MultiAVCHD failing to create working DVD

[BigDawg]

I can't get multiAVCHD 4.1 to properly convert my video into an AVCHD file that will run on my Pioneer BlueRay Player. The BR will read the DVD but will only play back a few seconds of the beginning of the video before crashing out. In addition, the small part that plays is extremely pixelated with most of the screen just showing a green color. The audio is fine.
I've installed AviSynth, ffdshow and Haali Media Splitter.
I downloaded and ran multiTEST and got this error:
Checking AVC/H.264 decoding...! [ERR] AVC/H.264 FAILURE
All the other test past.
I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, 16 gigs of memory and AMD Radeon HD6670 graphics card.

Any ideas what the problem is?

BTW, if I try to play the video on the computer, it too is very pixelated with most of the screen just green or blurry.

[Asmodian]

Have you decrypted the DVD first? How did you do it?

[BigDawg]

I saved my video as an mpeg file and when that didn't work, I tried saving it as an AVI file which didn't work either.

[manono]

First, rename your thread title to something actually relevant to your problem.

Second, you didn't answer Asmodian's question. You put a DVD into your computer Blu-Ray player. How did you transfer it to the computer? Did you decrypt it to the hard drive using a decrypting program as you should have? If not, start all over again.

The reason he asked the question is because your description of the problem is what you see when you don't decrypt an encrypted source properly.

[hello_hello]

I'll confess the only DVD I've seen mentioned so far is the AVCHD DVD BigDawg created and tried to play. It's not clear the source was a DVD to me, although it's still not clear what the source was. It seems an mpeg file and then an AVI.... somehow... and maybe they were ripped from DVD.... but who knows?

[BigDawg]

Sorry for all the confusion.
Let me start over...
I have a program, AVS Video Editor. I import family still pictures and videos taken with my Cannon Camera and arrange them with music using, this program.
Once done I have the resulting video saved on my Hard Drive as an MPEG or AVI file (there are others that I can choose, I just decided on these two).
This file is saved to my Hard Drive. From here I am trying to use Multiavchd to turn this file into a AVCHD file that I can then burn with IMGBurner to a DVD using my computers DVD burner.
Once done I take the finished DVD and try to play it in my Stereo system's Blue Ray player to be viewed on our big screen LCD TV.
The reason I am trying to do all this is because, as I'm sure everyone knows, if I simply burn directly to a DVD the resulting video will not be as clear since the DVD typically saves the file as a 720X480 resolution.
When Multiavchd failed to work is why I ran the Multitest and found one of the components was failing to pass the test thus the reason for this post.
If I still haven't answered all the questions, help me understand what additional info is needed.
Thanks,
BD

[manono]

Well, that's different. I guess hello_hello guessed right. Then I'd say your Blu-Ray player doesn't play Blu-Ray compliant videos burned to a DVD. Nothing unusual about that although I thought computer players were supposed to play them.

I'd suggest making a real DVD from it (VOBs, IFOs, BUPs) or try burning it to a Blu-Ray disc.

I renamed your thread.

[BigDawg]

Manono:
I've confirmed with Panasonic that my BR can read AVCHD files burned to a DVD so I would think it should work.
Coupled with the fact that my computers DVD player behaves the same way as the BR player when trying to play the AVCHD file that is created with multiAVCHD 4.1, lead me to believe that I'm not doing something correctly.
Add to the above with the MultiTest AVC/H.264 FAILURE error ...makes me think that something is not set correctly on my computer or with the multiAVCHD 4.1 program itself.
I have burned a regular DVD with this file. As I mentioned, the resolution quality leaves a lot to be desired. That's why I am trying to get multiAVCHD 4.1 to work so that I can play the DVD on my BR with a much higher resolution...like 1080p.

[hello_hello]

What player are you using to play the encoded video on your PC? Maybe consider trying something like MPC-HC is you're not using it already. It's self contained (there's a portable version too) and doesn't require additional "system" codecs for all the common formats. Have you tried playing the copy saved to your hard drive (I assume there is one) before the disc is burned, rather than playing it from the disc after it's been burned?

MultiTest is a test for decoding ability. I'd be doubtful it indicates your ability to encode the video correctly (unless maybe the source was h264).

I've never created a Bluray or AVCHD video disc in my life and stopped burning DVDs a long time ago (I just convert everything to MKVs) so I can't offer any clever advice. Maybe try a different program?
http://www.videohelp.com/software/BD-Rebuilder
http://www.videohelp.com/software/AVCHDCoder

[BigDawg]

hello_hello
Thanks for the help but I solved the problem myself.
1. I made sure that AVS editor saved the video as an AVI file using the video codec H.264/AVC.
2. I made sure the frame rate was 29.7
3. I made sure the Frame Size was 1920x1080
4. I put the Bit Rate at least to 4,000
Once MultiAVCHD created the AVCHD file I opened Imgburn and made sure that Auto was ticked before burning to the DVD. (I got that advise on another site.)
The resulting DVD plays perfectly on my Blue Ray player as well as on my PC.
After many days and hours trying to get this to work, along with many many DVD's, I now have the kind of high resolution videos on DVD's that I wanted so I am considering making a donation to the created of MultiAVCHD.

[hello_hello]

Out of curiosity, do you know which setting fixed the problem?

For the record it doesn't have to be 29.970fps as 23.976fps is valid for AVCHD.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVCHD#Specifications
The frame rate you use might depend on the output of your camera (interlaced 29.970fps, progressive segmented frame (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_segmented_frame) 29.970fps, or 23.976fps progressive).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVCHD#Canon

[BigDawg]

Strangely enough, I think it was using the video codec H.264/AVC setting in AVS and in Imgburn being sure to tick the little box that said Auto even though it was unchecked by default. I read on another site someone explaining that for some reason if this little Auto box was not checked, that the resulting burn could possibly cause problems reading the DVD in a Blue Ray. I don't understand why but am glad I found that suggestion as it seems to have solved everything and should be noted by everyone here to provide that info to others that might be running into the same problems I was having.
As far as the other settings, I found, especially with the bitrate, that on certain videos that included moving water, using a higher bitrate mitigated any pixelation issues. I know it increases the size of the video but that is not a problem for me.
Do you think there is any issues burning the DVD using a 29.97 frame rate even if my Cannon camera shoots at a lower rate? I can't see any issues with the video's that I have already burned but am always interested in knowing the best settings to use.
Thanks,
BD

[Asmodian]

Changing the frame rate is a complex problem and not something you should attempt without a very good reason. Always use the source's frame rate.

Also always set the bitrate as high as possible for the best quality. Fill up that DVD. :)

[BigDawg]

Asmodian
Thanks. On the Frame Rate that makes sense, but how high is high as possible on the bitrate?
On a non related subject...I would like to understand many of the possible settings options in this great program, but looking over the tutorial in https://multiavchd.deanbg.com/tutorial.php#download makes no sense to me. I guess I must be thick because not only do I not understand the explanations but can't find some of the settings that it speaks about.
Is there anywhere that I can find a graphic showing each setting and its resulting function?
For example, I only have one video burned on the DVD and when I put the DVD in my BR, the resulting DVD shows on my TV what appears to be a small box in the upper left corner. If I click on Play the DVD video starts. I can't figure out what setting to either get the video to just start or to at least have the video box take up most of the screen with maybe a screen shot of the beginning of the video in it.