I am using DVD Moviefactory 3 SE.
I download recorded programs from my Digital Video Recorder (Freeview as I am in the UK) to my laptop in .PES file format. Use Project-X to demux, Cuttermaran to edit and create .MPG files for import into DVD Moviefactory.
This works well, except that Moviefactory will either take a few minutes to create a DVD or several hours. I always have the 'do not convert complient mpeg files' checked but I assume that sometimes it converts them anyway which is why it takes so long. I have also noticed, on some DVDs, that the picture quality is not quite as good as I'd expect - no doubt due to the conversion.
Looking at the properties of various .MPG files, those that do not convert seem to be frame size 720x576 (PAL DVD). The ones that I have at the moment that do go through conversion have a frame size of 544x576. After reading several forums, most state that setting the first video header in the file to 720x576 will fool the DVD authoring tools into thinking the file is complient. I've tried this using both Project-X and DVDPatcher but although the resultant files play on the PC (Windows Media Player, WinDVD, etc.) they appear blank in DVD Moviefactory and cannot be used even though the properties show nothing obviously wrong.
Is there any way to enable DVD Moviefactory 3 SE to create the DVD without going through conversion?
Properties of file that seems to go through conversion even if 'do not convert....' is set:
File Format: MPEG-2
Video Type: MPEG-2 Video, Upper Field First
Total Frames: 53,974
Attributes: 24 Bits, 544 x 576, 16:9
Frame Rate: 25.000 Frames/Sec
Data rate: Variable bit rate (Max. 4245 kbps)
Properties of the same file after first video header set with Project-X or DVDPatcher (but does not work!):
File Format: MPEG-2
Video Type: MPEG-2 Video, Upper Field First
Total Frames: 53,974
Attributes: 24 Bits, 720 x 576, 16:9 <=== This is the only change in the properties
Frame Rate: 25.000 Frames/Sec
Data rate: Variable bit rate (Max. 4245 kbps)
Unnecessary conversion of DVB streams
Movie Factory is correct. 544x576 is not compliant.
There's a chart on this page that shows the allowable resolutions.
Even if you could fool the software, I'm not sure if you could fool the DVD player... Or, it might work in one DVD player, but not another. The player might have even more trouble if the header doesn't match the file data...
There are lots of tools around for "hacking" DVDs, such as VOBedit, IFOedit, DVD Rebuilder, etc. I'm sure you could make a non-compliant DVD, but it would probably be a lot of work... So, let movie factory do the work for you, and make a compliant DVD in the process.
There's a chart on this page that shows the allowable resolutions.
Even if you could fool the software, I'm not sure if you could fool the DVD player... Or, it might work in one DVD player, but not another. The player might have even more trouble if the header doesn't match the file data...
There are lots of tools around for "hacking" DVDs, such as VOBedit, IFOedit, DVD Rebuilder, etc. I'm sure you could make a non-compliant DVD, but it would probably be a lot of work... So, let movie factory do the work for you, and make a compliant DVD in the process.
[size=92][i]Head over heels,
No time to think.
It's like the whole world's
Out of... sync.[/i]
- Head Over Heels, The Go-Gos.[/size]
No time to think.
It's like the whole world's
Out of... sync.[/i]
- Head Over Heels, The Go-Gos.[/size]
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maddrummer3301
- Posts: 2507
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: US
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Nillbymouth
Thanks DVDDoug and maddrummer3301 for your replies and the link to digitalFAQ showing the compliant DVD formats.
So what you are both saying is that DVD Moviefactory is cleverer than me! Proves that some knowledge can be more dangerous than none at all!
Looks like I have two options:
1. Put up with the 4 hours (approx) that it can take DVD Moviefactory to convert and also the loss of picture quality from the conversion process - this may be my perception, but I'm sure the quality does sometimes suffer slightly.
2. Find a program (freeware, or very cheap!) to convert the MPEG to a proper DVD compliant format by adding black borders. Again, this is where a little knowledge could prove totally wrong again, but I would assume that converting a 544x576 mpeg to 704x576 or 720x576 by adding an extra 160 or 176 blank columns would be much faster and also less likely to change the picture quality.
Time to search the internet to see if a tool exists......until someone tells me that I'm wrong again.......
So what you are both saying is that DVD Moviefactory is cleverer than me! Proves that some knowledge can be more dangerous than none at all!
Looks like I have two options:
1. Put up with the 4 hours (approx) that it can take DVD Moviefactory to convert and also the loss of picture quality from the conversion process - this may be my perception, but I'm sure the quality does sometimes suffer slightly.
2. Find a program (freeware, or very cheap!) to convert the MPEG to a proper DVD compliant format by adding black borders. Again, this is where a little knowledge could prove totally wrong again, but I would assume that converting a 544x576 mpeg to 704x576 or 720x576 by adding an extra 160 or 176 blank columns would be much faster and also less likely to change the picture quality.
Time to search the internet to see if a tool exists......until someone tells me that I'm wrong again.......
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maddrummer3301
- Posts: 2507
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 10:24 pm
- Location: US
-
Nillbymouth
Good idea about using a capture card but I've only got one PC so can't do that.
I've downloaded the trial version of TMPEGEnc Plus which gets good reviews, and seems to take less time to convert the MPEGs, but for me, the quality looks similar to what DVD Moviefactory produces, so it's probably not worth it.
I've still not found any software to convert an MPEG from one frame size to the next higher complient frame size by just adding black borders, which I would have thought would be the simplest solution but I guess, from the lack of software to do this, is not as easy as I think it should be.
I've been thinking a bit more about this and my requirements: To archive recorded programs from my Digital Video Recorder (Hard drive only), to DVD. I am not wanting to create fantastic looking DVDs, nor am I creating them for anyone else, other than my family, to watch. My best option, I think, is to buy a new DVD player which can play MPEGs directly. These seem to start at about 35GBP so are as cheap as buying some more software and I will be able to bypass the DVD Moviefactory stage completely.
Many thanks to those who have helped me with this. Buying a new MPEG compatable DVD Player might not have been one of the suggestions, but your responses have let me understand the problem more so that I can come up with this solution.......until someone points out that it won't work!
I've downloaded the trial version of TMPEGEnc Plus which gets good reviews, and seems to take less time to convert the MPEGs, but for me, the quality looks similar to what DVD Moviefactory produces, so it's probably not worth it.
I've still not found any software to convert an MPEG from one frame size to the next higher complient frame size by just adding black borders, which I would have thought would be the simplest solution but I guess, from the lack of software to do this, is not as easy as I think it should be.
I've been thinking a bit more about this and my requirements: To archive recorded programs from my Digital Video Recorder (Hard drive only), to DVD. I am not wanting to create fantastic looking DVDs, nor am I creating them for anyone else, other than my family, to watch. My best option, I think, is to buy a new DVD player which can play MPEGs directly. These seem to start at about 35GBP so are as cheap as buying some more software and I will be able to bypass the DVD Moviefactory stage completely.
Many thanks to those who have helped me with this. Buying a new MPEG compatable DVD Player might not have been one of the suggestions, but your responses have let me understand the problem more so that I can come up with this solution.......until someone points out that it won't work!