F**ing TMPGEnc DVD Author

[pike]

spent 5~ hours trying to master a DVDR with svcd content, the only complaining said program made was:
"
*The video GOP is too long.

The video GOP is too long.
For a standard DVD it is necessary that the GOP fulfill the following condition:

Max 36 fields (18 frames) (NTSC format only)
Max 30 fields (15 frames) (PAL format only)
"

and I thought to myself, sure, I'll try make a non standard dvd.
spent approx 3hours alone making a nice menu, with 7 chapter pages, discovered several "bugs" there.

But finally, time to press the "Begin output" button. and what happens...

"the video resolution of 480x576 cannot be used for a standard DVD" an error dialog says.
Fine, but learning it this way is not my idea of FUN.

crappy piece of software

[maa]

The video GOP is too long.
Yes I had that message too with VOBs from a standard production so that ended my trial of TMPGEnc DVD Author for this version.

[ChickenMan]

Try using DVDLab instead of TDA to author your SVCD's. Check out their tutorial at http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/tutorial/svcd.html

[Kika]

I use TMPGEnc DVD Author since the first Version and never had this Problem with correct encoded Source.
I also can use it to produce Non-Standard-DVDs by using DVDPatcher, but to big GOPs can't be corrected. In such a case, i use a patched Version of SpruceUp or DVDLab.

[Zhnujm]

It would be really nice if TMPEG DVDAuthor would be a bit more tolerant about non-standard streams.
But its a shame that the bug that let you import non-standard PAL resolutions still exists. It works perfect with NTSC files.
Of course it would be even better if it would support such resolution directly....

[concord]

I have the same problem the video size is 480 x 576. what is the best way to resize this to fit dvd standards, and which program is the best to use. thanks vid specs 480x576 25 fps 4:3 pal.

[Zhnujm]

You can patch such a file with DVDPatcher to 720x576, import the file with DVDAuthor, and then patch it back to 480x576.
No problems then.
Make sure you patch it back BEFORE you let DVDAuthor create the Disc.

[concord]

thanks for the info, is there any guides available for this..

[Bubba]

pike,

Don't curse TMPGEnc DVD Author. SVCD resolution (i.e. 480x480 or 480x576) are not DVD-compliant, and so most of the DVD Authoring software will complaint. I'm only aware of 2 DVD authoring software that will let you add SVCD files without resorting to patching & re-patching to DVD-compliant resolution are DVD-Lab and SVCD2DVDMPEG+.

The long GOP message that TMPGEnc DVD Author is bitching is also legitimate, but you can choose to ignore this. I use mostly KVCD templates from KVCD.net, and these templates have really long GOP, and of course TMPGEnc DVD Author will complaint. But I just ignore it, and TMPGEnc DVD Author will author it anyway. The resulting DVD play fine in my DVD Standalone (i.e. Sampo 611 & APEX 1500). FYI, I use the 352x480 or 702x480 templates from KVCD.net which are DVD-compliant anyway.

Personally, I do like TMPGEnc DVD Author. It's not the best, but it's easier to use, and besides the SVCD resolution issue, I found it's quite forgiving since you can mix & match different resolution in one DVD (as long as you add as different track). IMHO, TMPGEnc DVD Author would be a top notch DVD Authoring software if it has the following:

1. Can add more than 1 separate audio track (not the left & right solution as suggested at the web site)
2. Can add subtitles
3. Can add SVCD resolution

Cheers,

[Zhnujm]

A Guide for DVDPatcher ?

-Start DVDPatcher
-Load your MPEG File
-Select 720 as horizontal Size
-Click Patch now
-Click Start

-Import the File in DVD Author

-Start DVDPatcher again
-Load your MPEG File again
-Select 480 as horizontal Size
-Click Patch now
-Click Start

-finish ;)

Not all Standalone Player can play such a DVD, but most do.
Im just wondering why o why DVD Author has no "Ignore" Button for non-standard resolutions.

[concord]

thanks for the quick response, this is an awesome board!!!

Zhnujm, thanks for the little tutorial, it worked perfectly. keep up the good work guys. thanks again.;)

[maa]

Originally posted by Bubba
The long GOP message that TMPGEnc DVD Author is bitching is also legitimate Oh yes ? Well why did it refuse VOBs off two comercial DVDs ? (see above (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=377461#post373207))

[ronnylov]

I use womble mpeg2vcr that has a tool mpeg gop fixer to make dvd compliant mpg files if the gop stucture is wrong. I did not know that it was possible to author a non-standard dvd with too long gops.

[Zhnujm]

Sounds interesting.
Do you know what it does with the to long GOPs ? It must be reencode these parts, or am i wrong ?

[concord]

Zhnujm, me again. I used tmpgenc dvd auth to create my dvd, converted the video size as you said. it worked, saved it and used power dvd to check, everything ok.

