Hi There guys,

Over the past couple of nights i've tried compressing a few different video files for use in my stand alone DVD players. I have got snagged on an interesting problem. After compressing I have burned onto a DVD+RW just to double check before burning onto a regular DVD-R. The problem is this...

- PC plays video in a choppy or video pauses whilst sound continues manner
- X-Logic plays video in a choppy or video pauses whilst sound continues manner
- Sony plays it spot on and no problems what so ever!

In all cases the sound on the disc/HDD is fine, it's only the video chopping or pausing that is throwing a spanner in the works. Previously, I have had a good success rate. I don't know whether this was beginners luck but that has now changed somewhat. I have included all the logs from the video that I compressed overnight so you can take a peak at.

Here are the programs that I'm using..
- AVICodec
- DVD2SVCD/AVI2DVD Version 1.2.2 Build 3
- TMPGEnc Plus 2.5

But first.. here is some information from a little program called "AVICodec" which gives detailed info about the AVI file which I was trying to compress..

Originally Posted by AVICodec
File : 699 MB (699 MB), duration: 1:47:46, type: AVI, 1 audio stream(s), quality: 43 %
Video : 600 MB, 778 Kbps, 23.976 fps, 576*304 (16:9), XVID = XVID Mpeg-4, Supported
Audio : 99 MB, 128 Kbps, 48000 Hz, 2 channels, 0x55 = MPEG Layer-3, Supported
As a side question.. is it a good idea to match the quality of the source audio with the DVD output files? I have set DVD2SVCD/AVI2DVD to re-encode the audio to 192kbps after it's ripped to WAV, but would matching the audio qualities make any difference?

Here are some program set-ups that i used: [even though the logs already mention this]
- Audio; 192kbps
- Video; NTSC, 16:9 [Borders added, encoded as 4:3], No De-interlacing
- Encode; CBR, High Quality [slow] using TMPGEnc

Below are the logs for the AVI file above. Being an NTSC movie I have left the "NTSC to PAL" checkbox unchecked in the DVD2SVCD/AVI2DVD program, however having it checked produced similar or worse results of the video.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by SVCDInfo
GENERAL INFO
- Source: AVI (xvid)
- Movie Offset:
- CD Overlap seconds:
- Startup delays:
- Video format: NTSC
- Length: 01:47:46
- CD Images:

IMDB INFO:
Movie title:
User rating:
Directed by:
Writing credits:
Genre:
Tagline:
Plot outline:

VIDEO INFO:
- Encoder: TMPGEnc 2.58.44.152
- Rate Control Mode: Constant bitrate (CBR)
- Bitrate: 5333
- Motion search prec.: High quality (slow)
- Field order: Yes
- DC component prec.: 8 bits
- Output YUV as YCbCr: No
- Floating point DCT: Yes
- No motion search: True
- Soften block noise: No
- iDCT Algorithm:
- NTSC Field Operation:
- Deinterlace: None
- Pulldown: Yes, TMPGEnc internal
- Width: 720
- Height: 480
- Matrix:

AVISYNTH SCRIPT:
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\AVISYN~1.5PL\Mpeg2dec\MPEG2D~1.DLL")
AVISource("D:\_MPEGV~1\DVD-RIPS\ETERNA~1.AVI",audio=false)
ConvertToYUY2()
LanczosResize(720,338)
AddBorders(0,71,0,71)
ConvertToRGB24()


AUDIO INFO:
- Audiostreams:
- Audio 1 Language: Unspecified
- Audio 1 Bitrate: 192
- Audio 1 Sample freq: 48000
- Audio 1 Mode: Stereo
- Audio 1 Besweet: "C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2.wav" -output "D:\DVDCOM~1\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "D:\DVDCOM~1\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -ota( -g max ) -shibatch( --rate 48000 ) -2lame( -e -b 192 -m s )

SUBTITLE INFO:
- Subtitlestreams: 0
- Type:
- Sub. 1 Language:
- Sub. 2 Language:
- Sub. 3 Language:
- Sub. 4 Language:

