The Official AVS Guide to HD DVD Authoring
This guide will take you through the creation of your own HD DVDs step by step. This process uses regular DVD recordables (and double layer DVD recordables) to create HD DVD discs that will play on a standard HD DVD player (such as the Toshiba A1 or XA1). At present, high definition MPEG2 files at resolutions of 1920x1080i, 1440x1080i (HDV) and 1280x1080i work without additional conversion within the software. 1088i and 720p are now supported with the addition of HDPatch, a simple but powerful utility by texmex. See below for specific instructions if your files are 720p or 1088i (i.e. DirecTV).
Special Warnings:
1. Recording double/dual layer DVD media has proven less consistent than recording single layer DVDs. You may find it difficult to achieve successful burns with double layer media using certain combinations of burners and media.
2. DircecTV users will need to convert their video from 1088i to 1080i for this process to work. See the notes below on using texmex's HDPatch conversion utility. Download the attached file below.
3. HDTV files in 720p format also will need to be processed with texmex's HDPatch utility, if you are using a version of Ulead Movie Factory 5 before version 5.3.0.0. Versions after this appear to have full support for 720p60 built in. (Thanks Leonowski.) HDV 720p30 files, however, still need to be patched. (Thanks d-v-c.)
4. Reports are that Nero Burning ROM 7 is less problematic in creating discs than earlier versions. Some people report failures with version 6.
5. Reports of stuttering playback using DVD+R, single and double layer, especially with high bitrate material, may be related to the Booktype setting. In Nero, under 'Choose Recorder,' change the Booktype setting on your DVD burner from "DVD-ROM" to "Physical Disc Type." Note that not all burners allow you to change the Booktype.
For additional information and all the original posts, go to the AVS Forum thread started by Aaron.s:
Original AVS Forum HD DVD Creation Thread
Please make all new posts to this thread.
Hardware requirements:
1. A device that allows MPEG2 captures to a computer. This may include: HDV camcorders; D-VHS recorders (with unprotected content); OTA receivers with FireWire output; OTA computer capture cards such as MyHD or Fusion; FireWire devices such as 169Time; and, USB2 devices such as the Nextcom R5000 (for HD receivers from Dish Network, DirecTV and some cable TV companies).
2. Any more recent computer (Intel or AMD based systems) with a DVD burner and sufficient hard drive space.
Software requirements (alternate software is listed below):
1. VideoRedo (version 2.2.1.491).
VideoRedo
2. Ulead Movie Factory 5.
Ulead Movie Factory 5
3. Nero Burning ROM (versions 6 and 7 work, although some people report problems creating discs with version 6).
Nero Burning ROM 7
Basic Steps for Creating HD DVDs:
1. Capture a high definition MPEG2 video to your computer.
2. Convert the video file from .ts, .tp or .m2t transport stream format to program stream format (mpg) using VideoRedo.
3. Create an HD DVD folder on your computer using Ulead Movie Factory 5.
4. Burn the HD DVD disc using Nero Burning ROM.
Detailed Steps for Creating HD DVDs:
1. Capture a high definition MPEG2 video clip using an appropriate device. See Hardware Requirements above for a partial list of devices. It is beyond the scope of this guide to include specific instructions for capture. Several other threads exist on the AVS Forum that cover this process.
2. Convert the MPEG2 transport stream file (usually with a .ts, .tp or .m2t file extension) to MPEG2 program stream (with an .mpg extension) with VideoRedo:
Special Note: As of this writing (late October, 2006), version 2.2.1.491 is a beta release. You must follow the instructions below to access the special feature that allows VideoRedo to work seamlessly with Movie Factory 5. Future full releases should have this feature available without having to hold the shift key.
a. Start VideoRedo. Select File>Open Video . In the browser, select the movie youve captured. (Tip: if you have multiple files that need to be added as a whole, lasso select the files and choose "Combine," not "Join," from the dialog that follows; the file segments will be combined into one large MPEG.)
b. In the main menu, select Tools>Options. Hold down the shift key as you click on "Options." This will bring up one additional selection - "Add GOP Timecode to all GOPs... .") Click on this and change the value to "True."
c. Use the play and navigation buttons to find the start of a section of the video you want to delete. Click Set Start. Find the end of the section you want to delete and click Set End. Click Cut selection. (It will turn red.)
d. Repeat this process for all the sections you want to delete. (Tip: use the arrow keys and your mouses scroll wheel to move quickly through the video. A full set of keyboard shortcuts can be accessed from the main menu's "Help" item.)
e. Select File>Save Video As . Select a folder on the hard drive to save the video. By Save as type: select MPEG Program Streams (.mpg .mpeg).
Special Note: If after using VideoRedo to convert your file, Movie Factory 5 still insists on re-encoding your video, try processing the file with HDPatch (see below). Another use for HDPatch is to replace false bitrate values. Files improperly marked with high bitrate numbers may force Movie Factory 5 to re-encode the video to make the files compatible. See the notes on HDPatch below for a technique to replace false high bitrate numbers with more accurate ones.
