Hello, and I need help, please!

Problem:

TMPGEnc 2.513.53.162 refuses to open DVD quality MPEG files created with Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 for conversion to SVCD. Yet, these same files can easily be viewed/played in just about any PC without any problem.

TMPGEnc always tells me that "file.mpg" can not open, or unsupported. File.mpg can be any file name, of course.

These files have the following parameters automatically set by the Ulead program:

MPEG files
24 Bits, 720x480, 29.97fps (DVD-NTSC)
Video data rate: Variable (Max 8000 kbps)
LPCM Audio, 48KHz. Stereo


Here is what I have for conversion:

TMPGEnc 2.513.53.162 just installed; it contains the following codecs in the same folder for access:

TMPGEnc.vfp - Version 2.513.53.162
DVD2AVI.vfp - Dated 06/21/2002

I have tried raising the priority of the plug-ins, one at a time, starting with Vfapi but this has not solved the problem.

I have a new computer with a Pentium 4, 2.8GHz CPU in it and 1GB of RAM, so I know that is not the problem.

My main reason for downloading TMPGEnc is to see if this is a program that would work for me, so I am looking to find out what I am doing wrong that it is not working, or maybe I need additional codecs installed.

Any and all help before the trial version runs out will be greatly appreciated!

Well For Tmpgenc to Load Mpeg2 files You have to have certain Mpeg2 decoders installed on your System, But the Best way to encode Mpeg2/Vob files is to use "DVD2AVI" to make a D2V Project file and a wav audio file, then load the D2V file and the Wav file into Tmpgenc and encode to SVCD, This is the Method that 90% or poeple use because it is a better method of encodeing Mpeg2 file with Tmpgenc, and DVD2AVI is the Best Frameserveing tool for encodeing Mpeg2/vob files with Tmpgenc...

Thanks, Minion.

I have done just as you said in your previous answer with just one file, as a trial, but I'm sorry to say it still did not work that way either.

From what little I have been able to see in TMPGEnc and read about it, this program should be awesome, just perfect for what I need to do.

Anyhow, if you or anyone else has any more suggestions, I'll be glad to try them within the trial time allowed.

Thanks in advance!

Well if it didn"t work then you did not do it right Cuz this is the Method that Most experienced poeple use to Backup DVD"s, and this Method is Tried and tested vigorously and been Proven to be Flawless if done correctly, You never explained why it didn"t work?? Well I guess you can try it the Substandard way and install the correct mpeg2 decoders on your System, If you install "Power DVD" it will install the "Cyberlink Mpeg2 decoder" on your System and this is one of the decoders that tmpgenc can use so it can load Mpeg2 files ,The other Decoder is called the "Ligos Mpeg2 decoder" this decoder comes with some codec packs like Nemo and Tsunami.....

>I have done just as you said in your previous answer with just one file, as a trial, but I'm sorry to say it still did not work that way either.

You obviously have made some sort of error somewhere if it didn't work. As minion says there should be no problem doing it this way. Maybe you have an outdated DVD2AVI VFAPI plugin. Copy the DVD2AVI.vfp from your current DVD2AVI folder and place it into your TMPG folder.

Alternatively there is a good plugin made specifically for TMPG which should open your MPEG2 files no problem.
Download it here:
http://www.systranbox.com/systran/box?systran_lp=ja_en&systran_id=SystranSoft-en&systran_url=http://www.marumo.ne.jp/mpeg2/&systran_f=1055793569

Yes, it works now!

This IS a great program, and it does exactly the things I was looking for in this kind of program.

I installed the plug-in Ahsy suggested in her post, and that made it work great.

Thanks Minion and Ashy, for all the information and tips you have shared with me. I'll probably come up with more questions later on, but everything is good for now!

>I installed the plug-in Ahsy suggested in her post, and that made it work great.

His post mate, thanks.

This has probably been mentioned before but I've not been here long.

I'd like a 'pause and resume' feature for encoding just like internet download managers have. It takes hours to encode at the highest quality and so many time you need to use your computer for something else or switch off altogether. It should also cater for power problems as well so it can pick up where it left off.

You can pause encodeing by just clicking "Stop" while encodeing and just do not answer when it asks if you want to abort encodeing, then you can go a Do something else, and when you want to resume encodeing just answer "No" in the Dialog box, But you can not stop encodeing and Shut down Tmpgenc or your Computer and I do not think it would be possible to Pause encodeing and Shut down Tmpgenc or your PC and then resume encodeing at the exact point that you stopped because if it was possible then there would Probably be at leasy One program that does it and as far as I know there isn"t a Single encoder on earth that can resume encodeing in this way...But if you really have to shut down you can allways use the "Source Range" to start encodeing a New file a frame after were you stopped then use the "Merge & Cut" to join the 2 files together....

