Okay I am new to the game and I could use some help (as simplistic as possible). Here's the issue... I have a Winfast TV 2000 XP Deluxe. I have no problem making recordings to my hard drive but I want to be able to take these recordings and edit out the commercials and transfer them to DVD-R. Can someone give me the precise settings that I need use on Winfast to do this. I also need to know what programs' if any, need to be used to convert the file of the Winfast recording. If other programs are needed I also need precise settings for that program. In essence I am looking for a step-by-step guide to get from point A (Winfast) to point B (DVD). I have been working on this for two days and I am ready to pull my hair out over this. I am relatively computer literate and can follow a good set of instructions. I would be greatful if someone could send me in the right direction. Thanks for the help!
I wish I had an answer for you - but have the same issues/quesions myself! I too have the Leadtek XP Delucwe - which is great. (I assume that you are downloading the new drivers and PVR software each month by the way...) I have been using the TV Tuner to create DVD quality MPEG files, and am then trying to use Nero Express 3 to create a movie (stringing multiple files together) - but I have an issue with Nero getting stuck at the "transcoding" stage. I can use Nero to create the chapters where I want - which is good, shame I can not test them until I get to burn at least 1 good DVD though! Nero offers to edit the MPEG file, but whenever I try to edit as file, it says that the area selected is too large... even if it is just a few seconds. TMPGENC is good for editing, but has a 30 day limit on MPEG-2 files. I've been using this to make VCD's for ages with no problems. Let's hope that someone else can help us both!!
I guess I am eventually trying to get to an .ifo file because I was told that this was the type of file it needed to be played on a standard DVD player or to an MPEG-2 file that can be converted on IFO Edit. The Winfast tuner card gives you multiple Capture Format Profile options when recording from it to the hard drive (but .ifo is not an option). The options are: MPEG-1 (Normal, Good, Or Optimal Quality) MPEG-2 (Normal, Good, or Optimal Quality) VCD Super VCD DVD Windows Media Video Format Uncompressed AVI Or Direct Burn (VCD, Super VCD, or DVD) After selecting the Capture Format Profile you must select the Capture Profile Setting which includes the Video Codec, Capture Resolution, MPEG-2 Bitrate mode, Audio Codec. I just really don't know what settings to use. The plan was to record using MPEG-2 format and convert to .ifo using IFO Edit. When I record using the MPEG-2 format and try to load to IFO Edit it shows the file as an .mpg file instead of a .m2v file and it cannot convert the .mpg file. I have had success using the AVI Uncompressed format then converting to MPEG-2 using TMPGEnc Plus then converting to .ifo using IFO Edit. The problem is that the MPEG-2 encoding is SLOOOOOOOW!!!! About 30 minutes to encode each minute of video. Given the recording options when recording from the Winfast program I would think there might be a means of recording from there to the hard drive in .m2v format which would eliminate the need for the lengthy encoding process. Then all that would need to be done is a quick run through IFO Edit. There has to be an easier way to do this than the AVI conversion process.
I got it figured out!!! I can get from TV to hard drive to DVD pretty quick and easy. It took a lot of trial and error with this one. If anyone else is interested in this process just let me know. I will be glad to tell you which programs are needed and the process required.
Hey!! Please do tell me how you are doing this!! I am using the TV Tuner to burn to a MPG file - and am then trying to get Nero to burn the MPG files to a DVD (which it can preview just fine) - but it wants to transcode the file(s), and stops halfway. Nero is also unable to allow me to edit the files - regardless of how small a time segment I select it says that the portion I have selected is too large. I can not wait to hear of your solution! Thanks! Antony.
This one worked for me so I hope it works for you as well. However, it seems that every computer has its own little quirks and likes and dislikes. All I know to tell you is give it a try and see what you get. [bold]Winfast TV2000 Deluxe Settings[/bold] 1. Capture Format Profile: AVI Uncompressed 2. Check the frame rate box at the bottom so 29.97 is shown in black 3. Next go to the capture profile setting a. Use the MPEG-2 Video Codec b. In the MPEG-2 Bitrate Mode box select Variable c. Set the capture resolution to 720x480 NTSC d. Move the video quality slide over to 500 4. Record your program [bold]Xilisoft Video Converter Setting[/bold] 1. Click add 2. Browse to the area where you stored and select it 3. Once it is shown in the Xilisoft display box single click it until it is displayed in blue When you do this all the video recording's info. will be displayed in the bottom center box. 4. Note the video's length in minutes and add this to the audio bitrate and enter this number as the bitrate, bitrate min., and bitrate max. *** For most TV shows you will use the MP2 audio codec with the audio bitrate set at 224. However, if you are recording a high quality movie from TV you will probably need to use the AC3 audio codec set at a bitrate of 448. I recorded Antz (Pixar) off the Disney channel last night and used the AC3 codec but normally you would use the other. It is important to get the right audio bitrate because you are using it to calculate your video bitrate. If you don't the video quality is comprimised. So for MP2 audio codec the video bitrate= length of recording (minutes) + 224 For the AC3 codec the video bitrate= length of recording (minutes) + 448 5. Set the destination folder 6. Click the encode button Gather up and convert enough video to fill your DVD it before going to the next step [bold]TMPGEnc DVD Author[/bold] 1. At the start screen select create new project. This will move you to the source setup screen 2. Click add file. At the bottom of this box change it to display all file types 3. Select the new .vob files that you just created 4. If you want to set chapters or edit commercials use the edit clip function on this page 5. Move to the create menu section and set your title and track names and add menu background pics 6. Move to output and select the area to store the file. Then click begin output. This will store the file to your selected destination as Volume 1 or if there is already a file present it will show as Volume 2 and so on. After you have done all this you just need to burn the files to DVD. Before you do this try to open the Volume that you created on your dektop player to make sure everything looks and works okay. From this point you should have control of all functions of the DVD and be able to utilize any menu functions you created. Please note that my NTI DVD Player opens and plays it without hesitation but my PowerDVD player will not play it until it is burnt to disc. Don't ask why cause I have no idea. If everything looks okay open your burner program and select the the Volume you just created. It may require that you open the volume folder and move only the TS_Video folder. If so that's fine because that is all you need. Then burn it.
