Please Help using TMPGEnc to convert XviD to DVD

My project started out fairly simple. I downloaded a movie I was interested in, and wanted to burn it to DVD so I could watch it on the TV via the DVD Player.

That was 3 weeks ago, and I have learned that I have a LOT to learn in order to do this simple project properly.

Currently I am learning to use TMPGEnc to the two XviD files to MPG, and from there Author them to DVD.

TMPG's GUI seems fairly simple, but is raising a lot of questions I would like some help with (please).

First, why does it take 44 hours to encode these two XviD files ? My computer is only an Athlon 1333, but still. 44 Hours ?

I transferred the whole mess to my other computer, and it predicted the encoding would take 16 hours. The other computer is a Barton 3200+ with 2 X 512 Mbyte memory running at 400 FSB. Not state-of-the-art, but respectable.

In the first attempt (on the 1333 computer) I (somehow) "joined" the two XviD files and selected the highest settings.

In the second attempt (on the Barton 3200+), I only ran the encoding on one of the two XviD files, and selected only moderate (or "mid-range") quality settings.

16 Hours ???

Not only do these numbers seem pretty unreasonable, but the size of the output files raises some question.

In their XviD format, the two files are 702 & 672 Mbytes. The output from the first attempt was too large to fit on a single DVD (which at the time I didn't care about, as I was only interested in getting the output MPG file), but in the second attempt, the output from the encoded 702 XviD file was going to be over 4 Gbytes.

!!!???

How does a 702 Mbyte XviD file get "converted" to over 4 Gbyte ? The video playing time for this file is only about an hour.

How can an hour-long video file be over 4 Gbytes ?

I'm a newb and all, but this seems rather strange even to me.

Also, I have heard XviD described as a "lossy" format, meaning that the compression process to XviD causes some of the resolution ("quality", I suppose) to become lost.

Does any of this resolution/quality "come-back" when encoding to MPG, or is the quality still the same (poor, in my opnion), only larger ?

Any help appreciated, & thanks in advance. I know there are lots of other ways to do this, but I am pretty set on using TMPGEnc to do this project, and learn some of the technical details of video encoding. Thanks again.

BH

 

Okay it's been 2 days and no response. I re-read my post, and decided the problem is...

Too may words.

How about this:

Why are my Xvid to DVD output files so large ?


Thanks in advance,


BH

 

What determines the Size of your Mpeg files after encodeing is the Length of the Files and the Bitrate you used to encode them to Mpeg...

So if you want Smaller Files you have to set the Bitrate correctly....

If you Pay attention when going through the "Wizard" in Tmpgenc when you get to the Stage were you set the Bitrate it will tell you How big the File will Be after encodeing...

See:




Cheers

 

Minion,

Thanks for the help. I assume file size is only one consideration when determining bit rate. Too high and the file size is too large; too low and the resolution/quality is bad.

What's a "reasonable" number ?

At what point does increasing the bit rate only increases file size, and gives no increase in video quality ?

Is there a guide or something on this ?

Thanks again,

BH

 

Okay, for Minion and anyone else that would like to help, I've done some testing using TMPGEnc and my two XviD files.

I configured TMPGEnc in several different ways in order to compare the time estimates for encoding the XviD clip(s). For testing purposes, I left off the second XviD clip.

With the "fastest" settings possible:

Video Resolution: 352 X 240
Average Video Bitrate: 750 (lowest possible setting)
Audio Bitrate: 64
Estimated file size: 1372.17 MB
Output size: 32.67 % of disk capacity

Time to Complete Encoding: @ 10 1/2 hours

I also selected more "reasonable" settings for comparison. The XviD file is @ 700 Mbytes, and plays for about an hour, so I figured a size of @ 3 Gigabyte was reasonable. Adjusting the audio bitrate to maximum, and adjusting the Video Bitrate to 1395 outputs a file size of 3.0 Gbyte.

Time to Complete Encoding: @ 25 1/2 hours.

One thing I noticed was that changing the Video resolution didn't change the file size or time to encode at all. Which strikes me as odd, as I thought resolution was the number of actual pixels in the image. Seems like "bigger" resolutions should have bigger file sizes and take longer.

Isn't there a guide for this stuff somewhere ?

Again, thanks in advance. Any help at all would be appreciated.

Really.


