Which AnyStream settings for burning Blu-ray discs?

[MsUnderstood]

I'm trying out AnyStream and I'm optimistic about using it, but I need more information. I am currently streaming video through a media receiver hooked up to a 1080 projector that is displayed on a 8'x5' screen.

I have compromised vision and this setup generally works for me, but I also want to make Blu-ray discs from 1080p downloads from Amazon/Netflix.

I also have compromised hearing, but enjoy having a 5.1 audio system, even if all of the components are on shelves behind my couch. Yet when downloading movies earlier today, I choose the most advanced audio settings without considering any consequences. In practical terms, which AnyStream audio settings make sense for someone with my setup? Are these setting backward compatible or am I painting myself into a corner by choosing the most advanced audio settings? Do I need to identify which authoring software I'm using before I decide on the audio/subtitle settings?

There is also the issue of closed captions - I would like to have the option of sometimes using them, as well as the option of using English subtitles on some - but not all - foreign films. If I'm burning discs, won't I have to have a menu where I set these preferences or is that controlled differently? How does this affect my subtitle settings on AnyStream? And has anyone used the AnyStream downloads to burn Blu-ray discs and can recommend software?!?!

I believe this forum is the best place to find the information I need about using this software and I appreciate whatever help members can provide. My learning curve in this project is fairly steep, so I - and probably others - would benefit from those who know their way around and can offer advice.
Thank you.

(Today I ran across a problem using the software, but I will post that separately.)

 

[MsUnderstood]

I'll wait until tomorrow to see whether there are any help offers - if not, then clearly I haven't formulated my questions very well and will try again .

 

[Mollenoh]

Why do you want to burn Blu-ray discs? No matter which streams you choose to download, chances are that the video or audio or both won't be Blu-ray compliant, meaning that you will have to re-encode them before you can put them on a Blu-ray disc. That can be a slow process which will also result in some minor loss of quality.

You can (depending on software) choose to ignore that, and put the videos on a Blu-ray disc anyway. It might work. Some Blu-ray players are more "forgiving" than others. But what if you further down the road decide to replace your player?

There are much better ways to play videos downloaded from streaming services. Personally, I use a Raspberry Pi with Kodi software and a 4TB USB-attached hard disc. I also use my Apple TV with the Infuse app which can stream videos from anywhere on my network.

Perhaps you can even use your current media receiver if you put the files on a hard disc somewhere in your local area network?

 

[Ch3vr0n]

AnyStream downloads audio/video/subtitle tracks as is and either wraps the subtitle track within the mp4 or as a seperate track. AnyStream settings are not-affected by what any third party disc burning conversion tool does with them. It wouldn't make any sense if one product by 1 company can change behavioral settings of a product by a totally different company.

Since you say you are hard of hearing, you have a choice to make. Do you want regular (non-descriptive hard of hearing audio) which almost always comes in 5.1 or higher and will you just crank up the volume a bit), or do you prefer descriptive audio tracks? We can't make that choice for you.

Whether or not you'll have a menu after you burn discs, that depends on which program you use. But VSO Softwares ConvertXtoDVD or ConvertXtoHD does let you create a menu.

 

[Lowpro]

Hello MsUnderstood. I author everything to Blu-ray that I download via AnyStream. For movies I don't include a menu. One isn't needed. Every Blu-ray player offers dedicated "Audio" and "Subtitle" functions that allow one to cycle though the available audio tracks and subtitles. That is more than sufficient. The only time I include a Blu-ray menu is if the given disc is going to include more than one video, i.e. multiple movies or TV episodes on one disc. In those cases the Blu-ray menu I create is just used to select the title (video) I'd like to watch.

