3XDVD Authoring for FREE!

[um3k]

I have successfully created a (pretty much) fully functional non-standard 1080p24 3XDVD using free software. It plays on my A30 with occasional stuttering, I think the stuttering can be eliminated by lowering the max bit rate. Here's how I did it:

1. Encoded HV20-sourced IVTC'd 24p 1440x1080 video in HCEnc using the following settings:

*INFILE           k:\hdv\proc3\batch_file_0.avs
*OUTFILE          K:\HDV\proc3\ACAMeeting_1080p.m2v
*BITRATE          20000
*MAXBITRATE       23000
*FRAMES           0 13992
*PROFILE          best
*AUTOGOP          12
*DC_PREC          10
*PROGRESSIVE
*PULLDOWN
*MATRIX           mpeg
*COLOUR           1

2. Encoded AC3 file with BeLight at 384 kbps.

3. Muxed the video and audio into a MPEG2 program stream with Avidemux 2.4 preview 2.

4. Authored a DVD with DVDAuthorGUI using the muxed file.

5. Burned DVD folders to DVD with ImgBurn.

6. Play.

The advantage of this method is that it will be playable in at least some software DVD players on computers with standard DVD drives. Another advantage: I haven't tested it yet, but I suspect you could have both a SD and a HD title on the same disc, allowing playback in SD DVD players.

I haven't tested it with standalones other than the A30, I would appreciate if others could test this method with other players.

Obviously, this is a sub-optimal method for creating HD DVDs. However, I believe it to be the only free method demonstrated so far. What we really need (or at least I really want) are free tools for creating true 3XDVDs/HD DVDs, complete with next-gen codecs. It may ultimately be a foolish endeavor, but then again, why shouldn't we adopt this all-but-completely-abandoned format as our own? I hold out the hope that perhaps the HD DVD standard will be opened to the masses, giving the amateurs and independents a format to call their own.

NOTE: This is a direct copy of my post from AVSForum. I'm very excited to share this new development, and see no reason to retype it all.

ADDITION: This technique also works with 480p60 footage. I had limited success with 1080i60 footage, which had stuttery playback, but I think this problem could be eliminated by lowering the bitrate. I've yet to test 720p footage, but I suspect 720p at 30 and 60 hz would work, while 720p24 would be difficult to accomplish in an efficient manner.

[Eugenia Loli-Queru]

Sorry, but most of us are not using avisynth and all these weird freeware tools with terrible usability found scattered on the net. To truly be helpful, you gotta go STEP by step and show us how you do EVERYTHING, including attaching avs files etc etc etc. Otherwise, this rough description is not just very comprehensible on how to do things. Please consider writing a very verbosed tutorial here. Thanks.

[um3k]

I don't have time right now, but when I do I'll be sure to write such a tutorial. Really, though, I would like to make a single utility that can do this process all in one go. It would be possible and relatively simple if I had any programming skills.

[Eugenia Loli-Queru]

What did you use on avidemux exactly? Give us some details about that.

[Eugenia Loli-Queru]

Also, please copy/paste here your AVS file.

EDIT: ok, no reason, I have done everything so far.

[bluegrass]

Just to add to Eugenia's post, I can share your enthusiasm somewhat for keeping HD DVD alive via 3xdvd, but I'm not sure how many folks are willing to put much effort into a freeware project to proliferate 3xdvd. After all, the ability to create 3xdvd's is available in some commercial NLE's. It might be interesting to know what percentage of the members of this forum are not using a commercial NLE but only using freeware software. I think it is quite small. I don't want to be negative about your idea here, but at the same time, I wonder why would someone put so much effort into freeware solutions that usually requires a lot of time and is frequently difficult to accomplish the same thing that a $100 investement could do.

I personally own two Toshiba A2's (HD DVD players) and may develop for my own personal use, some 3xdvd's but I will use my existing NLE to do so since this format is built in and quite easy to create 3xdvd's.

In the long run their are few pioneers like you and I that ventured into purchasing an HD player. Most would even say we were stupid for doing so. I doubt now that Blu-ray has become the "standard" format for HD distribution to the masses, that there will be much interest in creating a home process for buning HD DVD format disks. Within months we will see Blu-ray authoring software updates to the major software vendors such as Nero, and to all of the commercial NLE applications. If they have an ounce of sense, they'll be anouncing the realeas of new products and upgrades of old products right and left over the next month or so.

[Eugenia Loli-Queru]

I agree that most people won't bother. However, some would, especially people who have Premiere or Vegas that don't do HD-DVD burning. So, I spent the last 2 hours replicating and testing this method, and writing a tutorial on the way for those who need a comprehensive way to understand what's going on:
http://eugenia.gnomefiles.org/2008/0...dvds-for-free/
I have also adapted it to fit a video editor workflow rather than using it with random .m2t files.