How to generate VIDEO_TS from oversize MPEG2 file?

[TrevorS]

My problem is that sometimes when I convert .avi Divx files to mpeg2 for creation of a VIDEO_TS folder and eventually an iso, I sometimes get an mpeg2 file that exceeds 8.5GB (good video quality though).

When that happens, the tool (ULead Video Studio 8 SE Editor) refuses to complete the VIDEO_TS files and so instead of being able to run DVDShrink on the completed folder, I end up stuck.

When I've tried downloading trial avi -> mpeg2 products, they either don't work well or have mediocre image quality -- I want to preserve the original as far as practical.

The Ulead Tool is working well for me, except for this one issue. Is there a tool that allows generation of an oversize VIDEO_TS file?

[mpucoder]

The total size including audio and some overhead for one title can not exceed 9GB, no matter what program you use.

[setarip_old]

@TrevorS

Hi!

1) What audio format are you using in the MPEG2?

2) You might consider simply splitting your .AVI in two

3) What is the running time of the .AVI?

[TrevorS]

The total size including audio and some overhead for one title can not exceed 9GB, no matter what program you use.

That would explain why it would stop after writing the second to last VOB and complain of lack of space :). This particular MPEG2 file size was aprox 9.36 GB.

Guess I need a different solution then. Darn! The MPEG2 file may have taken a long time to encode at best quality, but the resulting image is pretty darned good.

[TrevorS]

@TrevorS

Hi!

1) What audio format are you using in the MPEG2?

2) You might consider simply splitting your .AVI in two

3) What is the running time of the .AVI?

The final audio apparently defaults to 48KHz LPCM stereo (though I like the sonics). The particular audio source is MPEG Layer3. 44100Hz, 95Kbps ABR, stereo. (The other source I use is MPEG Layer2, 48000Hz, 224Kbps, stereo.)

The running time is aprox 2 hours 12 minutes. Source is DivX 5.1.1 compatible. (Can you suggest an appropriate AVI splitter? Though I hate to do that.)

So I guess the culprit is the LPCM stereo track. I've just been looking for a way to select another option for the target audio, but can't find anything.

Is there a program that takes an MPEG2/LPCM input and converts the sound track to a more compact DVD compatible form?

PS -- I tried recording MPEG2 with an MP3 soundtrack and the sound just lost too much compared to LPCM recording.

PPS -- I'm beginning to think it might be necessary to demux the LPCM from the MPEG2, convert the LPCM using a commercial package to DD2.0, and remux to get a DVD compatible MPEG2 file. (Thinking the only supported sound formats for typical DVD players is LPCM, DD and DTS) I'm not right am I?

[TrevorS]

Is there a program that takes an MPEG2/LPCM input and converts the sound track to a more compact DVD compatible form?

PS -- I tried recording MPEG2 with an MP3 soundtrack and the sound just lost too much compared to LPCM recording.

PPS -- I'm beginning to think it might be necessary to demux the LPCM from the MPEG2, convert the LPCM using a commercial package to DD2.0, and remux to get a DVD compatible MPEG2 file. (Thinking the only supported sound formats for typical DVD players is LPCM, DD and DTS) I'm not right am I?

Just spent time pooring over the ULead 8 manual and I've found a setting that appears to allow selecting AC-3 (256Kbps) for the rendered output. Giving it a try now and so here's hoping!

[setarip_old]

So I guess the culprit is the LPCM stereo track.You betcha!

[525/60]

Try transcoding the video with ReJig if you want to keep the audio.

The advantage of transcoding instead of re-encoding is that it is fast and all the I-Frames are in the same place, so therefore the video can be dropped back into the process without messing up the chapter points. And it looks decent.

Stephen

[TrevorS]

You betcha!

My first try to re-encode from DivX/MPEG Layer 3 to MPEG2/AC3 resulted in the same oversize LPCM file. A second different approach targeting an MJPEG/MPEG Layer 2 file resulted in a still larger file. The MJPEG was the only likely looking option in the list, but since it gave the wrong result, it must not be equivalent to MPEG2 :).

