Having difficulty with converting .avi files to .mpg-1. The converted files playback wioth low audio level even though the audio filter settings (volume) was set higher, up to 200 percent. Any suggestions?

I have a movie in AVI format which is missing the last few seconds of the film. I found another complete copy of this movie but the color isn't as good as the first. Can I use the Batch Authoring Tool to join the two movies together at that end point. If this is possible, would the splice be seamless or would there be a noticeable break or freeze frame?

Batch Authoring won't do the trick; that's for outputting complete projects, not scenes.

You'd want to just add the two clips to the same track. I'm not sure how seamless it will be; I'll try and do some tests to see if I notice any break.

Just did a quick test and the results were seamless; I couldn't tell where the cut was.

I'm using your program to try to convert AVCHD files to Quick Time Avid Codec DNxHD 145.

I found a posting that you could do that but can't seem to find that file on the "convert to" selection??????

I'm guessing you'd select QuickTime in the Format stage and then click on the "Settings..." button under the video codec section. From there, you can select your codec.

http://i40.tinypic.com/246pg1w.png

Your encoding software is excellent but I'm very disappointed in a very glaring omission. No capability to add a logo/watermark to the video? This is absolutely essential for many content producers who might want to use your product... without this capability the software is useless to us.

So there is a whole group of people that are using another product such as Videocharge. It's a shame because your encoder is much better, but again lacking this crucial feature. If you want to increase the appeal of your software and gain more customers, you really need to make a logo/watermark filter available ASAP.

Thank you.

i believe you can actually use avisynth scripting for logo watermark , whilst encoding with xpress

Hey Vince,

as mentioned, you can use AviSynth for this. Just read this thread:
http://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/watermarks-in-avisynth-t154665.html

I can easily clip a segment, but the cut button deletes the scene. How do I save the sequence?

I was successful using split, then I split it again until I had the segment isolated, but there must be an easier way to save a segment.

If you don't want to delete anything, then yes, use the split function instead of the cut button.

The trick to using the split function is to use the split button instead of the "set start/end frame" buttons. Make sure your whole video is selected (all thumbnails are blue, then use the split button to set your start and end frames of the section you want to isolate. This will highlight that section in yellow.

When you click the "OK" button to leave the clip editor, it will give you the option to register the yellow or blue (or both) as separate clips.

When you output your file, make sure you select to save each clip as a separate file.

Thanks, I didn't realize I could split it in more than one place at a time.

I'm getting frozen frames (at the same point each time I view them) in some .mp4 files when viewed in TMPGEnc's Simulation screen or on the finished DVDs produced with TMPGEnc. However, the same .mp4 files view fine (w/o freezes) when viewed via a stand alone viewer like VLC Media Player.

Is this a known issue with TMPGEnc and/or is there something I can do to stop the frozen frames from occurring in TMPGEnc?
TIA.

It may be a decoder issue or a framerate issue. Being able to play it in VLC doesn't necessarily mean it will play the same in Authoring Works 4 since VLC has its own decoders.

Try use Gspot or some other program to determine the video's properties, then make sure the clip properties in Authoring Works 4 matches up with them.

You can also try to make Authoring Works use a different file reader. For mp4 video it will use the MP4 file reader by default, but if you disable it, it can use other file readers like QuickTime.
To do this, go to the Options menu-->Preferences-->Input Format List-->File Input Plug-in. You will see a list of file readers. It basically starts from the top, so if you disable MP4, it will use the next compatible file reader.

I'm not sure if that will help, but it's worth a shot.

tkrave, I think you're probably onto something there, but, so far, neither change has made any difference.

I tried raising, and then lowering, the framerate, but that didn't make any difference (the default framerate of the .mp4s is 29.97 - I tried raising to 60fps and then lowering to 15).

Then, after unchecking some of the codecs listed at the top of the File Plug-In screen, I tried playing some of the problem .mp4 files again, but they're still freezing/hanging at the same points.

To be clear, the video doesn't stop, it just sort of hangs (the picture freezes) while the soundtrack and frame counter continue as normal. After about 2 seconds, the picture will pick up at the proper point in the video (having skipped the previous 2 seconds) and continue normally until the next set of frames that hang/freeze.

