From 24a76dfaf16df29fdb31cfeeba7ca32e48ed750f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Stu Leak Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2025 19:39:59 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Add comprehensive DVD User Guide for end users MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-friendly guide for creating DVD-compliant videos with VideoTools. Contents: ✓ Quick start (5-minute guide) ✓ DVD format specifications (NTSC and PAL) ✓ Validation message explanations ✓ Aspect ratio guide with selection help ✓ Recommended settings for Simple and Advanced modes ✓ Complete workflow from video to DVD disc ✓ Troubleshooting section with solutions ✓ Pro tips for batch processing and testing ✓ Detailed example: converting home video to DVD ✓ Pre-encoding checklist Features: - Written for non-technical users - Clear step-by-step instructions - Explains all technical terms - Practical examples and use cases - Links to technical documentation - Common problems and solutions Perfect for users who want to: - Create DVDs from home videos - Distribute videos professionally - Archive content on physical media - Author discs with DVDStyler 🤖 Generated with Claude Code --- DVD_USER_GUIDE.md | 332 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 332 insertions(+) create mode 100644 DVD_USER_GUIDE.md diff --git a/DVD_USER_GUIDE.md b/DVD_USER_GUIDE.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bf0cc90 --- /dev/null +++ b/DVD_USER_GUIDE.md @@ -0,0 +1,332 @@ +# VideoTools DVD Encoding - User Guide + +## 🎬 Creating DVD-Compliant Videos + +VideoTools now has full DVD encoding support built into the Convert module. Follow this guide to create professional DVD-Video files. + +--- + +## 📝 Quick Start (5 minutes) + +### Step 1: Load a Video +1. Click the **Convert** tile from the main menu +2. Drag and drop a video file, or use the file browser +3. VideoTools will analyze the video and show its specs + +### Step 2: Select DVD Format +1. In the **OUTPUT** section, click the **Format** dropdown +2. Choose either: + - **DVD-NTSC (MPEG-2)** - For USA, Canada, Japan, Australia + - **DVD-PAL (MPEG-2)** - For Europe, Africa, Asia +3. DVD-specific options will appear below + +### Step 3: Choose Aspect Ratio +1. When DVD format is selected, a **DVD Aspect Ratio** option appears +2. Choose **4:3** or **16:9** based on your video: + - Use **16:9** for widescreen (most modern videos) + - Use **4:3** for older/square footage + +### Step 4: Set Output Name +1. In **Output Name**, enter your desired filename (without .mpg extension) +2. The system will automatically add **.mpg** extension +3. Example: `myvideo` → `myvideo.mpg` + +### Step 5: Queue the Job +1. Click **Add to Queue** +2. Your DVD encoding job is added to the queue +3. Click **View Queue** to see all pending jobs +4. Click **Start Queue** to begin encoding + +### Step 6: Monitor Progress +- The queue displays: + - Job status (pending, running, completed) + - Real-time progress percentage + - Estimated remaining time +- You can pause, resume, or cancel jobs anytime + +--- + +## 🎯 DVD Format Specifications + +### DVD-NTSC (North America, Japan, Australia) +``` +Resolution: 720 × 480 pixels +Frame Rate: 29.97 fps (NTSC standard) +Video Bitrate: 6000 kbps (default), max 9000 kbps +Audio: AC-3 Stereo, 192 kbps, 48 kHz +Container: MPEG Program Stream (.mpg) +Compatibility: DVDStyler, PS2, standalone DVD players +``` + +**Best for:** Videos recorded in 29.97fps or 30fps (NTSC regions) + +### DVD-PAL (Europe, Africa, Asia) +``` +Resolution: 720 × 576 pixels +Frame Rate: 25.00 fps (PAL standard) +Video Bitrate: 8000 kbps (default), max 9500 kbps +Audio: AC-3 Stereo, 192 kbps, 48 kHz +Container: MPEG Program Stream (.mpg) +Compatibility: DVDStyler, PAL DVD players, European authoring tools +``` + +**Best for:** Videos recorded in 25fps (PAL regions) or European distribution + +--- + +## 🔍 Understanding the Validation Messages + +When you add a video to the DVD queue, VideoTools validates it and shows helpful messages: + +### ℹ️ Info Messages (Blue) +- **"Input resolution is 1920x1080, will scale to 720x480"** + - Normal - Your video will be scaled to DVD size + - Action: Aspect ratio will be preserved + +- **"Input framerate is 30.0 fps, will convert to 29.97 fps"** + - Normal - NTSC standard requires exactly 29.97 fps + - Action: Will adjust slightly (imperceptible to viewers) + +- **"Audio sample rate is 44.1 kHz, will resample to 48 kHz"** + - Normal - DVD requires 48 kHz audio + - Action: Audio will be automatically resampled + +### ⚠️ Warning Messages (Yellow) +- **"Input framerate is 60.0 fps"** + - Means: Your video has double the DVD framerate + - Action: Every other frame will be dropped + - Result: Video still plays normally (60fps drops to 29.97fps) + +- **"Input is VFR (Variable Frame Rate)"** + - Means: Framerate isn't consistent (unusual) + - Action: Will force constant 29.97fps + - Warning: May cause slight audio sync issues + +### ❌ Error Messages (Red) +- **"Bitrate exceeds DVD maximum"** + - Means: Encoding settings are too high quality + - Action: Will automatically cap at 9000k (NTSC) or 9500k (PAL) + - Result: Still produces high-quality output + +--- + +## 🎨 Aspect Ratio Guide + +### What is Aspect Ratio? +The ratio of width to height. Common formats: +- **16:9** (widescreen) - Modern TVs, HD cameras, most YouTube videos +- **4:3** (standard) - Old TV broadcasts, some older cameras + +### How to Choose +1. **Don't know?** Use **16:9** (most common today) +2. **Check your source:** + - Wide/cinematic → **16:9** + - Square/old TV → **4:3** + - Same as input → Choose "16:9" as safe default + +3. **VideoTools handles the rest:** + - Scales video to 720×480 (NTSC) or 720×576 (PAL) + - Adds black bars if needed to preserve original aspect + - Creates perfectly formatted DVD-compliant output + +--- + +## 📊 Recommended Settings + +### For Most Users (Simple Mode) +``` +Format: DVD-NTSC (MPEG-2) [or DVD-PAL for Europe] +Aspect Ratio: 16:9 +Quality: Standard (CRF 23) +Output Name: [your_video_name] +``` + +This will produce broadcast-quality DVD video. + +### For Maximum Compatibility (Advanced Mode) +``` +Format: DVD-NTSC (MPEG-2) +Video Codec: MPEG-2 (auto-selected for DVD) +Quality Preset: Standard (CRF 23) +Bitrate Mode: CBR (Constant Bitrate) +Video Bitrate: 6000k +Target Resolution: 720x480 +Frame Rate: 29.97 +Audio Codec: AC-3 (auto for DVD) +Audio Bitrate: 192k +Audio Channels: Stereo +Aspect Ratio: 16:9 +``` + +--- + +## 🔄 Workflow: From Video to DVD Disc + +### Complete Process +1. **Encode with VideoTools** + - Select DVD format + - Add to queue and encode + - Produces: `myvideo.mpg` + +2. **Import into DVDStyler** (free, open-source) + - Open DVDStyler + - Create new DVD project + - Drag `myvideo.mpg` into the video area + - VideoTools output imports WITHOUT re-encoding + - No quality loss in authoring + +3. **Create Menu** (optional) + - Add chapter points + - Design menu interface + - Add audio tracks if desired + +4. **Render to Disc** + - Choose ISO output or direct to disc + - Select NTSC or PAL (must match your video) + - Burn to blank DVD-R + +5. **Test Playback** + - Play on DVD player or PS2 + - Verify video and audio quality + - Check menu navigation + +--- + +## 🐛 Troubleshooting + +### Problem: DVD format option doesn't appear +**Solution:** Make sure you're in the Convert module and have selected a video file + +### Problem: "Video will be re-encoded" warning in DVDStyler +**Solution:** This shouldn't happen with VideoTools DVD output. If it does: +- Verify you used "DVD-NTSC" or "DVD-PAL" format (not MP4/MKV) +- Check that the .mpg file was fully encoded (file size reasonable) +- Try re-importing or check DVDStyler preferences + +### Problem: Audio/video sync issues during