Stopping Recompression?

organism_seven wrote on 2/14/2003, 5:07 PM
Hi,

I have ripped three half hour programs from a DVD.
I will be putting them together on one DVD.
I re-encoded them using TMPGEnc Plus using the following settings:
Average bitrate: 4400
Maximum bitrate: 8000
Minimum bitrate: 2000
VBR 2 pass

I have previewed the finished files.
The quality is excellent and each file size is just over one gig.
I have created AC-3 audio files which are approx 45MB each.
All this will fit on a DVD-R with plenty of space to spare.

When I try to put this together in DVD Architect it tells me that
the finished project will take up 5,777,5 MB of space??

So, I notice that the default bitrate in "Optimize DVD" is set to 8,000.
I assume this is what is TMPGEnc calls the "Average" bitrate.
So I reset this to 4400 to match the settings I encoded the files at.
The files sizes in the Individual assets window then update changing from
nearly 2 gig in size to just over 1 gig.
This reflects the actual true size of my original files.

But.....when I go to burn the DVD, I am informed that it will re-encode my files!
Why?
How do I get DVD Architect to leave my files alone?
There is a tick box above "Overide default bitrate" which says "Recompress video"
It has a tick mark placed in the the box, but it is grayed out so I am unable to
alter this setting.

DVD Workshop had a similar problem in its first release, but quickly added an option
to leave added files untouched if the the user wishes.
Quite right too!
If I go to the trouble of producing files using settings that get me top results I don't want the authoring program to interfere!

How do I stop DVD Architect from re-encoding my files?
Can anyone help please?
TIA

Regards

organism seven

Comments

JSWTS wrote on 2/14/2003, 5:14 PM
What was the aspect ratio of your files--4:3 or 16:9?

Jim
organism_seven wrote on 2/14/2003, 6:14 PM
Hi,

The aspect ratio was 4:3
Yes, I've read the thread on here about the bug causing 16:9 to always be re-compressed.
But thats not the problem here.
JSWTS wrote on 2/14/2003, 6:19 PM
What type of audio did you use to multiplex with your video? Did you initially export your encoded files from TMPGEnc as m2v and mpeg1layer2 audio in a single combined program stream, and then output your audio and encode it to ac3 and bring that into DVD-A?

Jim
elas234 wrote on 2/14/2003, 6:39 PM
try this set the properties of the movie to use the ac3 file. double click on the movie and on the right hand side select the ac3 file that goes with the file. i think you are using the mpeg from the movie and not the one you created, if you used the ac3 from the movie try making just a new ac3 file in vegas 4
organism_seven wrote on 2/14/2003, 7:37 PM
Hi,

When ripping the DVD movies I used DVD2AVI.
This provides a link that allows TMPGEnc to re-encode the .vob files.
It produces a separate .wav file for the audio. (Approx 360 MB)
This I converted into an AC-3 audio file in Vegas. (Approx 45 MB)
I have made sure that this is the audio file that DVD Architect uses.
When I go to "Optimize DVD" it confirms that I am using AC-3 files.
After I changed the default bitrate to 4400Mbps it tells me that the estimated file size will be 3,363,5 MB.
So this should obviously fit on a DVD-R disc.
But when I choose the Burn DVD option, it tells me that it is going to re-compress the movie files. Why??
And I just can't seem to find a way of preventing it doing this.

I also made sure that TMGEnc Plus produced the video as an MPEG2 (.mpg) file without an audio stream.
Again, reading the threads here, it appears that an .mp2 file is not suitable.
The file sizes show that I have produced what I was aiming for.
1 gig (approx)Video files
45 MB Audio Files
Any more ideas?
Your help is appreciated.

JSWTS wrote on 2/14/2003, 8:49 PM
It has to be a true multiplexed (single audio and video stream) and not just an elementary (single video or audio) stream that has been renamed as though it were a program stream. What I would try and do is use TMPGEnc, go to 'file'>'mpeg tools' and use the simple mulitplex option. Find your video stream (rename it back to m2v extension) for the video, and use your ac3 file for your audio and name and direct TMPGEnc where you want the 'new' program stream. TMPGEnc will join the two together without re-encoding either one, but it will put all the necessary information that DVD-A needs to use the file properly. Import the 'new' program stream into DVD-A, and then (and you have to do this for it to work properly) associate your original ac3 audio stream with it (the audio stream that was mulitplexed with your file to create the mpeg program stream is ignored). I think this will fix your problem.

Jim
organism_seven wrote on 2/15/2003, 7:18 AM
Hi Jim,

Well, I followed your instructions to the letter.
In "Optimize DVD" DVD-A shows yet again a combined file size of 3.073.0 MB.
So, almost a gig of space spare!
But when I go to Burn DVD, it states that it is going to re-compress the files again! Why? Why? Why?
This is starting to drive me round the bend!

In nearly every other DVD authoring package you can either import elementary streams or a single program stream.
Or it will at least state the need for one or the other.
I don't mind SF deciding to break away from the norm that everyone else uses if they think it is a better way of doing things?
It's just that I feel as though I'm pretty lost at the moment.
This just doesn't seem to make sense.
If I could just uncheck that damn "Recompress video" checkbox, would my problem be solved.
I appreciate the time you guys are taking to try and help me out.
If you have any other ideas, I am willing to give them a try.
Thanks.
JSWTS wrote on 2/15/2003, 8:24 AM
There must be something about your mpeg video stream that DVD-A sees as non-compliant. Because of that, eventhough your total file size is under the limit, it decides to recompress to make the file compliant. It looks as though DVD-A can at least now see the true file sizes (small victory). Without sounding annoying, what were the specific settings you used in TMPGEnc to create your files? For example: frame rate, aspect ratio, GOP structure, closes or open GOP's, sequence header setting, etc.

Jim
organism_seven wrote on 2/15/2003, 10:21 AM
Hi Jim,

My apologies, I have just tried again following your guide and realised that I was using the MPEG2 file (.mpg) I had created, and not the .m2v file.
Now it works! The recompress option has gone away.
However, what I have now discovered is that for this to work correctly you have to specify the exact bitrate you have encoded the original file at.
In my case, 4400 Mbs.
One of my files has been encoded at a different rate which I now can't remember.
DVD-A wants to re-encode this one.
I will now have to use TMPGEnc to re-encode it at the same rate as the others.

You have provided me with a working solution.
Thanks for taking the time to help me. Much appreciated.

I still think that DVD-A is proving to be a lot more tempermental and quirky in the way it works compared to other DVD authoring packages.
This will put off an awful lot of potential buyers.
I think Sonic Foundry produce excellent software and I remember having to change how I worked and thought when first using Vegas 3.0.
I am an ex-Adobe Premiere user.
Now of course, I wouldn't dream of changing my choice of video editing software.
For this reason, I will probably stick with DVD-A and try to learn its way of working.

Thanks again.

stevefried wrote on 12/5/2004, 12:00 PM
I tried to make a menu based dvd with about 10 mpegs. DVD-A was going to recompress about 6 of them. When I put any of the mpegs into a menu by themselves it dosn't recompress. I've gotten two of them onto a menu without recompression but any more and it wants to recompress them. The total size of the dvd isn't anywhere near 100%. In other words, the same files are compliant one time but not the next.

????

Steve