AUTHORING INFO:
- CD Image program:
---------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by DVD2SVCD_LOG
WNASPI32.DLL 2.0.1.44
--------------------------------------------------------
- 28/12/2004 10:05:46 PM
- AVI to SVCD Conversion
- AVI2DVD ver. 1.2.2 build 3
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing
- D:\= MPEG Videos =\DVD-RIPS\AVI_Movie.avi
Initializing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 28/12/2004 10:05:49 PM
- Free on drive D: 53839.65 mb
- AUDIO Extraction
--------------------------------------------------------
Undoing Nandubs 1152 BlockAlign value to 1
Redoing Nandubs 1152 BlockAlign value
Audio extraction finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 28/12/2004 10:07:21 PM
- Free on drive D: 53740.46 mb
- AUDIO conversion
--------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------
- 28/12/2004 10:07:28 PM
- Free on drive D: 53740.46 mb
- AUDIO conversion
--------------------------------------------------------

Converting MP2 to WAV. Filename: D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Extracted_audio_1.mpa
Executing MADPlay (mp2 to wav). Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\MADPlay\madplay.exe" --quiet --output=wave:"D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2. wav" "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Extracted_audio_1.mpa"
Conversion (mp2 to wav) of D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Extracted_audio_1.mpa finished.


Encoding Audio. Filename: D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Extracted_audio_1.mpa
Executing BeSweet. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2.wav" -output "D:\DVDCOM~1\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "D:\DVDCOM~1\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -ota( -g max ) -shibatch( --rate 48000 ) -2lame( -e -b 192 -m s )
Audio conversion of D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Extracted_audio_1.mpa finished.

Audio conversion finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 28/12/2004 10:22:57 PM
- Free on drive D: 52408.40 mb
- Video Encoding using TMPGEnc
--------------------------------------------------------
- Encoding D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\AviSynth_Script_file.avs
StreamSectors: 4546875788
AudioSectors: 157344096
VideoPAPO: 67996188
ScanOffsetBytes: 139538
SeqAligningBytes: 8868402
DVDBytes: 0
VideoEndHeader: 4
SubtitleSectors: 0
EmptySectors: 238.00
PictureSectors: 0.00
PureMPEGStream: 4312527559.80
Seconds: 6468.55
CalcMPEGStream: 4312527559.80
Frames: 155042
CDSize: 4350.00
Number of CDs: 1
Cut point 4346.00
Bitrate: 5333.53
Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline:
"D:\TMPGEnc\TMPGEnc.exe" "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close
Video Encoding finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 29/12/2004 8:35:00 AM
- Free on drive D: 48296.86 mb
- Multiplexing Audio and Video
--------------------------------------------------------
Executing MPlex. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVDAuthor\mplex.exe" -f 8 -o "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\MPlex_Muxed_File00.mpg" "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_Video_TMPGEnc_NTSC.m pv" "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2"
--------------------------------------------------------
- 29/12/2004 8:44:29 AM
- Free on drive D: 43935.41 mb
- Determining length of audio
--------------------------------------------------------
Analyzing: D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\MPlex_Muxed_File00.mpg
6466.104 seconds D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\MPlex_Muxed_File00.mpg
Analyzing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 29/12/2004 8:47:19 AM
- Free on drive D: 43935.41 mb
- Authoring DVD
--------------------------------------------------------
Executing DVDAuthor. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVDAuthor\dvdauthor.exe" -x "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\DVDAuthor.xml"
--------------------------------------------------------
- 29/12/2004 8:58:01 AM
- Free on drive D: 39573.66 mb
- Creating DVD ISO Image
--------------------------------------------------------
Executing MkIsoFs. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVDAuthor\mkisofs.exe" -o "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\DVDImage.iso" -publisher "DVD2SVCD" -volid "" -dvd-video "D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\DVD-Files"
Image creation finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 29/12/2004 9:04:46 AM
- Free on drive D: 35211.14 mb
- Conversion done!
--------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by ENCODED_AUDIO_1
BeSweet v1.5b26 by DSPguru.
--------------------------
Using Shibatch.dll v0.24 by Naoki Shibata & DSPguru (shibatch.sourceforge.net).
Using MP2enc.dll v1.129 (23/5/2002), Engine 1.129 <http://www.cdex.n3.net>.

Logging start : 12/28/04 , 22:11:22.