Do changes in the Preference settings affect .mp4 files that are already imported into TMPGEnc or only those that I import after making the change? (I tried importing another .mp4 after making the change with the same results, so I'm guessing the change is retroactive.)

Gspot indicates the video codec is 'H.264/MPEG-4 AVC' (AVC1).
Does that provide any further hints as to the problem or how I can avert it in TMPGEnc?

Where did you get this video? Is it from the web?

You might also want to try activating the prefetch cache settings (in Preferences under Multithread settings). I'm not sure if that will help but it's worth a shot.

The .mp4s are from youtube. I'll give the prefetch idea a try this evening and report back. I'm pretty sure the problem's related to the video codec as you original suggested.
Thanks again.

Sadly, the Prefetch (while encoding) option had no effect.
But since the problem occurs during viewings in either TMPGEnc's Simulation or Editing screens, I don't think its an encoding problem anyway. I think you were right about there being some type of problem or mismatch between the .mp4 and the codec TMPGEnc is using to decode it.
Here is a link to one of the problem .mp4 files if you want to try it out on your system:
"Fast Driving Girls - Mercedes SLK - Bonnie Driving (First Video)"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=edCvtxSt9CU&

What are you using to download the video? Are you downloading it via YouTube or using some other program like Miro or Realplayer? If it is your own video, then you can download it via YouTube.

I used youtubedownloader to download the .mp4 files from youtube, but I can't really see how the downloader can be the problem since the files playback fine everywhere (i.e., VLC Media Player, Windows Media Player and Firefox) except in TMPGEnc.
A friend has a utility that converted the .mp4 file into an .wmv and the .wmv version works fine in TMPGEnc, so the problem's got to be, as you originally suggested, related to the video codec that's built into TMPGEnc. Unfortunately, I need to edit the videos and the converted .wmv versions change the frames contents, making it impossible to do the edits I wanted (or had with the .mp4 formats). So, ultimately, I'll need to figure out how to get them to play correct (in .mp4 format) in TMPGEnc. So if you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears...
And thanks again!

What version of Authoring Works 4 are you using? I just noticed that the latest update (version 4.0.9.37) lists some MP4 improvements in the revision history.

http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/download/taw4_rireki.html

Thanks, that's very interesting. Of the fixes listed, none address this specific issue, however, I'm running 4.07.32, so I'm probably missing some other fixes/improvements. I'll give it a try and report my results.

tkrave - SUCCESS (I think?)!!! I haven't actually upgraded my TMPGEnc yet, but I sent one of the .mp4 files to a friend of a friend who has 4.0.9.37 (who's familiar with the problem I've been having) and the same file played perfectly. So I'll just have to upgrade my version as you suggested.

Unfortunately, the upgrade didn't affect my other problem with Normalization not working (on any type of video files). If you (or anyone else) knows why the Normalizing feature doesn't work, or knows how to get it to work, please let me know.
Thanks again for the help!

After setting the Volume Normalization to 95% in the Audio Filter Settings screen and saving the project, there's no change in the volume levels. When I click the "Analyze for Preview" button, the screen updates and then shows a "Normalized at xxx%". However, when I either view the compilation via the Simulation button or burn it to a DVD, the volume levels of each of the individual .mp4 videos remain at their original (variable) levels.
Am I missing something?

Anyone have any thoughts on why the Normalize isn't working (with .mp4 files)?
TIA

I think what you are looking for is Volume Uniformization at Peak -3 DB.

I would like to see Tmpgence authoring works 4 next upgrade with other format to choose from such as (1.78, 1.85, 2.00), the 16:9 that already include make the movies look too narrow to enjoy, it left too much black at the top and bottom of my television.

Thank you.

Isn't 1.78:1 the same as 16:9?

Disc Writing tools recognizes BD drive but post processing in output doesn't????

anyone having similar problem?

thanks

also... the write disc image tool doesn't work - I can create an ISO, but I can't burn it in DVD Works - but burning with a basic burner software "power2go" works......

thanks in advance

Hello, Is there a chance to utilize gpu in encoding with tmpgenc?

Just wondering...