IMPORTANT NOTE for using this technique with 1088i and 720p videos:
If the file you are using is 1088i (DirecTV) or 720p, see below to patch your video so that it can be used with Movie Factory 5. If you don't follow the instructions below, you may be able to create an HD DVD folder, but the process will take much longer and the resulting video will be degraded dramatically from the original. In the worst case scenario, Movie Factory 5 will reject the file as incompatible.
3. Create the HD DVD folder on your computer with Ulead Movie Factory 5.
a. Start Ulead Movie Factory 5 (and wait, it loads slowly). Select New Project.
b. Under Create a Video Disc select HD DVD. Click OK.
c. In the upper right, select the movie film icon with the + sign (second icon from the left). In the browser, select the video file you just converted. The file should load in quickly. Long delays in file loading are being investigated. See some possible solutions in the frequently asked questions section below. Tip: avoid trimming the video at this stage of the process. Trimming here may result in video re-encoding. It's better to do all editing in VideoRedo, prior to importing your file into Movie Factory 5.
d. Deselect the button on the left marked Create menu. (Leaving this button on will allow you to create custom menus for your project, but they will slow the process. For many projects, menus will be unnecessary. This also allows you to check more easily that your project is processing without re-encoding.)
e. Click on Add/Edit Chapter
f. Clicking Auto Add Chapters brings up a box in which you may have the program add chapters at fixed intervals in minutes. Playing and moving the play button for the movie allows you to use the Add chapter selection manually. (Chapters allow you to navigate quickly through the video on your HD DVD player.) When you've added all the chapters you want, click OK.
g. Click Next and use this screen to check playback and chapter stops in your program. When you're satisfied with playback, click Next again.
h. Click on the Project Settings button in the lower left of the screen. Make sure the box labeled Do not convert compliant MPEG files is checked and click OK.
i. Click the box labeled Create HD DVD folders. Click on the folder icon at the end of this option to select the folder where you wish to create the HD DVD folder. (You may create such a folder in the browser at this point, if you do not have one prepared.)
j. Click the Burn icon in the lower right. If things have gone well, you should see Total progress: Prepare output content and Detailed progress: Video/Audio multiplexing appear with blue progress bars almost immediately. If you see the message Convert title you are in for a long wait and your video may not be compatible. Time to check the settings. and refer to Frequently asked questions bwlow.
k. When the process completes, click OK. Your HD DVD folder is ready to burn.
4. Burn your HD DVD folder to a DVD recordable using Nero Burning ROM.
Technique 1 - preferred (works with Nero version 7):
(Contributed by pteittinen.)
a. Launch Nero Burning ROM and select "DVD-ROM (UDF)" on the left side of the screen (you may need to scroll down).
b. Under the "Multisession" tab, select the "No Multisession" radio button.
b. Click on the "UDF" tab.
c. In the "Options" pull-down (or the checkbox under "Advanced," depending on your version of Nero), select "Enable Xbox (TM) compatibility mode."
d. Disregard any warnings and continue.
e. Click "New."
f. Drop the HVDVD_TS folder you just created into the root directory of the compilation (column on the far left).
g. Burn the disc by clicking on the Disc/Lit Match icon at the top.
Technique 2 (works with Nero 6 and 7):
a. Start Notepad or any word processor that allows you to create a .txt file. Leave the document blank (dont type in anything). Select File>Save and save the blank document as text (.txt format) in a handy place on your hard drive call it VIDEO_TS.VOB (.txt will be added automatically). Open Windows Explorer and find your new text file. Right click on it and go to rename. Delete the .txt from the end. Ignore the Windows warning and click Yes. Your file should now appear as VIDEO_TS.VOB. Special note: if you can't see the .txt extension in Windows Explorer, it probably means you have your computer set to hide file extensions. Open Explorer and select from the menu Tools>Folder Options... . Select the "View" tab. Find the box for "Hide extensions for known file types." and deselect it. Click "OK." You should now be able to see the .txt extension.
b. Start Nero Burning ROM and select the Nero Burning ROM application.
c. In the left column, select DVD Video and click New.
d. In the right column, select the drive where the new VIDEO_TS.VOB file is located. Drag that file onto (on top of, not above it) the VIDEO_TS folder in the leftmost column. (Make sure its in the VIDEO_TS folder, not in the root directory.)
e. Go back to the rightmost column and find the HD DVD folder you created in Ulead Movie Factory 5. Drag that folder into the leftmost column. Make sure NOT to put it into the VIDEO_TS folder. This folder must reside in the root directory.
f. Load in a recordable DVD (single or double layer, depending on the size of your project). Make sure your DVD burner is selected in Nero (click the Choose a recorder button).
g. Click the Disc/Lit Match icon to burn the current compilation. Ignore any warning messages the system displays by clicking OK.
Try your new HD DVD in your HD DVD player.