Just fired off another try using yet another approach to get MPEG2/AC3(256Kbps) and my fingers are crossed yet again. I'm hoping this is just learning curve -- although I've been using ULead 8 Editor for MPEG2 authoring for months, I've never tried to perform sound track re-encoding before. (Don't even know for certain it will encode AC3, but it lists it so it seems logical. Hmmm -- unless that's merely a preservation flag for use with an existing AC3 soundtrack :()

Try transcoding the video with ReJig if you want to keep the audio.

The advantage of transcoding instead of re-encoding is that it is fast and all the I-Frames are in the same place, so therefore the video can be dropped back into the process without messing up the chapter points. And it looks decent.

Stephen

Downloaded and searched for info on ReJig. Looks like it allows deeper compression of the MPEG2 while preserving the original audio. So it would allow me to get a smaller MPEG2 file, but given it's a "nonstandard"(?) DVD MPEG, I suspect that as an input to my authoring program (menus and chapters et al.) it will be re-expanded to standard and result in the same old problem.

I'll have to play with it -- thanks for the suggestion :).

[TrevorS]

Looks like it's a two step process. First transcode DivX/MP3 to MPEG2/MP2 (AC3 doesn't appear to be installed), and then perform the authoring on the resulting MPEG2 (very quick since no recoding is required). Final file size is under 6GB.

A bit concerned that the original 44.1KHz audio is being transcoded to 48KHz 224Kbps stereo -- not sure what losses might result (think I would prefer the AC3 256Kbps solution). Going to see if I can get the AC3 plug-in (there apparently used to be one available for VideoStudio 8).

Got to play with this some more, but at least I seem to be making progress. If there are any further inputs regarding possible apps, issues, or hints, I'd be happy to hear them.

Thanks -- Trevor

[TrevorS]

OK, I now know how to use re-encoding templates for performing an initial cross-coding pass that gets me to MPEG2 w/ MPEG-1 Layer 2 44.1KHz 384 Kbps stereo. That appears to be my best shot at getting maximum fidelity from the original DivX w/ MPEG-1 Layer 3 44.1KHz track (much lower bit rate). The authoring/rendering of the intermediate file, goes very quickly.

I'm guessing a triple pass where the first re-encodes from DivX w/ MPEG-1 Layer 3 44.1KHz to MPEG2 w/ LPCM 44.1KHz, and the second re-encodes the audio alone to MPEG-1 Layer 2, would be redundant and unnecessary. Course, I could be wrong depending on how the MP3 to MP2 compression is performed.

It would be nice if the complete re-encoding could be included in the rendering pass, but I haven't found a way to control the output template during the authoring pass. Maybe I'll eventually discover something.

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Great, I've hit the first problem -- final rendering pass with an MPEG2/MPEG-1 Layer 2 44.1KHz 384Kbps joint stereo input results in the audio being transcoded into 48KHz LPCM -- another oversize file.

So now I try again, except with the Layer 2 44.1KHz 384Kbps input NOT being joint. Hoping it's the "joint" that triggered the re-encode to LPCM. (It previously accepted Layer 2 48KHz 224Kbps stereo.) The lack of documentation for these little details really makes things difficult.

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Great! It appears ULead VideoStudio 8 SE doesn't allow rendering 44.1KHz audio to DVD, it automatically cross-encodes to 48KHz LPCM -- even though the DVD standard permits 32KHz, 44.1KHz, and 48KHz. That pretty much guarantees mediocre sound quality from 44.1KHz sources. That sucks!

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As of three days from my original question, I've learned a lot more about how to control VideoStudio 8 and it's now clear only 48KHz audio is permitted for rendering DVD, and that LPCM audio is NOT a permitted output for MPEG2 encoding (unless specifically ANSI-DVD which again forces 48KHz). Spent many hours on many trials, but it's now apparent my best shot at good sound with MPEG-1 Layer 2/3 44.1KHz source is Layer 2 48KHz at 384kbps output (but only because of a higher bitrate). That forced sample rate conversion is appearing a very unfortunate and unavoidable fact of life.

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One more update -- from listening, it's apparent re-encoding Layer 3 44.1KHz to LPCM 48 KHz, and then rendering the LPCM to Layer 2 48KHz sounds clearly better than going directly from 44.1KHz MP3 to 48KHz MP2. The two pass route takes more time, but the sound quality very noticably benefits. That justifies it for me.

Course, the best route would avoid changing the sample rate at all -- too bad I don't have that option :(.