Hi,
I am trying to burn an .avi that I created with Windows Movie Maker to DVD using TMPGENC Authoring Works 4. he .avi plays beautiful on it's own but as soon as I burn it to DVD through TAW the transitions, especially dissolving from one scene to another, becomes choppy, like slow motion, for the duration of the transition. Now this is only during transitions that this happens, otherwise the rest of the film is fine. The transitons were made in WMM and exported as on avi file. Any ideas why TAW is doing this to the transtions? Please help as I have burned through a large number of blank DVDs trying to get this right and nothing is working. Thanks!

Do you know what codec your avi file is using? It might be that TAW4 is using a different codec than Windows Media Player to decode the video. Use Gspot to figure out which codec it's using.

Also, do you have software that allows you to play DVDs on your computer? If so, you can just output your video without burning it so you don't waste discs. You may need to create a disc image (you can create one with the TAW4 disc writing tool) and then use a program like Daemon to load the image as if it were a real DVD.

What version of Movie Maker are you using? The one I have only outputs as WMV and it works fine in TAW4.

Hi tk!
Thanks SO MUCH for the reply! I was hoping omeone could help me! I have WMM version 6.0 and I just downloaded G-Spot and loaded the .avi in question. Here is a screencap of my G-Spot results after plugging in the .avi with the slow transitions through TAW...

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x61/yanalou/gspotreading.jpg

Still here tkrave? I still desperately need help!

In Gspot, enable codec interaction in the settings; that way it will tell you the codec status and solutions to errors.
How long is your movie? Your Gspot screenshot says your file is 21.9 GB and it's DVD quality? Is the file actually that big? Gspot says there's 16.9 GB of unneeded data, so something strange is going on there.


I don't have WMM 6 so I can't recreate your problem at the moment.
Any chance you can upload a short, sample video with the same characteristics as your problem video?

Hi tk,
Well G-Spot keeps crashing when I try to enable codec interaction. I get this message on a black screen...

Warning: DirectShow crashed while GSpot was attempting to obtain information about a codec.

This is usually due to damaged, misconfigured, conflicting, or poorly written codec drivers. It is possible, perhaps even likely, that other media players will crash when they attempt to play this file as well, as most of them will also use DirectShow. GSpot was able to intercept the crash, and has attempted to identify the codec or filter involved; uninstalling or reinstalling this codec or filter may solve the problem.

The codec was tentatively identified as:

C:\Windows\system32\imaadp32.acm
Unknown video codec #10


What my DVD is going to be is two seaprate tracks. Track 1 is the main film and it runs 1 hour 48 minutes. Track 2 is made up of extra features and the total length of them is 17 minutes and 25 seconds.
I cannot upload a sample of the problem because that really IS the problem...the choppy transitions only happen on DVD...not in my PC or TMPGENC previews...just when it's put onto DVD and played on TV do I see it. It's really annoying because everything else looks beautiful...I almost want to simply remove all the transtions from the original WMM project and re-render but there's no way to lock the timeline so that when I remove the transitions it doesn't throw the entire project off timing wise. It's ridiculous that once you edit nearly two hours of a movie that if you want to go and fix something at the begining, it messes up the entire timeline. So I am kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I am so close to being done if not for this transition problem.

Ok, so your file definitely shouldn't be 21 GB based on the length of your videos.

And the file plays fine in the Simulation stage of Authoring Works?

When you import your video into Authoring Works 4, which file reader is it using? (you can see which file reader it's using in the Clip Properties screen under the video file location.)

Did you change any track settings such as bitrate?

Also, I wasn't asking for a video showing the problem, I meant I wanted a sample of the problem area of the video (i.e. the transition) with the same bitrate, framerate, dimensions, etc. Then, I'll try and output it and see if I get the same choppy playback.

i can bet you its a codec issue.

unistall all codecs, reboot then clean system with somethign like tuneuputilities, download the newest klite codec pack from codec-guide, reboot and then re try what your doing.

Hi tk,
Yes I did change the bitrates as seen below.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x61/yanalou/TAWsettings.jpg

Now when you say look for "clip properties" in the "file location" are you talking about within TAW or the file on my PC where the .avi comes from? I cannot find a clip properties selection. All I can do is right click on the original .avi (outside TAW4) and get those properties but I think you are asking about something else. So when you say "file location" are you talking about the "Source" page in TAW4 or are you indeed talking about outside of TAW4?

