DVD to MP4 H.264 troubbles

[CaptNeo]

Hello,
for two days I'm trying to find a way to safely migrate my video collection (DVDs and AVIs) to a canon mp4-H.264-format.

First I got the undecrypted VOBs on my harddrive. No problem so far.

Then I tried to convert the DVD-files to h-264:
- With the x264-avi-codec no problem, but it's avi and it has no chapters.
- With Nero Digital no problem, but it's not totally canon and adding meta-tags with different Atomic Parsley GUIs seems not to work (and I have the feeling, that the picture is worse than the x264-file)
- With StaxRip big problem: It's external software BeSweet does not seem to find Nero Recode (definetely there), so there is no mp4-file, at least none with 5.1 audio (by the way: the workflow is somewhat irritating)
- With MainConcep's H.264-Encode v2 big problem: There does not seem to be a picture in the encoded file, Media Player Clasic (from K-Lite Codec Pack) shows a big black box, Nero Show Time just nothing (that's with all suggested H.264-settings Baseline, Main & High). And I guess, that the resulting file does not keep the original chapters...

So I'm a little frustrated, because that was not what I was hoping for... In my good old AVI/MPG/DVD times there were always such nice tools like VirtualDub, DVDx, TMPGEnc...

I'm feeling like a big, big n00b, what am I doing wrong? I always felt that 1:1-conversions were the most simple thing to do, I'm lucky that I do not want to correct the color (at least not yet...)

THX, for listening, I'm looking forward to your answers.

[benbryant]

For H264, I usually use MeGUI and x264 with ffdshow and Haali Media Splitter. As always I oppose the usage if K-Lite or any codec pack which seems to cause more problem.

http://www.x264.nl/

[paglamon]

Try out Mediacoder.

[UncasMS]

Staxrip is a nifty tool as well

[anonymez]

MeGUI is best imho but staxrip is probably the easiest.

With StaxRip big problem: It's external software BeSweet does not seem to find Nero Recode (definetely there), so there is no mp4-file,

don't understand what nero recode has to do with this process

[benbryant]

don't understand what nero recode has to do with this process

I only use Nero for burning Data CD and DVD, nothing else. Hope that H264 can be use in place of MPEG-2 for DVD. IMHO, I am really in doubt that it will happen since DVD media makers won't let it happen

Regards

[celtic_druid]

Out of DVD video specs and I fail to see what it has to do with media makers. HD-DVD and Blu Ray both support AVC though and at least one, probably both allows for the use of regular DVD media. Also nothing stopping you from burning as data for use on a HTPC, XBox or whatever.

[benbryant]

Do you mean to able to create H264 DVD to play with standalone DVD player as a regular DVD-R?

Also nothing stopping you from burning as data for use on a HTPC, XBox or whatever.

I didn't mention about data DVD. I just hope for a DVD compatible format to play with DVD player in the future

Regards

[celtic_druid]

I'm talking about HD-DVD/Blu Ray, but burnt onto DVDR.

[CaptNeo]

don't understand what nero recode has to do with this process

BeSweet is troubled because I wanted to create a AAC HE 5.1 Audio Stream from the DVD-AC3-Audio. I'd rather keep the original AC3-Stream, but that is also not supported in MP4 for my knowledge.

And even if I get past that problem, StaxRip wont let me encode the 720x576 source into a 720x576 file or into 768x576/1024x576, no matter if I turn the "Anamorphic" option off or on.

Me first attemps with MeGUI have failed because I really do not know my way around AviSynth (always been the "VirtualDub-type-of-guy") - BUT: There seems to be a problem with the Nero AAC Encoder as well: it can not be updated or downloaded (maybe a coincidence).

I'll keep trying with MediaCoder (THX, didn't know that tool) and MeGUI, but first I'll take a tour of AviSynth

THX so far!

[celtic_druid]

mp4 does support AC3 (or anything else) as a private stream. Wouldn't recommend it though, better to use mkv if you want AC3.

What exactly is canon mp4-H.264-format though? mp4 should just be mp4, well other than for PSP's.

MeGUI should be able to grab neroAacEnc.exe, etc. via its autoupdate function.

[CaptNeo]

MeGUI should be able to grab neroAacEnc.exe, etc. via its autoupdate function.

But it tells me, that it can not . It's the only software that does not seem to download properly.

MediaCoder on the other hand created a nice and beautiful file. It's the first GUI that let me produce a file in a way that was predictable. BUT it does not show in Nero Home... Well, who does really care about Nero Home anyway...

The only shortcoming of MediaCoder is the limited configurability of the codecs, so I guess there is no way to get around a AviSynth crash course.

[anonymez]

MeGUI should be able to grab neroAacEnc.exe, etc. via its autoupdate function.

last i heard it wasn't available via autoupdate cause of legal reasons. dunno if it's been changed though

I'd rather keep the original AC3-Stream, but that is also not supported in MP4 for my knowledge.

if ac3/dts is a must, use mkv

[celtic_druid]

Well I think originally they did have it, then there were some complaints, but I thought that they got permisson to distribute? Anyway it is still freely available from nero's site. For FairUse Wizard I just added a link to the nero site at the end of the installer.