Want to make a DVD, computer won't comply

[patryanvb]

I have an mp4 file that's 2 hours long of my daughter's volleyball match. It's 7.95gb. I've tried using a variety of programs, it seems to encode okay after many, many hours however when I burn it to DVD I'm getting a lot of dropped frames (especially towards the end of the match). Mp4 plays just fine on my computer.

Tried 3 different media (verbatim and memorex, can't recall the third). Any thoughts or suggestions? Taking about 3-4 hours a try to see the same poor result!

Have a quad core I5 laptop with 8Gb of RAM.

[sanlyn]

I think members would need a short sample of the source video. Not enough info here.

[Baldrick]

What are you converting and authoring with? Like avstodvd, dvd flick, tmpgenc authoring works, etc.
What are the video source details? Like framerate. Identify with mediainfo if you don't know.

[patryanvb]

I used Arcsoft Showbiz (came with my capture device, Hauppauge HD PVR) and tried Cyberlink DVD Suite (was on the computer).

Here's the mediainfo stuff...
General
Complete name : C:\Users\PatHP\Videos\rham_eastlyme_091712.MP4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : 3GPP Media Release 4
Codec ID : 3gp4
File size : 7.56 GiB
Duration : 1h 59mn
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 9 093 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2012-09-25 15:15:51
Tagged date : UTC 2012-09-25 15:15:51

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=4, N=32
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1h 59mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 23.4 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 20.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 0.000 fps
Original frame rate : 29.970 fps
Minimum frame rate : 0.000 fps
Maximum frame rate : 730.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Stream size : 19.9 MiB (0%)
Source stream size : 7.47 GiB (99%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2012-09-25 15:15:51
Tagged date : UTC 2012-09-25 15:15:51
mdhd_Duration : 7140513
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1h 58mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 93.3 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 79.4 MiB (1%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2012-09-25 15:15:51
Tagged date : UTC 2012-09-25 15:15:51

[Steve(MS)]

Just a guess, download AVStoDVD and see if it will process it for putting on dvd.

[patryanvb]

when I load the file it tells me that it's at 0 fps but gives me the option to use 29.97 (I've tried both, failed)

do an avisynth frameserving check on video and get "Cannot be frameserved by avisynth"

[Steve(MS)]

Yeah, I don't do mp4 to dvd conversion, AVStoDVD might still would work with the correct settings, I don't know..
For a quick conversion,(lesser picture quality) perhaps ConvertXtoDVD would work but it isn't freeware.
I am not sure what works best with video coming from camcorder.

Wait for others suggestions which know more about this than me.

[Nelson37]

So, you are starting with a 2-hour long, HiDef, MP4 file, trying to squeeze that onto one DVD, and it drops a lot of frames towards the end? Really, no kidding?

You are starting with a one-gallon can of condensed orange juice, and trying to add water while fitting it into a one-half gallon container. It ain't going to work very well.

Try encoding abuout one-quarter of the game, see how that turns out. Use a different program. Try playing the created MPG file on the PC before authoring, also after. Quit wasting disks until you have something usable to burn.

I like Xvid4PSP for similar files, hand-held camcorder not an ideal source, though. Tripod?

[_MrC_]

do an avisynth frameserving check on video and get "Cannot be frameserved by avisynth"

I assume you have installed AviSynth. Thus, have you installe Haali Media Splitter and a good directshow codecs suite (like ffdshow)?



Bye

[lordsmurf]

You're using the wrong software.
While well-intentioned, most posters here are also suggesting the wrong software.

What you have is (almost) a Blu-ray ready HD file. DVD will be a downgrade in quality.
If you have a Blu-ray player, consider getting that file authored by a video service with BDMV abilities.

For something like this, I'd author it as-is.
If you really really need a DVD version (or better yet, a DVD copy in addition to BDMV!) then I'd use Adobe Premiere for asset conversion. Author in whatever, burn in Imgburn, and use a good blank (i.e., not a Memorex)

[Bjs]

Your main issue is that most applications including freeware can not handle "variable" frame rate's of such files ... it'll be incorrect, produce errors and play like garbage at points.

Computers don't care what the frame rate is which is why it appears to play back fine ... Hardware players are specific and do not do variable frame rates ... except for the original device used to capture the footage.

"I have an mp4 file that's 2 hours long of my daughter's volleyball match" ... how was the file transferred to the current system being used to edit the file ?

