Converting mkv to DVD

[zardano]

To convert mkv to DVD, I have used the following .avs script:
(This would be for a NTSC 2.35:1 aspect ratio film)

DirectShowSource("movie.mkv")
LanczosResize(720,306)
AddBorders(0,87,0,87)

I get the aspect ratio of the file from MediaInfo, and ensure my resize retains that same ratio, and then add borders to bring it up to NTSC 720x480 resolution.

Audio is demuxed with MKVextractGUI, then if necessary a 640 Kbps ac3 is transcoded to 448 Kbps ac3 with BeSweet 1.4 (For some reason BeSweet 1.5 just exits immediately and pops up the log, anyone know why?).

My questions are:
1. Is using DirectShowSource() the best way to frameserve an mkv, or would it result in better quality (or less filtered, a more "direct" frameserve) if I used the actual codec of the video file encapsulated in the mkv?
2. If so, what function would I use to load the video file (Is there a universal function, like Avisource(), or would it be codec-specific?) and
3. Would I need to demux the video to do this or could I still load the entire mkv?

[[P]ako]

1. Is using DirectShowSource() the best way to frameserve an mkv, or would it result in better quality (or less filtered, a more "direct" frameserve) if I used the actual codec of the video file encapsulated in the mkv?


If you want better quality just re-encode your DVD with whatever filter(s) you want. Transcoding from DVD to any compressed format and then transcoding from said compressed format back to DVD is inefficient and has an impact on quality.

[zardano]

Well I was asking in general. And I am not too experienced with filters so I tend not to use them since I feel I will probably do more harm than good if I start messing with them.
But specifically, my current project is working with some shows that I captured from my DVR a while ago, and encoded with Automkv. It was my first experiments with the new format. Now I would like to watch these shows on a standalone DVD player, and make the best quality DVD mpeg2 files possible using CCE, but I only have the mkv files left since these shows have long been erased from my DVR.
Is using DirectShowSource() [a good] option for video quality, given these circumstances? Is there even any other option, because I have not been able to find an alternative method of loading the files into avisynth.

[[P]ako]

If the codec of the video is xvid/divx/wm9 at a constant frame rate, I'd suggest you to demux the track into avi and use avisource. On the other hand, if the content is h264 and/or is at a variable frame rate, then directshowsource becomes a good friend (don't forget to set fps=29.97 or 23.976 and convertfps=true if the video is VFR).

As far as I am concerned there is no difference in video quality between avisource and directshowsource. Though, sometimes frame accuracy of VFR material with directshowsource is not that good, but, since you don't have subs then is not a real issue.

PS I almost forgot about ffmpegsource which is better that directshowsource at frame accuracy. Search the forum for it.