The software I use to author AnyStream downloads to Blu-ray is free to download and use. The software I use is "Subtitle Edit", "BDSup2Sub", "multiAVCHD", "BD Rebuilder", "BDedit", "PowerDVD" and "ImgBurn". With AnyStream I download the subtitles (SRT) separate from the audio/video (MP4). I use "Subtitle Edit" to export the SRT subtitles to Blu-ray (SUP) subtitles. (Font family: Verdana | Font size: 40 | Video res: 1080p | Bottom margin: 40 | Left margin: 0 | Simple Rendering: Disabled | Frame rate: <Check properties of MP4 file.> | Shadow width: 2 | Apha: 200 | Line height: 61) I use "BDSup2Sub" to reposition the subtitles for aspect ratios north of 1.78:1. (My preference is to always have the subtitles displayed within the visible frame and not within any black bars.) I use "BD Rebuilder" to extract the audio from a given MP4 file. (In some cases I'll download a given stream a second time just to acquire an additional audio file. I then extract that audio file as well.) I use "multiAVCHD" to build the Blu-ray. When importing the given MP4 file to multiAVCHD I remove any audio and subtitle selections it finds and includes, then adding the audio and subtitles myself setting the "Language" value (eng = English) for each accordingly. (There's a reason I do it this way which I won't go into here.) I then add chapters (...5 minute intervals), set the "Transcode" option to "Blu-ray/AVCHD" which sets the video to be encoded for Blu-ray compliance, then build the Blu-ray via the "Start\Blu-ray Disc" option. (The "Transcode\AviSynth\Resize" option needs to be changed, moved one item down in the drop-down list if the video resolution is something other than 1920x1080.) Once building the Blu-ray I use "BDedit" to set a given subtitle track to be turned on by default if I so choose, then testing the resulting Blu-ray folder (BDMV) using "PowerDVD 18". If everything checks out I then burn the resulting Blu-ray folder structure (BDMV & CERTIFICATE) to BD-R (BD25/BD50) using "ImgBurn" (Data Type: Mode1/2048 | File System: UDF | UDF Revision: 2.50 | Recurse Subdirectories: Enabled).

For Blu-ray's that will include more than one title (video) I do include a Blu-ray menu. (In most cases we're talking about TV series content.) As mentioned previously though, the Blu-ray menu I create is only used for selecting the given title (video) I'd like to play. If I want to change the default audio and subtitle options I just use the dedicated "Audio" and "Subtitle" functions of my Blu-ray player. To create the Blu-ray menu I use "BD Rebuilder". It's the only thing I use BD Rebuilder for aside from extracting the audio from a given MP4 file. (Extracting the audio isn't a designed feature of BD Rebuilder per se. I import the given MP4 file pausing the import process by hitting the "Abort" button once the audio has been fully extracted. I then grab a copy of the audio file from BD Rebuilder's "temp" folder, then confirming I want to abort the import.) If I plan to include a Blu-ray menu I first build the Blu-ray without a Blu-ray menu as described above. The only exception is that I don't include any audio tracks initially. BD Rebuilder doesn't play nice with Dolby Digital Plus audio, so I build the Blu-ray without the audio tracks as described above, import the resulting Blu-ray (BDMV) folder into BD Rebuilder creating the Blu-ray menu (...BD Rebuilder's "Quick-Play" feature) on import, then re-authoring the resulting Blu-ray (BDMV) folder using multiAVCHD adding the audio tracks. (I do not select the "Transcode" option again. I just add the audio tracks, then building the Blu-ray. Everything else remains in tact including the Blu-ray menu.)

As for configuring BD Rebuilder's "Quick-Play" feature, I'll leave that for another time and place. Here's some eye candy though. Below is the latest Blu-ray I worked up that includes a Blu-ray menu, the first 8 episodes of "Leverage: Redemption". The episodes just fit on a BD-50. The remaining 8 episodes will be released sometime in Fall 2021 which will be my "Disc 2". (Click on the link below to view my online profile for this title, the "Overview" section including an "Episode List" and "Episode Guide" with images. Front and back cover images are included as well. Too much fun!)

Leverage: Redemption


And I'll wrap up with this, MsUnderstood. If you want to author your AnyStream downloads to Blu-ray don't let anyone dissuade you otherwise. The process involved, however long it may or may not take, what may or may not be easier, all that is beside the point. The best way to play videos downloaded from streaming services is whatever way you decide. The process I outlined above sounds much more involved when you're reading through it step by step. In practice there's not much to it really. I enjoy the process. I find it fun and rewarding. In my case I only use AnyStream to download content that's not available on Blu-ray. I then author the given stream to Blu-ray which serves as a placeholder until an official Blu-ray is released. It's a good fit for me. To each his own naturally. I don't watch broadcast televison and I don't stream. I consume all my content via DVD and Blu-ray. I've done so since the early years of the DVD format. If a given movie or TV show isn't available on DVD or Blu-ray so be it. If I miss out who cares. There's more important things in life anyway. Now thanks to AnyStream I can download a given 1080p stream and author it to Blu-ray rather than settle for the DVD release. It's a beautiful thing. And feel free to start a private conversation with me if you like to discuss further, MsUnderstood. I'd even be willing to actively walk you through the process if you find that would be helpful.

