How to create a DVD with other video-codec?

[didi156]

I would like to create a Video-DVD with H.264-encoded Videostream.
I'm not really familiar with the DVD Video standard, but I guess that it shouldn't be a big technical problem since only the compression of a contained Elementary Stream changes.

Can somebody plz give me a hint how / with which tools this could be possible or tell me why this may not be possible?

[Jalavera]

It is possible to mux an mpeg2 elementary stream and a binary soundtrack such ac3, dts, etc into an MPEG2 container (e.g Mainconcept Encoders) but at the moment is not possible to make a DVD structure (I mean, menues, subtitles, etc) with H.264. And if it would possible ANY stand-alone player could play it.
If you want to use H.264 and menues, subtitles, etc (DVD-like sctructure) you can use MP4BOX; but always in a MP4 container, not DVD (IFO-VOB) structure.

[Sir Didymus]

Hi didi156!

You may easily pace H264 data into a DVD-ROM and play it on a PC.
You may also easily re-encode the video in MPEG2.

If you want to author a DVD-VIDEO (in order it should be playable by standalone players), you should strictly obey to some constraints.
DVD-VIDEO Should contain only MPEG1 or MPEG2 video, including stills.

H264 is MPEG4 - part 10.

So, no way to bring MPEG4 into a DVD-VIDEO - Sorry.

Edit: oops. - sorry Jalavera - I said the same but you typed faster than me...
Edit2: in order to make the post a little bit more useful, let me add the reference to the DVD Demystified FAQ, where it is possible to gather some other useful info on the topic of what and what not can be placed into a DVD:

http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html

Cheers,
SD

[didi156]

To explain why I ask this:
I'm working on software for stuff like receivers, standalone players...
With H.264 it maybe would be possible to create DVDs in HD quality. Since our hardware can do H.264 decoding I see no reason why it should not be possible technically.
I don't know much about the DVD Video standard (since it's not free). Can somebody point me to good docs about it?
Is stuff like menues part of MPEG-2 PS or is this additional?
Of what Jalavera says I guess that the MP4 container does support this directly.
My goal in the moment is to change as few as possible, starting from DVD Video - just the video compression method. I want to learn more about it.

[charleski]

Since our hardware can do H.264 decoding I see no reason why it should not be possible technically.I'm sure lots of people here would like to know about a hardware h.264 player. Is this still in development, or can you release any details?

[didi156]

I'm sure lots of people here would like to know about a hardware h.264 player. Is this still in development, or can you release any details?
It's still in development. What I can do is point you to publicly available information about the chipset we use:
Datasheet (http://www.sigmadesigns.com/pdf_docs/PMP-8622L_br.pdf)

I've now searched around a bit and found this MP4-FAQ (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62723) in this Forum.
It seems MP4 has all features DVD Video has. Or is there missing something?
They also say MP4 is a free format (no licensing) and I saw that the standard (ISO 14496-12) can really be downloaded free of charge. That's very interesting and I wonder why it's not used more. Maybe because of it's complecity...

PS: If somebody from Vienna is reading this who is an expert in this field and who is looking for a job, he/she has one :-)

[charleski]

There are some licensing fees for mpeg-4, especially its component technologies.
They're very modest, though, a few cents per unit. You can consult VIA Licensing (http://www.vialicensing.com/) for more info as they are the ones who handle it.
[Edit] There's a threshold clause as well, so if you make fewer than 50 000 devices a year and make under $500 000 a year in revenue from mpeg4 devices you can get licensed for free. This should help startups.