Alternate software:
(Note that some have experienced problems with Womble MPEG2VCR, VideoRedo and HDTVtoMPEG2. HDTVtoMPEG2 is freeware, but has known problems creating compliant MPEG streams with this process. Womble and VideoRedo cost $50 each. Use the trial versions with this process and your system before you buy.)
A variety of other software packages may be used to edit transport stream video files and convert them to MPEG2 program stream. If you have a program that will convert .ts to .mpg, try it. If you have substantial success, please post your results here.
You can find Womble MPEG2VCR here:
MPEG2VCR frame accurate transport stream (.ts) to program stream editing software
Using Womble MPEG2VCR (version 3.14) to convert transport stream video files to MPEG2 program stream format:
1. For videos consisting of one large .ts file, select File>Open MPEG Movie and Editor Project . Select your video file from the browser.
2. For videos consisting of multiple files, hit F6. In the Clip box, select the button to bring up a browser window. Select all the ts files that make up your video (either lasso or select/shift select all the files you want to include). Hit OK.
3. Edit out the sections of the video you dont want included. Find the beginning of a section (such as a commercial) you want to exclude and hit the I key (for in). Find the end of that section and hit the O key (for out). Hit the X key (for cut). Repeat until youve gotten rid of all the material you dont want.
4. At the bottom of the MPEG2VCR Clip List window, there are two rows of buttons. Select the button on the second row, third from the right (the icon with a red top). In the box labeled MPEG Format select the third radio button from the bottom, labeled MPEG-2 Program Stream. In the box labeled File Name select the button. In the browser, select where you want to save the new program stream file and type in a name for it. Click Save. Click Save again and MPEG2VCR will convert and save the file for you.
Using Movie Factory 5 with 720p and 1088i files (a file patch utility by texmex):
Do not be put off by the length of the following instructions. Once you've done this once, it shouldn't add more than about 30 seconds to a minute of additional time to the process of creating HD DVDs. This utility is extremely easy to use. As with the process in general, problems have been reported with some files.
For HDPatch to run, you will need to install the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0. It can be found here:
Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0.
Download and install the software. You may have to restart your computer when the install completes. Failure to install the Microsoft .Net Framework will result in an error message when you attempt to run HDPatch.
The latest version of HDPatch can be found in the file attachment at the bottom of this post.
What Is HDPatch Used For?
HDPatch can be used, primarily, to solve two problems in the Movie Factory 5/VideoStudio 10+ HD-DVD workflow (other uses are outlined below):
1. 1088 files: many streams from various sources are encoded with a vertical resolution of 1088 (i.e. 1920x1088 or 1280x1088). MF5/VS10+ does not recognize this as a valid HD-DVD resolution and will attempt to re-encode these streams. HDPatch will modify the stream headers to correct the resolution, changing the 1088 to 1080. Once "patched," Movie Factory 5/VideoStudio 10+ should process the stream without re-encoding. And don't worry - you're not losing 8 pixels of video. Those extra 8 pixels are usually gray filler.
To use this feature:
1. Process your .ts, .tp or .m2t file with VideoRedo to convert transport stream to program stream.
2. Run HDPatch. Select your converted program stream video by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the file you converted.
3. In the menu select Preset>Fix1088.
4. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Your file is now ready for normal processing in Movie Factory 5.
2. 720p files: Movie Factory 5 (before version 5.3.0.0) and VideoStudio 10+ do not recognize 720p as a valid HD-DVD format. They will attempt to re-encode 720p files during the authoring process. In order to avoid this, you can use HDPatch to "prep" a 720p file for authoring.
To use this feature:
1. Process your .ts, .tp or .m2t file with VideoRedo to convert transport stream to program stream.
2. Run HDPatch. Select your 720p stream by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find your file.
3. In the menu select Preset>>720p> Pre - patch 720p for MF5/VS10+.
4. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Complete the process outlined above to create the HD DVD folder on the hard drive.
Before you can burn the HD DVD to disc, you must patch the .EVO file within the folder.
1. Run HDPatch and click on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the first .EVO file in the HD DVD folder you just created.
2. From the menu, select 720p>Post - Patch EVO/IFO for burn.
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Your HD DVD folder is now ready for burning in Nero Burning ROM.
Patch the 720 file back to its original settings:
Once you've burned the HD DVD folder to disc, you should return the original MPEG file to its normal settings. Failure to do so may result in the MPEG file not playing correctly.
1. Run HDPatch. Select your 720p stream by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the original MPEG file.
2. In the menu select Preset>720p>Post - Revert MPEG source to 720p.
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
Your original 720p MPEG file is restored virtually instantaneously and should play normally.
General MPEG patching:
HDPatch also can be used for general MPEG header patching. Maybe a file is incorrectly flagged as 4:3 when it is actually 16:9. HDPatch can be used to correct the headers in such a file.
