Questions on First Try with TMPGEnc DVD Author

[megamachine]

Most of the posts on the forum related to my problem don't really get at the specific issue I encountered, so I hope I can find some help here. I recently tried my first jab at authoring a DVD using TMPGEnc DVD Author, which was recommended here. I found the interface really easy to use, and smoothly went through each step, loading files, making thumbnails for chapters, and then converting. I ended up with a folder holding several VOB files, IFO files, and some others, but couldn't find the "in page" file (or whatever it is called, the one that loads the start menu on the DVD). So I started opening some of the VOB files directly with PowerDVD, and noticed that the audio is about a second or so off from the video. The files I loaded were captured from a PAL VCR as MPG1 files, and they played in sync on WindowsMedia. So somehow, in converting from MPG1 to VOB for DVD, I lost their sync. Anyway, let me rephrase my two questions more precisely:

1) Is there a way to test how the DVD menus and videos will look and work before burning the DVD?

2) What did I do wrong to cause the audio sync problem on the conversion to VOB files for the DVD?

With humble thanks and appreciation for any assistance on this.

[SKD_Tech]

With the audio being off sync did you make sure it was 25 FPS?

[setarip]

"1) Is there a way to test how the DVD menus and videos will look and work before burning the DVD?"

You can see exactly what the menus will look like as you them, after clicking on the "Create menu" radio button at the top of the window. You can see each page of the menu by clicking on the "Next page" radio button at the bottom of the window (NOT IN the window)


"2) What did I do wrong to cause the audio sync problem on the conversion to VOB files for the DVD?"

I'm in the NTSC world and have had no such problem. I mention this because it was indicated that the very first release of this program was flawed regarding the creation of PAL DVDs - and has since been corrected

[megamachine]

Thanks to both of you for the speedy reply.

Here's the info about the clips in question:

MPEG-1, 352x288, 25fps (4:3) PAL
MPEG-1 Audio Layer-2, 48000Hz Stereo, 224Kbps (monolingual)

Am I missing an intermediate step, or can I author these sorts of files directly to DVD? I knew quality was an issue, but not sync.

The version of TMPGEnc DVD Author I am using is 1.0.4.22.

I was able to preview the menus inside TMPGEnc DVD Author, but what I was wondering is can I preview how the DVD will look in another program, like PowerDVD, once the files are all assembled in the Video_TS and Audio_TS folders on my hard drive, but before burning. Oh, and something else I noticed messing with this again. The Audio_TS folder is empty, and all the converted files are in the Video_TS folder, which contains many variously numbered VOB, IFO and BUP files, plus one with a PLS extension. Don't I need a file or some other way for the DVD player to load everything, or is that done only on burning? With many thanks.

[SKD_Tech]

the AUDIO_TS folder should be empty

Yes you need a IFO file for the player to play and load correctly

[megamachine]

OK, that clears up some of it. But messing with this some more, I noticed two things. When I click on the VOB files to open them, the video plays on some but not on others; some seem to be empty and some briefly display a menu that disappears. On the ones that actually play the video, it looks fine and in sync at the beginning, but then as it plays, the sound gradually goes out of sync. If I fast forward toward the end, it is way off, over a second.

I'll keep experimenting, and didn't expect to get it right the first time, but I like to learn from the process, too. So, at risk of belaboring what is probably a really simple point, is there a file in the Video_TS folder that I can click on to open the menu the way it will look in a DVD player, and then navigate the files from there, or is this something only possible after I burn to a disk? Thanks.

P.S. The more I play around with it, the less consistent the problem seems. Some are out of sync from the beginning and some go gradually out of sync. In comparing the VOB files to the MPG files that I started with, I noticed that some of the MPGs are slightly out of sync, too, but not the same ones or the same way.

[SKD_Tech]

One word : DVD-RW's

[megamachine]

Got it, burn one and see what happens. Stay tuned...

[SKD_Tech]

Originally posted by megamachine
Got it, burn one and see what happens. Stay tuned...

Will do