Is there any way to decrease the size of black bands across top and bottom of some films,to increase size of actual picture. Thanx

Yes, Use the "Clip Frame" and "Video Arrange Method" settings in the "Advanced" settings......

I have been using TMPGENC for a little while now encountering and solving problems using this board. I am trying to convert an AVI to SVCD for playing on a DVD unit. I have done this with several other movies but I am now encountering problems with 2 that I can not solve and does not look like have been encountered before. The encode process seems to go well but when you play the MPG I will get AT MOST a fraction of a second of video (if any at all) but sound for the entire mpg. The particulars:
My steps...

1. I extract an uncompressed WAV from the AVI using Virtual Dub.
2. Use the SVCD template and encode.
16:9 NTSC
Bit rate 2100
3. Test using WinVideo Platinum


Audio

Audio Format - MPG Layer-3
Bit Rate - 95kbps



Video

AVI (divX) 344032 KB
Frame width - 352 pixels
Frame height - 152 pixels
Play length - 1:08:31
Frame rate - 29 frames/sec
Date rate 83 kbps
Video compression - DIVXMPG4 V3

Any help would be GREATLY, appreciated
On

Try raiseing the Priority of the "Direct Show File Reader" in the "Vfapi Plugins" to "2"...This should make the Image show in the Mpeg file the next time you encode it....

Minion,

Thank you very much, this has worked perfect. Is this particular issue tied only to this version of the mpeg encoder that was used or is this a "Feature" of TMPGenc?

Thanks Again,
On

Sometimes if you do not have the "VFAPI Plugins" set to certain Prioritys tmpgenc can not read certain File types, This is a Common Problem and a Common Solution...

Hello,

I have a Panasonic DMR-E30 which is a consumer DVD recorder that records onto DVD-R or DVD-RAM. tmpgenc can demux the M2V and AC3 components from VR_MOVIE.VRO (which is apparently similar to a VOB), and it can also read them to encode a new output file. No problems there.

However, if I try to use mpeg tools->merge & cut to try to cut out part of the M2V, tmpgenc complains "Illegal MPEG video stream"

I guess that with mpeg tools tmpgenc interprets the contents itself, but reading in an m2v to encode it uses the codec.

Has anyone else experienced this? I can send a sample to tmpgenc support if they like. (I am a paid owner of tmpgenc plus)

Thanks...

Just a followup, I think I may have found what tmpgenc is choking on. It looks like video on DVD-RAM appends multiple video recordings into a single file. tmpgenc was getting confused because there were two recordings in VR_MOVIE.VRO. I deleted one of them with the DVD recorder, and tmpgenc now cuts from the extracted M2V without complaint.

Maybe a future edition of tmpgenc could support splitting of multiple DVD-RAM video recordings? :)

Just try to demux and mux the Video, than cut it. But i never tried that with AC3-Sound, maybe TMPGEnc is not able to cut such Videos.

BTW: TMPGEnc DVD Author can cut Videos with AC3-Sound!

I have been able to Mux and de-Mux mpeg"s with AC3 but not edit, Mpeg2VCR would be a Better editor for AC3 audio Mpeg files...

Kika - the problem happens when I demux to an M2V. It's a single file, but it actually has two (or more) separate recordings in it. If I erase everything but a single recording using the DVD recorder, then tmpgenc can successfully cut the extracted M2V file.

As for the sound, I use ac3dec then encode to mp2 using tmpgenc... after that I can cut both the vision and sound components together.

Make sure you use the De-multiplexer and not the Simple de-multiplexer. You should then be able to see and extract ALL of the individual streams without having to delete one first.

By the way here is a program that should be able to cut your files without the need to demultiplex or re-encode the audio first.
http://www.digital-miner.com/chopperxp.html

I'm a newbie to TMPG (and video edit/manipulation in general) so forgive me for any obvious things I may miss.

I'm trying to convert an avi (3 of them actually) into mpeg for VCD (preferribly SVCD) burning.

I used virtualdub to separate the audio/video and used TMP to create the mpeg.
For starters, all variations I used with the mpeg was insync and of decent quality.

My problem is the output size of the file.
If I try to burn a SVCD I get anywhere from 717-8xx mb (which is obviously way to large).
If I try to burn a VCD I get around 400mb.

I don't want that big of a cut in my resolution (and I don't really want to waste nearly half of my 700mb cd).

