[btour]

It should be straight forward to burn dvd from converted item, but I do not understand. There are many file types in converted item. .ac3 .m1v and .m2v and .temps, and a folder called dvd.tmp. Actually this is the first time I have had that folder, and it looks to contain all the making for ts video dvd. Should I just drag that to toast?

The last time I tried to use converted files I added the .ac3 files, and toast complained there were no audio files so I added .m1v or the other I can not remember, and got a seperate audio file on dvd, and the video played with sound but was out of synch. Yuck. So even if dvd.tmp works, since I might not have that again, how can I use the other files and still have sound on video, but not seperate audio file?

It took two days, always a long time though to encode a .avi file, and when it was done toast complained there was not enough room on dvd disc and stopped. So I really want to avoid re-encoding.( BTW why does it take so long? I have lots of ram 1.5 gigs. but only a 466 processer.

So this is lots of questions I guess, but really only three. How to re-use already converted and can I make encoding faster, and do I have to re-encode to get the content to one disc?

I might have to use a dual layer and want to avoid making an out of synch disc. I did not find much help in toast help files about using converted items. yuck. Why have converted items saved if they don't tell you how to use them?

Thanks in advance.

[tsantee]

What you could have done with the original AVI conversion is choose Save as Disc Image. Then use the Image File setting in the copy window to burn that disc image to DVD. If the file was too big, Toast would use it's Fit-to-DVD feature to do additional compression to fit the disc.

If you Save a Toast Project and have the Converted Items folder preferences set to never empty, the saved project will point to the items in the converted items folder so it won't need to be re-encoded. Some times dragging in the same source content to the Video window will result in Toast recognizing that the encoded version is already in the converted items folder.

If you want to drag files from the Converted Items folder to the video window, drag the .m2v (an MPEG 2 file) or the .m1v (an MPEG 1 file) to the video window. Toast will say there is no audio and ask for you to find it. That is the .ac3 file in the converted items folder or an mp2 file in the folder.

You can test any Toast-authored video DVD before burning it to disc. Choose Save as Disc Image. When that is done select the disc image in the Copy window and Toast will mount it. This should automatically launch DVD Player for previewing.

[btour]

Thank you.


I have more questions please. "If you want to drag files from the Converted Items folder to the video window, drag the .m2v (an MPEG 2 file) or the .m1v (an MPEG 1 file) to the video window. Toast will say there is no audio and ask for you to find it. That is the .ac3 file in the converted items folder or an mp2 file in the folder."

That is what I did. And I got the seperate audio file, and out of synch audio. Why would that happen? Is there away to avoid having seperate audio and video in the converted items?

I am guessing it is important to always save the project?

Next question. I guess I should always use the copy menu and disc image to convert .avi files? and save the project< and I guess the resulting .disc file is just a pointer to the converted items? I don't know. I would think toast would be a much better product than sonic, but I find sonic much easier to use, in terms of understanding what is going on.

So to convert avi, I drag them into toast dvd menu, and chose file save as disc image? Then I can use copy menu to burn to dvd? And I will get ts video folder?

thanks for helping me understand.

[tsantee]

Thank you.
I have more questions please. "If you want to drag files from the Converted Items folder to the video window, drag the .m2v (an MPEG 2 file) or the .m1v (an MPEG 1 file) to the video window. Toast will say there is no audio and ask for you to find it. That is the .ac3 file in the converted items folder or an mp2 file in the folder."

That is what I did. And I got the seperate audio file, and out of synch audio. Why would that happen? Is there away to avoid having seperate audio and video in the converted items?

If you dragged an audio file from the converted items folder to Toast, then Toast does not add it to the video. What you must do to merge the audio with the video is follow Toast's prompts to select the matching audio file. The reason there are separate video and audio files in the Converted Items folder is that Toast must demultiplex (demux) the audio and video in order to multiplex them when creating the VOBs in the VIDEO_TS folder. I can't explain why you would get out-of-sync audio. Make sure you are using the current versions of QuickTime and Toast 7.

Usually the Converted Items folder is just a place for Toast to write some temporary files it needs to finish the process. Your wanting to use those files to start a new project is not customary, although it is possible.

I am guessing it is important to always save the project?

I rarely save my projects. I only do so when I haven't finished them and want to add to them later or when I think I may go back and modify them at some point. However, if you want to retain the "pointers" to the converted items folder files then you need to save the project. What I often do is choose Save as Disc Image. That way I have the completed project on my hard drive and can trash the contents of the converted items folder.

Next question. I guess I should always use the copy menu and disc image to convert .avi files? and save the project< and I guess the resulting .disc file is just a pointer to the converted items? I don't know. I would think toast would be a much better product than sonic, but I find sonic much easier to use, in terms of understanding what is going on.

