Hello! I'm contemplating recording Dish Network AC-3 encoded programs to DVD-Rs. Dish does transmit some movies and other programs in 5.1 multi-channel, and, if all it takes is one of their AC-3 receivers and TMPG's AC-3 encoder plug-in program to do it, then I feel like I'm missing a real opportunity, especially if I can use the same DVD-Rs on which now I'm cranking out DVD-Rs like there's no tomorrow. :>)
After countless Web searches, I still have not seen a complete "flow" of AC-3 recording to DVD. Here's the flow I "think" I understand:
Source (such as Dish Network satellite receiver with AC-3 output, capable of transmitting 5.1 audio channels "inside" 2 output channels) ---> (connected to) ATI-7500 video card (via adapter's left and right audio input RCA jacks) ---> recorded as an MPG-2 video file, with AC-3 encoding program installed on ATI MultiMedia 8.8 program --> Authored (as with TMPEG DVD Author) ---> DVD-R burner, such as Plextor 708-A. Then, remove DVD-R from PC, place in DVD-R compatible DVD player. (Here's 1 more place I'm confused): Output from DVD player's left and right audio outputs (RCA jacks) to AC-3 compatible audio receiver (or A/V, if video fed through it, too), wherein receiver decodes 2 channels into 5.1 channels (the .1 being the subwoofer). Or, must the DVD player's output be an AC-3 specific output (SPDIF, digital optical), and must the receiver's audio input be similar?
I would appreciate any help on this, and especially any links to Web site pages (in this or other forums, etc.), that explain the whole concept of recording AC-3 encoded programs. Russell Farley, Olathe, KS

i have a bunch of vob files that i want 2 convert so that i can watch it on other stuff that cant play dvds. can tmpgenc convert the dvd files to other readable formats?

Yes - in most cases

I used the guide http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=59422 . The problem is that after some weeks DVD2AVI stopped doing for frameserver for TMPGenc. Now I need to convert VOB --> AVI (large mute AVI, maybe split into many files max 2 GB large) with DVD2AVI, extact the AC3 sound, convert AC3 --> MP2 with BeSweet and multiplex the final MPG (without sound, made by converting the 'mute' DVD2AVI AVIs (max 2 GB each) --> many mute MPGs (with TMPGenc) ---> (multiplex) 1 large (> 1 GB) and mute MPG with the 'MPG with sound' done by loading as input the large 'mute MPG' with the MP2. You can even make a dummy MPG 'with sound' using TMPGenc with Motion Search Precision = lowest auality, since you only use it for its sound (a TMPGenc run is needed to convert 48 Hz MP2 --> 44.1 Hz MP2 inside the movie; you cannot multiplex directly a 48 Hz MP2 to a MPG, Choode in File__Environmental Settings__Audio engine, Sampling frequency convertor = high quality).

Sorry, this was an answer for the 2.5 version. I never used XPress.

Does anyone else have a remnant of the last frame of a video recording? For example, when I am cutting commercials out of a 1 hr tv program as I do the last edit of the program selecting the start point as the last frame shown of the program and end point (last frame of video) I get a remnant.

I can delete it from the chapters but the frame is still there. It's just an annoyance. Sometimes if the last section of my recording is shown as a full frame on the filmstrip view DVD Author will delete it about 50 percent of the time. Fixing this bug would be nice. I love TEMPGEnc DVD Author and use if for archiving all my tv programs recorded my tv tuner using XP Media Edition.

I use Arcsoft Showbiz to convert the tuner recordings to mpegs and archive with TGA 1.5.

Thanks,
angelbabe777us@yahoo.com

It's not possible to cut of a single Frame without Re-Encoding the Movie or parts of it.
Watch out for the Tool "Cuttermaran" or "Cutterman". It is able to cut of Frames by re-encoding only the GOP with the frame, not the whole movie.

I have a question regarding cloning copies of tmpgenc DVD author. I have tried copying disks produced using TMPGENC DVD Author 1.5 with commerical copying software like 321 Studios DVDXCopy Platinum which is supposed to copy source video and audio and menus.. The copying works okay but when I put the dvd in the player. There are no menus, or chapters. The videos play fine and all the content is there except for the menu.


Thanks.

Scifigurl
angelbabe777us@yahoo.com

Use Nero or any other CD/DVD burning software and just use the copy function. If you have nero the free program DVD Shrink will do a backup of the complete disc and use Nero to burn it.

When I'm trying to convert an avi file to mpeg with the last version of TMPGEnc the video image get frozen althoug the mpg file is created and the audio is working out. I suppose this is something about the codecs, but I really don't know how to splve it or how to introduce latest codecs into the TMPGEnc.
It happens not with every avi file but with some of them.
I hope somebody can help and thank you for it.

Raise the priority of the 'Directshow file reader'
Do a search on the above here to find out how.

It works!! Thank you very much

Another Newbie here, I'm sure this will seem dumb, but when I compress my DV footage (DV-AVI file), I get an *.m2v and a seperate .wav file for the audio. Of course when I play the .m2v file, no audio. I checked all the settings and it will only output to .m2v; how do I get a combined video/audio output in mpeg2 format??

