Basic Encoding Using TMPGEnc 4.

0 XPress
This is a simple walkthrough of the basic process of encoding an AVI file into a DVD
ready MPEG-2 file with TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress, along with some usage of general
features. In this particular session, we will show you how to create a new project, how
to import your personal footage, and how to use the volume adjustment filter for
sections of your video that might be a little too loud or quiet. Then we'll show you how
to select an output format, and then finally, how to encode. You can think of this as a
simple overview to give you the basic idea of how the program works. Once you get
the hang of it, you can use what you have learned here and apply it to diffrent aspects
of the program. Enjoy!

Start

Start a new project by opening up TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress and clicking on the "Start a
new project" button.

Source
 Import and register a clip in the clip list. Do this by using the "Add file" button on the
right side.

A file selection window will appear. Use this to find the file you want to import as a clip,
select it, and click "Open".

After you click on "Open", the Clip Addition window will show up. Here you'll see
information about your clip's audio and video, as well as other information like the
framerate, field order, display mode and aspect ratio.

At the top, click on the "Cut-edit" button, and the interface will change to the cut-editing
layout. Here you can edit out portions of your video clip using the controls.

You can also undo cuts, create keyframes, split your clip into multiple parts, correct
constant audio gaps, activate the color tools (histogram and vectorscope) and
magnifier.

Editing is simple:
1. Find the place you want to edit and mark it with the "Set the start frame"
2. Find where you want the edit to end and mark it with "Set the end frame" button.
3. Use the "Cut" button to perform the edit.

When you are done editing, you can click on the Filters button for the next stage.
 Filter

You may also spend a lot of time using the filters in the Filter stage. Here you can edit,
add effects, subtitles, and do other things with your video. The changes you make here
will be made to your video when you create your final output file.

For this demonstration, we're going to use the volume adjustment audio
filter. However, the steps used here can be applied to other filters as well.
1. Find the Volume adjustment filter on the left side of the screen, in the Filter Menu. Once you do, click
in the checkbox to activate the filter.
2. In the filter control panel, to the right of the filter menu, change the volume setting from "100%" to
"250%". This will make the overall volume of the clip louder by 2 and ½ times.

You can also preview the new volume level by playing the clip back. You
can also adjust the volume level to a setting that you like by changing the
value in the control panel.

Please keep in mind, though, that some effects can't be previewed here, but only in the
output stage.

Now that the filter has been applied and the edits have been made to your clip, click
the "OK" button in the lower right hand corner and we'll move on to the next stage.

Format
When you click on the Format stage for the first time, the Output Format Selector
screen will appear. This is a screen that lists all the various formats that you can have
your video converted into for output.

The list is divided into three specific sections: formats that are made with a specific use
in mind (for example, the DVD Standard MPEG file), formats that are for a specific
format (Quicktime, DivX, Windows Media, etc.), and custom output templates.
Since we are working towards making a DVD-ready MPEG-2 video file, select the first
output template on the list, "DVD standard MPEG file". Once you do, a number of
options will appear on the right side.

For now, the default options should be okay. Click "Select" to continue.

The screen that appears is the Encode/Bitrate settings window.

This window will tell you about the files you are going to process, and how much room
they will take up on either a single layer or dual layer DVD disc. You can tell by the
blue bar graph at the bottom of the window. The red line to the right is the "space" limit
for the media that you want to use.

There are a number of other options here, but again, for now, the defaults should be
okay.

Use this screen to check how much space your project will take up with regards to
space, and adjust it if necessary.

When you are done, click "OK" to proceed to the next window, the Format control
panel.
 When you reach the format control panel, you'll see a lot of controls and options for the
format you have selected. These options will change, depending on the format that you
select.

For the most part, right now you can leave the options alone. However, the one thing
to note at the top is the File output mode. Here you can select if the output file will be
one file or multiple files.

This option is handy if you are working with a group of files and want to combine them
all into one file, or if you want to have them output as one file before taking them into
another program likeTMPGEnc DVD Author.

When you are done with everything, you can proceed to the Encode stage.

Encode
The Encode stage is the final stage in the encoding process with TMPGEnc 4.0
XPress.
 In this screen there are a few things to be aware of. The first is the black square in the
middle, which is your output preview screen. If you right click on here, you can set the
preview frequency.

Under that you'll find a field for the Output file name. If you click the browse button, you
can select where the output file will be saved, and rename the output file. We suggest
that you have the output file saved on the desktop, so it's easier to find later.

After you do a final check, you can go ahead and click on the "Start Encode" button.
After you click on it, it will turn into a Cancel encode button. The encoding progress is a
blue bar going across the screen, where it tells you also how much time has elapsed
and how much estimated time is left.
Once the encode is done, you can open the newly created MPEG-2 file, ready for use
in any standards-based DVD creation program like TMPGEnc DVD Author.

Congratulations!
You’ve just encoded your files to the MPEG-2 format!