You convert the .avi files in the Video window, not the copy window. What I'm suggesting is to choose Save as Disc Image from the File menu instead of clicking the burn button when you are in the Video window. That way everything gets completed and you don't have to worry about starting over if something goes wrong while burning the disc. Burn the DVD disc from the disc image in the Copy window after you created the .toast disc image from the .avi in the Video window. Does that workflow make sense now?

So to convert avi, I drag them into toast dvd menu, and chose file save as disc image? Then I can use copy menu to burn to dvd? And I will get ts video folder?

Yes. The VIDEO_TS folder gets created within the disc image. Copying the disc image to DVD disc is just like duplicating a DVD.

One more thing. If you are using downloaded .avi's you may come across a problem where some files result in no audio on the DVD. You can prevent this by installing the A52Codec available Here.

[btour]

Ok gee thanks. I think I almost have it, but am not certain. When I try to save as disc image sometimes it saves it as .disc and sometimes .toast So I do not understand what is a complete image such as an iso file. What I was working with here was the orginal project. Then I tried to use copy menu to burn dvd but .disc file was greyed out to use. Sigh.

I think my problem with converted files and seperate audio was with 7.02, because it did not happen this time.

Anyway, now I added converted items and toast was nice and associated audio nice and neat. But when I orginally started the project, and the encoding I got a nice prompt asking me if I wanted to convert pal to ntsc and I said yes I would. But it did not convert the first file in the list as far as I can tell but did the other two, so that now I get the prompt to continue with mixed pal and ntsc or not. Sigh. What can I do I am running out of room on hard drive. Looks like toast wants to store more converted files of the converted files I need to use to make the disc, or else I would make disc image and maybe get the nice prompt to just convert that one file, I guess I could try an export of just that one, but have no idea how to do that and just get the conversion I want. One more help please.

.disc vs .toast

[btour]

If you dragged an audio file from the converted items folder to Toast, then Toast does not add it to the video. What you must do to merge the audio with the video is follow Toast's prompts to select the matching audio file. The reason there are separate video and audio files in the Converted Items folder is that Toast must demultiplex (demux) the audio and video in order to multiplex them when creating the VOBs in the VIDEO_TS folder. I can't explain why you would get out-of-sync audio. Make sure you are using the current versions of QuickTime and Toast 7.

Usually the Converted Items folder is just a place for Toast to write some temporary files it needs to finish the process. Your wanting to use those files to start a new project is not customary, although it is possible.
I rarely save my projects. I only do so when I haven't finished them and want to add to them later or when I think I may go back and modify them at some point. However, if you want to retain the "pointers" to the converted items folder files then you need to save the project. What I often do is choose Save as Disc Image. That way I have the completed project on my hard drive and can trash the contents of the converted items folder.
You convert the .avi files in the Video window, not the copy window. What I'm suggesting is to choose Save as Disc Image from the File menu instead of clicking the burn button when you are in the Video window. That way everything gets completed and you don't have to worry about starting over if something goes wrong while burning the disc. Burn the DVD disc from the disc image in the Copy window after you created the .toast disc image from the .avi in the Video window. Does that workflow make sense now?
Yes. The VIDEO_TS folder gets created within the disc image. Copying the disc image to DVD disc is just like duplicating a DVD.

One more thing. If you are using downloaded .avi's you may come across a problem where some files result in no audio on the DVD. You can prevent this by installing the A52Codec available Here.

Yikes, I hope I am not making a mess with this thread. I just wanted to add that perhaps the problem I had before with out of synch audio was that I did not have quicktime 7 installed at the time. Now I have that although I have to get pro again. Gee that gets expensive.

I am thinking thehe .disc is just a project file, and the .toast is a real image file, by their sizes. Why I got one when save as and the other when save as, I have no idea, since method was the same. So if that if I am correct on toast file as image, I guess all I need to know now is how to convert pal to ntsc, before I push burn button and make a coaster.

Reading my post I sounded flippant. I sincerely do appreciate your help. I owe you a couple of rounds at least.

[tsantee]

Ok gee thanks. I think I almost have it, but am not certain. When I try to save as disc image sometimes it saves it as .disc and sometimes .toast So I do not understand what is a complete image such as an iso file. What I was working with here was the orginal project. Then I tried to use copy menu to burn dvd but .disc file was greyed out to use. Sigh.

I think my problem with converted files and seperate audio was with 7.02, because it did not happen this time.

