When I write my menu/files to DVD it writes until 97% and then goes into
"VOB file finalization" mode. 30 minutes later it is still there and the disc is not finalised. If I stop everything then the disc is not playable on my DVD player.

Any ideas?

Thanks

doc

Try adjusting the transcode settings to be a little smaller than your DVD capacity. It may just be running out of room at the end of the disc.

I am interested in how to make the best quality from Windows Media Format movie file to Apple TV format using TMPEnc4.0. I tried encording to MPEG4 which works but the quality sucks. At this time I am streaming windows format movies to my XBox360 which is great but I want to the same to my AppleTV. Is there a better version other than MPEG4 to watch AppleTV in good quality HD format which TMPEnc can do?

Hi,

I am trying to convert my digital camera produced avi's as well as some unencrypted DVDs I have to .MPG or .MP4 format so I can load them on my PS3 and play from there. Space is not an issue - I just want the best possible quality for both audio and video. Can someone please recommend optimum settings for this?

Btw, I had dowloaded the MovieStyle trial version and generated sample.MP4 from it using the PS3 profile (and some tweaks), and I found the .MP4 files it generated were quite good. However when I did same from Xpress, the .mpg files were good but not quite as good, and were bigger as well. So if I could get settings that would mirror the quality I got from MovieStyle I would be happy (of course if quality gets better, I would be even happier :)).

Thanks in advance!
Sarge

You should be able to get the same results with 4.0 XPress; i believe they use the same encoding engine. Did you tweak the settings in 4.0 XPress to match the ones in MovieStyle? I'll try and run some tests of my own if I have time.

I don't remember the exact settings (movie express trial period had expired by then), but I did try to make the settings as good as I could and still got the above results.

If you do happen to try this out, it would be very helpful!

Thanks!

I have been making MP4's for the PS3 for awhile. I find the best setting is to go for AVC mode for the MP4 with a level of 3.1. The level you use is dependent on how much resolution and frame rate your movie has. Level 3.1 is just fine for regular 720 by 480 video at around 30 frames per second. I use double pass encoding with an average bit rate of 4000 Kb/s which is probably a bit more than is needed, but space isn't an issue for me. A standard definition unencrypted DVD uses about 8000 Kb/s, but you don't need all that bit rate with the compression that MP4 offers.

Be sure to pay attention to the final size of the video since MP4 won't support file sizes over 4 GB. I had to drop to 3000 Kb/s for 2.5 or 3 hour movies to get them under the file size limit.

Good luck!

Thanks for the help fuzz. The settings worked quite well! I did tweak them a bit more (e.g. used level 4 and some others and went with 4500kbps bitreate - I discovered MovieTime encoded them at 4000kbps and 48khz, 160kpbs for audio). The 4 level didnt seem to increase file size so just used the higher level. Any idea what the levels stand for, and how to decide which one to use? Couldnt find much on google.

Also, I am interested to see if someone has suggested settings for mpeg-2 format as well? While the MP4 is better for compression, it is not that flexible for editing if I want to reedit later. SO I am leaning towards converting all my video to mpeg-2, as these would play in PS3 as well. Am I on the right track, or do you recommend a different format for archiving and playback?!

Also wondering if I should then hold on to my source AVIs, or can I delete those. How big is the impact if I want to edit them later?!

Lastly, what tool would you recommend to join MPG2 or MP4 files after they have been created?! I know I can join them DURING creation, but what if I have some files already that I want to join without reencoding. Is that doable?!

Thanks!

I'm having lots of problems with TMPGEnc 4 Express when encoding MPEG-4. I'm finding that although the input video (MPEG-2) is fine, when I encode, the audio and video are out of sync by 1/4 second or so.

The only setting I've found so far that doesn't gives this problem is to use MPEG-4 AVC format, and set the video size and rate, and audio details the same as the original MPEG-2 file.

I really want to produce an ISO MPEG4 file, but no matter how I try, this always seems to result in a file with audio sync problems.

Any ideas please?

Thanks,

Martin

If you can figure out around how much audio offset there is in milliseconds then you can put this offset into the encoding in the clip editor at the bottom left side of the screen. I had to do this a few times and just made a minute or two test clip with a bunch of different offsets until the audio appeared to sync up.

I tested the trial version of TMPGEnc 4.0 Xpress. I really like the MPEG-2 video conversion quality. However, two BIG features are missing and that prevents me from buying it:

1. Lack of good subtitle support. The current support is very poor. I imported H.264 TS files I recorded from HD TV source with embedded subtitles. The program should be able to pickup the embedded subtitles when converting to MPEG-2/DVD with DVD Author 3.

