Video format to avoid iDVD re-encoding?

Sorry, but iDVD can not use already mpg-2 encoded content.

Andrew Beattie wrote:
I've created a few DVD's using the iMovie to iDVD feature and want to build one directly in iDVD using video that has already been encoded for DVD (ie to avoid iDVD encoding the main video files directly)

The reason for this is my Mac isn't very powerful, and the last HD encode took around 6 days. I've access to a much more powerful PC and wondered whether it was possible to encode the main DVD video file on that, then just use iDVD for the menus etc and to copy the already encoded video file onto the DVD.

I'm a bit lost with the various formats, so any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Andrew

For some pointless and senseless reason, even if you buy the Apple QuickTime MPEG2 component, you cannot get iDVD to accept MPEG2 source material. You therefore typically have to use MPEG4 formatted video as your source and let iDVD convert it to MPEG2 to create the DVD.

There is however a messy and complicated workaround that you could consider. If you make your DVD in iDVD using either copies of your source material in MPEG4 format, or even very short dummy movies, and merely use these as place holders you can later substitute these with the original MPEG2 material. Go all through the normal iDVD process but don't burn a disk, merely save it as a VIDEO_TS folder.

Ideally your MPEG2 source material will already be in a VIDEO_TS (DVD) folder. If not, you will need to do so, and it is possible with various utilities to take the raw MPEG2 video and audio and multiplex them in to a VIDEO_TS without re-encoding.

You can then use either MyDVDEdit (for Mac) or PGCEdit (for Windows) to replace the VTS title set of the dummy movies with the VTS title sets of your MPEG2 videos by getting them to copy from your source VIDEO_TS folder in to the iDVD made VIDEO_TS folder.

The above is a quick summary of the process and I can assure you it is possible, but it is hardly suitable for the average user. As a real world example, I have made a DVD using iDVD with a menu and two movies (film and trailer), and then replaced both movies with my own MPEG2 video. I did this to make a proper anamorphic widescreen DVD version of an old feature film captured from a laser disc. The result after some restoration via another utility to clean up the image quality, was far superior to the only commercial version of that film since the commercial version was only in 4:3 aspect ratio which chops off a third of the image.

DVD SP (iDvd's big brother) accepts mpeg 2. However, it's a bit pricey as part of a complete package / FCS and has a rather steep learning curve. I happen to work with older standalone versions of DVDSP which I picked up on ebay for pennies on the dollar. Might be an option for you as well.

Andrew Beattie wrote:
Thanks John - this is exactly what I needed (short of iDVD having the necessary functionality!).

I was regretting having compiled a "taster" DVD on the Mac for my latest project and thought I'd have to go back with a "second rate" theme. The titles/menus were all created in the taster and I had some short footage as placeholders, so the Mac piece is pretty much done.

I've also since encoded the files on the PC and was very happy with the results. Aside from the fact it only took about an hour it also fitted it to the DVD whilst retaining decent quality. iDVD was warning that it wouldn't fit it all on and I was looking at cutting out more than I wanted if I had the patience to wait for the encoding.

I don't mind getting my hands dirty to put it all together and the pointers to the software to help me do it are really appreciated... I can see it all coming together now.

Cheers!

Andrew

In this case PGCEdit for Windows might be the better choice if you have access to a Windows machine (I use Boot Camp).

…Just noticed there is a Mac version of PGCEdit, I don't know how complete it is compared to the Windows version but you could try it as well. The webpage is http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html but also have a look at http://www.videohelp.com/tools/PgcEdit

MyDVDEdit is Mac only and does similar things to PGCEdit, mostly in an easier to view manner. I think in this particular case it might not be as simple because while PGCEDit will let you replace an existing (place holder) VTS set, MyDVDEdit will as far as I can see merely, let you add another VTS set. With MyDVDEdit you could then 'edit' the DVD jump commands so it jumps to the new one, and you could then delete the unwanted place holder VTS set.

I mainly use MyDVDEdit to create a custom VIDEO_TS made from joining two disc movies in to one single VIDEO_TS folder, e.g. Lord of the Rings extended version. The result has the original DVD menu and will automatically and seamlessly jump from the first half to the second half of the film. This requires adding If decisions, setting registers and adding jump commands.

MyDVDEdit is available at http://www.mydvdedit.com/

I use IfoEdit (free for Windows) to multiplex (or demultiplex) MPEG2 video and audio files in to (or from) VIDEO_TS folders. It is available here http://www.ifoedit.com/

As an example, I can take an MPEG2 video recording made using a Mac TV tuner of a direct digital recording of terrestrial TV here in the UK (DVB-T here in the UK is in MPEG2 format) and use MPEGStreamClip to demux it (MPEGStreamClip is also free for both Mac and Windows see http://www.squared5.com/ but needs Apple's paid for QuickTime MPEG2 Component) and then use IfoEdit to make a movie only VIDEO_TS. I could then as above use PGCEdit to import the VTS set in to an iDVD made VIDEO_TS resulting in a final version with the iDVD menu, and the un-modified MPEG2. (Muxing and Demuxing does not alter the audio or video.)

John Lockwood wrote:

Andrew Beattie wrote:

For some pointless and senseless reason, even if you buy the Apple QuickTime MPEG2 component, you cannot get iDVD to accept MPEG2 source material. You therefore typically have to use MPEG4 formatted video as your source and let iDVD convert it to MPEG2 to create the DVD.

I want to use onestep movie in iDVD from a project in iMovie. Will I use Export QT Movie to MPEG4 or
Movie to Apple TV or other option ?

Thank you