Thanks and Happy New Year

Well, I figured it out, drop down box on first page of wizard for PCM Audio (splits audio) or MPEG layer audio which combines. To author DVD I need to resplit the audio and video anyway, so it worked fine once I figured out the rest of the process.

I'm trying to convert files that are about 80mb each, and I was wondering if there was any way to do it so that the output of normal resolution NTSC files wasn't so huge (ie 800mb), anyone know? or does the size of the mpg have no relationship to the size of the avi, only to length?

No. MPEG is more standard: Size MPEG-1 (VCD) = 10 MB x min. Size MPEG-2 (SVCD) = 30%-40% larger (you use VBR, therefore larger size = better quality, use FitCD to calculate the size).
More or less, a 80' CD-R = 80' VCD or 55'-60' SVCD.
Instead, AVI size goes from a profile fit from lowest quality (176x144) to DVD-like (720x576-PAL) quality. Even here, you can choose from minimum encoding quality (31) to maximum encoding quality (1) (see Xvid): the size can range from few tenths of megabites to some gigabites, for a 2h movie.

In general you can use: if I want to make a (S)VCD from an AVI, use the above formulas (or FitCD for a SVCD, since it's VBR).
Making vice versa is NON STANDARD and needs a bitrate calculator for every codec (and quality) you use/want to reach.

Has anyone else tried to convert MJPEG (Fuji Camera) format with Ver 2.54?
I could do it with Ver 2.51, but no with 2.54. I've been using the free version, and want to upgrade to allow for DVD burning, but I'm concerned that the newer version won't work with MJPEG.

Before i purchase, do any of the products convert DVR-MS?

Yes, TMPGENC Xpress 3 will do dvr-ms. It is the only product I've found that does it well. Worth the money.

I've tried to convert some avi-files with divx5-codec with tmpgenc 2.51, but when I tried to select them over the browse-button or drag-and-drop them into the field I got the message about the filetype to be unsupported.

I upgraded tmpgenc to version 2.52 and tried it again - this time there was no message, but as I tried to start one of the files I noticed that there's no sound except of the first half second. I tried the other files and all of them were converted without sound although tmpgenc shows the file after drag-and-drop in video and audio-file folder.

The avi-file is made with sound, I've tested all files with virtualdub to prevent them from having bad or delayed soundtracks.
It's sure possible to extract the soundtrack of the avi first before converting to avoid this problem but I'm wondering if I do anything wrong as it happens to all my videos with DivX5.0-codec - but it works really good with DivX4 and XVid...

If the file contains AC3 audio then you will need to install the AC3ACM decompressor first.

I'm having the same problem, albeit only on SOME .AVI files.
(Ones that TMPGenc claims are longer than they are (i.e., 1H31M when they are actually 43M - not exactly 2x though... whether I correct length in Source Range window)
Dumb question: Hoe DO I "install the AC3ACM decompressor"?
Thanks for your help!

The AC3/ACM decompressor can downloaded frop Pegasys' page but works only on TMPGenc XPress.
Otherwise, extract the sound stream with VirtualDubMod (Stream --> Stream list --> Demux) and convert the output sound file to MP2 using BeSweet (+ GUI).
After thet, use tha MP2 you made as Audio Input in TMPGenc and choosing as 'profile' 'MP2 for SVCD'.

No, the AC3ACM decompressor is not made by TMPG. It can be downloaded here: http://fcchandler.home.comcast.net/AC3ACM/
it can be used for decoding AC3 in AVI files loaded into TMPG or Virtualdub.


>Dumb question: Hoe DO I "install the AC3ACM decompressor"?
Does nobody ever read the readme.txt file that comes with the package or what?
As already stated in the readme, right click on the AC3ACM.inf and select 'install' from the menu. Done.

>Otherwise, extract the sound stream with VirtualDubMod (Stream --> Stream list --> Demux) and convert the output sound file to MP2 using BeSweet (+ GUI).
After thet, use tha MP2 you made as Audio Input in TMPGenc and choosing as 'profile' 'MP2 for SVCD'.

Very longwinded and unecessary.
No need to convert anything to mp2, just extract to wav and load that into TMPG.

Would increasing the video bitrate from 4000 to 8000 improve video quality?

Any help will be appreciated.

Depends on the source, but in most cases with a good quality source, yes.

What would you define as a "good quality source"

One of a decent resolution and with no artifacts such as block noise.

An excellent source would be DVD, VCD would look crap when re-encoded and likely wouldn't benefit from extra bitrate.

Thank You :-)

every time I set up a divx or other avi to transfer to mpeg the length of the movie in the window that shows you how big it is going to be says it is more than double what the origional movie was and the size of the file is always larger than what would fit on a dvd and I am using avi's that are about an hour and a half long. They always report about 277 min to 300+ does anyone know why it would do this also I try to set the bitrate as low as it will let me and it is still over the 4.7Gb that will fit on a dvd. Please help me.............

A search on VFAPI plugins should help.

I had the same problem. Go into Options>Environmental settiong>VFAPI and Upgrade the priority of "Direct Show Media File Reader" to 2 and that should do it... it did for me.

I'm getting the same problem - tripling movie lengths. It won't let me edit this option. Any ideas?