Need software that actually works like it's supposed to.

[Jon.G]

So, I've decided that I no longer wish to compromise, since we supposedly have great digital technology that doesn't require it anymore. It just seems no one can make anything work properly.

So, I have 2 DVDs that contain a music video. Version 1 has the video, which was widescreen, converted to fullscreen, back to widescreen....so a border all around. Someone should be fired for that. It has 3 audio options, stereo, 5.1, and commentary. All dolby digital.

The only useful piece of data there is the commentary, which I ripped out, and kept in dolby digital for now.

Version 2 has the video in widescreen, no bs going on with the video, and 2 audio options, stereo and 5.1, also dolby digital. The video is the only useful piece of data here.

Meanwhile, I've obtained high resolution audio of the stereo and 5.1 mixes, so I can enjoy the video with audio that actually sounds decent, and not have to settle for crappy dolby digital, unless I want to listen to the commentary, which dolby digital is good enough for that.

So, I took my stereo and 5.1 high res files, and took audio rips from the video source I'm using, and tweaked my hires files to ensure they time out perfectly identical to the audio that was extracted from the video. I've double checked, triple checked, and checked and checked again, and I can guarantee you, the hires audio I am trying to use, times out perfectly with the audio extracted from the original video file that I am using the video for. I check a peak in the original file, check that same peak on my hires file, perfect to all 3 places of the decimal point of a second in my sound forge session. I've checked various points near the beginning and end of the file.....my audio is identical, as far as time goes.

This means the audio should sync up PERFECTLY.

So, I use mkvmerge GUI to combine my video, and hires audio. the video is in mpv format, my hires audio is in flac, which works with mkv, and of course the audio commentary is in dolby digital. And I did verify that the 2 videos do time out close enough that I shouldn't need to tweak the commentary, a reference point was off by a few thousandths of a second, close enough for a commentary.

The resulting mkv I have is off, and it drifts. It starts out pretty close, but by the end of the file it is obviously out of sync.

So....mkvmerge GUI.....crap.....can't sync up anything properly and is messing with the timing of the audio I'm putting in it.



Could anyone recommend software that works as it's supposed to? I'm sick and tired of wasting my time on these things, throwing perfectly good time away because a piece of software doesn't work right.

[fvisagie]

Just to be clear, you're taking apparently perfectly fine video and audio sources, and you're...? Just muxing them, no re-encoding? If that's the case, an input framerate and/or sample rate probably doesn't match up with the default expected by the muxer, resulting in widening drift.

You actually have two choices - either investigate the source of the error and try to correct it in your current workflow, or look for an alternative tool as you mention. YMMV with either obviously, but if I were you I'd start with the first option, seeing that you have some familiarity with the tools at least.

In terms of alternative muxers, you could try ffmpeg or other front-ends like Avidemux, MediaCoder etc. IIRC my old ffmpeg version doesn't set/update the container aspect ratio if it doesn't also encode so look out for that. Also be aware of the possibility that an alternative front-end may wrap the same utility as you're trying to get away from.

Cheers,
Francois

[Cornucopia]

You talk about your sources, but not counting the "dolby digital", give no clear or thorough description of what you actual have. MediaInfo reports here are invaluable. They could help you troubleshoot exactly the kind of problem you seem to be having that fvisagie has just outlined.

Will hold off on more comments (about NLEs vs. remuxing vs. Frameserved re-encoding, etc) until we get more info...

Scott

[Jon.G]

I think I found that the problem was, the tool I was using to extract my guide audio, wasn't ripping it accurately, throwing everything off. So, txmuxergui bad, audiomuxer good, basically sums up the problem I ran into. I should have known to just stick with audiomuxer for all audio things.