Hi I just started converting avi to dvds and I'm having a problem. I'm encoding to mpeg-2 with tmpgenc Plus 2.5, and compiling the dvd with dvdlab. The dvd looks fine when there isn't much action, but whenever there's fast motion, it gets pixelated pretty badly. I'm already encoding at the highest possible quality, so I'm not sure what the problem could be. Would burning at a lower speed help? Any help would be much appreciated.
From one of the afterdawn guides... If you are still hell bent on converting back to DVD format, I would suggest using VSO's ConvertXtoDVD. It looks better than most after the conversion. Keep in mind that it still won't be as good as a DVD rip, but it will be close. Also, if the .avi file was heavily compressed when originally ripped, the resulting conversion back to MPEG-2 will look like crap... no matter what encoding engine you are using... If file was not heavily compressed, the resulting conversion will look decent. My gut is telling me that your original file is heavily compressed. TMPGEnc is a good encoder. If it doesn't look good after you used the highest possible quality.... well, lets just say that it might be as good as it gets.
What brand of media, type (+R -R), and speed? At what speed did you burn? What brand, model number, and firmware version for your burner? Does the AVI play correctly on the computer? You might try the avi to dvd conversion with another program as well: http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/InterVideoDVDCopy_Profile.jsp http://members.home.nl/thefilmmachine/ http://www.dvdsanta.com/ http://www.vso-software.fr/products/convert_x_to_dvd/ DVD Copy 4 Platinum has a fully function free trial as do DVD Santa and The Film Machine. VSO's ConvertXtoDVD is a very good program but I think its trial version watermarks the output. DVD Copy 4 does a good job imo.
the most common reason for pixelations is bad media. [bold]Made-In-Japan[/bold] are the best disks you can get. Verbatim is the expemtion to that rule where their made in Taiwan disk are top notch! Taiyo Yuden, Verbatim, Sony, Maxell are the best! start with quality media then you can eleminate that from the list of what's wrong! then you can go with what you did. Conversion from AVI to DVD format can do this, too. and also the source material may be corrupt, which is another cause that has to be looked into. I use ConvertXToDVD for my conversions! Great program gives great results. good luck.....
Thanks for the answers guys. I use maxell disks, so that can't be the problem. Anyway, I tried burning at 2,4x, and the dvd looks fine when I watch it on my computer, but when I watch it on my standalone dvd player, it still gets very pixelated. I'll give convertxtodvd a try, see if that helps.
I did try ConvertXtoDVD, but unfortunately the results were the same. I'm actually thinking it may be due to bad media after all, as the maxell disks I was using have not been as good as I thought they would be. Of the 12 pack I bought, I ended up with like 4 or 5 coasters. I ordered some Sony disks, and am going to give it another go when they arrive. Also, I've been meaning to ask, do you know why a dvd can look good when played on a computer and bad on a standalone player? Could this also be attributed to bad media?
The media can play a role and Maxell media can be OK or really bad depending on who the manufacturer actually is. You didn't say whether the DVD player was hooked up to SD TV or not. Your computer monitor is an HDTV in terms of resolution so video will look better there if the resolution of the video is high enough to support it. If this was a lower resolution AVI, chances are your TV screen is quite a bit larger than your monitor screen, so the pixels are farther apart on the TV and the video won't appear as sharp.
Okay, so I tried the Sony disks and with MUCH better results. No more pixelation! I guess it just goes to show what a difference media quality can make. Thanks for the help everyone! BTW, if anyone is interested, I tried both ConvertXtoDVD and tmpgenc again and there wasn't much difference between the two. Encoding with TMPGenc on highest quality seems to give slightly better picture, but it also took a lot longer. They both seem like good encoders.
Glad you were able to pinpoint the problem. Most of the time bad media is to blame for bad burns/pixelation. Anyway, good luck to you, and I'll see you around.