Now when I render the orignal movie from WMM...I do it as .avi because it is my understanding that that is the best format to maintain the high quality. Is this perhaps a bad idea? Should I publish the movie as a diffeent file type?

The transtion is a simple dissolve, where one scene is dragged and overlapped on the timeline so that the first fades into the second. The info about framerate and such can be seen by clicking the link above. It is only during the "overlapped" portion of the transition that everything slows down until it becomes one scene alone.

Hi Matthew!
Thanks for the advice. I am scared to death to start deleting codecs and such as I don't know how and I am not familiar at all with that. I'm certain I would screw up things and make my probelems even worse.

This is the Clip Properties window I was talking about (file reader highlighted):
http://i43.tinypic.com/1zmdmjm.png

It might be good to try outputting as something other than an AVI in WMM, just to see if that is indeed the problem.

As matthew says, uninstalling and updating your codecs might be a good idea.

tatonka

give me a shout via my email or my website with the contact form, and ill give you a hand via using teamviewer.

no charge.

Hey tk,
Oh OK, that screen says "DirectShow filereader" tk. I will try and publish the film as "DVD Quality" in WMM instead of .avi then and then burn a DVD through TAW4 and see what happens.

If that doesn't work..I maytake you up on that Matthew! Thanks SO MUCH for your help guys.

Okay guys, I just finished rendering a DVD, this time using a .wmv file instead of the original .avi. The transitions are normal now but now the entire video has a choppy look to it when the camera moves. The picture quality is a bit lossier as well. So I don't think the .wmv idea is going to work unless you guys have another setting I should try. This .wmv has the following settings applied in TAW4:

Max br 9400

br 5150

min br 1550

interlace

top field first

two-pass vbr

Okay guys. Here's a screenshot that says what codec it uses:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x61/yanalou/codec.jpg

Now how do I know which one Windows uses in their own DVD Maker program..which does publish this movie in excellent perfect quality. So there's something in TAW4 causing this...maybe if I change this codec to whatever Windows uses I could duplicate the DVD writing process as it's done in WMM "through" TAW4. Thoughts?

Well, it's hard to say what WMM is using. I would think that it's using DirectShow codecs since it's a Microsoft product but who knows?

You might need a different DVSD codec. Try Cedocida DV codec if you don't have it already.

Hey Tk,
Well I tried to burn a DVD through WMM just to see how it looked and it isn't as perfect as I remember. The picture quality is a bit lossy. The transitions work this way, but at the expense of a bit poorer video quality.

Now this is probably irrelevant but I should mention that it seems that when one moving scene fades into another moving scene that this problem happens. So I am wondering if it might have something to do with that...where that 2 seconds of overlapped "motion" footage of two different scenes is throwing off the motion setting in TAW...where it is trying to stabilize to different "moving" scenes during a transition that causes the slow motion fade.

Probably irrelevant but I want to be sure I metioned it before we settled upon it beinf a definite codec issue? Does this shed any light on this problem at all? I probably should have mentioned it sooner but I thought it was irrelevant whether there was motion in the two overlapping scenes.

Any thoughts on my previous comment? Could that be the issue and is there a fix?

I don't think that should matter too much especially if the transition is already encoded as video. The only thing I can think of is that the bitrate for the transition section is too high which is why I was asking about your bitrates before.

I can't definitively say what the problem is but it won't hurt trying other codecs or following Matthew's advice.

This a tricky one to solve but it is actually very easy to fix.

If you take a look at the frame rate of your *.avi file you will see that is is either NTSC (24 or 30) standard or PAL(25) standard. If you don't want to fully recode your films to a different standard (this is what is causing the pixilation visible at transitions)then burn your output at either NTSC or PAL according to the frame rate of the *.avi file.

Note that modern equipment plays either standard quite perfectly so don't worry about having mixed DVDs.

Sorry this is a late reply but there will be many with the same question.

Would like to know if there is a way to add a different template for each page.

EX:
Title Page: play movie and scene selection
Page 2: trailer1 , trailer 2, trailer 3

another words:
title page only 2 links and page 2 3 links