.mpg to DVD-Video w/o recompression

[jeffyoung]

I am hoping to burn already-encoded MPEG-2 media to DVD-Video without recompression using EMC9 on Windows XP SP2. Is this possible?

 

I have tried MyDVD and the Video Compilation tab of Disc Copier, but both seem to be re-encoding my movies.

 

These movies are formatted properly for NTSC DVD-Video, and do burn without additional recompression using Roxio Toast 7 on Mac OS X. I am hoping to get the same results on Windows, as that is where the movies are being created (using Avid Xpress DV and Sorenson Squeeze.)

 

Thanks!

 

-Jeff

[jeffyoung]

Keep in mind the quality of the end results, too. To get about 2 hrs on a single layer, 4.7 DVD, 720X480 @4.650Mbps seems to work well for me. I normally don't squeeze that much on a disc though.

 

Yes, thanks. I have been encoding variable bitrate at 6.0 Mbps Avg (7.5 peak) + 256k MP2 audio.

 

I was thinking that maybe it was the VBR encoding preventing me from burning without re-encoding; but, a test file of a CBR encode at 6.0 Mbps gets re-encoded by EMC9 as well.

 

More testing after the weekend.

 

-Jeff

[ggrussell]

Interesting... On a few occasions, I recorded some old home movies on my LiteOn set top recorder which uses MPEG2 @4650Kbps with MPEG audio. None of them were re-encoded although the audio was transcoded to AC3. if i remember correctly, the files were VBR. Has been awhile.

 

May have something to do with the codec. Are you encoding with Videowave or another application?

[mikiem]

Disclaimer: I upgraded to Roxio emc9 for Vista -- which I'm still setting up... As Vista itself, I'm still in the early stages of learning, so this is based mostly on work I've done using other software... So FWIW, here goes...

 

"...do burn without additional recompression using Roxio Toast 7 on Mac OS X."

I *think* after checking the help files that, if your DVD is already set up, you'd just use the Copy app to burn the VIDEO_TS folder to disc. Selecting the destination size seems to determine whether there's any re-encoding, as indicated by the status bar message.

 

If OTOH you're trying to create a DVD layout -- merge your media into VOBs w/w/out menus -- then you'd use MyDVD or perhaps the Quick DVD. I haven't played with either much, but generally most authoring apps have built-in checks re: your imported media. If your video is failing the check, & it's not because of file size (the result has to fit on a disc), maybe DVDPatcher or Restream would help? Either free program will change the info contained in the header files. It's not uncommon to have mpg2 with the 1st header mis-reporting average bit-rate for example, which DVDPatcher will fix.

 

Otherwise you might want to prepare a short test video, & let MyDVD do it's re-encoding... then check to see what changed. Then perhaps you can edit your preferred encoder's settings to more closely match?

[jeffyoung]

You know when MyDVD is not re-encoding when you see a gray image with the word 'MPEG' in the encode preview. If you see your video, then it is re-encoding.

 

Thanks for letting me know about GSpot. It was helpful in determining that my movies are indeed being re-encoded.

 

Thanks also for the way to tell if an MPEG is being re-encoded (see quoted above). That will help as I continue to try to solve this. It's also good to know that what I want to do is possible.

 

-Jeff

[ggrussell]

Keep in mind the quality of the end results, too. To get about 2 hrs on a single layer, 4.7 DVD, 720X480 @4.650Mbps seems to work well for me. I normally don't squeeze that much on a disc though.

[Beerman]

I am hoping to burn already-encoded MPEG-2 media to DVD-Video without recompression using EMC9 on Windows XP SP2. Is this possible?

 

I have tried MyDVD and the Video Compilation tab of Disc Copier, but both seem to be re-encoding my movies.

 

These movies are formatted properly for NTSC DVD-Video, and do burn without additional recompression using Roxio Toast 7 on Mac OS X. I am hoping to get the same results on Windows, as that is where the movies are being created (using Avid Xpress DV and Sorenson Squeeze.)

 

Thanks!

 

-Jeff

Some have the same problem you have but I don't know why. I capture tv in mpeg2, dvd compliant files and MyDVD does not re-encode. It's odd that it works for you in Toast. Maybe take a look at Gspot just to see what it can tell you about that file. Take a good look at the bitrate of the file. I'm not familiar with Avid or Squeeze so I'm not quite sure what else to suggest to you.

[ggrussell]

EMC 9 has a limitation of 3Mbps bitrate. Anything lower will be re-encoded. As long as you stay above 3Mbps, MyDVD should not re-encode.

 

You know when MyDVD is not re-encoding when you see a gray image with the word 'MPEG' in the encode preview. If you see your video, then it is re-encoding.

[jeffyoung]

None of them were re-encoded although the audio was transcoded to AC3. if i remember correctly, the files were VBR. Has been awhile.

 

May have something to do with the codec. Are you encoding with Videowave or another application?

 

I am encoding with Sorenson Squeeze 3, which I believe uses an encoder licensed from Main Concept. (I know that Squeeze 4 uses their encoder.)

 

What you said about AC3 has me thinking.

 

In one of my tests, I tried using the Video Compilation feature of EMC9's Disc Copier application. That process seemed faster than using MyDVD; but, I still ended up with AC3 audio.

 

So, my optimistic thought is that maybe Disc Copier was only transcoding the audio. I'll have to look at the video bitrate of that one, and see if it is 6.0 Mb. (It is all on a PC at work; so, I can't check now.)

 

Thanks for your continued help!

 

-Jeff

 

PS: Thanks also, mikiem. I am trying to EMC9 to create the VIDEO_TS folder structure. My encoding software only encodes. It doesn't author.