Patching files with false bitrate information:
Sometimes video files have inaccurate bitrate information in the header. A file with a stated bitrate of, for example, 65000000 may force a video re-encode in Movie Factory 5. Changing the header information to a realistic number (20000000) often prevents a re-encode. If after normal VideoRedo conversion, Movie Factory 5 insists on re-encoding, try the following:
1. Run HDPatch. Select your MPEG file by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the file.
2. In the dialog, click in the "Bitrate:" box. Change the excessively high number to one that no OTA or satellite HD signal is likely to exceed (i.e. 20000000).
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Try using your file again in Movie Factory 5. If all has gone well, it will be accepted without re-encoding.
Frequently Asked Questions/Helpful Suggestions:
Q. The video on my HD DVD player pauses or video freezes up several times during playback and then continues. What can I do to prevent it?
(Contributed by KoolKiwi)
A. Since the HD-A1 correctly interprets MPEG timestamps, any timestamp gaps will result in an apparent freeze (actually a pause) in playback. This can be caused by software editing programs that do not correct timestamp gaps during editing (such as when you edit commercials out of a .ts file with HDTVtoMPEG2).
To avoid this, run the original .ts file through Mpeg2Repair (log only) to check for any timestamp gaps. MPEG2Repair can be found at the bottom of this guide with other helpful tools.
1. On the line labeled "Input File:" select the "..." button. Find the transport stream file that may have timestamp problems.
2. Click the button labeled "Find PID's."
3. Check "Log Errors."
4. On the line labeled "Log File:" click the "..." button. Click "Save." Any timestamp error notations will be saved to a text file in the same directory as the .ts file.
5. Click the "Start" button in the upper right.
6. Check the timestamp of the file you just processed by opening the text file in Notepad or any word processor. Look for a line that reads something like this: "Info: 1.233011 seconds of video timestamp gaps." If any timestamp gaps are found in the log file, the .ts should be processed through VideoRedo's "Quickstream fix" (with output to a new .ts), before using the normal VideoRedo process to convert the resulting .ts to .MPG for use in Movie Factory 5.
To use the VideoRedo "Quickstream Fix" function:
1. From the VideoRedo menu, select Tools>Quickstream Fix... .
2. Under "Input Stream:" click the "..." box and find the stream with the timestamp errors. If necessary, click the "Select Stream" button and find the stream you want to fix. (This should be necessary only if there are multiple videos within the .ts file - i.e. if the file has video subchannels.)
3. Under "Output Stream:" click the "..." box and find the location where you want to save the timestamp corrected video.
4. Click the "Start Quickfix" button.
When the process completes, you can run the new .ts file through VideoRedo as usual for output as a program stream file in Movie Factory 5.
Q. My video files load into Movie Factory 5 extremely slowly. How can I speed up the process?
A. [Update: Using VideoRedo's beta release (version 2.5.2.491) seems to solve many of the slow loading issues (as of late October, 2006). Please follow the instructions above to speed up the loads. Until we have more reports, I'm leaving the following notes here.] No definitive answer is available. Contributors are looking into this issue. Generally speaking, slow file loads occur more often in VideoRedo than Womble's MPEG2VCR (a trial version is available). Try using MPEG2VCR instead. Many users have reported that MPEG2VCR loads are virtually instantaneous, while files created with VideoRedo MAY take a long time to load. MPEG2VCR, however, does seem more prone to creating lip sync errors. At present, the only way to know what your results will be is to experiment. One possible solution to lip sync errors is to use the timestamp repair procedure outlined in the first question above.
Here's another contribution that you may find helpful if you are having problems with Movie Factory 5 accepting your video file as HD DVD compliant (and it insists on re-encoding). This suggestion comes from the_Tom, who uses a Motorola 6200 cable box.
One thing that is necessary in order for MF5 to consider the mpg file you feed it to be "compliant" and thus be willing to skip "converting" it, is for the file's header value for max bitrate to be within the HD-DVD spec. One way to ensure this when using VideoRedo is to set the bit rate to 20Mbps (20000000) in its Save/Options dialog. Doing so may not be necessary in all circumstances, but it should always be "safe" as long as the actual max bitrate in the video is less than that, which it almost certainly will be (the highest actual that I have yet seen was around 18M).
Here's how to do this:
1. Start VideoRedo. Load and edit your transport stream file normally, following the instructions above.
2. In the menu select File>Save Video as... .
3. Select the "Options" button in the lower left of the dialog box.
4. Set the "Bit Rate:" drop down to "20Mbps" and click "OK."
5. Click "Save" to save your file as an MPEG program stream.
Another way of achieving much the same thing is to use HDPatch (as outlined above - repeated here for clarity):
1. Run HDPatch. Select your MPEG file by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the file.
2. In the dialog, click in the "Bitrate:" box. Change the excessively high number to one that no OTA or satellite HD signal is likely to exceed (i.e. 20000000).
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Try using your file again in Movie Factory 5. If all has gone well, it will be accepted without re-encoding.
To download the files below, right click and select "Save target as... ." Just left clicking often will not work.
