DVD to blank takes 3 encodings? Why?

[hierobryan]

I use Handbrake to rip my DVDs to MP4 (one encoding). Then I use Burn to burn them. Burn converts the MP4 video to "DVD Mpg" (second encoding). Then right before Burn burns the video to the blank, it saves the video files onto a folder on the hard drive as .vob DVD files (third encoding).

Why must I go through 3 long encoding just to burn a small 3GB DVD? There must be an easier/faster way. What is it?

I miss my PC's One Click DVD Copy.

 

[Komiksulo]

Why not rip the DVDs straight to MPEG2? That's the DVD encoding. That'll save one step, unless you want the MP4s for another purpose. When I was making my own DVDs, I converted all video to MPEG2, and in the process separated the audio, which I had to align as separate audio files on the timeline in Premiere Pro.

When the program is creating the VOB files, technically it's not encoding them. It's actually multiplexing them: it's combining the video files, the audio files, subtitle files, the menus, and other items into the final format. There can be more than one audio traxck for the same section of video, each tagged with a different language, and selected by the DVD's language menu. Same with subtitles. Multiplexing is kind of a final assembly and packaging step.

It may seem a little redundant if you only have one video file and one audio file; it makes a lot more sense when you have multiple assets.

 

[hierobryan]

how do i use Handbrake to encode to mpeg2? my only options are mp4, mkv, avi, and ogm. i chose mp4 because Burn says it can burn mp4 and Quicktime files to DVD.

 

[Komiksulo]

I've never used Handbrake, so I can't answer your question. However, I know that Audacity, which encodes to MP3 files (MPEG2 Audio Layer 3), requires an external plugin to encode the MP3s. I believe that someone requires a licensing fee from people who make encoders for MPEG2 files. Perhaps the developers of Handbrake didn't want to (or couldn't) paty the fee.