Out of sync audio questions

[nathanaa]

Ok, I transfered 16 VCDs to 2 DVDs. Now that I have them transfered, my son started watching them. The longer he watches them, the more out of synch the audio gets with the video.

First question, how does this happen? I guess I am assuming that once encoded into the disc this stuff should be "permanent", so how does it get out of whack?

Second, is the out of synch audio likely to have happened due to my not having followed the VCD to DVD guide? I copied and pasted the files from the VCDs to my HDD, then changed the extension from .dat to .mpg. From what I have been reading, that's not a great idea. Would the method I followed result in something like the problem I'm having, or are there a dozen other potential causes?

Thanks for any tips, advice, or recommended reading.

[Redd]

Since I started capturing using Scenalyzer, I've had no OOS issues. In options make sure you check the box *Lock Audio with Video*. I've been using it for the last 18 months. I use three different NLE's...but only capture with Scenalyzer.

HA!...Whoops! Now that I have noticed...you transfered VCD to DVD! I only use Scenalyzer to capture AVI. Guess this won't work for you.

[ZippyP.]

Second, is the out of synch audio likely to have happened due to my not having followed the VCD to DVD guide?

Well, you gave only a part of your conversion method so it's not really possible to say exactly what's causing your sync problem. How did you convert your audio? You did resample to 48 KHz, right? TMPGEnc DVD Author will do that for you when you create your DVD.

Having said that, a guide is a method that others have found successful. I would (and normally do) follow one before striking out my own.

[redwudz]

You need to start from the basics. Take the VCDs and run them through AVIcodec or similar. Then you know what you have. If it's a standard VCD the audio is 44K. For DVD you need 48K. The video should work as is.

For beginners, I would recommend a VCD to DVD conversion program. If you look under 'Convert' to the left, you will see some options. Look for VCD to DVD.

You can also use TMPGEnc DVD Author. It will convert the audio to 48K and author the file to DVD format.

Audio out of sync can be caused by quite a few different things. Try to convert just one of your files using the guides to the left, depending on what software you have available. Unfortunately, you need to do a little reading to be confident in doing these type of conversions.

[AlecWest]

I copied and pasted the files from the VCDs to my HDD, then changed the extension from .dat to .mpg.

I use VCDgear to reconstruct DAT files to MPG. The process includes an error correction routine. Then, using TMPGenc, I demux the MPG file to M1V video & MP2 audio. At that point, since I've heard that TMPGenc makes "unusual" MP2 files, I delete the MP2 file. I import the MPG file into VirtualDub, choose "Save WAV," then check to make sure the time length of the WAV file is equal to the M1V file. If it isn't, I use Multiquence (now GoldWave) to stretch or compress the WAV time to equal the M1V ... saving a new WAV. Then, I use tooLame to change that WAV into a 48k/384 MP2.

Using DVDauthorgui, I import the M1V/MP2 and create the DVD files ... then use ImgTools to do the burning. Works for me.

[LRD]

Give PVAStrumento a try. It has fixed my A/V sync problems.

LRD

[nathanaa]

Well, I didn't follow a guide because a friend of mine told me I could just use the copy/paste/rename method, and he's been doing this hobby for *years*.

Anyway, after I copy/paste/renamed, I used TMPGEnc DVD Author and it resampled the audio for me.

I do have VCD Gear though. I guess I could rip the VCD files with that. I'll likely follow a guide and see what results I get (hopefully better).

But no answer to my first question - how can data burned to a DVD get out of whack like this? Or am I thinking of it in the wrong way?

[buzzinhornets]

see that's my prob too... in powerdvd oon the computer the audio looks fine, but on my tv, the DVD-VCDs come and go, in and outta synch?

[Ward River]

Well, I didn't follow a guide because a friend of mine told me I could just use the copy/paste/rename method, and he's been doing this hobby for *years*.

How do your friend's discs play? Maybe chasing down your friend and getting him to reveal to you his secrets would be a better idea? Sounds like a real pro.

[Marty2003]

I have the feeling the audio is just using the wrong sample rate. I remember the first time I transferred a VCD to DVD I just imported it directly into my authoring app and didn't change the audio. It worked fine on my Norcent DP-300 which plays all kinds of non-standard video but when I brought it over to a friends house it would progressively get more and more out of synch. You can think of the audio sample rate as the equivalent of the frame rate for video. It's stored at 44Khz but your DVD player is playing it faster at 48Khz so the sound will finish before the video.

If I were you I would demux each VCD manually and manually resample the audio with besweet.

[buzzinhornets]

man, that's what i didn't want to hear... i have five seasons times 13 episodes that i wanted to make DVD-VCDs... using vdud to tweak the audio on each will take 4ever and hdd space... ugh, oh well. frickin .avis always cause me headaches... why can't people just encode with divx video and uncompressed audio... hmf. thanx for the tips... oh, and so frameserving from vdub won't do anything, eh?

[northcat_8]

did you originally capture the video on your computer in the MPEG-2 format?

and if you did...did you then edit that video?

[buzzinhornets]

i got it off a friend... it was divx... no editing that i know of...