BH

 

Try this. It explains a bit more about tmpgenc settings.
http://members.shaw.ca/videojunk/avi2dvd.htm

 

The Output Resolution does affect the time it takes to encode...

I can encode a 2 hour AVI file to Mpeg-2 at 352x240 in about 45 minutes with Tmpgenc but if I encode the Same File at 720x480 it will take about 2.5 hours....

There is also a problem with what you are Saying...You said that your 700mb XviD File is about an Hour and you are encodeing it at a Bitrate of 1395kbs well that should result in a Mpeg file of about 700mb Not 3gb...Encodeing at that Bitrate (1395kbs)should allow you to Fit over 6 hours of Video on a DVD if you use the 352x240 resolution....

Also your System must be Very Very Very slow for the encodeing to be Takeing this Long...I encode at just Under Real time in tmpgenc on my 3.2ghz System.....

There is a Bug that pops up From time to Time in Tmpgenc were it thinks your Video files are Much Longer than they really are and it sounds Like you are haveing this Problem because the Time estimates for encodeing and the Bitrates and File sizes for the Length of the Movie aren"t adding up Properly......You can Solve this Problem by going into the "Search Range" settings and setting and start and end encodeing ranges for the File.....

Cheers

 

Just a quick question which relates to this thread

Why when I come to set my bitrate settings in TMPGEnc does it estimate the file size of my avi video file (without audio) and ac3 audio as approx. 4GB, but when I come to burn it (using CopytoDVD), the actual size of the DVD-encoded files (ie. VOB etc.) is only around 2Gb?

 

Should read:

When I come to set my bitrate settings in TMPGEnc, it estimates the output file size of my encoded AVI video file (without audio) and AC3 audio as approx. 4GB.

However, when I come to burn the output (using CopytoDVD), the actual size of the DVD-encoded files (ie. VOB etc.) is only around 2Gb.

Why?

 

Well the File size estimations are only Valid for CBR Encodeing and Multipass VBR Encodeing , If you use the Other Encodeing Modes (Constant Quality,Auto VBR,Manual VBR) the File size estimations will not be accurate....

Also Like I said in My earlier Post there is Bug in Tmpgenc were it sometimes thinks your Files are a Lot longer than they really are which can give you inaccurate File size estimations....

I find it best to use an actual Bitrate Calculator to get me Bitrates from as it is More accurate....

Cheers

 

(From beginning of thread)

Is there a way to quantify "loss" ?

 

Hello! Very Usefull topic, got 2 Questions:

1. How can i estimate the video bitrate accuarately so its just about right to have avrage quality file?
My current method is if i have a music show about 50min long than i will change video bitrate untill the size estimation will be between 1GB and 1.5GB. So its like 50min = approx. 1GB-1.5GB. Is that ok method or not? Is there some kinda tool that could advice your avrage-best fit video bitrate?

2. Video resolution: I always encode my videos for the DVDs into 720x480 resolution, now i saw people said that with 352x240 res. its much faster . Waht effect would i get if i use 352x240 for the dvd next time? more pixels/quality loss?

Its everyones desire to fit in as much media as possible on 1 single dvd disk without loosing much quality or just avrage quality. Please help!! thanks

 

Well what I do to Estimate what Bitrate to use Based on the Length of the Files is use a Bitrate Calculator called "PowerBit" which will tell you what Bitrate to use so you can Fit XXX Amount of Video on a DVD-R....

You can Make DVD"s useing 4 Different Resolutions and they are:

720x480....Full D1....2 to 2.5 hours of Video Per DVD...
704x480...Broadcast D1...2 to 2.5 hours Per DVD....

352x480...Half D1....4 to 5 Hours Of Video Per DVD.....

352x240...SIF/CIF....6 to 7 Hours Of Video Per DVD....

Useing the Lower resolution DVD standard Will allow you to Fit much more Video on a DVD because you do not need Nearly as Much Bitrate to encode the Files at the Lower Resolution but the Lower Resolution also means Lower Quality.....

The "352x480 Half D1" DVD Standard will let you Fit 4 to 5 Hours of Video on a DVD useing a Bitrate between 1800kbs and 2200kbs with about SVCD Quality and the encodeing should be about Twice as Fast...I usually use this DVD standard when I want to Squeeze a Couple 2 Hour Pluss Movies on a DVD...The 352x480 resolution will not Look Right when Played Back with Media Player because Media Player Ignores Aspect ratio Flags but it will Look Normal on your TV set....

