How to Shrink MPEGs?

[MVBJJ]

I have been successfully creating MPEGs of TV programming with my PVR-250 for a few months now. I usually burn to DVD and play on my projection TV. I mistakenly created a large MPEG file of a two hour movie and it will not fit on a DVD. How do I shrink the MPEG file? I have DVDShrink which works well to shrink DVDs, but it does not seem to work with an MPEG. I also use DVD Decrypter and ImageTool for DVD authoring. Any thoughts? Do I need additional software? Thanks!

[MVBJJ]

Good idea. However, I don't know what software package to use to burn DVD image from a large MPEG. ULead Movie Factorywhich came with the PVR-250 is what I normally use to burn MPEG to DVD. Works fine for 4GB or less. If the MPEG is larger, the application locks up and will not even let me burn to hard drive. Can you suggest software that will allow me to burn image of a large MPEG to hard drive, so I can then use DVD Shrink?

[Jiffylush]

How about Nero

edit: this machine is ntfs right?

[Cayars]

You could also try ReJig.

[MVBJJ]

PC is NTSF. I have tried ReJig but not real sure how to use it. It seems to split out the audio and video stream into separate files.

[Cayars]

Originally posted by MVBJJ
I have been successfully creating MPEGs of TV programming with my PVR-250 for a few months now. I usually burn to DVD and play on my projection TV. I mistakenly created a large MPEG file of a two hour movie and it will not fit on a DVD. How do I shrink the MPEG file? I have DVDShrink which works well to shrink DVDs, but it does not seem to work with an MPEG. I also use DVD Decrypter and ImageTool for DVD authoring. Any thoughts? Do I need additional software? Thanks!

See if your DVD buning software can create an ISO file instead of burning directly to disk. If so let me know and I can give you a solution.

Programs from Nero and Roxio do this.

Carlo

[SHS]

Cayars don't you mean this: See if your DVD buning software can create an FOLDER file instead of burning directly to disk
I have How to Use DVD shrink
http://www.shspvr.com/howto/dvdshrink_guide.html

[Jiffylush]

You can create an image with nero, load it as a virtual drive with Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools, then use dvd shrink.

[Cayars]

Originally posted by Jiffylush
You can create an image with nero, load it as a virtual drive with Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools, then use dvd shrink.

Bingo. This is what I was going to suggest!

Carlo

[Rich A]

I find ReJig the fastest and easiest to use. Here's how to use.

First all my mpeg source video for DVD are de-multiplexed into separate video and audio streams. Most DVD authoring will work faster and you'll have less trouble when using elementary streams for assets.

Use the file mode in ReJig.
Add the elementary video stream
Select the percent of the original file you want to resize.
Do the Recompress (the first option not "all")

It takes about 90 seconds to fully recompress a two hour movie (my hard drives are fast) YMMV. But I found ReJig to be very quick when compared with others. Also there are NO quality issues as long as you don't drop the bit rate too low. Personally I wouldn't go lower than the 70 percent default.

If your mpeg was say 5 GB, you could recompress with an 85 percent figure and end up with about 4.25 GB.

The new ReJigged elementary video stream will have the name changed to include "rejig" or something like that (I'm at work and don't have the program in front of me)

Now when doing your authoring import the video asset (the new rejigged video elementary stream and the original audio stream.

The authoring program now doens't have to do it's own de-multiplexing because you've already done it. Many times some authoring programs are just a little too critical and will reject a multiplexed stream where that same stream split into it's elementary assets will be accepted. Not often, but it can happen.

FWIW I prefer to do any kind of editing, resizing etc. BEFORE the authoring process. I've found this to be the least problematical and is usually overall much faster than using one of those "shrinking" programs that were really designed to mess with the already authored DVD Title sets (like commercial movies too big to fit on one DVD etc.) HTH

[MVBJJ]

[i]

Now when doing your authoring import the video asset (the new rejigged video elementary stream and the original audio stream.

[/B]

I see the video asset stream compressed, but not the audio stream? Video output stream is labeled Rejig.m2V. What does the audio file look like? What is the extension? Am I supposed to hit "Recompress All" or "Recompress Job"? Can I use the DVD authoring menu of Rejig? How does it work? Can't find any help menu.

[Chunk_Drywall]

I once tried washing a few of my mpegs in hot water, but that didn't work...

[Rich A]

Originally posted by MVBJJ


I see the video asset stream compressed, but not the audio stream? Video output stream is labeled Rejig.m2V. What does the audio file look like? What is the extension? Am I supposed to hit "Recompress All" or "Recompress Job"? Can I use the DVD authoring menu of Rejig? How does it work? Can't find any help menu.

The audio isn't touched. That's what's nice about this program. It can run in a "file" mode. As such you start with two mpeg streams. One video and one audio. (it has a de-multiplexer that will take your program stream and de-mux it for you) Don't recompress "all". Only the video.

You do all your work on the video. I think you may be wondering about audio sync problems if you mess with the video and not the audio. That is not the case here. You are only changing the bit rate of the video. Whether the bit rate is 9 Mb/s or 3 Mb/s the audio sync is still the same. . ReJigging does NOT change the length (number of frames or time) of the video. Only the bit rate.

You may have to change the file type to "all" to read your elementary stream. (Ie it may be looking for a VOB).

So again,

De-multiplex your "Program Stream" into Elementary Video and Audio streams.

Video can be m2p or mpg. Audio is usually mpa.

Re-Jig the video. It will make an exact copy of the original elementary video stream but change the bit rate by the amount you chose. It adds the "rejg" or something to the name of the new m2p.

Now when you go to author your DVD, use the new m2p for the video asset and the ORIGINAL mpa for the audio asset. Your DVD authoring program will combine them (multiplex them) using DVD proper timing etc. to create the Title Set (where the VOB is stored on the DVD) It's simplier than most guys realize.