2. Lack of Dolby 5.1 support. The 2nd audio track of my HD TV recording has Dolby 5.1 and it is not supported.

Currently, I use ConvertXtoDVD. It has all of the above. However, MPEG-2 encoding quality is not as good as TMPGEnc.

Any plans to add these two features into future version of TMPGEnc?

I would buy TMPGEnc 4.0 Xpress at once -- if it would be able to copy AC3 5.1 from source to target video (AC3 stream copy).

So there is no way for any TMPGEnc product to convert DVD with AC3 5.1 audio tracks to MPEG4/H.264 AVC with AC3 5.1 audio.

It's a great pity. :(

TMPGEnc, please... I will take a look at this forum in the next few days... please help - please answer.


Fucust
(A Fu-ture cust-omer?)

* if I buy xpress 4 now, upgrade to CUDA version is free ?

* why does not "mpeg editor 3" use in "xpress"

I think idiot forced to purchase 2 software, while xpress could very well allow use the "mpeg editor 3"

what is more "mpeg editor 3" is not available in French (though by its simplicity it is not a problem)

I *think* the CUDA update will be free. Don't quote me on that.

MPEG Editor 3 isn't an encoder so it doesn't use TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress' encoding engine.
Why doesn't 4.0 XPress have MPEG Editor 3's smart rendering? I don't know, but it's probably because smart rendering seems to be for MPEG video only.

I assume the cuda version will be like any normal free update, especially since it has been implemented so fast already and the version number is currently .257 (meaning no real major changes other than cuda support settings).

I would love to see Xpress some day be able to edit all formats (or at least avi and wmv) with smart rendering, or at least offer the function of a non-reencoding avi joiner for same-spec avi's.

I do still not logical buy "mpeg editor 3" extra "xpress 4" just to have the "transcoding"

is a little too easy to inflate the bill to increase the software at pegasys.
not counting that multiplies software then one would both have a 2 software with similar interface

MPEG Editor 3 is more for DVR users, HDV camcorder users, or anyone who works primarily with MPEG video. It handles video completely differently than 4.0 XPress.

Just because it has a similar interface to 4.0 XPress doesn't mean it's the same thing. It'd be like saying Photoshop and Illustrator are the same just because they look similar.

I'm testing a trial of 3.0 to see if it meets my needs. Currently my project has a top menu and track menus. For my DVD I want to have short videos play between the top menu and subsequent track menus. I.e. you select a track menu button (say "Basic"), a short scene plays and then the "Basic" track menu appears with chapter selections.

Is this possible in TMPGenc 3.0?

* If I add the intro video to the "Basic" menu it's listed as a chapter button and there's no way to select it to autoplay before the menu appears.

* I've tried to add a separate track between the top menu and "Basic" menu containing just the intro video. (i.e. Top > Intro > Basic) 3.0 insists on adding a track menu for the video, which doesn't achieve my effect. Is there some way to disable this track menu?

* Alternately is there any way to set which chapter the menu buttons activate? Seems hard-coded in 3.0 with no editing allowed. Not very user friendly if you ask me... Then I could set the top menu button to the intro video and have it in turn link to the "Basic" menu.

Thanks!

It's not possible to add a transition movie between menus. This is a feature I too would like to see.

You can't put a track between a track and the top menu. In DVD Author 3, a track is a track is a track. In other words, you have a top menu and you have track menus, with nothing in between. You can disable the track menus, but you'd then be left with only a top menu (i.e. there will be no way to select chapters within tracks).

As for your menu button question, the only work around I can think of is to make a custom menu, then choose text buttons instead of the graphical ones. You can then edit the text and move the buttons around.
You can also replace the button with an image from your computer I believe.

How do you pronounce TMPGEnc
Thanks
MachineGun

I usually just say Tee Em Pee Gee Enk.

I refer to it is as "tee m-peg encode" in my mind - never had to speak it to anyone. :)

lol, that's good you've never had to speak it; people usually don't know what I'm saying so I guess I'm just used to spelling it out.
Come to think of it, I usually just leave it out when I'm talking in person to someone, and just say 4.0 XPress or DVD Author 3 instead.

/teɛmpejeɑ̃k/

Only one problem found for this software
1.i am one file import and author successfully completed
2.more then one file i import and author failed code-6 error
How can i solve this problem
Any solution available,please rectified this error

Any thing is so good keep it up

God Bless You

whay the codig??
serial????

