What is DVDA doing ?

Geoff_Wood wrote on 5/9/2009, 7:30 PM
OK, I render an MP2 from Vegas for DVDA.

I open a new 'Single Movie' project and import the MP2 fille, and dot a few chapter-markers around.

I go to burn the DVD and DVDA spends a long time rendering the video and audio, then it creates the VOBs, then burns.

What is this first Render doing ? I thought I'd already done all the rendering I need in Vegas. So why can't I just use the AVI in staright off in DVDA, and save on the intial render time , letting DVDA do just one render ?

The manuals are good on the specifics, but fail to anwer the specific questions that come to me . Appreciate a pointer to a good general OVERALL outline of Vegas/DVDA workflow. Something like explanatory case-notes ! ;-)

geoff

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 5/9/2009, 8:31 PM
MP2 ?
That's an ancient audio format as I recall.

If you mean MPEG-2, with an .mpg extension, then there may be several reasons DVDA is rendering everything.

If you start with MPEG-2 with audio included, it will render everything. If you start with a DVDA compliant video file and and AC-3 audio file, it will prepare, not render.

If your video or audio properties are different than the DVDA Project properties, it will render everything. If they are the same, it will prepare, not render.

If DVDA estimates your file sizes as bigger than your disc space, and you choose "Burn" rather than prepare, it will render everything. If instead you choose "Prepare," it will prepare, not render, and you can check your file sizes after the fact.

There are a few other gotchas mostly in the preferences, but if you haven't changed them, they shouldn't be a worry.
bStro wrote on 5/10/2009, 6:49 AM
OK, I render an MP2 from Vegas for DVDA.

What file type and template did you use? Not all types / templates are created equal. If you used one that doesn't create DVD compliant files, then DVD Architect has to re-encode them so they are.

Best method is to render the video as MPEG2 using one of the DVD Architect Video Stream templates and then the audio as Dolby Digital AC3 or WAV / PCM. If you give both files the same name (other than the extension), DVD Architect will automatically pick up the audio file when you add the video file.

Rob
bStro wrote on 5/10/2009, 6:57 AM
If you start with MPEG-2 with audio included, it will render everything.

In my experience, that only happens if there is something amiss with the video. I don't do it often, but anytime I've given DVDA a muxed file, only the audio gets re-encoded (again, so long as the video is DVD compliant).

Rob
Geoff_Wood wrote on 5/10/2009, 1:29 PM
Yes, MPEG-2 !

OK, I found the DVDA-specific template ( why aris it so un-prominent !) and all is good.

But NOW I have another problem. The file is 3 hours long so I want to split it into 2 DVDs.So I mark an in point at the start, and out point at 01:30 . When I go to Prepare, DVDA insists on trying to fit the whole 03:00 on they disc, and of course says it can't .

I would expect it to split the file - maybe re-encoding it, or better still not needing to. But it insists on trying the Optimise the whole caboodle.


geoff
Terry Esslinger wrote on 5/10/2009, 2:33 PM
To my knowledge you can't make two separate dvds in one project. You need to bring them in as two separate projects. You couls try using a DL dvd but people seem to find them a bit troublesome (never done one myself). Or you can change the bitrate (lower the quality) and fit 3 hours on one dvd. Your choice.
Geoff_Wood wrote on 5/10/2009, 4:15 PM
I only want to make one DVD (at a time), using the mark in and out points to indicate the area of the source file to be burned. The manual and Help imply this should work.

Otherwise what is the point of Mark In/Out ?

geoff
musicvid10 wrote on 5/10/2009, 5:21 PM
Funny you should mention --

I just had an MPEG rendered in Vegas that had 22 minutes of extra black video at the end; it was because of other muted stuff on the timeline, next time I'll remember to render only the loop region.

Point is, I rescued the DVD project without re-rendering, by setting the "out" point in DVDA. Stopped it exactly where I wanted and did not process any extra material.

Don't know what the difference is with your workflow -- I notice you are doing a Single Movie, maybe I'll try the same video there . . .
musicvid10 wrote on 5/10/2009, 5:46 PM
Yes, the out point works as expected in Single Movie mode.
Geoff_Wood wrote on 5/11/2009, 1:54 PM
I used one called DVD Architect PAL video and audio streams.

Not sure if that is a 'stock' one, or the 'video stream' one with 'include audio' also ticked. IO get one file only, MPG with audio embedded.

Have done a test projecct with separate MPG and AC3 streams , which I now "totally get", including opening the pair in DVDA ;-)

Semi-related question in new thread re estimating project size "Estimate Project Encoding ?"


geoff.

geoff
farss wrote on 5/11/2009, 2:38 PM
"Otherwise what is the point of Mark In/Out ?"

In/Out points let you specify where you would like that instance of the video to play from/to. You can have any number of instances of the same movie in DVDA each with different in/out point and links to them. Each one plays out from the set in point until the out point. What happens at the end point is determined by the end action for that instance. DVDA does not trim the movie at the in/out points.

If you want to split a long movie over two DVDs you should do this in Vegas and encode two different mpeg-2 files, one for each DVD.

Bob.