I've been trying to create video files to view in iTunes and the iPad. I'm using a DVD source. I've tried a large variety of output settings but they all end up slightly out of sync. The same output files play well in Zune and Windows Media Player. I'm running TE 4.7.7.307 and iTunes 9.2.

Here are the settings I'm using that are consistent across attempts to encode :

* MPEG4 AVC (Main Profile 3.1, video size is same as input DVD, aspect ratio is set to same as input e.g. if input is Pixel 40:33 so is output)
* MPEG Audio AAC-LC, 160kbps 48000khz (sample rate is same as input sample rate)

Here's some of the things I've tried varying :

* PAL and NTSC encoded sources
* Container : Main or iPod Video
* FPS same as input video or 30 fps progressive
* Video Bit Rate : 1000, 1250, 1500
* Rate control mode : 2-pass VBR, 1-pass CBR
* Video System : Auto and setting explicitly to same as source material
* Motion estimation subpel mode : quarter pixel or whole pixel
* Audio Output Format : Raw and ADTS

Video from the iTunes store and other .mp4 files I've downloaded seem to play fine.

I'm running on Windows 7 Ultimate.

Does anyone have any ideas how I can try and isolate what the problem is?

http://www.mustsoftware.com/

Soyale,

I am successfully (well somewhat) creating files for the iPad from DVD source using the SpursEngine plug-in. My settings are (if I remember them correctly):

- MPEG4 AVC (Main Profile 3.1)
- 720x480 resolution (for NTSC DVD)
- 16:9 ratio
- VBR
- Max. Video bit rate: 2,500

I didn't change any other of the default settings. The result is a reasonably large file that I can play on the iPad without any problems. However, I don't go through iTunes, but instead play through AirVideo (no conversion).

The only reason I am not 100% satisfied is that the SpursEngine is so limited regarding the video formats it supports. For example, I can't cut off the black bars for 2.35:1 format DVDs. I guess you don't have these limitations if you're not using the SpursEngine - but then again you could just as well use HandBrake, which is free and produces very high quality files. The only reason I'm stuck with SpursEngine is that it's so fast, and converting lots of DVDs without it just takes to long.

I use tmpgenc to do a lot of subtitle encoding. It would really be nice if I could create a subtitle format and save it to use on every new project. I know that I can create a custom layout and save it for a particular project. But when I start a new project, the subtitle is no longer in the drop down list. It get tedious to continually have to change the font and font size settings every time I encode a new file.

I need to make a still picture from ma Imm4 VCM codec video. I have tried everything that I can think of. I have windows media 11 installed (I never should have upgradeed, because I could get a still picture before) I have tried downgrade to other windows media but that does not work. Is there a way or program that will let me capture a still picture from lorex video?

Thanks for any help

Stan kaczmar
Missoula MT
kacz@bresnan.net

Print Screen key?

No, really. Try it. Unless that CODEC uses some fancy overlay control you should be able to do the following.

1) Open media and navigate to the point you want to capture an image and pause it.
2) Make sure you have Mediaplayer running full screen.
3) Press the Print Screen key (usually on the upper right of the keyboard next to the scroll lock & pause keys)
4) Open your favorite imaging program (Photshop, PSP, or even just Paint)
5) Start a new image.
6) Select Edit then Paste.
7) Save as your favorite file type (PNG for lossless, JPG for size control)
8) ???
9) Profit

Hello,
i need to convert a QTRef file to a file that can imported to Adobe Encore.
I tried with "Blu Ray standard Mpeg file" settings from TMPEnc but when i import this file to Encore, it is indicated as Untrascodded.
In this way, encore has to transcode again, and it is a time problem for me.
What is the best settings?
I have to export MPEG2 or Mpeg4 file for bluray?
And in the Encore, at the project settings, i have to choose codec between MPEG-2 and H.264.
And also the frame rate is 25i ir 50p?
What is the right?
My master video PAL and it is coming from Sony ex1 xdcam with 1920x1080i settings.
Thanks

What type of file are you trying to output in Encore? A 1920x1080 Blu-ray?

