Hello,
I'm having a problem where MovieFactory 2 is re-encoding any TV recording made with my Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-250 any time I want to burn a DVD. I'm using the "DVD Extra Long Play 2.5 Mbits/sec" MPEG quality level during capture. This produces (according to MF2):
File format: NTSC DVD
Video Type: MPEG-2 Video, Upper Field First
Attributes: 24 Bits, 720x480, 4:3
Frame rate: 29.970 Frames/Sec
Data rate: Variable bit rate (Max 2500 kbps)
Audio type: MPEG Audio Layer 2 Files
Attributes: 48000 Hz, 16 Bit Stereo
Layer: 2
Bit rate: 384 kbps
Before burning with Movie Factory 2, I go into Project Settings (the gear icon) and select Do Not Convert Compliant MPEG Files. Also I click Change MPEG Settings, Customize, and set Video Settings to Variable & 2500, and Audio Settings to MPEG Layer 2 & 384 kbps. I've also enabled the "Advanced" button in the MPEG Settings, and I set Fields to Upper Field First (even tried setting the Audio Type to MPEG Layer 2 in this Advanced area).
I got this Advanced settings info from http://www.jonesgroup.net/media/id174.htm (good site, BTW).
Has anyone else run into this? I want to avoid the quality loss from decoding the MPEG-2 and re-encoding it.
TIA,
--Phil
MovieFactory 2 Always Re-Encodes MPEG-2
-
T_Scheen
Before encoding:
Go to the second option on advanced settings called "Video & Audio Capture Settings"
Make sure that the Video Format stays on "DVD" (and not customize)
Push the "Advanced" tab
Choose any NTSC VBR template and then adapt your mpeg2 stream according to your needs which you described (Video & Audio). Make sure that "Deinterlace Output" remains unchecked. Also try for Audio: Mpeg with 256 kbit/sec
When finished here go to the third option on advanced settings called "Mpeg Settings"
Here you choose PCM with 48000 kHz, 16 bit, Stereo, 187 kb/sec
After that, re-check and double-check that your Project-settings match the one above.
Hope this helps
Thomas
Go to the second option on advanced settings called "Video & Audio Capture Settings"
Make sure that the Video Format stays on "DVD" (and not customize)
Push the "Advanced" tab
Choose any NTSC VBR template and then adapt your mpeg2 stream according to your needs which you described (Video & Audio). Make sure that "Deinterlace Output" remains unchecked. Also try for Audio: Mpeg with 256 kbit/sec
When finished here go to the third option on advanced settings called "Mpeg Settings"
Here you choose PCM with 48000 kHz, 16 bit, Stereo, 187 kb/sec
After that, re-check and double-check that your Project-settings match the one above.
Hope this helps
Thomas
-
pmurnane
Thomas:
Thanks for the reply. I should have specified that I'm using the WinTV application that came with the Hauppauge card to capture the video into MPEG-2 files. Given that, do I still need to make those changes in MF2's "Video & Audio Capture Settings"?
I have double (triple, etc) checked that the MF2 MPEG settings match the properties of the .mpg file. The only thing I should verify is that framing order "Field B" is the same as "Upper Field First", although I've tried it both ways, and MF2 still re-renders everything.
Also, this is DVD MovieFactory 2 SE (with all patches) -- would that have anything to do with it?
Thanks Again,
--Phil
Thanks for the reply. I should have specified that I'm using the WinTV application that came with the Hauppauge card to capture the video into MPEG-2 files. Given that, do I still need to make those changes in MF2's "Video & Audio Capture Settings"?
I have double (triple, etc) checked that the MF2 MPEG settings match the properties of the .mpg file. The only thing I should verify is that framing order "Field B" is the same as "Upper Field First", although I've tried it both ways, and MF2 still re-renders everything.
Also, this is DVD MovieFactory 2 SE (with all patches) -- would that have anything to do with it?
Thanks Again,
--Phil
Phil,
You are correct in your settings. If you were to try to change the audio to PCM, you would force a reencoding.
One thing I usually do for DMF is set the project video bitrate 500 higher than the clip properties. In your case it would be 3000 rather than 2500 to allow DMF some leeway in order not to reencode. Confirm audio is set to 48K and not 44.1K. Also make sure "Do not convert..." is checked.
Are you doing any trimming in DMF? If you do, it will reencode. I import all clips into DMF already edited and just create chapter points.
Check your capture profile in WinTV. Make sure Program stream is selected and not transport stream. Also, at that low of a bitrate, typically I would capture at 1/2D1 (352X480) rather than full D1 (720X480) At that low of a bitrate, you might see some pixelation.
2 checks to make sure you're not reencoding.
1. On the final page total hard drive space should be approximately the total size of all the clips for the DVD. If its double, it will be reencoding.
