 2:41 PM
1) Yes to M2V - MPA is mpeg audio and DVDA will recompress this so there's no advantage to using it (though I've not actually tried feeding this type of file to DVDA).

2) Yes. You just drag the file in. No.

3) There's no central registry for file extensions; mmv is one additional extension you might see; there are no doubt others.

4) Well, it used to be with DVDA 1.0 that an elementrary stream would require recompression so there was a definite disadvantage to using them. The only advantage I see is that if I haven't made a decision about whether I'm going to use DVDA or DVD Lab Pro for authoring, then I'll generally go with elementary since those will work in either. If I've already made the authoring decision in favor of DVDA, then by force of habit I select a DVDA template (so I get a program stream). Though more and more I'm just authoring with Lab.

--Scott

tfc wrote on 11/23/2004, 2:59 PM
Cool!!! Thanks for the info, ScottW! A few more questions, if I may:

You said,"3) There's no central registry for file extensions; mmv is one additional extension you might see; there are no doubt others."

What is .mmv and can it be used in 2.0b? How about the others ones that might exist, can they be used as well?

In the DVD-A full manual, if mentions on p. 22 different formats that can be used. It says that Architect can use the following file extensions:
.m2p,.mp2,.mpg,.mpeg.

What is the difference between each of these? How come it does not mention the elementary stream files of .m2v or .mpa which you say can be accepted by Architect?

Thanks again!
ScottW wrote on 11/23/2004, 3:14 PM
m2p - mpeg-2 program stream
mp2 - mpeg audio - layer 2
mpg - mpeg program stream (could be mpeg-1 or mpeg-2)
mpeg - mpeg program stream (could be mpeg-1 or mpeg-2)
mmv - sony movie shaker (don't ask me, it was just on the list in DVDA's open explorer).

As far as what others might be used, it really comes down to what's in them - heck, DVDA will read AVI files which may contain just about anything, as long as you have the correct CODEC installed on your machine to handle it.

I've no idea why the manual doesn't talk about M2V or MPA (and don't quote me on DVDA accepting MPA - I've not actually tried feeding it anything like this) - my guess would be a documentation error.