Thanks very much for those very detailed instructions! I shall give them a try and let you know how I get on. My method until now (which has not worked, but *should* work)has just been: (1!) Record from TV Tuner in DVD format (which is MPEG-2 5MB/s, 224K audio) and that makes the MPG file. (2) Use Nero Express 3 to make a movie from the MPG file(s). (3) Burn to a DVD or Image. This works fine for VCD's, but for some reason Nero does not like the MPEG-2 file quit enough to burn it to the DVD without transcoding it. It is the transcoding process that mysteriously stops mid-way. I have tried using Uleade Studio DVD V6, which happy witht the MPEG files, and can string them all together into a single *re-coded* MPEG file - which plays OK on the PC. But when I use Nero to make the DVD it again insists on transcoding - which fails. I have read on another thread that Nero is still fussy about when it feels it needs to transcode, and is transcoding MPEG files that it does not need to. Hey, can't wait to try your method ... if it works for me, then that would be superb. I shall let you know!
I look forward to hearing from you. I tried a method similar to what you described only using other software and it did not work for me. I think the issue has something to do with the manner in which the file is encoded from Winfast. Although it says it is encoding in MPEG-2 there must be some issues because I was unable to use it in .ifo edit. It has something to do with the file extension. Anyway, this other method is a bit longer but the Xilisoft converter software is easy to use and pretty quick. It converted my 1 hour file in about 35-40 min. Then the TMPGEnc DVD Author took abot another 10-15 min to output to .ifo files. That still doesn't seem too bad to me. I spent more time editing out the commercials in TMPGEnc than what it took to convert the files. The only issue I have run into so far is getting the video bitrate set right. As long as you are close that should get it. However, you can tell if you have missed the calculation because the picture gets grainy. The formulas I provided seem to work pretty good though. By the way, so far everything I have made has played flawlessly in the computer, my home DVD players, and in the rear entertainment center in my wife's 2004 Pilot. Give it a shot, I think it will work for you. I assumed that you would know, but I also meant to mention that all the programs I used are out there on the net as shareware or freeware. Let me know how it turns out.
OK - I'm having some great success now (that I've ditched Nero for DVD Authoring)! I am using the TV Tuner to create MPEG-2 files, at DVD quality, which means 5MB/s . (I might well change that down to 4MB/s later for future recordings.) Nero can import these MPG files, but stuffs itself during the transcoding process, so goodbye Nero. Thanks to kpd151 I have now tried TMPGEnc DVD Author -- which is absolutely superb. TMPGEnc DVD Author reads in my MPEG files, and immediatly mentions that the GOP is too large. [Is this what is causing Nero to get stressed?!] Never seen GOP mentioned before now, but a quick search in Google told me that this is to do with the number of pictures & frames within specific sections of the MPEG-2 file. Maybe the TV Tuner software is not making the MPG files to the correct spec! Anyway, the notes I read on GOP errors all said "just ignore the error and continue", and TMPGEnc allows me to do just that. I was then able to easily edit my 2h20m recording (to remove adverts) and I was then able to easily add my chapters. A few moments playing with the menu editor produced a very professional menu... and then I was able to output my DVD to a folder on the hard disk. I get a warning to say that this will not fit onto a standard DVD-5, so it will make it for DVD-9. I'm keeping cool at this stage, as I have a cunning plan for that later. (I could not see an option to create a DVD image directly at this point.) I then fired up DVD Shrink, and this was able to read the folder I had just created, and I set DVD Shrink to examine my "DVD" and compress away so it would fit onto a standard DVD-5 disk. After compressing as best it could, it tweaked the video to 3.6MB/s (I think) - perfcetly acceptable for my 2h20m video! I then used DVD Shrink to create an ISO image. I then entrusted Nero to burn the ISO image to a DVD - and whheaayyyy!!!! It is superb. TMPGEnc DVD Auth is $80 - but worth every cent unless Nero comes good with the next release... but now that I have used a real DVD Authoring tool, I am not sure that I want to use Nero again, even if it did start to work! A colleague has suggested that I now try using WIN DVD Creator for authoring - so I'll try and compare that next, and then see who gets my $!