Anyway, now I added converted items and toast was nice and associated audio nice and neat. But when I orginally started the project, and the encoding I got a nice prompt asking me if I wanted to convert pal to ntsc and I said yes I would. But it did not convert the first file in the list as far as I can tell but did the other two, so that now I get the prompt to continue with mixed pal and ntsc or not. Sigh. What can I do I am running out of room on hard drive. Looks like toast wants to store more converted files of the converted files I need to use to make the disc, or else I would make disc image and maybe get the nice prompt to just convert that one file, I guess I could try an export of just that one, but have no idea how to do that and just get the conversion I want. One more help please.

.disc vs .toast

You get a .disc file when you choose Save. That is a project file. You get a .toast file when you choose Save as Disc Image. That is equivalent to an .iso file. In fact, you could change the .toast extension to .iso in the Finder if you wanted.

I have sympathy for you trying to transcode PAL to NTSC on your 466 mhz Mac. That must take a really long time. I have no clue why Toast would fail to transcode any of the PAL videos. Maybe it has to do with having a NTSC video in the mix that caused Toast to forget it was supposed to transcode the remaining PAL titles. I don't know why because nobody has ever posted that problem before.

If a disc image doesn't turn out right just trash it, change your settings in Toast and try again.

[btour]

Thank you. I have been trying to do disc image now. Hoping that I can mount it and then convert pal, or, at least tell it to fit to disc?
Now toast keps telling me I do not have space but drive I am saving to has more space then toast says I need. the dial indicator is showing only half way, so I have no idea.

[tsantee]

Thank you. I have been trying to do disc image now. Hoping that I can mount it and then convert pal, or, at least tell it to fit to disc?
Now toast keps telling me I do not have space but drive I am saving to has more space then toast says I need. the dial indicator is showing only half way, so I have no idea.

You probably need to relocate the Converted Items folder to the other hard drive. You do this in Toast Preferences.

[btour]

I am almost there. I have the .toast image. It is too big for single dvd, so I will use the copy menu to have toast fit to disc. Will this result in a large loss of quality, and will it take a long time. The image is about six gigs.

Most important Is there some way at this point to have the one segment that was not converted from pal ot ntsc to be converted? Like mounting the image and using the media browser? Will it just do the one segment or do I have to wait for the whole thing?

I have some other pal .avi's to do. I wonder if it is better to do something with each individually, like use export function to what would toast encode quickest? quicktime? mpeg4 is an option?

[tsantee]

I am almost there. I have the .toast image. It is too big for single dvd, so I will use the copy menu to have toast fit to disc. Will this result in a large loss of quality, and will it take a long time. The image is about six gigs.

It depends on how good is the quality of the source. If it looks very good then it will still look good. Obviously there must be some quality loss when removing information from the video (which is what compression does).

Most important Is there some way at this point to have the one segment that was not converted from pal ot ntsc to be converted? Like mounting the image and using the media browser? Will it just do the one segment or do I have to wait for the whole thing?

I'm puzzled why there still would be a PAL segment on the disc image. What this means is that title won't play on an NTSC DVD player. It will play on your Mac, though. The only way I know to convert PAL to NTSC is to extract the title from the mounted disc image (using the Media Browser) to a new Toast Video window and have Toast create a new disc image from that title.

I have some other pal .avi's to do. I wonder if it is better to do something with each individually, like use export function to what would toast encode quickest? quicktime? mpeg4 is an option?

You don't have to do them individually. But in the future, based on what I've learned from your posts, make sure that all your titles are PAL when creating a disc image that you need to have transcoded to NTSC. My guess is that having a mix of PAL and NTSC .avi files was the reason for one not getting transcoded.

[btour]

They were all Pal. I do not know why, but the first file was not converted to ntsc. What I should have done is brought them all into Final Cut, and edited them, as some parts of the series are repeated, and had final cut convert, I guess.

So my dvd player, a really cheap one will play either format, but I do not know if it will play mixed format. I am getting frustrated. I want to finish this and get it off my hard drive so I have room to do other things. Unfortuately my external hard drive bit it. The usb enclosures do not seem to last long. File structure which was fat 32 for use on both got lost. I have usb1 maybe that is the problem, maybe not.

Neither here nor there. I guess I will try to extract that one file, and go through the whole process again with it, and try to add it and the others from image to one dvd. I hope that is possible.

Thank you for staying with me. I appreciate it.

[tsantee]

They were all Pal. I do not know why, but the first file was not converted to ntsc. What I should have done is brought them all into Final Cut, and edited them, as some parts of the series are repeated, and had final cut convert, I guess.

So my dvd player, a really cheap one will play either format, but I do not know if it will play mixed format. I am getting frustrated. I want to finish this and get it off my hard drive so I have room to do other things. Unfortuately my external hard drive bit it. The usb enclosures do not seem to last long. File structure which was fat 32 for use on both got lost. I have usb1 maybe that is the problem, maybe not.