In any case do you still have the original footage ?

If this was by any camera then it would have come with software which can handle the correct conversion from vfr to cfr and solve those issues in the conversion.

[Steve(MS)]

_MrC_, since you replied in this thread, do you know for sure whether AVStoDVD can handle this MP4?

The reason I ask is this question will likely come up often from those that have these video recorders.

[_MrC_]

AVStoDVD can handle everything that can be split and decoded by directshow based filters, such as Haali Media Splitter and ffdshow. Your MP4 (3GPP Media Release 4) should be correctly handled by them.

To check that you can see if GraphEdit is able to render your MP4, with haali/ffdshow in the filters chain.

Let me know



Bye

[patryanvb]

Thanks for the tips... I did add Haali (had ffdshow already) and AVS2DVD is now doing it's thing without error.

The footage was aired on TV and I recorded it to my Comcast DVR. I then used the Hauppauge HD-DVR to directly capture it on my computer. One problem that I had with my original recording was the the Comcast box was outputting an HD signal however the footage was on an SD channel. I went into my cable box yesterday and changed the output to SD before trying to recapture it. That reduced the file size from 7.95gb to 5.3gb anyway.

Blew another $.28 on a Verbatim DVD+R disc though... started having the same problems again late in the match (jitter, frame drop, audio dropouts).

Maybe AVS2DVD will get it to work... although it says only 47 hours left.

[patryanvb]

quick update... now down to just 27 hours after running a few hours.

[Steve(MS)]

It is sort of hard to understand exactly what you are doing and you need to understand that if you omit info then it makes it difficult for you to get help.
Ok, first you need to understand that capturing and conversion to dvd are 2 different processes, do not lump them together in your replies since we will not know when you are switching up from one to the other.

First things first, you need to check after capture and before conversion to see if this "jitter" "frame drops" "audio dropouts" are happening during capture.
You will need to fix this because a converter to dvd will not clear this up.

Nothing matters after this if these things are happening in capture.

[patryanvb]

Ok, I've captured the video as an mp4 file and it plays perfectly on my computer. Every DVD I've attempted to make has had the problems that I've described above.

I've captured two versions of the file off of my cable box, one as an HD signal that is 7.95gb and the other with an SD version that is 5.3gb. Neither has been able to be turned into a working DVD. I am using the previous suggestion to use avs2dvd to perhaps come up with a file that might work. It's still cooking.

[Steve(MS)]

Ok, you might want to provide _MrC_ with AVStoDVD logs...I personally don't know how to do that since I am not using AVStoDVD.
The reason I mentioned this program is because it is one of most popular freeware converters in use and often referred.
How far into your video file do you notice these jitters and audio dropouts might be helpful..or if it is doing it continuously.
Also I am not personally familiar with you capture device, it may be possible to optimize settings in it, recapture for transferring to dvd.
There may be some that use it and can give advice on that.

_MrC_ is generous at helping out with his program.

Also, make sure you are using imgburn to burn to disc, it is the best. Check burn speed and use 8X for starters, if you have a RW disc, you can re-write over it if it doesn't work out. You may need to lower you burn speed for RW.
Check disc using a dvd player connected to your tv.

[Bjs]

From what has been described and in other gaming forums using the Hauppauge HD-DVR there's an issue with recording long events where sync becomes problematic with same results.

To reduce the issue you should record in segments only.

A 2.5 hour recording would be broken into segments where each following segment includes the last few minutes of the previous recording. These extra bits can be edited out later when joining.

Do a test of simply recording 20min, followed by another and one more. See if the three 20min segments produce similar issues or cure it.

[Nelson37]

There are two possibilities - Either there is something wrong with the original source file, at the tail end of it, OR something goes wrong during a long encode, at the tail end of it. Also could be burner and disks have a problem, at the tail end of it.

You appear to describe two, seperate, Hauppage captures but BOTH were made from the same DVR source file, correct?

Like I said before, break it into smaller chunks. One hint would be to avoid the tail end of the file, and also to make the encode dramatically shorter. Do just the first quarter, AUTHOR IT, then play the DVD file on the computer. Burning the DVD for standalone playback is the very last stage. If that works, then you do the fourth quarter by itself and test the same way.

Playing the MPG file on the computer and playing the Authored DVD file on the computer ARE DIFFERENT.

Rather than continuing to try random suggestions, this process will NAIL DOWN where the problem lies, in much less than 24 hours.