Having sync issues with DVD Flick?

[bahjan]

Note: To read my fix scroll to my last post.

I posted this here as because although it may seem a DVD authoring issue, I believe the under laying cause may be video conversion. Sorry if it's a bit long.

I have read a lot of people like me have been experiencing sync problems with DVDFlick lately. Been trawling the net for fixes; here's my story:-

1. Using DVD Flick :

I converted FLV files to Mpeg2, but trying to join them in edit with Flick would sometimes produce this red message: 'you can only combine sources that are equal in width, height, framerate, compression method.'

Having converted them in the same way I don't understand this - unless it is something to do with compression method - don't know how to check this issue.

To get around this, I joined files in sequence joining under edit the files that Flick would let me, making others separate titles. This left me with less Vobs, over all after processing. They play fine on my desktop, but portions seem out of sync on a standalone player.
So far I have used DVD Flick Build 1.2.2.1., 1.3.0.5.and 1.3.0.6 asking each time to join files.

Each time the produced DVD is a about a third through its 120minutes and then sound and vision goes out of sync. As far as I can tell, type of file, Framerate, fps are all the same.
I see the frame rate for my created and slightly faulty vobs should be 25fps for PAL - the framerate is actually 24.992 would this be enough to be the root of the issue? If so, how to I adjust the framerate?

2. Tried Pre-join/Imgbrun
Rather than Flick I tried to prejoin vobs with 'JoinVobsTool' and 'Free AVI/Mpeg, joiner/converter', (which is a good tool) mentioned in the post (link below), and use imgburn build/burn mode. No luck again, which makes me think the problem is the files not the processing.

3. DVD Flick (again) - audio delay
I have even tried the tip I found here, ie, while in edit mode once all tracks to be joined are added, and in audio tab hit edit again and put a tick next to 'ignore audio delay for this track'

All to no avail. The odd thing is the Vobs play on my desktop with no problem. Once joined by any method someting odd happens. I have a suspisions this is due to some vobs audio and video being different lengths because of dropped frames. I think sync problems occur toward the end of some of the vobs, as soon a disk moves to the next the sync is okay again. I may have hit upon the reason but not the fix. Can anyone help?

4. Flick Forum
Finally I went onto the DVDFlick Forum, posted my issue and got this reply -

http://www.dvdflick.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3828

The suggestions - timestamps, copy Mpeg streams etc did slightly improve matters, but some portions are still out of sync. ie it's not the whole vob at fault, but a part of it. This makes me more sure that some vobs I am using have dropped frames.

5. VirtualDub/VirtualdubMod
Checking the web I tried this VirtualDub fix- and followed this advice:

To sync audio/video if difference increases as movie plays:

Load vob, under 'video' drop down menu, select 'Framerate' and then 'change so video and audio durations match'.
Save file with new name.

Tried this method, but for me, (I was using VirtualDubMod) crashed during the create avi file stage. Did I do something wrong?

6. DVD Flick (again) - interlacing
Then I stumbled on this thread:
http://forums.dvdflick.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23&start=15

Using DVD Flick build 1.3.0.5. I re-encoded vobs that would play on the desktop, created chapters, copied timestamps, enabled 'copy MPEG2 streams' to save time, but this time I selected 'interlaced' on each video source. Enabling interlacing didn't improve matters.

Another VirtualDub Fix (I haven't tried this as I couldn't find audio interleaving (4) in VirtualDubMod.?)

If your files are AVI this may help you:

1. OPEN VIRTUALDUB
2. OPEN THE FILE YOU WANT TO SYNCHRONIZE: CLICK ON FILE -> OPEN -> LOCATE AND CLICK ON FILE YOU WANT TO SYNCHRONIZE
3. CLICK ON VIDEO -> CHOOSE DIRECT STREAM PROCESSING
4. CLICK ON AUDIO -> CHOOSE INTERLEAVING
5. IF AUDIO LAGS BEHIND VIDEO: ENTER A MINUS NUMBER IN THE ***DELAY AUDIO TRACK BY*** BOX (EXAMPLE: -200)
6. IF VIDEO LAGS BEHIND AUDIO: ENTER A POSITIVE NUMBER IN THE***DELAY AUDIO TRACK BY *** BOX (EXAMPLE: 200)
7. CLICK ON FILE -> CLICK ON "SAVE AS AVI" -> TYPE IN NEW FILE NAME

Is there anything that will do this for MPEG2 or vobs?

These fixes may work for others, but for me it didn't work - so I'm back asking how I can check/resolve the dropped frames audio lengths? Logic would suggest I have to demux, crop the audio or stretch the video - but I have no idea how or what is best to use. Any advice with tools used would be very useful.

[yoda313]

Edit - never mind -

[bahjan]

Thanks to Yoda313 () who suggested rencoding with another program, I solved my problem as follows:

1. Process your files through DVD Flick - it may work for you, but if you have sync issues:

2. Process the vob files through Free AVI/MPEG/WMV/MP4/FLV Joiner v3.7.2.1 recommended to me via DVDFlick Forum & avaliable here:
http://www.freeaudiovideosoft.com/free-avi-mpeg-wmv-mp4-flv-video-joiner/index.html
(This is the link I used.)

Load your vobs, select Mpeg and your desired DVD format from the drop down menu.
This leaves you with one large joined Mpeg2 video file (Make sure your total running time will fit on a dvd, any longer may cause problems later - I think? Though I suppose there is DVD Shrink.)

3. Process this large Mpeg2 file through Simple DVD Creator (which you will find in tools list).
It doesn't encode, but it is an efficient demuxer/remuxer, vob creator, which is what I needed.
It does this without loss of quality of the original. It is also a remarkably quick tool which if desired, during installation will mesh with Imgburn, Cuttermaran and Mpeg2Schnitt (but I didn't use that option). You will end up with another set of vob files which you can use Imgburn to build and burn an iso onto a disk. I did this, and my sync issues were solved in under an hour.
Only tiny niggle, the SDC's option to create chapters didn't seem to work when I tried it - I selected every 10mins - don't know why.

The only thing I would add is that processing through DVDFlick is the only time you can select your aspect ratio i.e 4.3 or 16.9 (for widescreen).

[bilvihur]

I too have been having sync problems with DVDFlick. At first they were transient, then they became frequent. An .avi that played perfectly with KMPlayer could be out of sync by >1 sec after DVDFlick got thru with it. I tried using AVIDEMUX to convert the VBR to CBR, but then it was unsynced even in KMPlayer. I looked in this forum for advice, and references were made to the DVDFlick forum. Alas, it has been offline for some time! Is DVDFlick even supported anymore? Anyway, I solved my problem: I now use AVStoDVD. It makes perfect DVD's everytime!