 

[RedFox 1]

MsUnderstood, Lowpro is right, if you are willing to learn the programs mentioned, it can be done. but remember as Lowpro has outlined, only 1080p videos are viable to make into Bluray discs. This program itself does not burn any discs. It only downloads to .mp4 containers. Then these containers have to be transformed into a file that will burn onto a DVD like a movie. The programs are outlined above. I am not telling you what to do. I am only suggesting that it may be easier for you just to download these videos and watch them via Chromecast on your TV. The learning curve is really not as steep as it looks, but if you have no prior knowledge, it may just take some time to learn the process outlined in Lowpros's post. Make no mistake, it is possible but it just takes time. Good luck to you and let me know what you decide so we can get your license processed.

 

[MsUnderstood]

WOW. A big and hearty thanks to all of you!

Mollenoh, thank you for addressing the issue of considering future technology when building a media system. My decision to stay with physical media is not one I made lightly, but I believe I have considered the trade-offs for my personal situation. To be frank, my compromised vision/hearing is a very nuanced situation due to an uncommon neurological issue. I'm lucky if I have a two-hour period of productivity in a day, so I must limit the number of projects that have steep learning curves or require ongoing maintenance. Nonetheless, I'm still interested in Plex for music and perhaps books? Especially if I can boss Alexa around.

Ch3vr0n, thank you for laying out my options for audio and subtitles - that was helpful. I'm more confident that I'll be able to able to use AnyStream for my needs.

And Lowpro, you appear to be a fellow traveler and I greatly appreciate all of the information you have provided here - I'm certain that many other people will also find it very useful. I will be contacting you after I've had a chance to download and try out the software you've mentioned.

Again, thank you! What a relief to receive such help.

 

[MsUnderstood]

Hi RedFox 1, good to see you! It is an unfortunate fact that burning a Blu-ray is much more complicated than using DVDShrink. I have a lifetime license for AnyDVD HD, and I truly struggled with that process - sometimes it worked for me and sometimes it was an enormous time sink with no success. I'm hoping that burning Blu-rays from 1080p downloads will provide more reliable results.

Of course I will message you shortly about the license. Thanks!

 

[RedFox 1]

Hi RedFox 1, good to see you! It is an unfortunate fact that burning a Blu-ray is much more complicated than using DVDShrink. I have a lifetime license for AnyDVD HD, and I truly struggled with that process - sometimes it worked for me and sometimes it was an enormous time sink with no success. I'm hoping that burning Blu-rays from 1080p downloads will provide more reliable results.

Of course I will message you shortly about the license. Thanks!

You will not get better information anyplace than you received from mollenoh, Ch3vr0n, and Lowpro. They are all very respected and knowledgeable members. Use your trial, and let us know how you made out. Good luck to you.

 

[Lowpro]

Just to give you an idea, MsUnderstood. For a given movie it takes me 5 minutes at most to complete the process I described in my prior post up to the point of actually building the Blu-ray and burning to BD-R. Encoding the video for Blu-ray compliance will take a couple hours to complete on average. As such, I usually start the build process when I don't plan to be using the computer for the given amount of time. Quite often I'll start the build process just prior to turning in for the night. I let multiAVCHD do its thing while I sleep. When I wake up in the morning it's done. I then update the resulting Blu-ray folder structure using BDedit if need be and test the Blu-ray (BDMV) folder with PowerDVD which takes just a minute or two. Lasty, I burn to BD-R. Done deal. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. It's so easy a caveman could do it. Well, once you show the caveman what to do anyway.

 

[Fussybob]

Lowpro...

Followed your steps to enable forced subtitles in Anystream downloads. It worked just fine but now the subtitles show up with a delay of 2-3+ seconds after the person speaks. With two people in a conversation it is hard to tell which one is associated with which subtitle due to the delay. Any way to fix this?

 

[Ch3vr0n]

You'll need to adjust the timing in whatever you used to enable them. This is not an anystream problem.

 

[Lowpro]

Lowpro...
Followed your steps to enable forced subtitles in Anystream downloads. It worked just fine but now the subtitles show up with a delay of 2-3+ seconds after the person speaks. With two people in a conversation it is hard to tell which one is associated with which subtitle due to the delay. Any way to fix this?