The "352x240 SIF/CIF" DVD Standard will let you Fit from 6 to 7 Hours of Video on a Single DVD-R useing a Bitrate between 1100kbs and 1500kbs and will Produce Better than VCD Quality...This Resolution is best if your Source Files are of a Low Resolution because encodeing Low resolution files to High Resolution DVD"s totally Destroys the Quality but if you keep the Resolution Low you don"t loose Quality through Resizeing and you don"t need Nearly as Much bitrate to encode to this Resolution to get Good Quality....
Encodeing to this Resolution is about 3 Times as Fast as encodeing to 720x480 and you can fit 3 Long or 4 Short Movies on a Single DVD this way and still have it at a watchable Quality as Long as your TV set isn"t Huge.....

Not all DVD authoring Programs support Authoring DVD"s useing these Different resolutions...Most Good Programs will But Programs Like "Nero Vision Express" do not support these other resolutions and will re-encode the Files ruining the quality so it is best to author these Files to DVD useing a DVD authoring Program like "Tmpgenc DVD Author" or "MediaChance DVDLab Pro" if you are More advanced and want better Menu"s because you will have to make a Main Menu were you select which movies you want to watch when Putting multiple movies on a DVD.....

I hope this answered most of your Questions??


Cheers

 

hi, ok i use TMPGEnc DVD Source Creator to encode media into SVCD or DVD quality for my dvd project and than use TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.5.

What is "D1" and "SIF/CIF"??

Another thing i red maybe here not sure, if u use to encode in VBR Linear PCM Audio or MPEG-1 layer 2 Audio its much more accuarate to estimate the output files size, is that true?

thanks for the clearing up things about bitrate and i will try out PowerBit.

 

That is what the Different DVD resolutions/Standards Are Called...

720x480 is Called "Full D1" and 352x480 is called "Half D1" and 352x240 is called SIF or CIF....

You should never use "Linear PCM audio" when makeing DVD"s because it uses up FAR too Much Disk space and I have Never heard of "VBR LPCM audio" so I can"t even tell you it even exists...

 

had this thought, i have great show, its SIF/CIF 352x240. So i thought if i convert it to FULL D1, maybe add extra video bitrate would that actually make quality worse? (why i want to do that is cause we have big TV in our house and if i'll watch the show on DVD with SIF/CIF 352x240, it will strech things too much, so maybe if it will be in FULL D1, it will help to stay good quality)

should i leave it as it is SIF/CIF?

"720x480 is Called "Full D1" and 352x480 is called "Half D1" and 352x240 is called SIF or CIF" all doesn't apply to PAL resolutions, right?

thx

 

Yes, The Resolution names do apply to Pal Resolutions (720x576 is Full D1 and 352x576 is Half D1 and 325x288 is SIF/CIF)....

If your Source File is 352x240 then I would leave it at 352x240 because resizeing it to 720x480/576 will Totally Destroy the Quality and it will look even worse on your TV set at Full D1 than it will at 352x240 Pluss at 352x240 you can Fit 6 Hours of Video on a Single DVD....

The Picture won"t look Good on a Big Screen TV set but it will Look Better at 352x240 than at 720x480 when the source is 352x240....I don"t know why But maybe it is Because the Resize Method used by your TV set and DVD Player is far less destructive than the Software resizers.....I have Done Lots of Test on this and it allways Looked Better at 352x240 than at 720x480 with Low res source files....

I make Quite a Few DVD"s at 352x240 because I make Quite a Few DVD"s from Streaming 320x240 WMV Files and they are all watchable quality and I also Backed up Literally hundreds of SVCD"s and VCD"s to DVD (VCD"s use the same 325x240/288 Resolution) and they all Looked Quite Good especially if the source was good Quality.....

Good luck

Cheers

 

alright thanks for that help, take care.

 

hi, why can't you use nero vision express 2 se? i have the proper codec to view the dvix avi movie and so far nero seems to be converting it. supprisingly it is only takeing about a hour to do the file. tim burton's corpse bride is about 700 mb. i will see how it turns out. i have tryed this method before on saw 2, but for some reason the audio was about 8 seconds behind the video when i played it in my dvd player. i don't know why that is.

 

8 seconds sound behind, its called 'out of sync', i got my own ways to do what u are doing but i dont like nore express and dont trust it much! so try another sofwares.