DVD Lab Doubts, Please Clarify, TIA

Hi ChickenMan or anyone else out there who can be a great help,

Like you suggested I am trying out this software but I have landed with a few problems. In Project size what do I choose. I am authoring some Mpeg-1 Vcd Resolution files of old homemovies on Dvd. Since their native res is 352 X 240 and Full D1 is 720 X Whatever. Should I check Full D1 or native Mpeg1 NTSC res in the Properties. Second You mentioned that when authoring Mpeg1 To dvd-R with DVD-Lab after transcode there might be certain clicks in the sound of the resampled 48k audio. So do you suggest I use some other software such as TMPGEnc to demux and Transcode and then feed the streams to DVD-Lab? Is this option better in your opinion.

TIA. Desperately need these doubts to be clarified so I can use the software to author this custom home DVD.

Hi,

I know what to do about the demux and the audio. But still not sure what to do about the project size, still in a quandary about that.

TIA.
Unicorn23'

P.S. Demux audio in TmpgEnc and transcode using BeSweet to ac3 if NTSC and mp2 if PAL, bot at 48 Khz.

352x240 is one of the DVD standard resolution so you leave it at that. To change it to 720x480 needs a re-encode but there is no real reason to do that.

As for the audio, yes demux it out but use BeSweetGUI with its SSRC sampling ticked and set to 48khz. This will NOT give you any clicks etc in the audio. I'd also ALWAYS convert to AC3 regardless if its NTSC or PAL, AC3 is the prefered standard for both formats. An AC3 and MP2 file of same bitrate is the same size also.

Hi ChickenMan,

Thanks a heap for replying. Sorry about the departure. As to my problem, I'm sorry you misunderstood the question. Let me make my question clear. I know that the resolution is DVD standard but what I don't have a clue about is setting the Project Size in the Project Properties Dialog of DVD Lab whether it is preferable(most DVd players will read it) to set it at Full D1 or to set the Project Size in the Properties to the native resolution of the Input Mpeg Files, whatever they may be(i.e.VCD,SVCD,non-standard Mpegs,DVD). Even the Help in DVD Lab is unclear as to what works. I assumed that they would have at least tested this aspect of the software but apparently they don't have a clue as to which is the ideal way. The help is pretty vague and so I thought, since probably you used it a lot you might be able to help me out. I know other guys have this problem too as I have heard horrors of 1/4 screen,1/2 screen display of the DVd output on the player which of course can be corrected by Pan and Scan but I thought why a workaround, there must be a straightforward way to achieve the output we want, I mean 100$ must be going somewhere right.

TIA.
Unicorn23'.

Unfortunately as I said elswhere, I dont use DVDLab to author VCD's anymore, its been 2 years or so since I did my last VCD auythoring. SVCD's yes, just not VCD's.

"I have heard horrors of 1/4 screen,1/2 screen display of the DVd output on the player" unfortunately thats a problem with the DVD Player. Though 352x240/288 are specifies DVD compliant sizes, unfortunately there are many DVD Players that just dont like them. Thats why I re-encode any VCD directly to DVD compliant streams first (I use MainConcept MPEG Encoder for that). I know the files get bigger and you cant get as many on a dvdr as they would have if left in their virgin VCD size, but hey, blanks as now pretty cheap.

I'll do a small test run with a couple of old VCD's I still have on my HD and report back.

Okay, just demuxed a VCD with MPEG2VCR, imported into DVDLab Pro, let it change the audio to 48khz. Checked Properties and it auto set it to SIF (what ever that means but it 352x288). Set a quick menu up, and compiled. Playback was perfect and in sync.

Hi ChickenMan,

Thanks a heap. But DVD Lab Pro is out of my budget. Anyway I'll try what you said with the trial and see how it goes. At least I'll be able to transfer some VCD stuff in the next 15/30 days. Can't do the Re-encode. Will take too many DVD's and DVD's ain't cheap in my town. Especially when I'm thinking of 10 DVd-rs. So much rather keep in virgin format. But at least i got a solution right. So are there issues even with the muxing engine of DVD Lab Pro ?
(Okay, just demuxed a VCD with MPEG2VCR, imported into DVDLab Pro, let it change the audio to 48khz.)

If so then what the hell are theycharging 200$ for ( Hey, just thinking about value for money You Know, my 2 cents that's all)

Thanks.
Unicorn23'

Their Beta versions were free but lasted 30 days, and they released a new beta about evey 15 days, and when installed it reset the timer back to 0. Been using it all year that way