Blu-rays can be MPEG-2 or H.264, however I think the Blu-ray output template in 4.0 XPress is MPEG-2 only. I'm not sure why Encore wants to re-encode your file, since it should be Blu-ray compliant if you used the Blu-ray template in 4.0 XPress.

I would choose the 25i framerate. I don't think 50p is compliant with a 1920x1080 Blu-ray, so if you just have those two to choose from, I would choose 25i.

Whatever you choose, make sure your output settings in 4.0 XPress match that. If there is a miss-match between your file and the output settings in Encore, then yes, it will re-encode.

One of the problems, maybe the most serious, is that encore wants two seperate files. One for video and one for audio.
So i have to choose that tmpegenc must output 2 seperate files

encode to quicktime PNG, this will need a lot of hard drive space as it gives over 100mbps bitrate

that will easily import into the adobe encore if thats what the encore your on about.

I have a 2 volume project. Volume 1 with 7 tracks, Volume 2 with 9. I created Volume 1 with 8, instead of 9, tracks in the menu. Removed one track on source page. Created disk and then used Save as to do Volume 2.

It was then that I realised that I am a track short in the menu. Is there any (relatively) easy way of changing the menu to 9 tracks, short of painstakingly re-creating the menu, copying all settings one by one from Volume 1?

There's a way to save menu item effects as a template so you don't have to go in and redo all of your effects. For instance, if you have a couple of effects (blur, outer shadow, etc.) applied to a track thumbnail, you can save the settings for that menu item so you can easily apply them to other menu items.

There's also an option to copy the menu item layout of a page and apply it to another page. You can find this option by clicking the "Edit menu" button towards the bottom of the Menu Stage.

Of course, the template specifies layout, effects, etc - NOT the number of tracks.

Maybe I'm not understanding the problem here.

If you want to add a track, just go back to the Source stage and add the ninth track. It will automatically use whatever base layout you selected in the wizard.

If you made changes such as menu item effects, or moved things around, then you'll have to copy the menu item layout to the new page and apply the menu item effects to the items you changed.

I don't think the volume uniformization filter is working properly. When playing the preview, it works as expected, boosting the levels without clipping by compressing the dynamic range. But the levels of the resultant audio stream after encoding is the same as the original. Also the dB range is only selectable between -12 to -2, while the docs state -12 to 2 (maybe this is a typo?).

I believe the "2" in the help file is a typo. What is your output format and settings, and what volume uniformization settings did you use?

I am using -3 dB (default), also tried -2 dB (which should boost the audio levels the most, if I understand correctly), leveling type = average. If you hit "analyse for preview" and look at the waveform display, the levels are boosted considerably. Hit play and it sounds much louder. Encode the video with this setting and reload that result back into TMPGenc, the audio levels are not boosted to the same degree.

I am using MP4-AVC 800x450 @ 1500 kbs (AAC audio, @ 160 kbs). But I've also tried MPEG-2 (MPEG-1 Audio, @ 128 kbs), and WMV-9, output format does not seem to affect the result. There was a change in the uniformization function in the build earlier this year, could that have inadvertently broken this feature?

If this works correctly (as it appears to in the preview), this is a very useful function when encoding videos for small mobile devices, since the tiny speakers can't handle the dynamic range of the average movie. Thanks for any ideas, suggestions.

I have just purchased the Leadtek SpursEngine PCI-E Card, the TMPGE SpursEngine Plug-In, and the new MovieStyle software. I already owned TMPGExpress 4.0.

TMPGExpress 4.o seems to work fine with no driver crashes.

As soon as I begin a specific action in MovieStyle, the driver crashes, the Windows Device Manager dismounts the Leadtek card, and I begin to get error messages from both MovieStyle and TMPGExpress 4.0 regarding the Spurs hardware not being available.

Only when I reboot does the problem go away, but it then consistently re-appears every time I enter MovieStyle .vob import in the Source Wizard.

I would appereciate any suggestions / assistance.

Thanks in advance,

Larry

Do you have the SpursEngine plug-in for MovieStyle? It's a different installer than the one for 4.0 XPress I believe. You should be able to log into your user account and download either installer.

