Possible to author DVD with no audio track?

[abyss616]

I have some footage taken from a VHS tape that has no audio that I'd like to convert to DVD.

My avs script has the "audio=false" tag after loading the .ts file but neither quenc nor hcenc likes it that way and gives an error message.

My thinking is that I'll save room for a higher encoding bitrate by not having an audio track (however minimal that might be) but it's not the end of the world. Now I'm just curious if it can be done.

[Ghitulescu]

I don't understand your problem.

If you don't want the audio track, simply encode the video one. In the end all video codecs and video encoders exactly this do, encode the video.

[abyss616]

Sorry if I was too vague. This is my avs script:

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\DGAVCDecode.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\MPEG2Dec3.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\UnDot.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\SmoothDeinterlacer.dll")
DirectShowSource("E:\GSU\1997-3.TS",audio=false)
Crop(8,2,-8,-2)
Trim(76945,148857)
SmoothDeinterlace()
LanczosResize(720,480)
UnDot()

The TS file is a video taken from a VHS tape with no audio. I was attempting to take the blank audio track out completely (hence, "audio=false") and encode just the video into a DVD. (I guess it sounds dumb to want to do it this way just to get a higher bitrate from the video, but I work in weird ways.)

The program I'm using the encode the video is AVStoDVD. I take that script, load it into AVStoDVD, hit go, but both quenc and hcenc crash when I try to do that.

Seems like that maybe the better way to go is accept the blank audio track in the TS file (remove "audio=false" from the script), encode the audio into a mono file at the lowest bitrate allowable and live with it - its not a HUGE deal. But it's gotten to the point that I just wonder if it can be done.

Hopefully this clears it up a little better.

[sneaker_ger]

HCEnc doesn't need any audio input and I assume the same goes for quenc. The problem either lies within avisynth (Are you able to play the script in any player or virtualdub?) or AVStoDVD.

[manono]

What makes you think the problem is the Audio=False? Test your scripts in VDub(Mod) before sending them to the encoder. Interlaced video requires crops of the height be Mod4 (multiples of 4) while yours are only Mod2:

http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Crop

Also, I never use DirectShowSource if I can possibly help it. And your script is based on old and out-of-date tools (MPEG2Dec3.dll and SmoothDeinterlacer). And why not keep the footage interlaced?

[abyss616]

There's not a lot of sound logic in doing what I do since I am relatively new to this and have little hardcore knowledge of the subject. Most of what I use has been picked up from some source or another and since it works relatively well, I keep doing it (like MPEG2Dec3 or SmoothDeinterlacer).

The audio problem is AVStoDVD related. The program automatically tries to encode an audio track even if it knows there isn't one and so the program crashes.

The script works fine in VDub. I import the file into VDub using that script, find the frames I want to Trim out and then import the avs file into AVStoDVD.

I'm open to suggestions as to what would improve my workflow. Thanks.

[Ghitulescu]

If it's possible to encode (in eg HCenc from vdub/avisynth) just load the script in any of those and do it. If not but it's possible to frameserve the result to the encoders, use this. If even this is not possible, then do all the video processing in avisynth/vdub, export the file in a lossless AVI (huff, laga), then encode this file into MPEG-2. No audio, no crashes. ;)

[abyss616]

I would prefer to use AVStoDVD since I will be putting three or four separate files onto one DVD and the program generates nice menus with the ability to select any one of the scenes.

EDIT: Thanks for the help on the no audio aspect of my question. I think I will direct any further inquiries to the creator of the AVStoDVD program (very helpful fellow he is!).

But are there any suggestions on my avs script I use?

[manono]

As a workaround you could always supply a short silent audio for the encodes:

http://download.videohelp.com/jsoto/tools/silence_1201_exe.zip

Also, again, you shouldn't crop interlaced sources as Mod2. Deinterlace (if you really think it necessary) first, and then crop and resize.

[abyss616]

What are the differences between DSS2() and DirectShowSource()? I saw someone else recommend DSS2 as an alternative.