[MEncoder-users] encoding multimedia files to dvd video

[Dave]

Hello,
    I hope this is the right place to ask this if not please redirect me 
appropriately. I've got some multimedia files, some .avi, some .wmv, some 
.mpg files that i'd like to encode in to ntsc-compliant dvd video so i can 
play them on my standard dvd player. These video files are in a variety of 
formats, pal mostly so i'm going to need to convert them, and ideally during 
the conversion i'd like to take the audio from stereo to 5.1 surround sound. 
I'm running FreeBSD 6.2 and i have installed from ports mplayer version 
0.99.10_13, mencoder version 0.99.10, and ffmpeg ffmpeg-2007.07.12_3, in 
addition to their dependencies. I've also got dvdauthor because i want to 
make menus on this dvd so i can select what item to watch, but that's for 
another list.
    I've had success though not made totally dvd compliant videos with the 
following shell script wrappers:

makedvd original:
#!/bin/sh
mencoder -oac lavc -ovc lavc -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd \
-vf scale=720:480,harddup -srate 48000 -af lavcresample=48000 -lavcopts \
vcodec=mpeg2video:vrc_buf_size=1835:vrc_maxrate=9800:vbitrate=9800:keyint=15:aspect=4/3 
 -ofps 25 -o Today1.mpg Today.avi

This one did not give me the surround sound, nor totally dvd compliant 
video, i wanted aspect 4:3 for full screen and 30000/1001 or 24 can't 
remember the other numbers for frame rate, so i dug a little more, reworked 
it and came up with this script:

makedvd new:
#!/bin/sh
mencoder -channels 6 -oac lavc -lavcopts acodec=ac3:abitrate=384 \
-ovc lavc -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd:tsaf:telecine -ofps 24000/1001 \
-vf scale=720:480,harddup -srate 48000 -af lavcresample=48000 -lavcopts 
aspect=4/3 \
vcodec=mpeg2video:vrc_buf_size=1835:vrc_maxrate=9800:vbitrate=9800:keyint=15:vstrict=0:acodec=ac3 
 -ofps 25 -o Today1.mpg Today.avi

this one still isn't right.
    Bottomline is i'm overwhelmed by all the various options in the man 
pages, i understand that ntsc is 30000/1001 frames and that wide screen is a 
different aspect ratio as opposed to full screen, the rest of it i am 
overwhelmed on and would appreciate if someone who has done this could write 
me.
    Not sure if this next paragraph goes here, if not please redirect. 
During my googling i found encode2mpeg, a frontend, which further confused 
me. I don't think i got it's options right at all, but here goes the 
commandlines i used in case anyone has any input:

encode2mpeg -dvd -o title -n n inputfile -stdvid 9 -mpegchannels
6 -imageonly -normalize -usespeec -vfr 1 -p

should take an mpg or avi and convert it to dvd video as i want. It does not 
produce compliant output.

encode2mpeg -dvd -o title -n n inputfile1 inputfile2 -stdvid 9 -mpegchannels
6 -imageonly -normalize -usespeed -menu

should take two or more files, encode them and make a dvd with menus.
    Any input on this subject is appreciated, i am frustrated and confused 
by all the various options and outputs  i was under the impression this task 
was not this difficult.
    Thanks.
Dave.