Using TMPGEnc and Ulead DVD Workshop - A Mystery . . .

Hey guys,

Hoping someone can help me. I have been doing the same thing for
creating DVDs for a while yet, and recently - for no reason I can see,
it doesn't seem to work anymore.

Basically, I use TMPGEnc to convert my DivX movies to SVCD/DVD format
and then use Ulead DVD Workshop to create my DVDs. I know Workshop
also does conversion, but TMPGEnc does a hell of a lot better job in
my opinion. In the past, when I have done this, and then gone on to
build my DVD through Workshop, Workshop will go through Video and
Audio conversion in a few seconds, because the newly converted movies
are compatible. I have created a couple of templates in TMPGEnc to
exactly match the Disc Templates available in DVD Workshop.

OK, but recently when doing this, Workshop wants to convert them
anyway, and I can't see why. I use AVIcodec to compare the MPGs I have
created with what the templates in DVD Workshop ask for, and its
identical. But for some reason, it goes through Video and Audio
conversion anyway - with much less success in quality I might add.

If it means anything, the original DivX files are different. For
example, this is what I have so far.

Movie 1:
Video : 600 MB, 912 Kbps, 23.976 fps, 576*320 (16:9), XVID = XVID
Mpeg-4, Supported
Audio : 99 MB, 150 Kbps, 48000 Hz, 2 channels, 0x55 = MPEG Layer-3,
Supported

Movie 2:
Video : 620 MB, 899 Kbps, 23.976 fps, 640*352 (16:9), XVID = XVID
Mpeg-4, Supported
Audio : 67 MB, 97 Kbps, 32000 Hz, 2 channels, 0x55 = MPEG Layer-3,
Supported

Movie 3:
Video : 615 MB, 907 Kbps, 23.999 fps, 592*340 (16:9), DIV3 = DivX v3
MPEG-4 (Low-Motion), Supported
Audio : 87 MB, 128 Kbps, 44100 Hz, 2 channels, 0x55 = MPEG Layer-3,
Supported

Before you ask, I have the latest DivX and XVid codecs installed.

Last night, I compared the temporary MPG files that DVD Workshop has
created for me, with the MPGs I created with TMPGEnc and the stats are
identical (even if the quality is worse). I don't understand what
could be the problem.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Sgt-Pepper.

 

Divx encoded files are not DVD compliant.

So Ulead DVD Workshop will re-encode any file that does not comply
with DVD disc standards.

If you are converting the files using TMPGEnc prior to importing the
files into Ulead DVD Workshop, then what are the precise properties of
the converted files?

For example, I sometimes work with MPEG-2 files that have been
converted from DV .avi files.

My files have the following precise properties:

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Field Order A
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8264 kbps)
LPCM Audio, 48 KHz, Stereo

How do the properties of your own files compare?

What I do is adjust DVD Workshop's project settings to match the
properties of my source video - and no re-encoding occurs.

I explain how this is done in my step-by-step guide:

http://www.jonesgroup.net/dvdworkshoptwostepone.htm

Hope this helps,

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net