HOWTO: Make DVD Videos Using Tovid: The Video Disc Authoring Suite

[loadeddreams]

Hello erik,

I wasnt reporting a bug per say, but rather trying to answer the question on the Ubuntu forum about chapter creation.

What I was trying to say is that whenever I transcode Tovid using the terminal/command line, meaning from .avi to dvd compatible .mpg. After the Tovid program is done, I then use "makemenu" then I use "makexml" then I use "makedvd", now somewhere in there it makes 5 minute chapters by default and if I am not mistaken it is the "makexml" process that actually does this because the resulting .xml file has the chapter breakdown listed in it with each .mpg associated with it.

So actually I guess I am wrong in saying tovid creates the chapters when actually it is the makexml process that does this. Tovid just transcodes the .avi to .mpg.

Not sure if any of this makes any sense as I have had a few beers, and some Captain Morgan....but I follow what I am saying nonetheless....

lol.. well I follow you too
there is a -chapters INTERVAL option with makexml, which I didn't see prior to this. I'm currently burning a disc but when that finishes I'll look at tovid and flip through the options.

The -chapters option is good, but what I meant was nero looks for blackspace and creates a chapter at that point. Which makes sense, a new chapter during scene changes, and there were always 18 chapters (DVD default I believe?) Either way, I can definitely settle with a new chapter every few minutes. Thanks!
edit: this thing really needs a spellcheck.. lol

[user1397]

Hello erik,

I wasnt reporting a bug per say, but rather trying to answer the question on the Ubuntu forum about chapter creation.

What I was trying to say is that whenever I transcode Tovid using the terminal/command line, meaning from .avi to dvd compatible .mpg. After the Tovid program is done, I then use "makemenu" then I use "makexml" then I use "makedvd", now somewhere in there it makes 5 minute chapters by default and if I am not mistaken it is the "makexml" process that actually does this because the resulting .xml file has the chapter breakdown listed in it with each .mpg associated with it.

So actually I guess I am wrong in saying tovid creates the chapters when actually it is the makexml process that does this. Tovid just transcodes the .avi to .mpg.

Not sure if any of this makes any sense as I have had a few beers, and some Captain Morgan....but I follow what I am saying nonetheless....

well ok then
wapcaplet did return the needed answer anyway

[loadeddreams]

well ok then
wapcaplet did return the needed answer anyway

what answer was that? I read through the thread and didn't see that username well.. I didn't read through all the thread, but y'know.
anyways, I looked to see if there was a makexml config file but there is no such thing.. and I can't find a way to edit the command being run in tovid. I don't think I could, anyways.. I'm at a friends on a windows machine now so I can't check, but I think I tried a few times.

[PapaWiskas]

what answer was that? I read through the thread and didn't see that username well.. I didn't read through all the thread, but y'know.
anyways, I looked to see if there was a makexml config file but there is no such thing.. and I can't find a way to edit the command being run in tovid. I don't think I could, anyways.. I'm at a friends on a windows machine now so I can't check, but I think I tried a few times.

Hello loadeddreams,

I think he (erik) was referring to the post he made on the Tovid forum, which is where I responded also. Anywhoo....here is the link.
Drink up me hearty!
http://www.createphpbb.com/tovid/vie...2&mforum=tovid

[user1397]

Hello loadeddreams,

I think he (erik) was referring to the post he made on the Tovid forum, which is where I responded also. Anywhoo....here is the link.
Drink up me hearty!
http://www.createphpbb.com/tovid/vie...2&mforum=tovid

yep, that's what i meant.

Yes indeed, it is makexml that creates 5-minute chapters by default. The -chapters option lets you specify a different interval, but there's presently no way to do arbitrary chapter points (i.e., a list of explicit time indexes) with makexml. You can always edit the .xml file prior to authoring, to get desired chapter points (or none at all).

[greenwom]

I've got the gui running and I make a three menu selection with backgrounds and music. After the long encode I was left with a mpg that was only 89MB. I ran it in totem and vlc and I saw my menu but no action on the video selections (I have two / teo hour movies.)

I also was going to let it install in /tmp but that didn't work it said my 23gigs wasn't enough space?

What I take is that it didn't covert the avi's at all. I'm trying the gui again, letting it write to /tmp (do I need to start the gui as sudo?)

[PapaWiskas]

to be honest I think the GUI to be buggy...I run tovid from the command line only.

Just use terminal, change to the directory that the avi are in and type tovid...this will bring up a sort of help text for you that shows you the options...

For example I would type this in terminal...

tovid -dvd -ntsc -in nameofavifile.avi -out newnameofmpg

This command would effectively convert the .avi file into a dvd compatible .mpg file in the same directory as the avi file.

After that is done you can do the makemenu, then makexml, then makedvd to finally author and burn it.
However I did notice that in the .xml file you do need to edit it in order for widescreen to work on 4:3 TVs...just do this edit...
after <titles> put the following...
<video aspect="16:9" widescreen="nopanscan" />
save and you are done...this will make a widescreen movie NOT be cut off on the sides.

[user1397]

I've got the gui running and I make a three menu selection with backgrounds and music. After the long encode I was left with a mpg that was only 89MB. I ran it in totem and vlc and I saw my menu but no action on the video selections (I have two / teo hour movies.)

I also was going to let it install in /tmp but that didn't work it said my 23gigs wasn't enough space?

What I take is that it didn't covert the avi's at all. I'm trying the gui again, letting it write to /tmp (do I need to start the gui as sudo?)

hmmm the 23 Gigs is plenty of space, and no you're not supposed to run it as root. as has been mentioned, however, the tovid gui is somewhat buggy, so you could try the tovid forums on that one.

[user1397]

to be honest I think the GUI to be buggy...I run tovid from the command line only.

Just use terminal, change to the directory that the avi are in and type tovid...this will bring up a sort of help text for you that shows you the options...

For example I would type this in terminal...

tovid -dvd -ntsc -in nameofavifile.avi -out newnameofmpg.mpg

This command would effectively convert the .avi file into a dvd compatible .mpg file in the same directory as the avi file.

After that is done you can do the makemenu, then makexml, then makedvd to finally author and burn it.
However I did notice that in the .xml file you do need to edit it in order for widescreen to work on 4:3 TVs...just do this edit...
after <titles> put the following...
<video aspect="16:9" widescreen="nopanscan" />
save and you are done...this will make a widescreen movie NOT be cut off on the sides.

thanks for the help, i will add these simple instructions as an alternative to the gui soon.

[PapaWiskas]

I made a mistake so I changed my post...

the mistake was newnameofmpg.mpg

It should read

-out newnameofmpg

it automatically puts the .mpg at the end on its own, it doesnt need to be declared.