Audio totally messed on SVCD

[reboot]

Here's the file info on the original .avi

It's out of sync to start with. Audio lags, about 1 second behind.
I think I can fix that, however...
I reformatted, fresh install of XP Pro, and all the software, but only the minimum needed this time, not a ton of extra stuff.
Done all the windows updates, wmp9 and codecs from MS.
When encoded and burned to SVCD, it seems the audio is running at extremely fast speed, and has pops and scratches throughout.
I have tried Soundforge to both adjust the sync (seems to work) and then transcode to 44.1khz as well as 48khz, then save the avi.
Neither seem to work.
I extracted the audio in virtualdub, then muxed it during encoding, same problem.
Is there something I'm missing? A codec, or a step I should be taking?
I've done maybe 400 of these files, with no troubles, and they all still work perfectly in the standalone.
I just can't recreate the environment I had before.

[Josef K]

To quote something I wrote from another thread with similar sync issues:

I always use Decompress.exe since I have the disc space. The process is outlined here by Sefy and you can download it from this rather gaudy site. It's pretty much a one-click solution to most sync problems.

Is this the only .avi you've tried converting since you formatted/reinstalled everything? Try another .avi (preferably one you've converted successfully previously, if you still have the source) and if that turns out alright then your current .avi is probably a bit messed up. If subsequent conversions on different .avis all have sync issues then it's time to delve deeper.

EDIT:

XP themes = UGH!

[reboot]

OK, going to try decompress.exe
I'm also going to try one of my other source files (I still have them all).
I'll let you know, and thanks for the suggestions

[Josef K]

OK, going to try decompress.exe

Bear in mind that what it essentially does is to rewrite the entire .avi to a new file but with decompressed (PCM) audio. That audio will take up a huge amount of space so get ready for that. Make sure your .avi is on a partition with plenty of free space.

[reboot]

No worries there. I regularly encode uncompressed avi's as well

[reboot]

Decompress didn't work, still way out of sync.

Note:Only use StylesXP to change the start button and bars to get rid of that ugly green!

[Josef K]

I forgot to mention:

Decompressing (with decompress.exe) takes maybe a couple of minutes with a good, fast HD. You can just open the new .avi and skip through it to check sync without the need to re-encode it and only then finding out it hasn't worked. Of course, the amount of .avis I've converted with audio so troublesome that I've had to go to these lengths have been so few that I can't guarantee this method will be perfect. In fact, I've had some I've never been able to convert due to weird-arse audio sync.

Oh, well! It's all trial and error. If you get a working method, you might as well post the process you used for future use.

[Josef K]

Decompress didn't work, still way out of sync.

Erk! You posted that while I was still typing my last reply. Bad luck on this one for now since I'm out of ideas at the moment.

[reboot]

OK, the sync problem I can fix, here's how.
Extract the wav in virtualdub.
Open the avi in Goldwave, remove 1.37 seconds from the end of it. I got the 1.37 by trial and errors, errors, errors, errors
Then use timewarp to expand the remaining audio to the video length.
I now have an avi with no audio that is the same length as my .wav and as close as I can get it in sync.
Encode, and it's messed on my standalone again.
It's in sync on the computer, but popping, scratching, and very sped up on standalone.

[Josef K]

I got the 1.37 by trial and errors, errors, errors, errors

Yeah, I know that one...

You probably have one of those files that won't behave. More trial and error, I'm afraid. Maybe it's time someone else jumped in with a suggestion.

By the way, how did you encode from .avi to SVCD in around 20 minutes, burn , test on PC and test on standalone? Not even D2SRoBa is that fast, even with the shortcuts it takes.

[johns0]

Decompress didn't work, still way out of sync.

Note:Only use StylesXP to change the start button and bars to get rid of that ugly green!

Why use stylesxp?I use a hacked uxthemes.dll and msstyles files,no need to install anything.

[Josef K]

I hax0r3d WinXP by:

• Right-clicking the start button and selecting properties.
  
  Clicking 'Classic Start Menu'

/me is 1337

Don't know why they insist a system-slowing, resource-hogging waste of effort that themes are would be a 'selling point'. I just wish it was off by default. Never mind... Whenever I need to format/reinstall I just overwrite with my Ghost image with all that shit turned off already.

[reboot]

Turns out it was the file, although no program I have said anything was wrong with it.
I got the audio from another identical file that has lousy video, and am muxing the two now.
I'll let you know if it turns out. If not, it means I have other problems.
I didn't encode the whole file, just enough to see if audio was behaving, and in sync, about 5 minutes.
I also do a ghost

[reboot]

Took me quite a bit to get the audio from one to sync with the video from another, but Soundforge made it a bit easier. Encoded the file to SVCD, and it's as close to perfect as I'm gonna get.
Thanks again for all your help!

[Sefy]

@reboot, after you used Decompress, did you load the file in VirtualDub or did you encode the new file ?

[SatStorm]

Extract the wav from the avi
load the avi to Virtualdub
load the wav to virtualdub (set use "wav" on the audio tab)

Now, match audio / video. (Audio > Interleaving > audio skew correction). Save "wav"
The new wave file, is corrected now.

OR: frameserve to your encoder, example TMPGnenc plus. If you use tooLAME for mp2 and SSRC for whatever to 48000Khz, then you don't need soundforge or whatever to convert the audio and end up lipsynched on the mpeg file.

[thegeeman]

Hi

Still a newbie but the following guide may prove useful?

How to fix gradual loss of sync once and for all

Link https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/140540.php

This uses the 'resampling' option within Sound Forge as it is often overlooked and some unnecessary compression/decompression is done with alternate programs instead. This MAY solve your problem.

thanks go to the original author!

Cheers
WG

[reboot]

Sefy, I just encoded the file. Didn't reload into vdub.

SatStorm, I am going to try that procedure right now. Seems a simpler way, and although i looked at every guide and post I could find, I must have missed that if it's posted elsewhere. I'll post back in a bit and let you know how it turned out.

waynegodwin1. I read that already, more than once. I have used variations of that to correct sync problems before, however, nothing seemed to work with this file, and sync is not the only problem with it.

I don't mean to throw a screw in the works, but this file is the second part of a two part movie. The first part is good. I usually join and filter in virtualdub before encoding, and have the encoder split the file where needed (mainconcept). Because of it's length, this will be on 3 cdr's as SVCD, coming from two avi's.
I can sync the second file, save, then join with the first (another encoding step, although I can do it without compression (raw, I have the room).
Just trying to find the easiest way to keep what little quality there is (and don't suggest VCD please), joining the two files, keeping sync throughout, and saving an avi. For reasons unknown, I cannot get frameserving to work without using an intermediate .vdr to .avs which works great for video, but not audio. Now I may try frameserving that way, and using a joined .wav for audio, but again, that means trying to join the two .wav files, one good the other out of sync until it's processed (one way or another).
Does any of this make any sense? Am I needlessly making it more confusing somehow?

[Sefy]

Sorry I wasn't of much help, but I wish you luck solving your problem!