I then got around to burning it to dvd, put it in my standalone, and it says disc is not compatible with player. I assume this is because of the video size and it is pal. I then tried to reencode it with tmpgenc, but is says the mpeg file can not open or is unsupported??? Any ideas how I can re-encode to ntsc??

[Zhnujm]

I have never reencoded anything to NTSC so i can only tell you some major steps how i would do it if i have to.
You can surely find some other Threads with more info about this.

- create a .d2v Project and demux the sound with DVD2AVI
- reencode the sound from 25->23.976fps with besweet
- create an avisynth script like this:

mpeg2source("yourdvd2aviproject.d2v")
bilinearresize(720,480)
assumefps(23.976)

- load the avisynth script in tmpeg and reencode (dont do any framerate conversion)
- use pulldown.exe to add the 3:2 pulldown flags to the created video file
- then you have a video + audio file that should fit.

not exactly easy...

[concord]

not easy, but hopefully possible. will give it a try, thanks for the speedy response. thanks again.

[ronnylov]

Originally posted by Zhnujm
Sounds interesting.
Do you know what it does with the to long GOPs ? It must be reencode these parts, or am i wrong ?

Yes, I think it will reencode the non-compliant GOPs and leave the compliant GOPs as they are.

[Swan]

I am completely new to this, but I got the same error message in TMPGEnc Author today (GOPS too long).
My goal is to rip the best music videos from a couple of DVDs and combine those to one DVD.
I managed to extract one video out of a DVD using DVD Decrypter's IFO mode, selecting the one chapter I wanted.
That produced a VTS_01 - Stream Information.txt, VTS_01_0.IFO and VTS_01_1.VOB.
When opening VTS_01_1.VOB in TMPGEnc Author, it complained that the GOPS were too long. I opened VTS_01_1.VOB in Bitrate Viewer and sure enough, the (PAL) video has 26 (!) pictures in each GOP.
15 is max for PAL, isn't it?

How would you go about this project?
Is it even "do-able"?
Can I use the vobs or do I need to demux them to an audio and video file (and how do I do that?) I know I can extract the audio from a vob with DVD2Avi, but can I get the mpeg-2 video (m2v/mpv) file back using some tool also?

What tools do I need besides DVD decrypter and a DVD authoring software?

[maa]

DVD Author may or may not be right about this GOP thing but I tested with several comercial DVD VOBs and it didn't like them.
So for compilations I strip to HD in File mode or per chapter if they are equal to one scene or song.
If file mode I would then use DVDShrink as a Cutter (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57961#post348712) and then make a compilation menu with DVD Lab as in my
Play All (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62505) guide.

[Swan]

Maa, thanks for helping out.
Just so I understand what you mean:
My ripping method is OK (as long as the video is a chapter, it will work).

What is the purpose of step 2 (DVDShrink as a cutter)?
Should I use it after I have ripped all the videos I want on the DVD in order to combine them into "burnable" files (Shrink creates the vob, title set, ifo)?

The "play all" guide.. I have noticed that on the DVDs I have made with two videos (movies) or more, DVD-lab returns to the menu after playing video #1, it doesn't play all "movies", then return to the menu. Is your "play all guide" a solution to this?

[maa]

Originally posted by Swan
What is the purpose of step 2 (DVDShrink as a cutter)?
DVD Shrink can cut exactly at chapter points and does this very cleanly if using the chapter numbers instead of the slider - see guide. Its more likely although not certain that the AC3 will work this way.
it doesn't play all "movies", then return to the menu. Is your "play all guide" a solution to this? [/B]
Yep - sure is - it gives you the choice of playing single "movies" and returning to the menu OR if "Play All" is activated you can start any "Movie" and it will continue with the next.

My DVD Lab guides are aimed at educating the user by raising his own programming skill. After working through a couple of my guides it should start to become obvious how to achieve certain routines and even if they are not possible with one or the other guide it will lead to a demand of programming tricks that we all can share.
There is practically nothing that can't be done with the menu creation in DVD Lab - the programming is up to us untill a time when the program is mature enough to offer all the possibilities.

[Swan]

maa, I must give your guide a try, it looks great!

If I can rip out the songs I want, using DVD Decrypter and selection of chapters there, do I still need DVDShrink?

Did you mean I should use it when I need to cut out a song or video that isn't on a chapter?
or...
That I shuld use it because DVDShrink does a better job than DVD Decrypter at extracting chapters, with AC3 instact?

[maa]

Sorry - I don't know which will cut better - awaiting your feedback :D

[DnGermany]

Next time maybe pike should read the help files of the program first, then he would have known that you can't use Svcd resolution for dvds. Using dvdpatcher works fine as stated earlier, i've used that method several times myself.