Manual DVD Authoring

[Cyber Akuma]

Ok, I gave tried googling and looking around doom9 for information on making a DVD, but I cant find a guide to quite do what I want.

The problem is almost every guide/program overly-automates the process. My main problem is that they don't let you choose a custom output filesize and most create an ISO for you to burn instead of the seperate files. This is a problem because I plan to burn some data files on the disk along with the DVD video files.

This was an annoying problem when trying to use Avi2DVD, since my source file is a mere 25 minute h264-mkv, it still wanted to create a 4.7 gig iso, which left no room or method of adding the other data files I wish to add, as well as being definate overkill.

Is there a tutorial/program/way to encode Avi/Mkv files (it would be nice if this was possible with wmv and mp4 too but I guess thats too much to ask) to just the output files instead of a ready to burn .iso, and chose the output filesize you wish them to be? And if possible, create a DVD menu as well.

[smok3]

for DVD authoring you could try
http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html

i dont know where to put the mp4/mkv stuff in this context thought?

[Audionut]

Use any encoder that can convert the files to mpeg2.
IMHO you would be best served using avisynth to frame serve the files to the encoder, with avisource or directshowsource.
Encoders that support avisynth import that come to mind are,
CCE
Quenc
Hcenc
tmpgenc

Most dvd authoring only programs that I know of will then take your mpeg2, audio and subtitle files etc, and mux them into compatible dvd files. Vob/ifo.

If they try to renencode the file, look around the program options, as there usually is an option to disable re-encoding.
edit: there is also sometimes an option to make an iso, or just create the files required.

[Cyber Akuma]

for DVD authoring you could try
http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/dvdlabpro.html

i dont know where to put the mp4/mkv stuff in this context thought?


Id prefer to use a program that dosent cost in the hundreds, plus most of these more expensive programs ar eusualyl aimed at people that barely know how to use a computer and just expect to click 2 or 3 buttons to burn a dvd.

Use any encoder that can convert the files to mpeg2.
IMHO you would be best served using avisynth to frame serve the files to the encoder, with avisource or directshowsource.
Encoders that support avisynth import that come to mind are,
CCE
Quenc
Hcenc
tmpgenc

Most dvd authoring only programs that I know of will then take your mpeg2, audio and subtitle files etc, and mux them into compatible dvd files. Vob/ifo.

If they try to renencode the file, look around the program options, as there usually is an option to disable re-encoding.
edit: there is also sometimes an option to make an iso, or just create the files required.

Err, the problem with that is that I have no idea how a DVD is structured, so I dont know how to manually encode the files one by one into a DVD-Movie format. Plus I cant make a menu screen that way.

[Audionut]

plus most of these more expensive programs ar eusualyl aimed at people that barely know how to use a computer and just expect to click 2 or 3 buttons to burn a dvd.

Incorrect. In my experience, cheap, will do everything programs are like that. Professional programs designed only for authoring, allow you to do so much more.

Err, the problem with that is that I have no idea how a DVD is structured,

You do not need to know. The dvd authoring program will take your video/audio streams and do that work for you.

so I dont know how to manually encode the files one by one into a DVD-Movie format.

All you need to do is convert your video files (avi,mkv,mp4,etc,etc) into mpeg2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpeg2) files.
And if need be, convert the matching audio files to PCM,AC3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ac3),DTS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Theatre_System).

There are plenty of tutorials (http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/mpg/avi2dvdr.htm) that can show you how to do that.:search:

Plus I cant make a menu screen that way.

I think your understanding of what a dvd authoring program does is misguided.

So lets start from the top.

DVD requires video in the MPEG2 format.
As stated above, there are plenty of tutorials that will show you how to convert your current video files into mpeg2.

DVD requires audio in 1 of either 3 different formats. Linear PCM, AC3 (dolby digital), or DTS.
Again, use search and you will find how to convert your current audio files into one of these formats.

Now, you have your video and audio files in the required format.

So, let's crank up the authoring program.
What this does, put simply, is take those Video and audio files, and mux (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muxing) those files into compatible dvd files (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VOB). IE, your dvd player can now process these files, and display the video on your tv etc.

