Stuttering video after converting MP4 H.264 to VOB

[guy24s]

For some reason, after I convert HD videos of MP4 format to DVD (VOB), the VOB videos appear stuttery/jittery (tried in WMP, MPC-HC, VLC etc.)
The original MP4 file plays super smooth in all my video players.
This ONLY happens when converting 1080p resolution files in MP4 format to VOB. When converting for example 1080p TS files to VOB, everything works fine.
What could I be doing wrong? I have been using TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works to convert, since it's fairly simple to understand.

[El Heggunte]

I don't use TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works, but maybe the problem is in the conversion itself — to the VOB format

VOBs are a modification of the MPEG program stream container, and only make sense when inside a proper DVD-Video strucuture
(i.e., a VIDEO_TS directory containing .IFOs, .BUPs and .VOBs). "Standalone" VOB files are not guaranteed to work correctly.

[LigH.de]

"One does not simply convert to VOB" (imagine the Boromir Meme here) — instead, you would "author a DVD Video", which is a whole media structure, not just a file.

We can't tell you what you are doing wrong until you show us detailed MediaInfo logs of both your original MP4 file and your authored DVD material, plus the whole setup of your authoring tool.

Most important, DVD Video does not support HD resolutions, it will have been scaled down to either PAL or NTSC video, and that may already have introduced some issues. A description like "stuttery/jittery" is hard to understand, there are so many possible reasons what exactly may be the reason why it doesn't look as smooth as expected.

[jagabo]

1080p at what frame rate? 24p? 25p? 30p? 60p? Converted to VOB as what? 24p with pulldown? 25p? 25i? 30p? 30i?

[pandy]

...42...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrases_from_The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Answ...thing_.2842.29

[flashandpan007]

And what is 21? -> The half truth.

[guy24s]

I'm sorry, I should have been more specific in my original post; the original video is in PAL format, 25fps, and that is what I selected for the conversion as well. And I didn't actually convert it to VOB like I initially said, I converted it to "MPEG-2 Video, PAL, 720x576, Interlace, 25 fps" (which I guess is a DVD compliant MPEG file). The stuttery video is present both before I author it to DVD and after I have authored it to DVD.
I'm attaching a short sample of the conversion so you can see for yourself how horrible it looks, and even though naturally the resolution of the DVD file will be lower, I do know it's possible to down-convert HD material to DVD without it looking that bad like this file does.

And here is what Mediainfo have to say about the original mp4:

Complete name : E:\video.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42
File size : 9.32 GiB
Duration : 1h 55mn
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 11.6 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2015-05-01 09:24:38
Tagged date : UTC 2015-05-01 09:24:38

Video
ID : 2
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=30
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1h 55mn
Source duration : 1h 55mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 11.2 Mbps
Maximum bit rate : 12.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 088 pixels
Original height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Original display aspect rat : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Original frame rate : 12.500 fps
Minimum frame rate : 12.500 fps
Maximum frame rate : 25.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.214
Stream size : 9.01 GiB (97%)
Source stream size : 9.01 GiB (97%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2015-05-01 09:24:38
Tagged date : UTC 2015-05-01 09:24:38

Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1h 55mn
Source duration : 1h 55mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 317 MiB (3%)
Source stream size : 317 MiB (3%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2015-05-01 09:24:38
Tagged date : UTC 2015-05-01 09:24:38
mdhd_Duration : 6922016

[flashandpan007]

It is very stuttery, I think the variable frame rate is causing this. Minimum and original framerate - 12,5 fps is way to low.
Can you provide a sample clip of the original footage

[guy24s]

I would, but I am not sure how I can cut out a sample of the original without it re-encoding itself. Even if I choose output format as mp4...
Maybe it's simply the software that is causing this. Can you recommend any other software for this purpose (mp4 to DVD compliant MPEG files), that is reasonably easy to understand?

[smrpix]

You're only getting a new frame every 5 frames. VMW tends to be pretty good about managing these things. Are you adding any temporal filters?

[flashandpan007]

I personally like XMedia Recode. Just set the Bitrate, framerate ... . I think there is also a VOB target option, so the MPEG-2 file with VOB extension is fully DVD compilant. DVDStyler should be enough for authoring, but be careful when installing, it might want to install any other thing. Be careful like I am

[jagabo]

Every other frame of the MPG video is a duplicate. Ie, the video is 12.5 fps with each frame duplicated to make 25 fps. For some reason your source was decimated or slowed to 12.5 fps.

[guy24s]

No, not adding any filters at all.
Thank you for the suggestion to use XMedia Recode. I will try it next and report back!

[guy24s]

I couldn't get Xmedia Recode to work on my computer, but managed to convert the file without the stuttering using something called Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate.

[Johnsalley]

Media -> Open Disc... is the right way to open VIDEO_TS folders (even if they are in hard drive).