HDPatch_0_3_01.zip 153.43359375k . file
MPEG2Repair.zip 218.38671875k . file
This guide will take you through the creation of your own HD DVDs step by step. This process uses regular DVD recordables (and double layer DVD recordables) to create HD DVD discs that will play on a standard HD DVD player (such as the Toshiba A1 or XA1). At present, high definition MPEG2 files at resolutions of 1920x1080i, 1440x1080i (HDV) and 1280x1080i work without additional conversion within the software. 1088i and 720p are now supported with the addition of HDPatch, a simple but powerful utility by texmex. See below for specific instructions if your files are 720p or 1088i (i.e. DirecTV).
Special Warnings:
1. Recording double/dual layer DVD media has proven less consistent than recording single layer DVDs. You may find it difficult to achieve successful burns with double layer media using certain combinations of burners and media.
2. DircecTV users will need to convert their video from 1088i to 1080i for this process to work. See the notes below on using texmex's HDPatch conversion utility. Download the attached file below.
3. HDTV files in 720p format also will need to be processed with texmex's HDPatch utility, if you are using a version of Ulead Movie Factory 5 before version 5.3.0.0. Versions after this appear to have full support for 720p60 built in. (Thanks Leonowski.) HDV 720p30 files, however, still need to be patched. (Thanks d-v-c.)
4. Reports are that Nero Burning ROM 7 is less problematic in creating discs than earlier versions. Some people report failures with version 6.
5. Reports of stuttering playback using DVD+R, single and double layer, especially with high bitrate material, may be related to the Booktype setting. In Nero, under 'Choose Recorder,' change the Booktype setting on your DVD burner from "DVD-ROM" to "Physical Disc Type." Note that not all burners allow you to change the Booktype.
For additional information and all the original posts, go to the AVS Forum thread started by Aaron.s:
Original AVS Forum HD DVD Creation Thread
Please make all new posts to this thread.
Hardware requirements:
1. A device that allows MPEG2 captures to a computer. This may include: HDV camcorders; D-VHS recorders (with unprotected content); OTA receivers with FireWire output; OTA computer capture cards such as MyHD or Fusion; FireWire devices such as 169Time; and, USB2 devices such as the Nextcom R5000 (for HD receivers from Dish Network, DirecTV and some cable TV companies).
2. Any more recent computer (Intel or AMD based systems) with a DVD burner and sufficient hard drive space.
Software requirements (alternate software is listed below):
1. VideoRedo (version 2.2.1.491).
VideoRedo
2. Ulead Movie Factory 5.
Ulead Movie Factory 5
3. Nero Burning ROM (versions 6 and 7 work, although some people report problems creating discs with version 6).
Nero Burning ROM 7
Basic Steps for Creating HD DVDs:
1. Capture a high definition MPEG2 video to your computer.
2. Convert the video file from .ts, .tp or .m2t transport stream format to program stream format (mpg) using VideoRedo.
3. Create an HD DVD folder on your computer using Ulead Movie Factory 5.
4. Burn the HD DVD disc using Nero Burning ROM.
Detailed Steps for Creating HD DVDs:
1. Capture a high definition MPEG2 video clip using an appropriate device. See Hardware Requirements above for a partial list of devices. It is beyond the scope of this guide to include specific instructions for capture. Several other threads exist on the AVS Forum that cover this process.
2. Convert the MPEG2 transport stream file (usually with a .ts, .tp or .m2t file extension) to MPEG2 program stream (with an .mpg extension) with VideoRedo:
Special Note: As of this writing (late October, 2006), version 2.2.1.491 is a beta release. You must follow the instructions below to access the special feature that allows VideoRedo to work seamlessly with Movie Factory 5. Future full releases should have this feature available without having to hold the shift key.
a. Start VideoRedo. Select File>Open Video . In the browser, select the movie youve captured. (Tip: if you have multiple files that need to be added as a whole, lasso select the files and choose "Combine," not "Join," from the dialog that follows; the file segments will be combined into one large MPEG.)
b. In the main menu, select Tools>Options. Hold down the shift key as you click on "Options." This will bring up one additional selection - "Add GOP Timecode to all GOPs... .") Click on this and change the value to "True."
c. Use the play and navigation buttons to find the start of a section of the video you want to delete. Click Set Start. Find the end of the section you want to delete and click Set End. Click Cut selection. (It will turn red.)
d. Repeat this process for all the sections you want to delete. (Tip: use the arrow keys and your mouses scroll wheel to move quickly through the video. A full set of keyboard shortcuts can be accessed from the main menu's "Help" item.)
e. Select File>Save Video As . Select a folder on the hard drive to save the video. By Save as type: select MPEG Program Streams (.mpg .mpeg).
Special Note: If after using VideoRedo to convert your file, Movie Factory 5 still insists on re-encoding your video, try processing the file with HDPatch (see below). Another use for HDPatch is to replace false bitrate values. Files improperly marked with high bitrate numbers may force Movie Factory 5 to re-encode the video to make the files compatible. See the notes on HDPatch below for a technique to replace false high bitrate numbers with more accurate ones.