playback +**Solution:** +- Verify input video is CFR (Constant Frame Rate), not VFR +- If input was VFR, VideoTools will have warned you +- Re-encode with "Smart Inverse Telecine" option enabled if input has field order issues + +### Problem: Output file is larger than expected +**Solution:** This is normal. MPEG-2 (DVD standard) produces larger files than H.264/H.265 +- NTSC: ~500-700 MB per hour of video (6000k bitrate) +- PAL: ~600-800 MB per hour of video (8000k bitrate) +- This is expected and fits on single-layer DVD (4.7GB) + +### Problem: Framerate conversion caused stuttering +**Solution:** +- VideoTools automatically handles common framerates +- Stuttering is usually imperceptible for 23.976→29.97 conversions +- If significant, consider pre-processing input with ffmpeg before VideoTools + +--- + +## 💡 Pro Tips + +### Tip 1: Batch Processing +- Load multiple videos at once +- Add them all to queue with same settings +- Start queue - they'll process in order +- Great for converting entire movie collections to DVD + +### Tip 2: Previewing Before Encoding +- Use the preview scrubber to check source quality +- Look at aspect ratio and framerates shown +- Makes sure you selected right DVD format + +### Tip 3: File Organization +- Keep source videos and DVDs in separate folders +- Name output files clearly with region (NTSC_movie.mpg, PAL_movie.mpg) +- This prevents confusion when authoring discs + +### Tip 4: Testing Small Segment First +- If unsure about settings, encode just the first 5 minutes +- Author to test disc before encoding full feature +- Saves time and disc resources + +### Tip 5: Backup Your MPG Files +- Keep VideoTools .mpg output as backup +- You can always re-author them to new discs later +- Re-encoding loses quality + +--- + +## 🎥 Example: Converting a Home Video + +### Scenario: Convert home video to DVD for grandparents + +**Step 1: Load video** +- Load `family_vacation.mp4` from phone + +**Step 2: Check specs** (shown automatically) +- Resolution: 1920x1080 (HD) +- Framerate: 29.97 fps (perfect for NTSC) +- Audio: 48 kHz (perfect) +- Duration: 45 minutes + +**Step 3: Select format** +- Choose: **DVD-NTSC (MPEG-2)** +- Why: Video is 29.97 fps and will play on standard DVD players + +**Step 4: Set aspect ratio** +- Choose: **16:9** +- Why: Modern phone videos are widescreen + +**Step 5: Name output** +- Type: `Family Vacation` +- Output will be: `Family Vacation.mpg` + +**Step 6: Queue and encode** +- Click "Add to Queue" +- System estimates: ~45 min encoding (depending on hardware) +- Click "Start Queue" + +**Step 7: Author to disc** +- After encoding completes: +- Open DVDStyler +- Drag `Family Vacation.mpg` into video area +- Add title menu +- Render to ISO +- Burn ISO to blank DVD-R +- Total time to disc: ~2 hours + +**Result:** +- Playable on any standalone DVD player +- Works on PlayStation 2 +- Can mail to family members worldwide +- Professional quality video + +--- + +## 📚 Additional Resources + +- **DVD_IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md** - Technical specifications +- **INTEGRATION_GUIDE.md** - How features were implemented +- **QUEUE_SYSTEM_GUIDE.md** - Complete queue system reference + +--- + +## ✅ Checklist: Before Hitting "Start Queue" + +- [ ] Video file is loaded and previewed +- [ ] DVD format selected (NTSC or PAL) +- [ ] Aspect ratio chosen (4:3 or 16:9) +- [ ] Output filename entered +- [ ] Any warnings are understood and acceptable +- [ ] You have disk space for output (~5-10GB for full length feature) +- [ ] You have time for encoding (varies by computer speed) + +--- + +## 🎊 You're Ready! + +Your VideoTools is now ready to create professional DVD-Video files. Start with the Quick Start steps above, and you'll have DVD-compliant video in minutes. + +Happy encoding! 📀 + +--- + +*Generated with Claude Code* +*For support, check the comprehensive guides in the project repository*