I've authored hundreds of AnyStream downloads to Blu-ray and have yet to encounter the issue you've described. What stream are you working with? I'd be happy to attempt to replicate the issue sharing my results. That being said, the delay your encountering more than likely inserted itself somewhere during the authoring process. And yes, the issue can certainly be addressed. I'd start from scratch myself. For a quick fix I'd suggest re-authoring using multiAVCHD which provides for setting a delay value for any given subtitle track in milliseconds. If you want the given subtitle track to play 2 seconds earlier you'd set the delay value to -2000 milliseconds for example. Once building the Blu-ray (BDMV) you can then test the subtitle timing using a software based Blu-ray player prior to burning to BD-R. And feel free to start a private conversation with me if you like to discuss further. We can always chime back in sharing what ultimately resolved the issue for you per those listening in. And one final note, when exporting SRT subtitles to Blu-ray (SUP) subtitles via SubtitleEdit, make sure when exporting that the "Frame rate" option matches the frame rate of the video you're working with. In any event, that's all I have on this for now. Look forward to hearing how you make out.

 

[Fussybob]

Everything is now fine! No subtitle delay at all. I didn't adjust the timing.

Here is my workflow in case anyone wants to know

1. Download the movie using Anystream with Subtitles saved as .srt files. (takes about 6-10 minuted to download)

2. Netflix MP4 files download Audio in E-AC-3 format which my Panasonic BD players won't read, plus the video bitrate is low (some low level jerkiness).

3. I convert the downloaded MP4 file to a TS format file with a 15 MB video bitrate and convert the audio to AC3 using Wondershare Uniconverter. (takes about 30 minutes to convert)

4. Convert the .srt forced subtitle to SUP format using Subtitle Edit app.

5. Mux the TS movie file and SUP file together using TsMuxeR to generate the Blu-ray BDMV and Certificate folders. (takes about 2-3 minutes to mux)

6. Enable forced subtitles in the BDMV using BDedit app.

7. Burn the BDMV and Certificate folder to the BD disc using IMGburn. (approximately 1 minute per GB of file size, approximately 10-12 minutes for most of my movies).

Thus in less than one hour to go from start of Anystream downloading to burned Blu-ray disc with great smooth action video and forced subtitles!!!!

 

[Lowpro]

Everything is now fine! No subtitle delay at all. I didn't adjust the timing.

Good deal. If the timing is correct when playing the actual stream there should be no reason a delay needs added to retain the correct timing once downloaded via AnyStream and authored to Blu-ray. Clearly something in your process prior was introducing the delay. Great to hear you worked it out. Most excellent!

 

[Lowpro]

Here is my workflow in case anyone wants to know.

6. Enable forced subtitles in the BDMV using BDedit.

The tutorial I provided Fussybob per the above is located here for anyone interested.

 

[Fussybob]

Lowpro, Here is one strange thing regarding timing.

Using Mediainfo...

1. Original downloaded MP4 file the Frame Rate shows as Constant 24 FPS

2. The M4P convert to TS format file indicates Variable Frame Rate

3. The resulting BDMV Stream file after muxing shows a Constant Frame Rate of 24 FPS again. I need to go back to the Uniconvert app to see why the change from Constant Frame Rate to Variable.

I will also make sure in the future that I select the movie Frame Rate to export the srt files to SUP

One last question - is there any reason why you would select store subtitles are Embedded with downloading in Anystream settings?

A big thanks again for all your help and guidance!!! If you never replied in the the other thread I would most likely have given up with the forced subtitles.

 

[Fussybob]

When you select in AS a 4k HDR movie to download. I get a 1080P BT.709 downloaded file. My downloaded file is excellent video quality, color, contrast, 10MB bitrate, etc. I'm very happy with the results. My question is how does AS get the 1080P SDR file if one is clicking on a 4k HDR listing? I know that you will never get the 4K version download, just curious that the 1080P comes in SDR and not the dark HDR that one normally sees in a 4K movie and I'm very pleased that it isn't in HDR.

 

[DannyBoi]

When you select in AS a 4k HDR movie to download. I get a 1080P BT.709 downloaded file. My downloaded file is excellent video quality, color, contrast, 10MB bitrate, etc. I'm very happy with the results. My question is how does AS get the 1080P SDR file if one is clicking on a 4k HDR listing? I know that you will never get the 4K version download, just curious that the 1080P comes in SDR and not the dark HDR that one normally sees in a 4K movie and I'm very pleased that it isn't in HDR.

yes

Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Codec configuration box : avcC