mpeg 2 (VBR) can't be timestamped by dvd2avi ....

SatStorm · Posted: Jul 11, 2001 19:03

As I use to say, problems are good, because you have to think to solve them, and always you learn something...
OK, they also drives you crazy, but that ain't my point....

SO:
I have just grab a "perfect" mpeg 2, VBR file from a satellite feed, as usual. It is a movie and I want to turn it to (x)vcd.
The typical steps are:
Load dvd2avi, load the mpg files, "save project" to m2v and mpp and then load Tmpeg to encode.

Well, this time, DVD2AVI creates me only a d2v file and not the mpp file! DVD2AVI can't find the audio and timestamp it!

So, I say: Let's try voodoo stuff: correct mpeg etc... Same problem
Then, let's try simply demuxing and simply remuxing. No success, dvd2avi still can't creat that mpp file...
Well, let's do really demux and remux with tmpeg...
semi success! The file is about 10 MB less, but no lipsynch anymore...
Last, let's try to load that mpg file direct to tmpeg (sometimes it works...): It loads, but the program crashes when you start encoding.....

So, I have a "perfect" mpeg 2 vbr file, playable with all the commercial programs (windvd, powerdvd, windows media player,etc), with no lipsync problems etc, and I can't convert it to anything!
Arggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh
Any ideas?

spidey · Member Joined: 10 Apr 2001 Location: U.S.A.

You can load the d2v file as your video source for encoding, then I would DEMUX on the audio (probably track 1) as well when you first save your project in dvd2avi. This'll give you both the d2v and the ac3. ac3 is your audio source. (When you load it in TMPG, choose show all files for the audio).

_________________
~~~Spidey~~~

"Gonna find my time in Heaven, cause I did my time in Hell........I wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well......" - The Man - Keef Riffards

SatStorm · Posted: Jul 11, 2001 22:12

Hi,
well no...
As I posted, it is a satellite rip. It is a typical mpeg 2 VBR file. The audio is mpeg2Layer 2, 196/48000....
Nothing to do with ac3 and tracks....

I wonder: Is any other program like dvd2avi capable to handle mpeg2 files? To demux them and timestamp them like dvd2avi, so you don't have to search manual for audio delays on the sound menu of tmpegenc....

You see, I can always demux the mpeg file (not simply demux, full demux) with mpeg utilities of tmpegenc, but I have to find out the audio delay manualy! Ain't never is perfect!!!!

Any other ideas?

VidGuy · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2000

One of the audio choices in DVD2AVI is mpeg audio - choose it and allow DVD2AVI to create a wav file from the mpeg audio.

OR..... just demux the audio and remux it with the final mpeg.

Also, search around - I believe there is a solution to the TMPGEnc crash on loading an MPeg file - I just don't remember what it was, but presumably I saw it somewhere in this forum.

homerpez · Posted: Jul 12, 2001 02:18

...wait a minute...

I have an MPEG-2 file generated by ATI AIW Radeon. When I run it though DVD2AVI, it generated the project file nicely, but the audio does NOT come out WAV, it demuxes the MPEG Layer-2 audio stream (including adding a delay to it) instead.

The "Save WAV" or whatever WAV functions are there get blocked out, so you can't export to a WAV file at all!

Boy, I sure would love it if it WOULD make a WAV file from it, but it DOESN'T for me... is there a way to trick it?

DVD2AVI DOES produce a nice WAV file for all DVD rips I've done, so I know it's capable...

[ This Message was edited by: homerpez on 2001-07-12 09:19:34 ]

SatStorm · Posted: Jul 12, 2001 04:52

@homerpez: get a plug in and load the mpp (or mp2) file to a sound program like soundforge, then save the audio as wave... That ain't problem...
I use to grabb from many satellite music channels, like MTV Dance, MTV 2 pop, Viva, MTV Spain, TMF... Then I simply de-mux the mpg to m2v and mpp (or mp2, depends the program). Then I have an mp2 (or mpp) audio file, ready to make it anything... (wav, mp3, etc...)

About my problem:
Satellite trensmissions are like DVD, but with no ac3 (except 2 german channels, one FTA). So the audio is mpeg 2 layer 2 always.
When you use dvd2avi, you put all in auto and it just work. I don't need stuff like dolby souround downmix, or normilize, etc... Simply a timestamped de-mux! (I also tried all those setting with audio, but nothing happens...)
Those "satellite" mpegs also, looks like svcd (resolution, audio, etc). Most of the times, if you simply remux a satellite ripped mpeg, you have a ready (x)svcd, or a semi- DVD. A typical satellite transmission is like 480X576, mpeg 2, VBR, bitrate up to 4000kb/s, audio 192/480000...

Anyway, there is a solution: I can grabb the transmission and the same time write down the video/audio delays every grabbed 700MB. I can grabb direct to m2v and mpp (or mp2)and log the same time, that is not the problem...
As I posted, is the "why that happend? How I can solve it?", "Why my english suck so much" (sorry, wrong forum...)

Also, as I posted, if I demux (full) with tmegenc, I get the mp2 file, but if I re-mux I have an audio delay to the picture. I can test a bit and find lypsynch, but the point ain't there too.
The point is why that is happening, when the file plays perfect with ALL software players...
For me, is more like a bug or non compatibility of dvd2avi, to a specific kind of mpeg 2!
So, they must be a way to fix that!

VidGuy · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2000

If you want to figure out "why" it's happening you may be waiting a long time.... About the best you can expect is how to work around it, maybe how to get it to stop happening. There are so many different strange things that happen with all the different video/audio programs that I'd be surprised if someone could tell you "why".
Audio synchronization seems to be black magic - there are so many ways for it to get screwed up.

SatStorm · Posted: Jul 12, 2001 08:56

Yes, I agree!
All those things are strange!
But they are an amazing hobby!
And that's the forums are for

VidGuy · Member Joined: 14 Nov 2000

That they are! Just wanted to make sure you weren't getting hung up on the why - some of these things are just amazing mysteries.