Setting up DVD RB

[Ektalog]

This is what I got on my first attempt to use DVD RB (I stopped at this point):
-----------------
[19:10:48] Phase I, PREPARATION started.
- "Steal Space from Extras" mode is enabled.
- VTS_01: 3,554,211 sectors.
-- Scanning and writing .D2V file
- PREPARE aborted.
-----------------
[19:11:40] Phase I, PREPARATION started.
- "Steal Space from Extras" mode is enabled.
- VTS_01: 3,554,211 sectors.
-- Scanning and writing .D2V file
- PREPARE aborted.
-----------------
[19:24:28] Phase I, PREPARATION started.
- "Steal Space from Extras" mode is enabled.
- VTS_01: 3,554,211 sectors.
-- Scanning and writing .D2V file
-- Processed 197,909 frames.
-- Building .AVS and .ECL files
- Reduction Level for DVD-5: 34.9%
- Overall Bitrate : 1,612Kbs
- Space for Video : 1,624,118KB
- Movie improvement from extra reduction = .0%
- HIGH/LOW/AVERAGE Cell Bitrates: 2,122/1,039/1,612 Kbs
[19:48:56] Phase I, PREPARATION completed in 24 minutes.


It appears that it will reduce by too much and down to bitrates lower than I would expect.

I suspect that I may have misconfigured the auxiliary files. I am pointing to a file called DGDecode.dll, instead of MPEG2DEC3DG, because it seems this is the new version. Likewise, for Decomb.dll I point to Decomb521.dll, a recent version. I put both in the AVSYNTH 2.5 plugin dir.

Or maybe it is the CCE configuartion. In any event, just the "prepare" phase takes 24 minutes. Other people get it done in much less time. My system is an Athlon 2800+.

TIA for any help!

Edit> Forgot to add the ini file:

[Options]
CCE=1
LoadPlugin=0
BackColor=13680640
ReduceOpt=0
CCETargetSectors=2255783
[CCEOptions]
VBR_bias=25
Quality_prec=16
eclPasses=2
[Paths]
CCENEW=G:\CinemaCraftEncSP\EclCCE.exe
MPEG2DEC=G:\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\DGDecode.dll
DECOMB=G:\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\Decomb521.dll
Source=W:\VIDEO_TS\
Working=Q:\1TEMP_DVDBACKUP\

[wmansir]

Use the version of Mpeg2Dec3 linked in the setup stickie. The newer versions are not compatible with DVD-RB.

[Ektalog]

Linked in "the setup stickie"? I tried finding this but nothing pops up or appears as a sticky. Can you post the link here? Thank you!

[wmansir]

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74308

It's one of the threads 'sticky'ed to the top of the forum "DVD Rebuilder: Installation, Setup and Usage". Just click on the MPEG2DEC link.

[Ektalog]

Duh! I should have thought of it:( OTH, I was there earlier and used those same links...did something change? I don't remember the red text.

I am running another "prepare" with the new file. Seems as slow as before but I won't mind it if things start looking better.

Thank you!

[wmansir]

I added the red text warning last week, some time after MPEG2DEC3 1.02 was offically released. and I just added the bit about DGDecode.

[Ektalog]

This is the report i get from the Prepare phase. Does this look like numbers that would apply to a quality job? BTW, the reduction level means "by xx%" or "to xx% of original size"?

-----------------
[02:28:26] Phase I, PREPARATION started.
- VTS_01: 3,554,211 sectors.
-- Scanning and writing .D2V file
-- Processed 197,909 frames.
-- Building .AVS and .ECL files
- Reduction Level for DVD-5: 35.8%
- Overall Bitrate : 1,650Kbs
- Space for Video : 1,662,884KB
- HIGH/LOW/AVERAGE Cell Bitrates: 2,172/1,064/1,650 Kbs
[02:52:54] Phase I, PREPARATION completed in 24 minutes.

[jdobbs]

Originally posted by Ektalog
This is the report i get from the Prepare phase. Does this look like numbers that would apply to a quality job? BTW, the reduction level means "by xx%" or "to xx% of original size"?

-----------------
[02:28:26] Phase I, PREPARATION started.
- VTS_01: 3,554,211 sectors.
-- Scanning and writing .D2V file
-- Processed 197,909 frames.
-- Building .AVS and .ECL files
- Reduction Level for DVD-5: 35.8%
- Overall Bitrate : 1,650Kbs
- Space for Video : 1,662,884KB
- HIGH/LOW/AVERAGE Cell Bitrates: 2,172/1,064/1,650 Kbs
[02:52:54] Phase I, PREPARATION completed in 24 minutes. Something is definitely wrong. You only have 1.66GB available for the video and the original is 7GB long. That doesn't seem right. Have you set the "TargestSectors" parameter to an exceptionally small value by chance?

[Trahald]

unless its like xmen 1 (has around 2 gb of menus) well.. menu vobs.. most of it is a duplication of the movie in the menu area, thats besides the huge 'true' menus. fox is famous for this.

[Ektalog]

Originally posted by jdobbs
Something is definitely wrong. You only have 1.66GB available for the video and the original is 7GB long. That doesn't seem right. Have you set the "TargestSectors" parameter to an exceptionally small value by chance?

Not that I know...don't even know where this would be set.

The only thing that comes to mind is that perhaps the DVD2SVCD installation -- which I've had for a long time for SVCDs -- may have inserted values that are misleading RB. To be sure, the installations are totally separate, AFAIK. I've looked around but found nothing suspicious at first glance.

[Joergen]

Use dvdremake to strip (automatically) the unreferenced garbage, or use dvdshrink to put them to still pictures.