Help w/ converting 25fps XVid ac3 AVI to NTSCDVDAC3?*update*

[fluxcapacitor]

I have 3 .avi files encoded in XVid w/ ac3 5.1 audio. The video is 25fps on these. I found, read, and followed the guide here that tells how to convert AVI-DivX-XviD with AC3 to DVD with AC3. Here's my problem though. This guide, when you open your .avi w/ TMPGEnc, has you select DVD PAL for the template. This renders the outputted .m2v video useless for a region 1 NTSC player, which is what my Pioneer DV-C503 most certainly is. Whether NTSC players don't like that PAL is 25fps, or its 720x576 resolution, or both, I don't know. So this leads me to the question, what do I need to do to get a DVD in 5.1 audio that will play on an NTSC player? I found the guide by chance, I thought it was just what I needed. Searching for a guide on this current problem seems hopeless though, the conversions offered in them are never quite what I need. I don't know if I can simply change the template in TMPGEnc to DVD PAL or what? I would think if I did that the change in frame rate to 29.97 would screw up the synching of the ac3 audio. I don't know. Please, please, if anyone can guide me through this or simply tell me what tmpgenc options to change, I would greatly appreciate. I make very little money and could only, hell not even really, afford to grab a 5 pack of DVD+R's. Having already wasted one on a PAL DVD for an NTSC player, I'm not feeling real comfortable about "experimenting" with different options and burning to see if it works. Trial and error can get expensive. Anyway enough rambling, but if you can help, thanks.

[Jukka]

Follow this (it works for 25.000 -> 23.976 and vice versa but NOT 29.97)

1. Open AVI in Virtual Dub
2. In File menu, select 'File Information' note down audio info (like compression method, etc.)
3. In audio menu, select 'No Audio'
4. In Video menu, select 'Direct Stream Copy'
5. In Video menu, select 'Frame Rate', then select 'Change Frame Rate To' and enter 23.976
6. In File menu, select 'Save AVI' (save as new name!)
7. In Audio menu, select 'Direct Stream Copy'
8. In File menu, select 'Save WAV' (on the pop up select 'All Files' as opposed to *.wav, save audio with correct extension *.ac3)
9. Use BeSweet to convert ac3 to ac3 and select the change frame rate from 25.000 -> 23.976 functionality
10. Convert new video files to DVD using NTSC DVD 16:9 template (if widescreen) in TMPGEnc+ (video arrange method = Full Screen Keep Aspect Ratio), use 2 pass VBR for best quality
11. Go to bed for 12 hours
12. Use TMPGEnc DVD Author to author (also allows 'muxing' with AC3, i.e. select DVD video file from 10 and AC3 audio file from 9)
13. Have a coffee / beer / smoke - you deserve it
14. Test output in Power DVD or similar
15. Burn disk in TMPGEnc+ DVD Author
16. Put in standalone and enjoy

I use this method and it works everytime as long as the AVI is ok to start with,

Look on this site there are many guides for 23.976 -> 25.000 fps and vice versa conversion, BeSweet (+GUI), etc. thats how I learn't.

Thankfully there are some bloody clever people ot there (thanks guys)!

To do all this you will need 10.5 -> 11.5Gb of spare HD

Good luck - any questions then repost,

Jukka

[fluxcapacitor]

You are the man. Thank you very much for your help. I know what I'm doing today...

[fluxcapacitor]

BeSweet...got the regular and the GUI version...can't figure it out. I see the option I need to go from PAL > NTSC but where's the "execute" command or whataver to actually go ahead and do the file?

*EDIT* If I could throw this program thru the wall, I would. I found the "wizard" option...which I thought would be fine except you only get a "besweet.Log" file opening when you click "go".

[fluxcapacitor]

OK...I finally figured out Besweet...what a bitch of a program to use. Now that I've got my ac3 converted from 25fps down to 23.976 to match the the video...I get a light "clipping" sound in the updated ac3 file. It's not noticable in moments of alot of action sound wise, but when a scene is quiet and all there is is dialouge its very annoying. Can anyone tell me how to convert an ac3 file from 25fps to 23.976 w/out creating a "clipping" noise?

[Skynet107]

Can anyone tell me how to convert an ac3 file from 25fps to 23.976 w/out creating a "clipping" noise?

U just asked the million dollar question. I had the same problem with besweet and never solved it. I just does a crappy job.

I finally settled on using Vegas Video 4.0 with the plugin pack, which enables ac3 5.1 encoding. I extracted the original ac3 file in besweet (with NO frame rate conversion) to 6 waves. I then time-warped all 6 waves in Goldwave to match the exact time of the encoded video file

I then imported them into Vegas and encoded them. This is the only method I found that gives a perfect conversions. If there is another method I would like to hear it.

[FulciLives]

1.) Make sure you have the newest beta version of BeSweet
2.) Try using AC3Machine as a front end to BeSweet instead of the BeSweet GUI
3.) If you still have the clipping popping noise try converting the AC-3 to a STEREO WAV file first. Then go from that WAV file to a new WAV file using the fps conversion. Then convert the new WAV to AC-3

I've converted 5.1 AC-3 to 5.1 AC-3 and 2.0 AC-3 to 2.0 AC-3 using BeSweet and AC3Machine without the "clicking" and "popping" noises.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[fluxcapacitor]

Skynet,

When you time warp in Goldwave, what method do you use? I see the FFT option, which claims the pitch will NOT change, but don't know if it will work for a movie in regards to the synching n shit?

[Skynet107]

No don't use FFT select RATE. You want the pitch to change. When it was converted to 25fps the pitch was changed as well, you will be putting it back to original.

Also posted what I did in this thread:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=209235

BeSweet has the option to convert AC3 25fps to 23.976fps but I find it to be poor quality and often puts pops and glitches in the audio. Also, BeSweet does not encode AC3 correctly. I have several DVD's I authored with audio encoded with BeSweet that had no audio. My solution was to take the AC3 file, use BeSweet to rip the sound into 6 seperate wave files. I then time warped them all in Goldwave and re-encoded them using SonicFoundry (now Sony) Vegas Video. You have to determinded the exact file length of your video. It is most likely expressed like this:
1:10:10
That time represents 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 1/3 of a second. Goldwave is accurate to 1/1000th of a second, so to get the correct time, if you time warped to get the above time you would use:
1:10:333

I broke down and payed for the AC3 encoding engine in Vegas and have found the output to be incredible. If you don't want to spend the money on Vegas and the plugin I am not sure what route to take.

[BJ_M]

Can anyone tell me how to convert an ac3 file from 25fps to 23.976 w/out creating a "clipping" noise?

U just asked the million dollar question. I had the same problem with besweet and never solved it. I just does a crappy job.

I finally settled on using Vegas Video 4.0 with the plugin pack, which enables ac3 5.1 encoding. I extracted the original ac3 file in besweet (with NO frame rate conversion) to 6 waves. I then time-warped all 6 waves in Goldwave to match the exact time of the encoded video file

I then imported them into Vegas and encoded them. This is the only method I found that gives a perfect conversions. If there is another method I would like to hear it.

you could have "time warped" them in vegas - which is faster (as you do all 6 tracks at once. and more precise ..

you load all audio tracks and select all hit "G" (group)

you load your converted video file OR use frame served frame rate adjusted file (which you should have left going)

you hold down CONTROL key and click end of audio group and drag to same lenth as video - play some back to make sure its in sync and adjust if nessessary ..

render to ac3 5.1

[Skynet107]

Cool thanx for the good tip. I have just started using Vegas extensively, that would have saved me a lot of processing time.