Neither here nor there. I guess I will try to extract that one file, and go through the whole process again with it, and try to add it and the others from image to one dvd. I hope that is possible.

Thank you for staying with me. I appreciate it.

A couple ways to go:
1. Finish the fit-to-DVD disc and see how well it plays. If it works then the job is done.
2. Since you have most of the project completed as NTSC video inside the disc image, you can trash all the contents of the converted items folder including the one that didn't get converted properly. In fact, it is vital that you trash that one because Toast may continue to use it even if you are trying to encode again from the original source .avi. After clearing out that folder, drag in the remaining PAL video and use the media browser to drag in the NTSC titles from the mounted disc image. Now try creating a new disc image. Only the PAL video will need to be re-encoded. The others will just be multiplexed.

[btour]

I did as you suggested. Video menu. Dragged in the pal title. Clicked save as disc image. Got the prompt to convert to ntsc. Clicked on convert. Toast multiplexed it. Filled ram cache, wrote it. I mounted it, and cursor said it was still Pal. I am trying it again.

What else can I do?

[tsantee]

I did as you suggested. Video menu. Dragged in the pal title. Clicked save as disc image. Got the prompt to convert to ntsc. Clicked on convert. Toast multiplexed it. Filled ram cache, wrote it. I mounted it, and cursor said it was still Pal. I am trying it again.

What else can I do?

Be certain to trash the corresponding files in the Converted Items folder before starting the conversion. Otherwise Toast re-uses what is previously in the folder.

[btour]

OK, I missed your last post, but did trash it, just to have space. I went back to orginal avi and got it converted to nstc. Have two toast images one of one and the other full. Then tried to use copy menu selecting appropriate segments ( had to select all the chapters, just title would not go ). Toast switched from copy to video menu by itself, but compression was on and toast ran compression. I used a rw sony brand just in case. Did it three times every time I got "sector 0 unreadable verifiation failed", and of course dvd tv player could not read disc. I am trying now with just +r disc that I know works and keeping my fingers crossed.

Compression seems to be moving much faster now. Before I trashed some files in converted just for space they had a quicktime icon, and were large. Media browser files I think they were called.

[btour]

Well it is done sort of. Works in player on tv, but skips and hangs in the beginning. Had this trouble before. I do not know why, maybe brand of disc? Sony +R. Rest of it seems to be fine. What is the best brand? Maybe when sony is full to disc it happens? I wrote it next slowest speed. 4X Lacie external firewire burner.

Any suggestions? Maybe a will just go with dual layer disc? Will that help?

Well it is done sort of. Works in player on tv, but skips and hangs in the beginning. Had this trouble before. I do not know why, maybe brand of disc? Sony +R. Rest of it seems to be fine. What is the best brand? Maybe when sony is full to disc it happens? I wrote it next slowest speed. 4X Lacie external firewire burner.

Any suggestions? Maybe a will just go with dual layer disc? Will that help?

[tsantee]

Well it is done sort of. Works in player on tv, but skips and hangs in the beginning. Had this trouble before. I do not know why, maybe brand of disc? Sony +R. Rest of it seems to be fine. What is the best brand? Maybe when sony is full to disc it happens? I wrote it next slowest speed. 4X Lacie external firewire burner.

Any suggestions? Maybe a will just go with dual layer disc? Will that help?

Well it is done sort of. Works in player on tv, but skips and hangs in the beginning. Had this trouble before. I do not know why, maybe brand of disc? Sony +R. Rest of it seems to be fine. What is the best brand? Maybe when sony is full to disc it happens? I wrote it next slowest speed. 4X Lacie external firewire burner.

Any suggestions? Maybe a will just go with dual layer disc? Will that help?

There could be various reasons for the skipping including the media quality. Sony media is not high quality. Give Verbatim media a try. If you do choose to burn to a DL disc, use only Verbatim DVD+R DL media as that is the best supported by drive manufacturers.

Since you have multiple titles on the disc you also could put some titles on one DVD and others on a second DVD.

[btour]

Thank you, will try verbatim, if I can find it. When you say titles, do you mean chapters? I have not figured out how to drag titles just chapters. And if I use to discs it would be nice to divide more effecielntly and add something else. I hate to have to give two discs to someone to watch, and it would be nice to have people see this bit of history.

Sony's have worked well for most dvds. I wonder what determines problem. Wonder if it is just random.

Interesting. Watching it when it gets to second title, first chapter it starts skipping again but this time not as bad.

Noticed that first title had in converted items the file as m1v and others had m2v.

You have been a great help and thank you so much for getting me this far.