DIY, How to make your own HD DVDs on DVD-Rs
By Richard Lawler 
posted Jul 3rd 2006 11:29AM
posted Jul 3rd 2006 11:29AM
Even though HD DVD burners are still off in the distance, you can make a DVD that will play back 720p or 1080i content on your HD-A1 or HD-XA1 with your existing DVD-Rs. The guys over at AVSForum have been working on this since the the Toshiba HD-A1 player launched, and they've pretty much got it down to a science. Particularly given the lack of content available so far on the format, many people have .ts files, HDV content, or mariposaHD episodes they'd love to play back from a single shiny platter. They've boiled the process down to a few steps that anyone familiar with DVD burning should be able to follow.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 using Womble MPEG2VCR.
3. Create an HD DVD folder on your computer using Ulead Movie Factory 5.
4. Burn the HD DVD disc using Nero Burning ROM.
For more details and list of necessary software check out the thread, currently this walkthrough is PC-only, although WiFiSpy also notes he is working on a Mac version so that shouldn't be too far off. With a guide like this, all you need is a DVD-R, a sharpie and a Qosmio laptop to recreate the Sony Blu-ray incident. Or you can take that old rip of The Fifth Element you've got laying around and see if you can do a better job at a lower bitrate. The possibilities are endless.
[Thanks for the tip WiFiSpy!]
This process work very well. You can get about 1 hour of programming on a dual-layer dvd. The only downside I've run into is Movie Factory only outputs stereo (no surround sound support)
This isn`t really new. It`s just a new story for the Toshiba HD-DVD Player. Players like the Buffalo Player are able to playback .ts, .mpeg etc. with high profiles.
The only problem there is to cut out the commercials. You need to repair the stream afterwards to let it playback smooth in Players like Buffalo`s.
HD001
why dont convert the mpeg2 to VC1. Windows media player 11 beta comes with encoder that can be used with windows media encoder.
To add to HD001's comments:
The IO Data Linkplayer (similar to the Buffalo box) has had this capabilty for well over a year. Simply drop the .ts file on a DVD-R (or even a DVD+R DL) and burn using the DVD-ROM Book Type and it plays wonderfully, even allowing for smooth FFWD and RWD. It can also stream perfectly over 10/100 Ethernet, so there's no real need to burn a DVD-R at all. It can also scale output pretty well (480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i), AND, it plays any DiVX/Xvid file without a packed bitstream or Qpel. It'll even scale them to 720p or 1080i.
Having owned one of these for a while as really diminished any excitement over the new Blu Ray/HD DVD formats...
That`s what I meant. These Players like Buffalo`s don`t have any problems with .ts files if the stream hasn`t any errors. I explained it before that the stream is broken when someone removes little pieces, but that`s fixed in like 2 minutes. Just get a program tp repair the stream and it will run smooth. That`s why I think that this isn`t really new.
I mean ok, converting it to Mpeg-4 level means more space on a single Layer or double Layer DVD-R disc, but to save a 1-hour 1080i show you just need one normal double Layer DVD-R.
- HD001
Both IO Data and Buffalo players choke when bitrate goes above the limit set by the Sigma chipset both players rely on. (I have two of both.) No such problems with Toshiba HD DVD player; it's been successfully tested with 30mbit/s streams. Dunno why you guys use the word "perfect" in relation to IO Data and Buffalo players, as both of them are still very buggy -- so much so that I've pretty much given up on them after 1,5 years of grief and firmware updates.
Been doing all of this for well over a year. DVD Studio Pro allows you to make HD-DVDs on DVD-R media. A G5 or better plays it back great right in the OS X standard DVD Player.
Been doing the IO Data thing for about 2 years. Cut out the commercials in EyeTV and export the un-recompressed TS. Burn to a DVD. Plays back great in the IODATA. I've amassed quite the library of network HD TSes.
jDig,
I failed to disclose a crucial detail in my original post: There are significant issues with any FW released after 08/04 with regards to playing .ts files.
I *clearly* should have mentioned this in my original post. I hope no one has been affected by that important information NOT being included in my original post!
There is hope for those with FW that no longer supports rollback. A few folks over at AVS forums have figured out a way to use the WIZD media server to re-flash the player to earlier versions of FW, including the version that I use. Both the firmware and instructions can be found over at AVS if anyone is interested in doing so.
I've kept the 06/04 version on my unit and it's been able to play anything I've thrown its way. I have not had access to .ts files over 20mbps, so I cannot comment on the compatibility of those higher bitrate streams, but I have read that the player chokes on anything over 25 mbps.
Despite these issues, I have been astonished by the players ability to play a wide variety of Divx/Xvid and .ts files found "in the wild". I have found a few divx/Xvid files that had packed bitstreams, but MPEG4Modifier can easily unpack them in just a few minutes. Neither have I had any issues with edited .ts streams (I use HDTV2MPEG for editing).
Picture quality is impressive, and can even be improved some by a performing a "filter mod" that requires shorting some resistors that filter the component output. I've heard rave reviews about this mod, but haven't had the nerve to perform it on my unit because my HDTV is "sync-challenged" (I have a Sony KP-61HS10 that has huge issues syncing HD output).