2. Render to a folder on your hard drive and burn as a separate step. Typically to author the WinTV files to a DVD folder takes me about 25-30 minutes. Another 15 minutes to burn to DVD on a 4X burner.
You are correct in your settings. If you were to try to change the audio to PCM, you would force a reencoding.
One thing I usually do for DMF is set the project video bitrate 500 higher than the clip properties. In your case it would be 3000 rather than 2500 to allow DMF some leeway in order not to reencode. Confirm audio is set to 48K and not 44.1K. Also make sure "Do not convert..." is checked.
Are you doing any trimming in DMF? If you do, it will reencode. I import all clips into DMF already edited and just create chapter points.
Check your capture profile in WinTV. Make sure Program stream is selected and not transport stream. Also, at that low of a bitrate, typically I would capture at 1/2D1 (352X480) rather than full D1 (720X480) At that low of a bitrate, you might see some pixelation.
2 checks to make sure you're not reencoding.
1. On the final page total hard drive space should be approximately the total size of all the clips for the DVD. If its double, it will be reencoding.
2. Render to a folder on your hard drive and burn as a separate step. Typically to author the WinTV files to a DVD folder takes me about 25-30 minutes. Another 15 minutes to burn to DVD on a 4X burner.
-
pmurnane
phd:
I am using the "Extract" feature to burn only the non-commercials from the captures, so this is probably why it's re-encoding. I have a copy of VisualStudio 8.0 on order, so when it arrives, I'll probably just drop use of DMF2 altogether (assuming VS8 doesn't exhibit the same behavior).
I'll check WinTV's settings as you suggest -- I'd kind of been ignoring them and trusting DMF2 to correctly ID the properties. The 2500 bit rate was out of my memory, and when I checked it, it was actually 4400 kbps; however, everything is set to 4400, so I don't think this was the problem.
Thanks for Your Help,
--Phil
I am using the "Extract" feature to burn only the non-commercials from the captures, so this is probably why it's re-encoding. I have a copy of VisualStudio 8.0 on order, so when it arrives, I'll probably just drop use of DMF2 altogether (assuming VS8 doesn't exhibit the same behavior).
I'll check WinTV's settings as you suggest -- I'd kind of been ignoring them and trusting DMF2 to correctly ID the properties. The 2500 bit rate was out of my memory, and when I checked it, it was actually 4400 kbps; however, everything is set to 4400, so I don't think this was the problem.
Thanks for Your Help,
--Phil
Phil,
That number sounds better for full D1. Extracting the commercials will force a reencode. Also, you may find the DVD authoring capabilities of VS8 a little more limited than DMF2. You may find its better to edit the MPEGs in VS8 and author the edited MPEGs in DMF2 for the flexibilty of menus options, etc.
When you edit with VS8, output the edited MPEGs then restart with a new project and load the edited files and author them instead. I have heard of problems by not fully rendering the edited files first.
Enable the "smart render" feature in VS8. This will just fast copy the unedited sections of the MPEGs rather than a complete reencoding.
If you find you have audio OOS or get the error message "Some chapter entry points exceed total number of frames" you might want to try VideoReDo.
http://www.drdsystems.com/VideoReDo/
Its very fast for editing commercials. Minutes insteads of hours to output a file. It also fixes all my audio sync problems with Hauppauge recorded programs. 30 day free trial. Make sure to get a trial key for full functionality.
Check out this forum for all things Hauppuge and WinTV. It a great resource.
http://www.shspvr.com/forum/
Good luck,
Pat
That number sounds better for full D1. Extracting the commercials will force a reencode. Also, you may find the DVD authoring capabilities of VS8 a little more limited than DMF2. You may find its better to edit the MPEGs in VS8 and author the edited MPEGs in DMF2 for the flexibilty of menus options, etc.
When you edit with VS8, output the edited MPEGs then restart with a new project and load the edited files and author them instead. I have heard of problems by not fully rendering the edited files first.
Enable the "smart render" feature in VS8. This will just fast copy the unedited sections of the MPEGs rather than a complete reencoding.
If you find you have audio OOS or get the error message "Some chapter entry points exceed total number of frames" you might want to try VideoReDo.
http://www.drdsystems.com/VideoReDo/
Its very fast for editing commercials. Minutes insteads of hours to output a file. It also fixes all my audio sync problems with Hauppauge recorded programs. 30 day free trial. Make sure to get a trial key for full functionality.
Check out this forum for all things Hauppuge and WinTV. It a great resource.
http://www.shspvr.com/forum/
Good luck,
Pat
-
pmurnane
Thanks again, Pat.
There's also a bunch of great people over at the http://www.htpcnews.com forum. I'm hoping to avoid audio synch probs, but I can correct them with virtualdub if I have to.
Hasta,
--Phil
There's also a bunch of great people over at the http://www.htpcnews.com forum. I'm hoping to avoid audio synch probs, but I can correct them with virtualdub if I have to.
Hasta,
--Phil