The video is already cut (that is why there are 3 AVIs to convert) so I don't really want to cut more.

Any suggestions?
Am I stuck with a VCD?
(The original AVIs are all around 2xx mb)
(I have done some searches on the forum and found some answers but nothing that has helped me get the size closer to 7xx without overshooting)
(Most settings set to default in both SVCD and VCD modes using the wizard at all times, only setting changed is to "full screen with aspect ratio")

Thanks.

The Filesize depents on two things: Playlenght of the Video and used Bitrate for (S)VCD. The Filesize of the AVI does not matter.
On a 80 Minutes-CD-R you can put 797 MByte of Video in (S)VCD-Mode.

You should get a "Bitrate Calculator" it will tell you what "Bitrate" to use for how long the file is so it fits on a 700mb(800mb)80min CD-R...

If you want any sort of decent quality then you will have to put a regular movie on 2 disks. VCD is in my opinion crap so I only do high quality SVCD's using VBR on to 2 disks.
It's no hardship to swap a disk halfway through a movie and is far more preferable than watching a full movie on one disk which is awful in quality.
Many amateurs like youself soon become dissatisfied with the quality of VCD and learn that SVCD on 2 disks is the way to go.
Oh and by the way you can fit 820mb of MPEG on to an 80min disk if you overburn.

I'm definitly a rookie on this, conversion and burning stuff, i got the TMPGEnc freeware, but i am having some problems, when i set over the directions to convert AVI to MPG, starts doing its job apparently very well, but the image on the preview screen doesn't appear at all. When it has done its conversion, i'd try to watch its results on the WMP (Windows Media Player) and just the sound was ok, BUT with no image!!!, please help me out, what am i doing wrong? any help will be appreciate.

Try this, Go to "options" to "enviromental settings" to "Vfapi Plugins" and Raise the "Direct show Multi-Media File reader" to "2", this should get the image to show the next time you encode...

Hello!

I'm thinking of buying the Plus version, but this one thing I'd like to know first. So, if I buy the Plus version, will I get free upgrades?

I bought it a little more than a month ago and upgraded with the new revision yesterday. No cost. The question becomes: will I get free updates FOREVER?

I have a film that is 14.98 fps.....can you encode this? I have decompressed the file and ran it through virtualdub to extract the audio, however when i put it into tmpgenc i get an error and have to close the progam down.

Yes you should be able to encode that file accept that you will have to use the "14.98fps(29.97fps Internally)" Frame rate setting, What is the error you are getting???

caused an exception 10h in module mp43dmod.dll at 0167:073e5c5d


that is on another pc, however i guess what i am asking is what template would i be using to encode 14.98(internally 29.97 fps) to make this work?

Well that error is with the Mpeg4 codec used to decode the file, It could be because there is something wrong with the file like it could be corrupted or something ,These types of problems seem common with files downloaded off the net.You might consider Installing the "FFDShow Mpeg-4 decoder", it might stop the error from happening..There is no template that will use that Frame rate setting (Unless you make one),you have to set it to the "14.98fps(29.97fps Internally)" setting Manually..You just go into settings under the Video tab and select the setting from the Drop down menu next to "Frame Rate"...

Admin my apologies once again for a double post, I JUST don't understand WHY this is happening, and I only press submit ONCE. I have set a password on some posts in the event that I noticed it happen again and yet when I enter the password to either edit a typo , or delete an unintended double post, even after i enter the password, the page just loops back to the enter password screen, please check this as I believ ther may be a problem there. Thanks

Stop refreshing the page after you have posted and you won't double post. To refresh the page click the 'View article' link at the bottom and no one can edit their posts not just you.

Thanks ashy, was wondering why that was happening, thanks for clearing it up for me :)

I'm converting an avi file into mpeg2 and the final mpeg file is just a little to big (5 GB) to burn to a dvd.

How can I set a limit on the file size?

If I use the project wizard then I can set 'Make file size xx % of disk capacity' but since I have made my own template I'm not using the wizard and I don't see this possibility anywhere in the main window.

Can anybody help?

Cheers

One last question,

Is it right that it's not enough to rely on the VideoCD template, or on the wizard, to convert DV-AVI to VideoCD-MPEG?

If the source video is 720x480, the source aspect ratio is in fact 704x480. In order to convert it properly to 352x240 and preserve the aspect ratio, the source frame must be clipped by 8 pixels from the left, and by 8 pixels from the right: 720-8-8=704.

It's the same in PAL conversions, from 720x576 to 352x288.

Those 8 pixels in the left and in the right wouldn't show on the TV, anyway. It's more important to have a video in the right aspect ratio; or, it shouldn't be converted to a 4:3 format.

