Lipsync problem with finished DVD

[Ewen]

I use a TotalMedia 305 TV USB stick to save TV programmes to my hard-drive. The programmes are saved to a 160gig drive and once that is done I use EditStudio 6 to edit out the commercials etc preparatory to burning. My systems are Win 7 with 3gig ram in one caddy and XP SP3 in the other

In Windows 7 if I use the convert/burn programme which is part of Totalmedia the finished DVD has a lipsync problem by about 1.5 seconds... not much but enough to be irritating. If I use Ashampoo 9 (full version) the delay can be as much as 2.5 seconds. I tried DVDSanta and the delay was worse. Eventually I tried DVDFick and the delay was so bad here that the movie frame had actually changed by the time the speakers voice was heard.

In XP I don't have Ashampoo installed but I do have Nero 7 Premium (full version). The same circumstances occur in this installation with the various converters excepting that Nero will only be out of sync occasionally. Elsewhere I read of the two files in Nero that can be changed apparently to overcome this problem but the files mentioned do not have the same name in my version... similar but not the same.

I am at a loss as to what to try next. If there is anyone who can help with both my systems this will be much appreciated.

Regards

[redwudz]

First question, does the sync error stay the same throughout the playback, or does it gradually get worse? I'm suspecting corrupted video files. That would usually give you a gradual sync loss.

[Ewen]

Thank you redwudz... as a matter of fact the error does worsen as the movie progresses. After reading your post I tried the first copy I made with EditStudio and I was happy to note that at the beginning the sync was OK (I thought WOW I've made a mistake) but as it progressed to the middle and beyond the delay became greater. If your supposition is correct what would cause corrupted video files?

My replies to you could be some hours apart.. I'm in Australia and there is something like a 17 hour time difference so please be patient.

Regards

[thegeeman]

I suspect it is because of the commercials being cut out. Does the sync issue only begin to occur 'after' what would have been a commerical break? Try an experiment with an 'intact' (i.e no commercials being removed) episode and see what happens.

[Ewen]

Thank you thegeeman... your thoughts regarding the commercials had occured to me also. I would imagine that there would be at least eight four minute breaks in any hour of commercial TV and in a two hour movie which condenses to about an hour and a half the interruption would be pretty severe. I'll try an "hour" experiment this morning and convert using all three methods and this will surely put your theory to the test.

Thank you for your reply and I'll report back during the day.

Regards

[Ewen]

the geeman... it looks as though your diagnosis was correct. I recorded an hour of TV and then without any editing I used the TotalMedia built in edit/burner and DVDSanta to burn two separate discs and there was no fault on either.

It seems therefore that intense editing is more than likely the culprit but a new problem develops now... how do I burn say a 2 hour movie onto a conventional DVD disc without some form of avi/mpeg compression first?

[thegeeman]

I suspect that the original audio on your files was either VBR mp3, which is notorious for sync issues and/or ac3 which can cause sync/header issues when cutting. AC3fix can sometimes help.

Try DVDflick. It works for me every time. IMO. whenever i've had sync issues after encoding & prior to dvd authoring, i've always turned to dvdflick, so much so that its now become my default encoder.

Give it a try and post back with outcome. Best of luck.

[Ewen]

Thank you for your reply thegeeman... I have downloaded AC3fix and I'll give it a try. I use DVDflick almost exclusively as well but I have always had this sync problem. After reading other threads on the sync problem I am sure now that editing the video so drastically is the cause.

I also tried Virtualdub but when I loaded the .mpg made by TotalMedia I got a dialogue box stating that "No Video Stream Detected". I find that odd because other encoders see it so it appears that TotalMedia must have some proprietary method of recording.

It's all very mystifying but your help is much appreciated.

Regards.