IMPORTANT NOTE for using this technique with 1088i and 720p videos:
If the file you are using is 1088i (DirecTV) or 720p, see below to patch your video so that it can be used with Movie Factory 5. If you don't follow the instructions below, you may be able to create an HD DVD folder, but the process will take much longer and the resulting video will be degraded dramatically from the original. In the worst case scenario, Movie Factory 5 will reject the file as incompatible.
3. Create the HD DVD folder on your computer with Ulead Movie Factory 5.
a. Start Ulead Movie Factory 5 (and wait, it loads slowly). Select New Project.
b. Under Create a Video Disc select HD DVD. Click OK.
c. In the upper right, select the movie film icon with the + sign (second icon from the left). In the browser, select the video file you just converted. The file should load in quickly. Long delays in file loading are being investigated. See some possible solutions in the frequently asked questions section below. Tip: avoid trimming the video at this stage of the process. Trimming here may result in video re-encoding. It's better to do all editing in VideoRedo, prior to importing your file into Movie Factory 5.
d. Deselect the button on the left marked Create menu. (Leaving this button on will allow you to create custom menus for your project, but they will slow the process. For many projects, menus will be unnecessary. This also allows you to check more easily that your project is processing without re-encoding.)
e. Click on Add/Edit Chapter
f. Clicking Auto Add Chapters brings up a box in which you may have the program add chapters at fixed intervals in minutes. Playing and moving the play button for the movie allows you to use the Add chapter selection manually. (Chapters allow you to navigate quickly through the video on your HD DVD player.) When you've added all the chapters you want, click OK.
g. Click Next and use this screen to check playback and chapter stops in your program. When you're satisfied with playback, click Next again.
h. Click on the Project Settings button in the lower left of the screen. Make sure the box labeled Do not convert compliant MPEG files is checked and click OK.
i. Click the box labeled Create HD DVD folders. Click on the folder icon at the end of this option to select the folder where you wish to create the HD DVD folder. (You may create such a folder in the browser at this point, if you do not have one prepared.)
j. Click the Burn icon in the lower right. If things have gone well, you should see Total progress: Prepare output content and Detailed progress: Video/Audio multiplexing appear with blue progress bars almost immediately. If you see the message Convert title you are in for a long wait and your video may not be compatible. Time to check the settings. and refer to Frequently asked questions bwlow.
k. When the process completes, click OK. Your HD DVD folder is ready to burn.
4. Burn your HD DVD folder to a DVD recordable using Nero Burning ROM.
Technique 1 - preferred (works with Nero version 7):
(Contributed by pteittinen.)
a. Launch Nero Burning ROM and select "DVD-ROM (UDF)" on the left side of the screen (you may need to scroll down).
b. Under the "Multisession" tab, select the "No Multisession" radio button.
b. Click on the "UDF" tab.
c. In the "Options" pull-down (or the checkbox under "Advanced," depending on your version of Nero), select "Enable Xbox (TM) compatibility mode."
d. Disregard any warnings and continue.
e. Click "New."
f. Drop the HVDVD_TS folder you just created into the root directory of the compilation (column on the far left).
g. Burn the disc by clicking on the Disc/Lit Match icon at the top.
Technique 2 (works with Nero 6 and 7):
a. Start Notepad or any word processor that allows you to create a .txt file. Leave the document blank (dont type in anything). Select File>Save and save the blank document as text (.txt format) in a handy place on your hard drive call it VIDEO_TS.VOB (.txt will be added automatically). Open Windows Explorer and find your new text file. Right click on it and go to rename. Delete the .txt from the end. Ignore the Windows warning and click Yes. Your file should now appear as VIDEO_TS.VOB. Special note: if you can't see the .txt extension in Windows Explorer, it probably means you have your computer set to hide file extensions. Open Explorer and select from the menu Tools>Folder Options... . Select the "View" tab. Find the box for "Hide extensions for known file types." and deselect it. Click "OK." You should now be able to see the .txt extension.
b. Start Nero Burning ROM and select the Nero Burning ROM application.
c. In the left column, select DVD Video and click New.
d. In the right column, select the drive where the new VIDEO_TS.VOB file is located. Drag that file onto (on top of, not above it) the VIDEO_TS folder in the leftmost column. (Make sure its in the VIDEO_TS folder, not in the root directory.)
e. Go back to the rightmost column and find the HD DVD folder you created in Ulead Movie Factory 5. Drag that folder into the leftmost column. Make sure NOT to put it into the VIDEO_TS folder. This folder must reside in the root directory.
f. Load in a recordable DVD (single or double layer, depending on the size of your project). Make sure your DVD burner is selected in Nero (click the Choose a recorder button).
g. Click the Disc/Lit Match icon to burn the current compilation. Ignore any warning messages the system displays by clicking OK.
Try your new HD DVD in your HD DVD player.
Alternate software:
(Note that some have experienced problems with Womble MPEG2VCR, VideoRedo and HDTVtoMPEG2. HDTVtoMPEG2 is freeware, but has known problems creating compliant MPEG streams with this process. Womble and VideoRedo cost $50 each. Use the trial versions with this process and your system before you buy.)
