Help with converting and cutting DVD film

[foxbox]

I need to edit parts of homemade DVD films in Liquid Edition - however I am not yet able to achieve satisfactory results.

So far, I have:-

1] Ripped the DVD with DVD Decrypter
2] Converted the VOB to AVI with AVI.NET
3] Imported the AVI into Liquid Edition

Problem: some parts of the imported film are affected by ugly horizontal lines in the picture, especially during certain movements of the actors onscreen.

I have examined the files between the different conversion stages.

* There are no obvious lines present on the original DVD
* There are lines, but much smaller, present in the converted VOB file
* There are lines which appear to be about the same as the VOB file in the converted AVI file
* There are much bigger ugly lines when imported into Liquid

The DVD film is 7 minutes long. Liquid is set to 'Interlaced - top field first', and PAL 4:3. I initially thought the problem was coming from importing 4:3 into a 16:9 setup, but obviously this is not the case. I also originally converted VOB to MPEG to AVI, but now I use AVI.NET to go straight from VOB to AVI.

Please help rather urgently - I have a project needing completion this week and must rip these DVD films in good quality!

Are there better programs to use, or am I just using the wrong settings perhaps (haven't made any specific changes to settings in any of these programs however).

Thanks in anticipation

[foxbox]

I've done a conversion though AUTOGK, and seem to have a normal AVI file.

Unfortunately, trying to import this AVI into liquid gives me only audio, and no picture.

The AVI file plays just fine though PowerDVD etc...



[22/04/2007 14:30:27] AutoGK 2.40
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] OS: WinXP (5.1.2600).2
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Job started.
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Input file: D:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_1.VOB
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Output file: C:\Documents and Settings\Richard\Desktop\PSTEVENS4\fucksake.avi
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Output codec: XviD
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Audio 1: Audio Stream 0 AC3
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Subtitles: none
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Format: AVI
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Target size: 1400Mb
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Audio 1 settings: Auto
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Started encoding.
[22/04/2007 14:30:27] Demuxing and indexing.
[22/04/2007 14:31:22] Processing file: D:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_1.VOB
[22/04/2007 14:31:22] Source resolution: 720x576
[22/04/2007 14:31:22] Found PAL source.
[22/04/2007 14:31:22] Source aspect ratio: 4:3
[22/04/2007 14:31:22] Color correction enabled.
[22/04/2007 14:31:22] Analyzing source.
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Source has percentage of interlacing in motion areas: 76.16
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Source is considered to be interlaced.
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Output will contain 12960 frames
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Audio1 size: 16,585,728 bytes (15.82 Mb)
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Overhead: 86,400 bytes (0.08 Mb)
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Video size: 1,451,334,272 bytes (1384.10 Mb)
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Running compressibility test.
[22/04/2007 14:37:54] Writing the following script to C:\Documents and Settings\Richard\Desktop\PSTEVENS4\agk_tmp\fucksak e_comptest.avs
================================================== =========
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\DGMPGDec\DGDecode.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\autocrop.dl l")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\ColorMatrix .dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\RemoveGrain SSE3.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\leakkerneld eint.dll")

movie = mpeg2source("C:\Documents and Settings\Richard\Desktop\PSTEVENS4\agk_tmp\fucksak e.d2v")
cropclip = autocrop(movie,mode=0,wmultof=4,hmultof=4,samples= 10,aspect=0,threshold=34,samplestartframe=0,leftad d=0,rightadd=0,topadd=0,bottomadd=0)
fixed_aspect = 1.06666666666667
c_width = width(cropclip)
c_height = round(height(cropclip) / fixed_aspect)
input_par = float(c_width)/float(c_height)
input_par = (input_par > 1.4) || (input_par < 1.25) ? input_par : (4.0/3.0)
out_width = 704
out_height = round(float(out_width) / input_par)
hmod = out_height - (floor(out_height / 16 ) * 16)
out_height = (hmod > 4) ? (out_height + (16 - hmod)) : (out_height - hmod)
new_aspect = (float(out_width) / float(out_height)) / fixed_aspect
LeakKernelDeInt(movie,order=1,sharp=true)
autocrop(mode=0,wmultof=4,hmultof=4,samples=10,asp ect=new_aspect,threshold=34,samplestartframe=0,lef tadd=0,rightadd=0,topadd=0,bottomadd=0)
LanczosResize(out_width,out_height)
RemoveGrain(mode=2)
ColorMatrix("Rec.709->Rec.601",opt=0,hints=false)
SelectRangeEvery(94,15)
================================================== =========
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Duration was: 1 minute, 31 seconds
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Speed was: 22.67 fps.
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Compressibility percentage is: 725.85
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Switching b-frames off
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Chosen resolution is: 720x544 ( AR: 1.32 )
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Predicted comptest value is: 515.26%
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Running first pass.
[22/04/2007 14:39:25] Writing the following script to C:\Documents and Settings\Richard\Desktop\PSTEVENS4\agk_tmp\fucksak e_movie.avs
================================================== =========
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\DGMPGDec\DGDecode.d ll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\autocrop.dl l")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\ColorMatrix .dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\RemoveGrain SSE3.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\AutoGK\filters\leakkerneld eint.dll")