Now, most dvd authoring programs can either just mux those files, and output them into a location of your choosing, which you can then burn to dvd of your own accord, or they will mux those files, and create a dvd image, that can also be burnt to a dvd disc.
When you intruct the program to Not make an iso file. It will create folders,
AUDIO_TS &
VIDEO_TS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_ts).


DVD Authoring programs, will let you create menu's. And, as with any piece of software, Each different program has it's strengths and weaknesses.

Also, dvd authoring programs, (not, programs such as avi2dvd you are currently using) will not try and make what you create fill a blank dvd. So if your video/and audio files are only 3GB. You will still have 1.7GB of space left on your dvd for other files.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_authoring


edit: And you don't have to spend a cent to do what you want to do.
http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl

[smok3]

[QUOTE=Cyber Akuma]Id prefer to use a program that dosent cost in the hundreds, plus most of these more expensive programs ar eusualyl aimed at people that barely know how to use a computer and just expect to click 2 or 3 buttons to burn a dvd.

youa are talking out of your a** here, obviously you done know how much is scenarist for example, actually dvdlabpro is the only decent lowcost dvd authoring solution i know.

[jshumate]

Cyber Akuma - If you encode your video yourself to the size you want, you can author a DVD with no frills at all and no menus with IFOEdit. It's real bare bones, but it works fine.

Smok3 - While I am in no way at all encouraging people to obtain illegal copies of software, we should be realistic at least and realize that many of the people who have Scenarist have (cough! cough!) "demo" versions that don't expire.

[rjl]

If your software makes an ISO file and you want to access it's contents as files, just use the free tool from Micorosoft to mount your ISO as a drive.

Search for "Virtual CD ROM Control Panel" or get it from this URL:

http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=916902

[Cyber Akuma]

Audionut: I was going over the guides you posted, but I ran into a problem. The guide is for converting AVI, but my source is MKV, GSpot dosent display anything for video or audio codec information.

[Audionut]

Which encoder did you decide upon to encode your files to mpeg2?

[Cyber Akuma]

Which encoder did you decide upon to encode your files to mpeg2?

I havent decided yet, but probably either CCE Basic or TMPG, those seem to be the two most widely used/popular ones.

[Audionut]

Are you familar with avisynth?

With avisynth installed, open notepad and use this command.

directshowsource("path-to-file.mkv")

Save it as "whatever.avs"

Then load that avs file in the encoder of your choice, and encode.

[Cyber Akuma]

Are you familar with avisynth?

With avisynth installed, open notepad and use this command.

directshowsource("path-to-file.mkv")

Save it as "whatever.avs"

Then load that avs file in the encoder of your choice, and encode.

I know of avisynth, but wouldent I lose some quality or possibly framerate loading the mkv that way? Id also need to split then reencode the audio, I only know how to use Avisynth for video streams.

It woudl be easier if I just had a way to read the video/audio codec information of the mkv then be able to demux them from the mkv file.

[Audionut]

Get mkvtoolnix from here. http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=103757

And if you don't like command lines, get the mkvextract gui from here. http://corecodec.org/projects/mkvextractgui/

You can then extrack the files from the MKV container if you think it would make it easy.

Or you can try opening the file directly with virtualdubmod. http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=65889
And saving the video to a lossless format.

edit:

I know of avisynth, but wouldent I lose some quality or possibly framerate loading the mkv that way?

No.

[Cyber Akuma]

I tried opening ti with virtualdubmod, it just gave me a bunch of errors and warnings and woudlent load the file. Ill try those tools you mentioned.

[Cyber Akuma]

Well, now that I got a new harddrive with more free space I can continue trying to encode the dvd.

I was able to demux the mkv using mkvextractgui, it gave me a .264 and a .ogg file.

Problem is I can't seem to get the .264 file to load in an avs script, im not sure what I can use that will allow me to input a raw .264 stream and output a mpeg2 file.

Also, I was reading the resizing tutorial ( http://www.doom9.org/mpg/avistretching.htm ) so id know what size to use when encoding the video, but I just coulent understand it, especially since the avi file has a bigger horizontal res than 640 and the tutorial dosent mention what to do in that case.

Sadly didnt have much luck with the video either, besweet keeps crashing.