Other than that, I have no idea what it could be.
Try using the official SpursEngine plug-in support form:
http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/support/support.html

I think my problem was solved with some excellent help from Olivier from TMPGE Customer Support.

I was advised to copy the following files from my correctly-working TMPGExpress 4.0 folder (in C:\Program Files) to the MovieStyle Folder, replacing the files of the same name in the MovieStyle Folder.

MovieMPEGSE.dll
SpursEnginePlugin.dll
candi.dll
specdc_sr2.ssb
specdc_trans2.ssb
Voila' !!!!! The problem went away.

I assume my installer screwed up the original installation somehow or that one or more of these files was defective. The copy and paste fixed my problem!!

I am posting this here so others who may have the same problem in the future will be spared a lot of screwing around and rebooting trying to get their installation to work.

Larry

Often I find I have to redo all the settings applied (title, chapter labels, transitions and other) as I open a old projekt and get the error message "file is not found / cancel".

As I move around my files sometimes due to lack of HD space, I really would appreciate a MISSING FILE BROWSING OPTION there, to locate the files I might have moved.

This would save me an enormous amount of time, now spent reconstructing the various settings of the tracks.

My guess is that such a browsing function shouldn't be that hard to integrate in this otherwise extremely userfriendy high end DVD-editing software.

This function is already present.

At the Start stage, open a saved project and open the project file in question.
An error message will appear for each source file it can't find. Each error message has a "Browse.." button that you can click to select the new path for the source file. Do that for each source file and you'll be good to go!

Unfortunately I do not have this button :(

I made a screendump of my error message and as you can se here: http://www.adastramedia.com/TMPGenc/Error.gif the browse button is just not there.

Could it be that I always use DVD VIDEO_TS - files (from my harddisk drive) for input? Or is it maybe that I never use the proxy function?


??

Looks like the "Browse.." button doesn't show up for .vob files. You'll have to copy the .vob file to the directory the project thinks it should be in.

To find out where to put the file, use the "Project file check tool". From the start stage, click on the "Advanced Tools" button, then choose "Project file check tool". Load your project file and it will show a list of the file used in the project and where they should be located on your computer.

Thank you - That solved my problem!

Why is the Audio Source limited to only one when the 3.0 version had 2 source?

This makes it impossible to burn a DVD with bilingual audios.

I don't recall 3.0 XPress having two audio sources. Maybe you're getting mixed up with DVD Author 3.

Besides, you can't burn a DVD with TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress, so it's impossible to burn a DVD period.

Try TMPGEnc Authoring Works 4; that might be what you're looking for. People get it mixed up with 4.0 XPress all the time. With Authoring Works 4, you can add two audio tracks and burn a DVD.

I use AW4 to make Blu-ray videos. The MPEG-2 I am importing into AW4 is 23 GB. The Blu-ray capacity is 25 GB. Why does my clip in AW4 always show FR-full render, meaning when I go to burn the disk, AW4 re-encodes my entire MPEG-2 which takes 7 hours? I want my clip to indicate SR-Smart render.

Now I'm not absolutely sure but a 25gb blu-ray disc may only have 22.5gb (or there abouts)space available for recording because of the 'overhead' reserved. Try one with less data

What are the specs of your video? Aspect ratio, framerate, resolution? Are you sure it's a MPEG-2 and not an MPEG-4? What's the file extension?

I love the ability to add text based subtitles with the subtitle filter. I would be great if I could also add graphic file based subtitles too. Some languages (Farsi, Arabic, Hindi) have character sets that keep their formating better when saved as graphic files. This would be helpful for logos and titles created in photo editing software too.

Please consider this request for a new version.

I think you'd be better served by a good layered timeline editor like Premiere.

Hi. I'm using Win XP to "Cut-edit" clips in a project file that was save in Windows 7. Unfortunately I got this error message on some clips, and I'm unable to edit them. How to solve this issue? Please advise. Thank you.

Error message: "An error occurred while structuring the clip edit window. Refer to the details below. Invalid bitmap image"

Using a project that was created on a different computer can cause some problems. That might be the reason for the error.

Or it could just be a random. Does it happen every time you try and cut-edit a particular clip? Have you tried quitting and restarting the program?