A variety of other software packages may be used to edit transport stream video files and convert them to MPEG2 program stream. If you have a program that will convert .ts to .mpg, try it. If you have substantial success, please post your results here.
You can find Womble MPEG2VCR here:
MPEG2VCR frame accurate transport stream (.ts) to program stream editing software
Using Womble MPEG2VCR (version 3.14) to convert transport stream video files to MPEG2 program stream format:
1. For videos consisting of one large .ts file, select File>Open MPEG Movie and Editor Project . Select your video file from the browser.
2. For videos consisting of multiple files, hit F6. In the Clip box, select the button to bring up a browser window. Select all the ts files that make up your video (either lasso or select/shift select all the files you want to include). Hit OK.
3. Edit out the sections of the video you dont want included. Find the beginning of a section (such as a commercial) you want to exclude and hit the I key (for in). Find the end of that section and hit the O key (for out). Hit the X key (for cut). Repeat until youve gotten rid of all the material you dont want.
4. At the bottom of the MPEG2VCR Clip List window, there are two rows of buttons. Select the button on the second row, third from the right (the icon with a red top). In the box labeled MPEG Format select the third radio button from the bottom, labeled MPEG-2 Program Stream. In the box labeled File Name select the button. In the browser, select where you want to save the new program stream file and type in a name for it. Click Save. Click Save again and MPEG2VCR will convert and save the file for you.
Using Movie Factory 5 with 720p and 1088i files (a file patch utility by texmex):
Do not be put off by the length of the following instructions. Once you've done this once, it shouldn't add more than about 30 seconds to a minute of additional time to the process of creating HD DVDs. This utility is extremely easy to use. As with the process in general, problems have been reported with some files.
For HDPatch to run, you will need to install the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0. It can be found here:
Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0.
Download and install the software. You may have to restart your computer when the install completes. Failure to install the Microsoft .Net Framework will result in an error message when you attempt to run HDPatch.
The latest version of HDPatch can be found in the file attachment at the bottom of this post.
What Is HDPatch Used For?
HDPatch can be used, primarily, to solve two problems in the Movie Factory 5/VideoStudio 10+ HD-DVD workflow (other uses are outlined below):
1. 1088 files: many streams from various sources are encoded with a vertical resolution of 1088 (i.e. 1920x1088 or 1280x1088). MF5/VS10+ does not recognize this as a valid HD-DVD resolution and will attempt to re-encode these streams. HDPatch will modify the stream headers to correct the resolution, changing the 1088 to 1080. Once "patched," Movie Factory 5/VideoStudio 10+ should process the stream without re-encoding. And don't worry - you're not losing 8 pixels of video. Those extra 8 pixels are usually gray filler.
To use this feature:
1. Process your .ts, .tp or .m2t file with VideoRedo to convert transport stream to program stream.
2. Run HDPatch. Select your converted program stream video by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the file you converted.
3. In the menu select Preset>Fix1088.
4. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Your file is now ready for normal processing in Movie Factory 5.
2. 720p files: Movie Factory 5 (before version 5.3.0.0) and VideoStudio 10+ do not recognize 720p as a valid HD-DVD format. They will attempt to re-encode 720p files during the authoring process. In order to avoid this, you can use HDPatch to "prep" a 720p file for authoring.
To use this feature:
1. Process your .ts, .tp or .m2t file with VideoRedo to convert transport stream to program stream.
2. Run HDPatch. Select your 720p stream by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find your file.
3. In the menu select Preset>>720p> Pre - patch 720p for MF5/VS10+.
4. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Complete the process outlined above to create the HD DVD folder on the hard drive.
Before you can burn the HD DVD to disc, you must patch the .EVO file within the folder.
1. Run HDPatch and click on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the first .EVO file in the HD DVD folder you just created.
2. From the menu, select 720p>Post - Patch EVO/IFO for burn.
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Your HD DVD folder is now ready for burning in Nero Burning ROM.
Patch the 720 file back to its original settings:
Once you've burned the HD DVD folder to disc, you should return the original MPEG file to its normal settings. Failure to do so may result in the MPEG file not playing correctly.
1. Run HDPatch. Select your 720p stream by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the original MPEG file.
2. In the menu select Preset>720p>Post - Revert MPEG source to 720p.
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
Your original 720p MPEG file is restored virtually instantaneously and should play normally.
General MPEG patching:
HDPatch also can be used for general MPEG header patching. Maybe a file is incorrectly flagged as 4:3 when it is actually 16:9. HDPatch can be used to correct the headers in such a file.
Patching files with false bitrate information:
Sometimes video files have inaccurate bitrate information in the header. A file with a stated bitrate of, for example, 65000000 may force a video re-encode in Movie Factory 5. Changing the header information to a realistic number (20000000) often prevents a re-encode. If after normal VideoRedo conversion, Movie Factory 5 insists on re-encoding, try the following:
1. Run HDPatch. Select your MPEG file by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the file.
2. In the dialog, click in the "Bitrate:" box. Change the excessively high number to one that no OTA or satellite HD signal is likely to exceed (i.e. 20000000).