movie = mpeg2source("C:\Documents and Settings\Richard\Desktop\PSTEVENS4\agk_tmp\fucksak e.d2v")
cropclip = autocrop(movie,mode=0,wmultof=4,hmultof=4,samples= 10,aspect=0,threshold=34,samplestartframe=0,leftad d=0,rightadd=0,topadd=0,bottomadd=0)
fixed_aspect = 1.06666666666667
c_width = width(cropclip)
c_height = round(height(cropclip) / fixed_aspect)
input_par = float(c_width)/float(c_height)
input_par = (input_par > 1.4) || (input_par < 1.25) ? input_par : (4.0/3.0)
out_width = 720
out_height = round(float(out_width) / input_par)
hmod = out_height - (floor(out_height / 16 ) * 16)
out_height = (hmod > 4) ? (out_height + (16 - hmod)) : (out_height - hmod)
new_aspect = (float(out_width) / float(out_height)) / fixed_aspect
LeakKernelDeInt(movie,order=1,sharp=true)
autocrop(mode=0,wmultof=4,hmultof=4,samples=10,asp ect=new_aspect,threshold=34,samplestartframe=0,lef tadd=0,rightadd=0,topadd=0,bottomadd=0)
LanczosResize(out_width,out_height)
RemoveGrain(mode=2)
ColorMatrix("Rec.709->Rec.601",opt=0,hints=false)
================================================== =========
[22/04/2007 14:45:12] Duration was: 5 minutes 46 seconds
[22/04/2007 14:45:12] Speed was: 37.43 fps.
[22/04/2007 14:45:12] Expected quality of first pass size: 527.33%
[22/04/2007 14:45:12] Trying to adjust settings.
[22/04/2007 14:45:12] No adjustment is possible
[22/04/2007 14:45:12] Warning: final AVI will likely be undersized.
[22/04/2007 14:45:12] Running second pass.
[22/04/2007 14:53:25] Duration was: 8 minutes 13 seconds
[22/04/2007 14:53:25] Speed was: 26.28 fps.
[22/04/2007 14:53:25] No splitting required
[22/04/2007 14:53:25] Job finished. Total time: 22 minutes 57 seconds

[foxbox]

I did a test-burn to DVD after reading this advice:-

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/t314546.html

But the big horizontal lines are still present on my TV exactly as they appear on my monitor.

There should be no issues with NTSC/PAL conversion since source, output and display are all PAL.

I have also tried setting up Liquid as 'non-interlaced', but with exactly the same results.

Looking at the converted AVI file again, there is some blurry lines on quick movement which I guess is expected, so the problem must be on the importation process into Liquid somehow?



Oh, and is it possible to 'Capture' direct from DVD using my computer's DVD player?

This would be so must easier than going through any 'conversion' process.

I have tried hooking up my old DVD recorder using FireWire, but none of my editing/capturing software seems to recognise the hardware and simply says 'device not ready' even after disconnecting/reconnecting several times.

EDIT: apparently FireWire for DVD recorders is 'in' only, to combat piracy...

[foxbox]

Any advice, anyone?

[guns1inger]

AutoGK is about as far the right tool as you can get without actually using WinAVI. AutoGK outputs Divx/Xvid, deinterlaced. You do not want this.

DVD can be either bottom field first or top field first. Mostly it is TFF, so check that you have the right field order.

The interlacing lines you may be seeing will be visible on your PC, but should not be visible on your TV. If you only see them on your PC then forget about them as they are not a problem.

Only some DVDR support firewire out to a PC. Most don't, and are really only got capture from a camera direct to disc.

I haven't used Liquid, so I don't know what it's mpeg editing is like. But if it is like most NLEs, it is the wrong tool to be using. Unless there is an absolute requirement to use Liquid, you should consider using a dedicated mpeg editor when working with mpeg source.

[manono]

I did a test-burn to DVD after reading this advice:-

A test burn of what? Not the AutoGK one run through Liquid, right? Since you couldn't see any video after opening it in Liquid? So you used the AVI.Net one? The one with the interlacing?

OK, what's the resolution of the AVI.Net one? If you don't know, open it in GSpot and find out. I think you probably resized it without deinterlacing it, thus messing up the field structure, and guaranteeing that the interlacing will remain there forever.

It looks to me like you've done everything wrong so far and will have to go back and start all over again. This time, if you have to use an AVI in Liquid, maybe convert your Vobs to some interlaced, unresized, and lossless AVI codec, HuffYUV or Lagarith, or something like that. Maybe then Liquid can handle it.