Failed to encode the "audio"

[tonyjer]

Hi everyone

I use Win ME so am very used to the 4GB file size limitation when creating video files.

I have repeatedly tried to create a video file for a previously captured movie from my VCR which is about 130 mins long. After 99% I get the above message-audio rather than video.

I am creating at PAL DVD using 3000kbs. This is the setting used for another movie of exactly the same length which rendered without any hassle.

I am keen to combine this project with the other movie into a TS folder and then let DVD shrink do its job. I have got 4hour plus on single DVD using this routine many times.

Creating a 130 min video file at 3000 normally takes up about 3.77 GB which well within the 4GB limit.

Is the audio failing for the same reason as video often does? Ie taking it beyong the 4GB limit.

Could I use MPEG audio instead of the LPCM default?

Many thanks as usual.

Please note I have ample RAM and hdd SPACE.

Antonio, Anna y Eduardo Felipe

[THoff]

Yes, MPEG is fine for PAL disks, and this would allow you to raise the bitrate for the video to get better quality.

[tonyjer]

I can always rely on you for prompt and succinct advice.

Many thanks

Anonio, Anna y Eduuardo Felipe

[THoff]

Check out this bitrate calculator, it will help you determine the optimum bitrate for your project. According to it, if you switch to 256Kbps MPEG audio and want to keep the overall size of the project to 4000KB, you can now increase the video bitrate to 3800Kbps for a 130 minute project, which will be very close to VHS quality.

Another thing you might consider is to use Half D1 encoding, which uses a lower resolution than Full D1 frames. This too is similar to VHS tape quality, and it would permit the MPEG encoder to use the same available bitrate on lower-resolution frames, which would result in fewer encoding artifacts.

[tonyjer]

I have tried changing resolution as suggested but I did not notice any improvement in appetite for space. On the other hand the quality seemed to be about the same as 720*576.

Many thanks again

Antonio, Anna y Eduardo Felipe

[THoff]

That was my point -- if you use the same bitrate for a Half D1 encoded video as for a Full D1 video, the space requirements will be the same, but the encoder can use the available bandwidth to encode a picture that is half as wide and half as tall (yet still has about VHS tape resolution), which allows it to reduce encoding artifacts.

[tonyjer]

Finally I understand

Thanks

Anna, Antonio y Eduardo Felipe