tovid avi encoding issue

[Reapl]

Howdy,

I have been using tovid for a while now for converting avi's to dvd format and all has been going well... until...

I now have a problem that some files encode to dvd format correctly for viewing but are larger than expected. When converting a 350MB file it will normally give an output file around 750-900MB in size, which is fine for what I am doing...but.. for some files the converted file sizes are more like 1.4-1.7GB. Now the files are viewable, but I can't get the normal 4-5 on a dvd that I am used to.

I have compared some files that convert normally and the only difference between them that I can see is in the fps rate of the input file, "normal" files show 'Framerate: 23.976 frames per second' and ones that convert large show 'Framerate: 29.970 frames per second'. Has anyone else seen a similar issue?

Giving the frame rate from idvid on the command line to tovid in the -fps option doesnt appear to fix the issue, any other ideas? Or is the best option just to try and find a different version that is not at 29.970?

I am converting to -pal -dvd format.

Below is the complete idvid output if anyone wants to know... and yes I know I these arent 'legal' files but when stupid Australian television stations take stuff off the air a season and a half behind their showing in the US and dvd's arent available, this is what they get..

--normal convert
=====================================================
File: TheWestWing-5x17-TheSupremes.avi
Width: 624 pixels
Height: 352 pixels
Duration: 0:41:38 hours/mins/secs
Framerate: 23.976 frames per second
Video format: XVID
Audio format: mp3
Video bitrate: 1006520 bits per second
Audio bitrate: 128000 bits per second
Audio channels: 2 channels
Audio sampling rate: 48000 Hz
=====================================================

-large convert
=====================================================
File: TheWestWing-5x18-Access.avi
Width: 624 pixels
Height: 352 pixels
Duration: 0:41:47 hours/mins/secs
Framerate: 29.970 frames per second
Video format: XVID
Audio format: mp3
Video bitrate: 1027792 bits per second
Audio bitrate: 128000 bits per second
Audio channels: 2 channels
Audio sampling rate: 48000 Hz
=====================================================

Doing all this on an amd64 with 64bit compiled code.

---
Reapl
_________________
"To know ones self is to know the infinite." - me

[Kabuto]

tovid converts all NTSC to 29.97fps. mpeg2enc is a VBR encoder, it could just need more bandwith.

[benhanson00]

The -fps switch controls the rate at which the input video is played, so the wrong -fps setting will desynch your audio. If the audio is synched then don't mess with that switch. The -ntsc -pal or -ntscfilm controls the output frame rate, which you need set for your dvd player. Tovid uses VBR, and there is another bitrate switch that controls the max bitrate, and that will give you some control over the output filesize by reducing the data stream. There is definitely a point of diminishing return, at which quality suffers, but you can experiment. I think there's a rate comparison vs. size chart on the tovid site. Memory tells me the default max is 8000, and if you're not very concerned with quality you can probably cut that significantly. Your video bitrate looks like it's set much higher.... from idvid......Video bitrate: 1027792 bits per second. That's going to balloon the filesize lots. Try something like: 'tovid -pal -dvd -wide -parallel -vbitrate 6000 TheWestWing-5x17-TheSupremes.avi outfile' on the command line and see what you get.
Ben