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Try using your file again in Movie Factory 5. If all has gone well, it will be accepted without re-encoding.
Frequently Asked Questions/Helpful Suggestions:
Q. The video on my HD DVD player pauses or video freezes up several times during playback and then continues. What can I do to prevent it?
(Contributed by KoolKiwi)
A. Since the HD-A1 correctly interprets MPEG timestamps, any timestamp gaps will result in an apparent freeze (actually a pause) in playback. This can be caused by software editing programs that do not correct timestamp gaps during editing (such as when you edit commercials out of a .ts file with HDTVtoMPEG2).
To avoid this, run the original .ts file through Mpeg2Repair (log only) to check for any timestamp gaps. MPEG2Repair can be found at the bottom of this guide with other helpful tools.
1. On the line labeled "Input File:" select the "..." button. Find the transport stream file that may have timestamp problems.
2. Click the button labeled "Find PID's."
3. Check "Log Errors."
4. On the line labeled "Log File:" click the "..." button. Click "Save." Any timestamp error notations will be saved to a text file in the same directory as the .ts file.
5. Click the "Start" button in the upper right.
6. Check the timestamp of the file you just processed by opening the text file in Notepad or any word processor. Look for a line that reads something like this: "Info: 1.233011 seconds of video timestamp gaps." If any timestamp gaps are found in the log file, the .ts should be processed through VideoRedo's "Quickstream fix" (with output to a new .ts), before using the normal VideoRedo process to convert the resulting .ts to .MPG for use in Movie Factory 5.
To use the VideoRedo "Quickstream Fix" function:
1. From the VideoRedo menu, select Tools>Quickstream Fix... .
2. Under "Input Stream:" click the "..." box and find the stream with the timestamp errors. If necessary, click the "Select Stream" button and find the stream you want to fix. (This should be necessary only if there are multiple videos within the .ts file - i.e. if the file has video subchannels.)
3. Under "Output Stream:" click the "..." box and find the location where you want to save the timestamp corrected video.
4. Click the "Start Quickfix" button.
When the process completes, you can run the new .ts file through VideoRedo as usual for output as a program stream file in Movie Factory 5.
Q. My video files load into Movie Factory 5 extremely slowly. How can I speed up the process?
A. [Update: Using VideoRedo's beta release (version 2.5.2.491) seems to solve many of the slow loading issues (as of late October, 2006). Please follow the instructions above to speed up the loads. Until we have more reports, I'm leaving the following notes here.] No definitive answer is available. Contributors are looking into this issue. Generally speaking, slow file loads occur more often in VideoRedo than Womble's MPEG2VCR (a trial version is available). Try using MPEG2VCR instead. Many users have reported that MPEG2VCR loads are virtually instantaneous, while files created with VideoRedo MAY take a long time to load. MPEG2VCR, however, does seem more prone to creating lip sync errors. At present, the only way to know what your results will be is to experiment. One possible solution to lip sync errors is to use the timestamp repair procedure outlined in the first question above.
Here's another contribution that you may find helpful if you are having problems with Movie Factory 5 accepting your video file as HD DVD compliant (and it insists on re-encoding). This suggestion comes from the_Tom, who uses a Motorola 6200 cable box.
One thing that is necessary in order for MF5 to consider the mpg file you feed it to be "compliant" and thus be willing to skip "converting" it, is for the file's header value for max bitrate to be within the HD-DVD spec. One way to ensure this when using VideoRedo is to set the bit rate to 20Mbps (20000000) in its Save/Options dialog. Doing so may not be necessary in all circumstances, but it should always be "safe" as long as the actual max bitrate in the video is less than that, which it almost certainly will be (the highest actual that I have yet seen was around 18M).
Here's how to do this:
1. Start VideoRedo. Load and edit your transport stream file normally, following the instructions above.
2. In the menu select File>Save Video as... .
3. Select the "Options" button in the lower left of the dialog box.
4. Set the "Bit Rate:" drop down to "20Mbps" and click "OK."
5. Click "Save" to save your file as an MPEG program stream.
Another way of achieving much the same thing is to use HDPatch (as outlined above - repeated here for clarity):
1. Run HDPatch. Select your MPEG file by clicking on the "..." box at the end of the "File:" line. In the browser, find the file.
2. In the dialog, click in the "Bitrate:" box. Change the excessively high number to one that no OTA or satellite HD signal is likely to exceed (i.e. 20000000).
3. Select the "Patch Stream" button at the bottom.
The patch should be virtually instantaneous. Try using your file again in Movie Factory 5. If all has gone well, it will be accepted without re-encoding.
To download the files below, right click and select "Save target as... ." Just left clicking often will not work.
HDPatch_0_3_01.zip 153.43359375k . file
MPEG2Repair.zip 218.38671875k . file