Managing chapters in DVD-Lab Pro - how?

[Teitoku]

All I've really found for setting chapters in DVD-Lab Pro is to import 'em in a text file, or use the sliders on their incredibly lousy video timeline. Well, every app that I load this mpeg-2 file into will claim that a certain frame is in a different location than every other app. Frame 17007 could occur at 00:16:16.02 in program A, yet be at 00:16.16.98 in program B. This makes the text chapter list importing pretty worthless too Any help for me?

[guns1inger]

Chapters will always be set most accurately if you have an I-frame at the chapter point. You need to do this when you are encoding, and not all encoders give you this level of control.

Failing that, frame-index the timeline first, set chapters second.

Personally, I always set mine from the time line. You can click on the timeline itself, or use the preview screen. You can also use the arrow (cursor) keys to shift frame at a time backwards or forwards before setting the chapter.

[Teitoku]

I always set my chapters at i-frames since that's the standard. Dvd-lab, nerovision, dvdcomposer, virtualdub, tmpgenc? They don't care.

Frame-index first, then set chapters? I'll try.

Set 'em from timeline? Right, but I see no readout telling me at what exact point in the timeline I'm currently seeing. I really don't want to go stabbing blind for chapter stops again when I've already got them written down.

[guns1inger]

How are you ripping your chapter list ?

No all programs read the same information the same way. DVD cerypter can produce chapter times in the DVD Lab format

[Teitoku]

Frame-indexing before importing chapters just puts them in a slightly different, but still wrong, location.

[Teitoku]

I've been using virtualdub to get the timestamps for the chapters.

[manono]

You do know that VDub counts from frame #0, and not 1, don't you? At least my VDubMod does. I don't have VDub installed to confirm. Maybe your authoring app counts frames differently? And therefore you're really trying to set the chapter points on a non-I-Frame? Which, of course, can't be done.

[Teitoku]

That could be what's going on.

What are my options here, other than re-doing all these stops over from scratch?

[manono]

Well, you could always leave it alone. What's a second here or there?

By the way, I'm assuming this is PAL. You'll get really screwy times if you try to use VDub for 3:2 pulldowned material.

[Teitoku]

A second here or there? Well, it's the difference between having the text on the chapter menu describe what's going to be shown or not. If I wanted random chapters, I'd just use nerovision and let it auto-create them or something.

It's NTSC.

[manono]

OK, must be native 29.97fps then. Are you also having drop-frame problems? That is, is the video natively 30fps? You'll know if the chapter points get progressively more off the further into the video you go.

[Teitoku]

From what I know, it's all 29.97 FPS. The file is certainly 29.97, and I've imported chapter stops assuming 29.97. It's wacky I tells ya.

[Teitoku]

So is there no chapter management beyond importing an often-incorrect chapter list, or just eyeballing it?

[guns1inger]

Are you sure it is 29.976 and not 23.976 with pulldown ?

Assuming you are reauthoring an existing DVD, have you tried using DVD Decrypter to produce a DVD Lab cahpter list ?

[Teitoku]

Nope, it's actually just mpeg2 from an old VHS tape. How would I know if it's 29.976 or 23.976/pulldown? I mean, all my players and virtualdubmod say it's 29.97...

[Pinstripes23]

Nope, it's actually just mpeg2 from an old VHS tape. How would I know if it's 29.976 or 23.976/pulldown? I mean, all my players and virtualdubmod say it's 29.97...

run your file through g-spot. If pics/sec = 23.976 and frames/sec =29.97, then pulldown was used. It's actually 29.97 there is no 6 at the end.

[guns1inger]

Let's start again, and this time lets see if you can actually answer the questions asked with a little detail

1. How did you create the mpeg file ? DVD recorder ? DV transfer ?
2. How are you creating the chapter list ?
3. What format is the chapter list ? Can you post a sample ?

[Teitoku]

I don't care anymore. This messageboard business has taken three days now so I just re-did everything by hand. It doesn't help that DVD-Lab Pro's chapter creation is just total and complete crap.

[guns1inger]

Works for me and a lot of other people - your process doesn't make sense.
For future reference, if you really expect to get help quickly, give all the relevent information up front. Dealing with your problem has been like pulling teeth. If you aren't willing to give details, don't expect much in return.

[Teitoku]

Excuse me for being new to the wildly inconsistent world of dvd authoring. It's not like any of your tooth-pulling resulted in any problems being solved, either, so don't think too highly of your endless questioning.

[guns1inger]

You still haven't actually answered any of the questions - what do you expect ?

FWIW, I did a disc last night with frame accurate chapters in DLP. By frame indexing first, and zooming into the timeline as appropriate, I was able to get chapters exactly where they were needed.

[jimmalenko]

For future reference, if you really expect to get help quickly, give all the relevent information up front.

Excuse me for being new to the wildly inconsistent world of dvd authoring. It's not like any of your tooth-pulling resulted in any problems being solved, either, so don't think too highly of your endless questioning.

@Teitoku:
Dude, you're on a free message-board, so no-one owes you anything. By the same token, anyone who tries to help does so on their own time for free also. Any help you can get is a bonus

Since you presumably paid for DVD-lab Pro, why don't you take up the issue with Mediachance directly, either by emailing their support and/or lodging the issue on their forums ? You paid for the product as well as their support.