Exported 1080i Premiere Pro CS4 sequence - out of sync

[nitrous]

Hello. I have an issue when exporting entire Premiere Pro CS4 sequence (original video is AVCHD 1080, 50fps, 15Mbps) to H.264 mp4 file. Settings are these (click here). Audio is AAC, high quality, 256kbps. Export, compression and everything goes well. However there are few issues. I am testing this on 2 different computers with perfect capability to play 1080 HDs. PC1 has Windows 7 RTM x64, latest K-Lite Codecs Pack + 64 bit add-on, played on WMP12 and MPC-HC. PC2 has Win7 RTM x64, some crap Windows 7 Codec Pack 2.0.0, played on WMP12.
.mp4 file:
-video is choppy
-audio is delaying (slightly, half a second)

So, I decide to convert the .mp4 file to .mkv, using mkvmerge (GUI), v2.8.0.
.mkv (converted) file:
-video is fine
-audio still has 0.5s delay

Last try, I am trying the files (both mp4 and mkv) on KMPlayer. No issues at all.

Edit: Posting MediaInfo's file data:

General
Format : Matroska
File size : 8.18 GiB
Duration : 1h 27mn
Overall bit rate : 13.3 Mbps
Encoded date : UTC 2009-10-16 15:40:01
Writing application : mkvmerge v2.8.0 ('The Tree') built on May 9 2009 18:02:06
Writing library : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.2 (that's my first encode, I've lowered the profile to 4.1, same issue)
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Muxing mode : Container profile=Unknown@4.2
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 1h 27mn
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Standard : PAL
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Language : English
colour_primaries : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4, SMPTE RP177
transfer_characteristics : BT.709-5, BT.1361
matrix_coefficients : BT.709-5, BT.1361, IEC 61966-2-4 709, SMPTE RP177

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 1h 27mn
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
Language : English

I am making HD movies for consumers, I don't want to force them to use KMPlayer to play these files properly. What could the issue be and how can I fix it? Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Jordan Petkov

[minidv2dvd]

if the same file plays fine with kmplayer and not with the other players most likely you have codec problems. codec packs are not recommended at all. only install the individual ones that you require.

use mediainfo on the mp4 in text mode and copy and paste the results here. or host a sample somewhere.

[nitrous]

Thank you. What codecs shall I put on consumer's media to play it without any issues?

There's the MediaInfo's data for mp4 file:

General
Format                           : MPEG-4
Format profile                   : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID                         : mp42
File size                        : 7.84 GiB
Duration                         : 1h 27mn
Overall bit rate                 : 12.8 Mbps
Encoded date                     : UTC 2009-10-17 00:14:19
Tagged date                      : UTC 2009-10-17 00:14:19

Video
ID                               : 1
Format                           : AVC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                   : Main@L4.2
Format settings, CABAC           : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames        : 3 frames
Codec ID                         : avc1
Codec ID/Info                    : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                         : 1h 27mn
Bit rate mode                    : Variable
Bit rate                         : 12.5 Mbps
Width                            : 1 920 pixels
Height                           : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 16:9
Frame rate mode                  : Constant
Frame rate                       : 25.000 fps
Standard                         : PAL
Resolution                       : 24 bits
Colorimetry                      : 4:2:0
Scan type                        : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)               : 0.241
Stream size                      : 7.68 GiB (98%)
Language                         : English
Encoded date                     : UTC 2009-10-17 00:14:19
Tagged date                      : UTC 2009-10-17 00:14:19

Audio
ID                               : 2
Format                           : AAC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version                   : Version 4
Format profile                   : LC
Format settings, SBR             : No
Codec ID                         : 40
Duration                         : 1h 27mn
Bit rate mode                    : Variable
Bit rate                         : 253 Kbps
Maximum bit rate                 : 366 Kbps
Channel(s)                       : 2 channels
Channel positions                : L R
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Resolution                       : 16 bits
Stream size                      : 159 MiB (2%)
Language                         : English
Encoded date                     : UTC 2009-10-17 00:14:19
Tagged date                      : UTC 2009-10-17 00:14:19

and the MKV file:

General
Format                           : Matroska
File size                        : 7.84 GiB
Duration                         : 1h 27mn
Overall bit rate                 : 12.8 Mbps
Encoded date                     : UTC 2009-10-17 05:32:10
Writing application              : mkvmerge v2.8.0 ('The Tree') built on May  9 2009 18:02:06
Writing library                  : libebml v0.7.7 + libmatroska v0.8.1

Video
ID                               : 1
Format                           : AVC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                   : Main@L4.2
Format settings, CABAC           : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames        : 3 frames
Muxing mode                      : Container profile=Unknown@4.2
Codec ID                         : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration                         : 1h 27mn
Width                            : 1 920 pixels
Height                           : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio             : 16:9
Frame rate                       : 25.000 fps
Standard                         : PAL
Resolution                       : 24 bits
Colorimetry                      : 4:2:0
Scan type                        : Progressive
Language                         : English

Audio
ID                               : 2
Format                           : AAC
Format/Info                      : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version                   : Version 4
Format profile                   : LC
Format settings, SBR             : No
Codec ID                         : A_AAC
Duration                         : 1h 27mn
Channel(s)                       : 2 channels
Channel positions                : L R
Sampling rate                    : 48.0 KHz
Resolution                       : 16 bits
Language                         : English

**note: I've been trying different encoding modes, Main@4.1 and 4.2, High@4.1 and 4.2, nothing fixes the issue.

[minidv2dvd]

see if ffdshow works better than your codec packs. mp3 audio instead of aac might be a little more mainstream also.

[edit] you could try cbr encoding rather than vbr also.

[poisondeathray]

Might be win7 issues. All directshow splitters & decoders are piped through windows media foundation. You're not going to configure every pc for your viewers. (clsid's codec tweaker for win7). http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=146910

Test on an XP system, and see if the native mp4 export plays correctly

It might be a good idea to use software that runs independently of directshow filters and is platform independent (works on PC/mac/linx). e.g. VLC

Or if you're using a "standard" like blu-ray, you will greatly increase your chances of compatibility. Playing back a "file" for customers is going to give you nightmares in terms of support, codecs, splitters etc... You probably want less headache.

If the file doesn't play normally in directshow players on an XP system, it's more likely that you have issues with the original file (ie. not a codec or playback issue, more likely a premiere or ame issue - but I doubt this to be the case, since KMPlayer seems to work)

[nitrous]

minidv2dvd, K-Lite has ffdshow in its pack. I suppose if I uninstall the pack and install ffdshow only, the issue will remain. Premiere has only AAC export, I will have to export the sequence's audio into wave, compress it to MP3/AC3 and replace the original one using mkvmerge. Gonna try CBR AAC though.

poisondeathray, I don't have XP system available and able to play 1080 HD files at the moment. VLC is the same as KMPlayer - it has its own internal codecs. I can't use Blu-ray simply because most people doesn't have the BR reader on their computers or BR player. So I am compressing the file for DVD5 or DVD9, using the DVD disc only to transfer data. I guess I will just write down the KMPlayer to the disc, this might solve the issues...

[poisondeathray]

I see, you're using it as a data disc.

I don't think win7 even uses the codecs installed , unless you tweak them with clsid's program. You have to set it to use ffdshow as preferred. (i.e you won't see the ffdshow icons pop up, unless it's set to preferred over wmf default ones).

It would be definitely a good idea to include kmplayer / smplayer/ vlc then, unless you want to troubleshoot pc's all day

[nitrous]

Switching original audio with AC3 or MP3 didn't work. It might be win7's default codecs issue, but it's not worth explaining the consumers how to tweak their OS...

[minidv2dvd]

did cbr audio keep it in sync any better?

[nitrous]

Same shit