How do I burn MPEG files using DVDFab5?

[Zippity]

I am trying to burn, but to no avail, a movie from my HDD that I have captured from TV onto a DVD using my registered copy of DVDFab5

What am I doing wrong, or is what I am trying to do impossible?

Here are the steps I currently take:

1. I capture my film in MPEG2 format using a Winfast TV2000 XP Expert TV capture card.

2. I run the file through DVDPatcher v1.06 to convert the aspect ratio to 16:9

3. I edit all extraneous material (like ads and bits of other programmes that appear before and after my programme/movie) using TMPGEnc DVD Author v1.5

4. I use DVD Shrink v3.2 to commence the burn process using Nero 6

If, however, I try to burn a DVD following Step 3, DVDFab5 does not/will not recognise the already authored file.

Why is this?

What am I doing wrong?

[OCanada]

While DVD players use Mpeg-2 files, it is in the VOB format. In that format, as well as having the video and audio multiplexed together, navigation data is generated by an authoring program (such as your TEMPGEnc DVD Author 1.5), that the DVD player needs to work its way through the files from start to finish.

You should be able to use the program (the TEMPGEnc one) as more than just an editing program (the editing process doesn’t ‘author’ the data).

I’d like to be able to help you with that, but I use DVDLab Pro, and I’m not familiar with yours.

Afraid you’ll have to hit the help files to learn how to author a project with that program.

Good Luck with that!!

If TEMPGEnc is anything like DVDLab Pro, you’re embarking on quite a learning experience!

O’C

[OCanada]

Just an after-thought to my previous post…

After going through the authoring and burning process (once it is done correctly) you won’t need DVDFab (unless it’s to shrink an unencrypted set of files from a DVD-9 to a DVD-5 for writing to a single layer disk).

Is that what you had in mind for DVDFab when you tried it before?

O’C

[Zippity]

I was sort of wondering if I was defeating my own purposes.

I copy, edit and burn all of the year’s Formula One races using the steps mentioned above.

I have just recently purchased DVD Fab5 for making back up copies of other DVDs. I also have 1Click DVD Copy Pro.

I guess what I was trying to figure out, was now that I have DVD Fab5, could I use that programme in place of DVD Shrink.

I guess not

[OCanada]

[QUOTE=Zippity;2187632]I was sort of wondering if I was defeating my own purposes.

I copy, edit and burn all of the year’s Formula One races using the steps mentioned above.

I have just recently purchased DVD Fab5 for making back up copies of other DVDs. I also have 1Click DVD Copy Pro.

I guess what I was trying to figure out, was now that I have DVD Fab5, could I use that programme in place of DVD Shrink.

I guess not :([/QUOTE]

If you are using DVD Shrink to do your authoring, no, you can’t replace it with DVDFab.

TempGEnc will also author .mpg files, and give you better control over menus, chapters, and other authoring options, but if you’re happy with Shrink and what it does, no need to change or go through a new learning curve.

I think DVDfab will back up other DVDs better, if not at least as well, as OneClick DVD, and Fab is updated on a continual basis, to stay abreast of all new copy protections.

Sorry to toot DVDFabs horn, but I like the program and all its options - a good one source stop for a lot of needs.

I’m still mildly curious about your first post, and the problem DVDFab was having reading your ‘Newly Authored’ disks.DVDFab has no problem reading properly authored DVDs… might you still have a problem??

O’C

[OCanada]

Addendum to my previous post…

You say that, after editing the mpeg files with TEMPGEnc, you use DVD shrink and Nero 6 to burn the files.

Are you doing a straight burn? or are you invoking the re-author mode of DVD Shrink to do an authoring job on the mpeg files before you start the burn??

Will make a big difference in the end result. (and what you can do with it…

O’C

[Zippity]

[QUOTE=O’Canada;2187652]Are you doing a straight burn? or are you invoking the re-author mode of DVD Shrink to do an authoring job on the mpeg files before you start the burn??

Will make a big difference in the end result. (and what you can do with it…

O’C

:)[/QUOTE]

O’C

Thanks for your comments.

All editing is done with TMPGEnc DVD Author [B]prior[/B] to my using DVD Shrink for compressing? the file (if necessary) and then burning the DVD.

In the past, sometimes 1Click DVD Copy Pro would not copy a DVD, so in those instances, I used DVD Shrink as a backup.

Recently I read about DVD Fab5, downloaded it, trialled it and liked it – hence my recent purchase of the programme

[signals]

DVDFab requires that input files be more or less DVD-Video compliant. Unless you need to compress them, you can just use the Write Data mode for burning. You could also try turning off PathPlayer; you may have some structure oddities from all the other processing that are causing problems. DVDFab will not work without IFO/VOB files in a VIDEO_TS folder.

[OCanada]

[QUOTE=Zippity;2187658]O’C

Thanks for your comments.

All editing is done with TMPGEnc DVD Author [B]prior[/B] to my using DVD Shrink for compressing? the file (if necessary) and then burning the DVD.

In the past, sometimes 1Click DVD Copy Pro would not copy a DVD, so in those instances, I used DVD Shrink as a backup.

Recently I read about DVD Fab5, downloaded it, trialled it and liked it – hence my recent purchase of the programme :)[/QUOTE]

OK… Either you’ve answered my question and I’ve somehow missed it, or you haven’t, and the question still stands.

The authoring of mpeg files involves the addition of navpackets (which are multiplexed in with the video and audio data, as well as any substreams such as subtitles) and .IFO and .BUP files as seperate entities, as well as limiting the .VOB files to 1GB in size, to allow any DVD player to play the result, and still allow you to, say, jump from chapter to chapter, move to any point in the DVD and start watching from there, and menus to access portions of the mix that are not part of the main show, etc.

What it sounds like you are creating is an mpeg data disk written on a DVD blank, and not a true DVD (as in store-bought).

A data disk needs a file player (some PC DVD players will play authored files still on the HD), and stand-alone players (unless of a very rare breed) will not play them at all.

Duplicating data discs doesn’t require programs like DVDFab or Shrink (although they may be successful in doing it).

If a data disk is keeping you happy, great! With the right software, it can be played back and enjoyed - you just lose some of the features you would enjoy with a true DVD.

Getting back to your original post and question - no, DVDFab is a specialized piece of software that won’t take a straight, edited mpeg file from a HD and burn it to a blank DVD. (the file at that point, is not ‘already authored’, as you said in your first post).

Any file copier that will write to a DVD will do that much. That you’re getting Shrink to compress and write the edited files is an accomplishment, as I would have thought the program was a little pickier and wouldn’t do it.

If you bought DVDFab to back-up your store-boughts, congrats… I think you couldn’t have made a better investment.

And my original question… do you understand the difference between a true DVD and what you are doing?

Good luck.

O’C

[Zippity]

[QUOTE=O’Canada;2187871]And my original question… do you understand the difference between a true DVD and what you are doing?[/QUOTE]

No

But I guess now I have a better understanding of things…

[OCanada]

[QUOTE=Zippity;2188055]No

But I guess now I have a better understanding of things…[/QUOTE]

Don’t worry - as you get more experienced doing this, understanding will come.

I won’t tell you how stupid I felt with the questions I was asking the first time I got involved in DVDs.

Happy Burning!

O’C