Hi
the error
I downloaded the TMPGEnc DVD author 3 with DivX authoring
but it does not want to open!!
it asks the serial number and name ... does anyone know the serial number?

help me!!

thank you.

very nice concept to use this software
very very friendly and easy method to use. so i am very happy about this software
well done keep it up

god bless you

I've read here on multiple issues that people have had with TMPGENC. I'm using DVD Author 3, and getting a strange error.

I'm trying to make a DVD with 6 different AVI files. Each AVI is about 350Mb, and I drag all 6 of them into item 1 (because I'm lazy). I lower the compression until all 6 will fit onto a single 4.7GB disk, and burn.

All works well. Videos look fine, audio sync is good. Except one of the files has no audio - just a "tone" all the way through it. All the AVI's test out as fine, and I've checked with the "GSpot.exe" program to verify that all CODECs are loaded properly, and they are.

Weird thing is I've burned this DVD twice now. Same files, same order. The first time I did it, the 2nd video had the audio problem. The 2nd time, the 3rd video had the audio problem, and the one that was previously bad was fine.

Could this have something to do with too much compression? That's about the only thing I see here. I'm lowering compression until just below the 4.7GB barrier, maybe I need to give the program more room? Though I can't understand how that would give this error.

I can't see anything wrong with the AVIs - they test out fine, all play well in Windows Media Classic, etc. But I'm tired of making coasters.

Anyone with any ideas here, appreciated.

What codec do the avi files use? What audio format are you using on output?

You can just output the files and not burn them to avoid wasting discs. You can then play the DVD files with PowerDVD by loading the Video_ts folder.

Thanks for the suggestion to not burn immediately until the problem is resolved. A fine idea.

I'm using pretty much the program defaults. I'm thinking that it's a combination of (1) dumping multiple files into "Track 1" instead of making individual tracks for each file and (2) making a menu. I think somehow the menu somehow is interfering with the audio at transition, but this is a total guess at this point. I'll have to run multiple burns to know for sure.

All my files check out for having the right Codecs loaded. Here's the information, and any ideas would be great. Thanks.

Codec info
-----------

Video - DIV3 (DivX 3 Low-Motion)
Audio - 0x0055 MPEG-1 Layer 3 (44100Hz 96 kb/s tot , Joint Stereo)

Project Default Settings
-------------------------
DVD Video Settings -
Audio Stream - Dolby Digital
Sampling Rate - 48000 Hz
Channel Mode - Stereo
Quantization - 16 bits
Bitrate - 224 kb/s

DivX Settings -
Audio Stream - MPEG-1 Audio Layer III
Sampling Rate - 48000 Hz
Channel Mode - Stereo
Quantization - 16 bits
Bitrate - 128 kb/s

Hello there!

I downloaded and installed the newest trial version of TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress. Now the problem. When I import an avi file (divx or xvid, it's the same result) into a program I can't see a thing where I should be able to see the edited frames (image). Also when I click to play/preview it, it remains black even tho the slider moves and time is progressing and there is also sound present. I was playing a bit with avi splitters on my pc and disabling certain splitters (so other avi splitters could "kick in" in the decoding process) cause I was assuming that tmpgenc doesn't like certain splitters/decoders but no result. Other players on my PC (BSPlayer, WMP, DivX player) can play these divx and xvid files. Funny thing is that when I install this trial tmpgenc on the other pc in the other room it works perfectly. But I really need tmpgenc to work on this machine.

Thank you very much for your input!

MicoMaco

Make sure your installed codecs are showing up in TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress' AVI Settings. Go to Options-->Preferences-->AVI settings to see what codecs are active and if they can decode and encode.

The codecs installed on your machine is most likely the problem. Try uninstalling them and then reinstalling the same ones that you have on your working machine.

Thx for the quick reply. I did check these avi settings before and there were listed both divx codecs, divx single cpu codec and divx decoder. Also I reinstalled the newest version of DivX and no change. Still can't see the imported material in tmpgenc. Wth is going on...

I noticed another oddity. If I check Magnifier... voila, the image is there, in the Magnifier window, magnified, distorted...but there. But still, I'd like to see a normal image in the "edit" window.

Also I can see small single frames beneath the main movie window (which is still black :( ) in cut-edit mode.

O MY GOD!!!!

Problem solved. I was accidentally playing in tmpgenc and I right clicked in the movie window. Menu appeared and at "Overlay mode display" there was a check mark, after unchecking it the image appeared in the main movie window.

Thx again tkrave for your time and effort. Hope this (mis)adventure of mine helps others.

I had just remembered the overlay display mode option, but it appears you found it already! I'm glad everything worked out for you!