C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe -core( -input D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2.wav -output D:\DVDCOM~1\Encoded_audio_1.mp2 -logfile D:\DVDCOM~1\Encoded_audio_1.log ) -ota( -g max ) -shibatch( --rate 48000 ) -2lame( -e -b 192 -m s )

[00:00:00:000] +------- BeSweet -----
[00:00:00:000] | Input : D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2.wav
[00:00:00:000] | Output: D:\DVDCOM~1\Encoded_audio_1.mp2
[00:00:00:000] | Floating-Point Process: Yes
[00:00:00:000] | Overall Track Gain: 0.182dB
[00:00:00:000] | Source Sample-Rate: 48.0KHz
[00:00:00:000] +------- MP2ENC ------
[00:00:00:000] | Bitrate method : CBR
[00:00:00:000] | MP2 bitrate : 192
[00:00:00:000] | Channels Mode : Stereo
[00:00:00:000] | Error Protection: Yes
[00:00:00:000] +---------------------
[01:47:46:464] Conversion Completed !
[01:47:46:464] Actual Avg. Bitrate : 192kbps
[00:11:22:000] <-- Transcoding Duration

Logging ends : 12/28/04 , 22:22:45.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by MPlex_log
INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $)
INFO: [???] File D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_Video_TMPGEnc_NTSC.mpv looks like an MPEG Video stream.
INFO: [???] File D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2 looks like an MPEG Audio stream.
INFO: [???] Video stream 0: profile 8 selected - ignoring non-standard options!
INFO: [???] Found 1 audio streams and 1 video streams
INFO: [???] Selecting dvdauthor DVD output profile
INFO: [???] Multiplexing video program stream!
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Video stream e0 (D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_Video_TMPGEnc_NTSC.mpv)
INFO: [???] VIDEO STREAM: e0
INFO: [???] Frame width : 720
INFO: [???] Frame height : 480
INFO: [???] Aspect ratio : 4:3 display
INFO: [???] Picture rate : 29.970 frames/sec
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 5333600 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Vbv buffer size : 229376 bytes
INFO: [???] CSPF : 0
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Audio stream c0 (D:\DVDCOMPRESSED\Encoded_audio_1.mp2)
INFO: [???] MPEG AUDIO STREAM: c0
INFO: [???] Audio version : 1.0
INFO: [???] Layer : 2
INFO: [???] CRC checksums : yes
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 24576 bytes/sec (192 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] Mode : 0 stereo
INFO: [???] Mode extension : 0
INFO: [???] Copyright bit : 0 no copyright
INFO: [???] Original/Copy : 0 copy
INFO: [???] Emphasis : 0 none
INFO: [???] SYSTEMS/PROGRAM stream:
INFO: [???] rough-guess multiplexed stream data rate : 5644800
INFO: [???] target data-rate specified : 10080000
INFO: [???] Setting specified specified data rate: 10080000
INFO: [???] Run-in Sectors = 89 Video delay = 13019 Audio delay = 0
INFO: [???] New sequence commences...
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 237568 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio c0: buf= 4096 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Scanned to end AU 155041
INFO: [???] STREAM e0 completed @ frame 155041.
INFO: [???] STREAM c0 completed @ frame 269435.
INFO: [???] Multiplex completion at SCR=581987181.
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 119125 frame=155041 sector=02136823
INFO: [???] Audio c0: buf= 1792 frame=269435 sector=00076830
INFO: [???] VIDEO_STATISTICS: e0
INFO: [???] Video Stream length: 16278113 bytes
INFO: [???] Sequence headers: 19432
INFO: [???] Sequence ends : 1
INFO: [???] No. Pictures : 155041
INFO: [???] No. Groups : 19432
INFO: [???] No. I Frames : 19432 avg. size 58802 bytes
INFO: [???] No. P Frames : 19948 avg. size 45334 bytes
INFO: [???] No. B Frames : 115662 avg. size 19576 bytes
INFO: [???] Average bit-rate : 5333200 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Peak bit-rate : 7845600 bits/sec
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 15 Buf max 134306
INFO: [???] AUDIO_STATISTICS: c0
INFO: [???] Audio stream length 155195136 bytes.
INFO: [???] Syncwords : 269436
INFO: [???] Frames : 269436 padded
INFO: [???] Frames : 0 unpadded
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 15 Buf max 587
INFO: [???] MUX STATUS: no under-runs detected.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Is there a glaringly obvious problem that I am missing? This is the 3rd time [with minor tweaks] that i have re-encoded this file.

Could there be something wrong with the source file? Seeing as it plays fine on my Sony player i didn't think so, but by the 3rd re-encode i am beginning to think so. I have watched the original xvid in the places that it was choppy and all seems fine.

Re-capping..
- PC plays video in a choppy or video pauses whilst sound continues manner
- X-Logic plays video in a choppy or video pauses whilst sound continues manner
- Sony plays it spot on and no problems what so ever!

Your help is greatly appreciated.
Regards
Adam.