Womble and DVD-Architect Compatability issue?

phox6801 wrote on 4/3/2009, 4:22 PM

I'm continuing my quest to conquer the issues found in this thread

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=646398

I've now come to the point where Womble converts the DVD recorded VOB files to ONE mpeg with ac3 audio intact. However, when I drag it into DVD Architect, it doesn't recognize the AC3 audio anymore.

- If I put the re-rendered WOmble mpg2 into VEgas, it sees the audio just fine.
- If I play the re-rendered Womble mpg2 in WIndows Media Player, it plays the audio just fine.

DVD-Architect doesn't recognize PCM or AC3 audio from Womble.

I know many people use Womble, but how do you get the rendered files to be recognized with audio in DVDA?

My project is 2 hours long and is simply an old VHS tape I recorded onto my Philips DVD recorder. I then took the DVD into my DVD Rom and copied the VOB files from the VIDEO_TS folder on the DVD. I renamed the extensions as MPG and am able to view them fine as they were recorded.

However, when trying to create a 2 hour DVD with a menu and 18 second intro movie, there isn't enough space on the DVD-Architect project unless it recompresses the video and audio of the MPGs straight from the DVD (old VOB's)

So, I use Womble to line up the 4 to 5 files (each is about 1/2 hour or .99GB in size and I don't know why philips recorders split them into five separate files instead of one like Panasonic recorders do). When I stitch them into ONE mpg2 file using a custom template in Womble with a CBR of 4.6mbps, it makes a file about 4.1GB in size WITH AC3 audio. This is small enough to fit on the 4.7GB disk without a problem.

Now, I'm happy that the quality of the video isn't any different than the VHS original (I burned one sample before realizing there was no audio and the video looked great), but the fact that DVD-A doesn't recognize the audio is now the next blunder in this maze.

I've tried ROXIO MyDVD and it doesn't recognize the AC3 either.

Any thoughts?

* NOT EFFICIENT TO RE-RENDER USING SMART-RENDER IN VEGAS (TOO LONG)
* NOT INTERESTED IN CREATING A SEPARATE AC3 file IN VEGAS (TOO LONG)

I have literally dozens of these 2 hour tapes to convert and to add more steps is not going to work (profit wise).

Of most importance to me is the intro movie and menu system, else I'd just hand over a copy of the 2 hour dvd-r without them to the customer(s) who are paying me to do this transfer service for them.

Comments

Andy E wrote on 4/4/2009, 12:51 AM

DVD recorded VOB files to ONE mpeg with ac3 audio intact.

Can't comment on Roxio but DVD Architect expects your video and audio streams in separate files.

If you're not producing anything complex why not just get Womble to produce your DVD?

owlsroost wrote on 4/4/2009, 1:41 AM

Try exporting from Womble as separate video/audio files (it's an option in the export settings) and bring those into DVDA - separate files are the preferred input format for DVDA.

If it still doesn't like the AC3 audio, export it from Womble as LPCM instead and let DVDA encode it to AC3.

For DVD-Video disks, the .vob files have to be limited to 1GB in length - this is probably why the Philips recorder does it (it makes it easier for it to convert it to a standard DVD-Video format later if required).

Tony

farss wrote on 4/4/2009, 1:52 AM

Seems to me you're creating a lot of work for yourself and probably not getting the best possible quality in the process with this kind of workflow.

1) Capture with ADVC-300, having a TBC can be a big help, especially with old VHS. Also the ADVC-300 can do useful noise reduction.

2) Edit and CC AVI file as necessary in Vegas.

3) Buy copy or Peachrock's Veggie toolkit so you can batch encode to mpeg-2 and ac3 or PCM etc overnight. Build your own custom templates in Vegas for the Multirenderer in the Veggie Toolkit to use.

4) Author DVD.

We used to use a laptop for capturing, had my wive doing that while I edited and authored. We used drives in caddies, 250GB would hold a days worth of captured VHS and the encoded files.

Bob.

musicvid10 wrote on 4/4/2009, 9:01 AM

"I've now come to the point where Womble converts the DVD recorded VOB files to ONE mpeg with ac3 audio intact. However, when I drag it into DVD Architect, it doesn't recognize the AC3 audio anymore."

Yes it does.

Womble "MPEG Video Wizard DVD" is the version that supports AC-3 Audio, both 2CH and 5.1.
Is this the trial version you downloaded? If so, you must have something set wrong in Womble or DVDA. Read the documentation.
I just downloaded the trial version and tested a one hour VHS-to-VRO transfer. The Womble-created file worked perfectly in DVDA, both video and audio, and DVDA prepared the files in about 3 minutes flat.

BTW, you are correct, Womble is faster than Vegas at direct stream transfer, and since you are combining multiple VOB / VRO files, is a better solution for your work.

There is no "compatibility issue" that I am able to detect.

musicvid10 wrote on 4/4/2009, 9:34 AM

Bob,
The OP is looking for a quick solution. The VHS->AVI->MPG workflow was where he started and he decided the render was taking too long.
The advantage of a set-top VHS to DVD transfer is the same or better quality (lacking the one advantage of TBC), and it can be done in real time rather than adding a lengthy render. I've been doing a lot of these lately.
It is then a quick process (<1hr total) to get the recorded video into standard DVD format, authored, prepared and burned in DVDA. He just needs to get the workflow right for his situation.

phox6801 wrote on 4/4/2009, 12:11 PM

MUSICVID:

I downloaded the MPEG WIZARD only. I didn't need the DVD version since I'm supposed to be using DVDA. I, therefore, didn't know that I'd need that version based on the forum posts, etc. I didn't see that I'd need the DVD version.

Since I haven't tried that version, I'll download the free trial and then (perhaps) see if I can justify buying that license or getting the manufacturer to transfer my license for the other one.

At this point, until I try the DVD version, I won't know if it works or not. But I do know the version I downloaded "doesn't" work. I wonder why they offer both?

farss wrote on 4/4/2009, 4:02 PM

"The OP is looking for a quick solution. The VHS->AVI->MPG workflow was where he started and he decided the render was taking too long."

I fully understand that. With the workflow we used we were producing 9 hours of VHS>DVD transfers in a 10 hour working day. It doesn't get any faster than that. The render time can be removed from the equation.

Bob.

musicvid10 wrote on 4/4/2009, 4:24 PM

"I downloaded the MPEG WIZARD only. I didn't need the DVD version since I'm supposed to be using DVDA."

The MPEG Wizard DVD version supports AC-3 audio export. This makes perfect sense. This and the differences between the two versions are spelled out clearly in the Support FAQ on their site:
http://www.womble.com/support/FAQ22.html

"I'll download the free trial and then (perhaps) see if I can justify buying that license or getting the manufacturer to transfer my license for the other one."

To each his own, but since I am on a limited budget, I usually read the documentation before making a purchase. Thanks for prompting me to take a renewed interest in Womble.

owlsroost wrote on 4/5/2009, 3:53 AM

At this point, until I try the DVD version, I won't know if it works or not. But I do know the version I downloaded "doesn't" work. I wonder why they offer both?

The standard version is the original version - the DVD version came along much later. An upgrade to the DVD version is only $15.

Traditionally, most MPEG files had Layer-II audio - AC3 and LPCM as part of MPEG files only became common when DVDs arrived on the scene.

Tony