Shouldn't the default settings do this clipping, if the video is 720x480, but the source ratio is 4:3 <-> 704x408? Ditto about PAL/576.

Best regards,
Cosmin

That's right. To convert 720 -> 352 you have to clip 16 Pixels. An other Way is to resize 720x576 -> 352x280 without cropping, letterboxing to 352x288.
In NTSC-World, you can do it this Way: Resize to 352x236 without cropping, letterbox to 352x240. But this isn't realy good, because of the strange Resizing. The best Way is to clip always to 704.

Thanks for confirmation.

This is another suggestion for Mr. Hori - that 720x480/720x576 video should be clipped by 8+8 pixels by default, when converted to any format that maintains the same pixel aspect ratio, and the frame fills a 4:3 rectangle (such as VideoCD, or 640x480, or 320x240, etc.)

I've seen a couple of VideoCDs, converted from VHS or TV capture, that have black vertical margins and an incorrect pixel aspect ratio (i.e. people appear "too tall".) I believe the users of TMPGEnc who did the conversion didn't know that they were doing it wrong.

I don't know if my suggestion is better handled in the program, or in a template.

That's incorrect. Well for your information the authors of TMPG have already compensated for this.
TMPG automatically adjusts the aspect ratio to acount for the difference in pixels.
You will notice that when resizing from 720x480 to 720x240 that image is not only compressed by 8 pixels either side vertically, but TMPG also compresses the image horizontally by the right amount of pixels regarding the aspect ratio to compensate and just fills the rest in with black.

If you clip 8 pixels either side your image will infact have the wrong aspect ratio or if you resize the image vertically so it's a few pixels short.

If you don't believe it just play the original in media player and put your thumbnail on the top or bottom edge of the image then without removing your thumb play your resized clip. You will noticed the image is also compressed a few pixels horizontally to compensate and maintain the correct aspect ratio.

>You will notice that when resizing from 720x480 to 720x240 that image is not >only compressed by 8 pixels either side vertically
Sorry this should read: You will notice that when resizing from 720x480 to 352x240 that image is not only compressed by 8 pixels either side vertically

>That's incorrect. Well for your information the authors of TMPG have already compensated for this.
>TMPG automatically adjusts the aspect ratio to acount for the difference in pixels.

I am glad to know this, although it doesn't happen in my version of TMPGEnc (2.59.47.155). I am sure about it, because I tested it with a 720x480 video that has 8-pixel-wide black margins on the left and on the right. If I don't clip anything, those margins appear (albeit narrower) in the encoded video (they shouldn't).

Maybe a newer version of TMPGEnc does it properly. When I'll have time, I will download the latest version and test it.

Huh, what Ashy said is right, but, there's a big reason, NOT to use this Resizing-Feature in TMPGEnc (and other Programs): It is called the Nyquist-Effekt. It's a theorem about Resizing and it is exactly what i meant with "Strange Resizing".
I must appologize, but my english is not good enough to give you an Explanation about the Nyquist-Effekt, but it exist and can be noticed. It results in unsharp mixing of Pixels, and it does not happen, if you do the Cropping to 704.

704 / 2 = 352
480 / 2 = 240

If you use the Resizing-Feature for the 720 Format, the division Factor is not 2, it is a foating-Point Opperation.

Sorry, that's al i can "stutter" about that in english. :(

About Aspect Ratios: 720 and 704 do have exactly the same ASR, that's because the 720 Format do use an Motion Area of 704.

I still don't understand this statement of Ashy:

>If you clip 8 pixels either side your image will infact have the wrong aspect ratio or if you resize the image vertically so it's a few pixels short.

Say I have to convert from 720x480 to 352x240.
The 720x480 source has 704x480 of its pixels to fill in a 4:3 rectangle (this is why the "source aspect ratio" is called "704x480 4:3"). Therefore, the entire source frame is actually wider: it's not 4:3 = 1.3333..., but it's (4:3)*(720/704) = (4:3)*(45/44) = 1.3636...

For example, if you play a 720x480 video in full screen, you will see thin, horizontal black bars at the top and at the bottom. If you play a 352x240 video or a 704x480 video in full screen, that occupies indeed the entire screen. The video looks higher, but also wider, by the proper amount necessary to preserve the aspect ratio.

Therefore, if you clip 8 pixels on the left and 8 on the right, you will get a narrower video, which occupies a full 4:3 rectangle, and preserves the correct aspect ratio at the same time.

Ditto with 720x576 --> 704x576 / 352x288 in PAL/SECAM countries.

Cosmin