join mpeg2 without quality loss

[Jolard]

I have 60 gb of space available for video capture. I am using Virtualdub for video capture using huffyuv, then encoding with TEMPEnc to MPEG2 DVD quality. I am using SpruceUp for DVD authoring.

This works great, except I can't capture the whole 1.5 hours video at one time because of my space constraints. So I have been capturing smaller blocks, and encoding them to MPEG2 with TEMPEnc.

The problem is that SpruceUp will accept multiple MPEG2 files, but it won't play them one to the next. When the first one stops it goes back to the menu. From what I can see it will always do that. I can access the other clips from the menu, but I want the whole movie to play through from beginning to end.'

So what I want (after all that background) is to be able to join the MPEG2 files together without reprocessing if possible (so I maintain quality) so that I can import them to SpruceUp as one media asset. I have tried using TMPEnc's tools, but there are audio synch problems (this is a documented problem on doom9.) So I am hoping someone can point me to a good tool or process. I don't want to re-encode again if possible, just join the files. Thanks!

[oddyseus]

I would try Mediaware's M2-Edit Pro or Vitec's Mpeg2 Pro. They allow u to edit mpeg streams like Premiere and manipulate them without reencoding.

[waldok]

Demux your mpeg 2 files, use DVDMaestro and create as many movies as the video clips you have (see the Maestro guides at doom9 and at www.fukrulez.com).
Now you should be able, in Maestro command sequences part, to link the end of movie N to the beginning of movie N+1 and so on so that it plays ok on your DVD player in the end.

Another way in Maestro (didn't try it myself) would be to demux all clips, merge audio files together to one big file.
Then in Maestro add all your video only clips to the same timelne in movie1, one after the other, and use your big merged audio file on the corresponding audio track.

This may work, but you'll have to try to know ;)

Waldok:cool:

[oddyseus]

I can understand from the original post that Jolard hasn't any access to Maestro or other authoring program. It asks for a solution based upon its current configuration.

Am I right?

[2COOL]

Originally posted by Jolard
I can access the other clips from the menu, but I want the whole movie to play through from beginning to end.'


Jolard,

Have you tried my resolution on your other simliar post? It seems you posteed this 2O minutes later from your other post http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44779

I've sent you a PM then to learn if it worked for you with no response.

Please respond yes or no on your next reply.

2C:cool::cool:L

[Jolard]

You are correct that I had two posts, both hoping to solve the same problem from different angles. I hope that was not a violation of the rules, I figured not since I thought of two possible solutions, one using IFOEdit (posted in the IFOEdit forum) and one merging the MPEG2's (posted here in the DVD Authoring forum)

The ifoEdit solution from 2cool worked perfectly. Thanks so much to him for the help. I really appreciate it. For everyone elses info, instead of merging the mpegs, I simply edited the ifo instructions so that it would play on to the next mpeg rather than go back to the menu.

Works great. Thanks!!!!!

As far as MPEG solutions go, every one I tried ended up with unsynched audio. They seem to work fine with shorter clips, but as soon as I tried joining 30 minute clips, the second one is always out of synch. I know there are all sorts of complex ways to resynch audio, but 2cool's suggestion works for me. Here is a link to his suggestion. http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44779