Converting NTSC video to MKV

[siocnarf]

Hi,

I am currently trying to convert some NTSC DVD (zone 1) to MKV Files and I have some problem.

1. The images are frequently looking as blur. Sound it is a fps problem... Which fps should I select in handshake. Actually I leaved it as same as source but sound it was not the good choice.

2. With Handshake, I selected the subtitles english, french and cc caption. During the video, cc caption is working but none of the others.

Any idea?

Thanks,

François

[videobruger]

trying to convert some NTSC DVD (zone 1) to MKV

Why?

frequently looking as blur

How do you play it?

During the video, cc caption is working but none of the others

Have you used MediaInfo to see if the subtitles are present?

Based on what you tell I would say re-muxing. It's fast, there is no loss in quality. Many like MakeMKV. I'm however one of those that gets BSOD every other time I use it so I prefer MKVMergeGUI.

[siocnarf]

I bought a diskstation and want reading the DVDs on my Bluray with DLNA. The subtitles seems to be present.

Général
Unique ID : 317106893381720974119958577560576828867 (0xEE9090EF705797C97F9A6B9D9813A5C3)
Complete name : C:\Users\Client\Videos\Babylon 5 S1\Babylon 5.1x05.Le Parlement des rêves (Parliament of dreams).mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 512 Mio
Duration : 43mn 53s
Overall bit rate : 1 632 Kbps
Writing application : HandBrake 0.9.8
Writing library : libmkv 0.6.5
Vidéo
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3.0
Format settings, CABAC : Oui
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 images
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 43mn 53s
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29,970 Im/s
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressif
Writing library : x264 core 120
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=1 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=2 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=12 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=1 / keyint=300 / keyint_min=30 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=10 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=20.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=3 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Language : Anglais
Default : Oui
Forced : Non
Coordonnées de chromaticité : BT.601 NTSC
Caractéristiques du transfert : BT.709
Coefficients de la matrice : BT.601
Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 43mn 53s
Channel(s) : 2 canaux
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48,0 KHz
Compression mode : Avec perte
Language : Anglais
Default : Oui
Forced : Non
Audio #2
ID : 3
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 43mn 53s
Channel(s) : 1 canal
Channel positions : Front: C
Sampling rate : 48,0 KHz
Compression mode : Avec perte
Language : Français
Default : Non
Forced : Non
Texte #1
ID : 4
Format : VobSub
Codec ID : S_VOBSUB
Codec ID/Info : The same subtitle format used on DVDs
Language : Anglais
Default : Non
Forced : Non
Texte #2
ID : 5
Format : VobSub
Codec ID : S_VOBSUB
Codec ID/Info : The same subtitle format used on DVDs
Language : Français
Default : Non
Forced : Non
Texte #3
ID : 6
Format : UTF-8
Codec ID : S_TEXT/UTF8
Codec ID/Info : UTF-8 Plain Text
Language : Anglais
Default : Non
Forced : Non
Menu
00:00:00.000 : Chapter 1
00:05:09.642 : Chapter 2
00:14:54.560 : Chapter 3
00:24:26.798 : Chapter 4
00:31:36.227 : Chapter 5
00:41:38.496 : Chapter 6

[videobruger]

Okay. Then compression (saving disc space) is probably not your main concern. So there's no need to spend a lot of time re-encoding in HandBrake (and loose quality).

Next without knowing which bluray player you use I guess there's a good chance that it may support playing a DVD file structure with AUDIO_TS/VIDEO_TS FOLDERS in wich case you just need to rip your DVDs in the sense of removing any copy protecting/regional code restriction. DVDFab has a free tool for this.

Perhaps if you told the make and model of your player someone might be able to help you further.

[siocnarf]

Okay. Then compression (saving disc space) is probably not your main concern. So there's no need to spend a lot of time re-encoding in HandBrake (and loose quality).

Next without knowing which bluray player you use I guess there's a good chance that it may support playing a DVD file structure with AUDIO_TS/VIDEO_TS FOLDERS in wich case you just need to rip your DVDs in the sense of removing any copy protecting/regional code restriction. DVDFab has a free tool for this.

Perhaps if you told the make and model of your player someone might be able to help you further.

My bluray is supporting AVI and MKV files.
Should I encode at 29,970 Im/s or give a try to 30Im/s?

[smrpix]

Use DVDFab to copy the whole disk to an iso on your diskstation. Then try to play it through your blu ray player. If it works, that's the best quality you'll get.

AVI and MKV are such flexible containers that simply saying avi or mkv doesn't tell very much.

[siocnarf]

Use DVDFab to copy the whole disk to an iso on your diskstation. Then try to play it through your blu ray player. If it works, that's the best quality you'll get.

AVI and MKV are such flexible containers that simply saying avi or mkv doesn't tell very much.

I am sorry but I would like using a MKV.

[smrpix]

What flavor? Here are your choices: http://haali.su/mkv/codecs.pdf

In any case, DVDFab is a good bet.

[jman98]

Set your output framerate to 24 fps and see if you get better results from that. I am guessing that Babylon 5 was shot on film, so 24 fps is the right choice if that is true.

I suggest keeping the original audio and not changing it to AAC, but that is just my personal preference.

Handbrake is known to have problems with subtitles. Perhaps it can only keep one subtitle. I am not sure but I think I read that somewhere.

[siocnarf]

Hi,

I had PAL Zone 2 DVD (Space 1999) and convert it with 25 fps
Here it is NTSC Zone 1 DVD (Babylon 5) and you are suggesting to convert it with 24 fps.

I tried what you suggested and the images was really better.
So what is the rule to be good?
When should I use:
25 fps?
24 fps?
29.970 fps?
Other?

The subtitles are working with VLC.

Thanks,

François

[smrpix]

So what is the rule to be good?
When should I use:
25 fps?
24 fps?
29.970 fps?
Other?

Generally you want to keep the framerate of the original, this minimizes the chances of introducing new artifacts and errors. MKV is generally region and framerate agnostic.

[jman98]

If your source DVD is PAL, then use 25 fps for the output.

If your source DVD is NTSC, then use 24 fps for the output. If the output of NTSC looks bad at 24 fps, then try 29.97 fps (or 30 fps if Handbrake does not allow you to use 29.97).

[siocnarf]

Hi,

If your source DVD is PAL, then use 25 fps for the output.

If your source DVD is NTSC, then use 24 fps for the output. If the output of NTSC looks bad at 24 fps, then try 29.97 fps (or 30 fps if Handbrake does not allow you to use 29.97).

My first test was same as source and the image was jerky. I tried with 24fps and the image is clear but jerkily. I will try 29.97 to see.
The subtitles are working properly with VLC but not with the BluRay...

I ripped season 2 with same as source and the FPS is variable. Not sure what is mean.

Thanks,

François

[Selur]

btw. for IVTC should be selected as deinterlacer when converting NTSC material

I ripped season 2 with same as source and the FPS is variable

then either handbrake is making a mistake or is configured wrong, since vfr (variable frame rate) is not allowed on DVD.

The subtitles are working properly with VLC but not with the BluRay...

You Blu-ray player probably doesn't support vobsub subtitles in mkv files -> you might have to convert them to in example pgs (= subtitle format used on Blu-rays) or a text based subtitle format like srt/ass.

[siocnarf]

btw. for IVTC should be selected as deinterlacer when converting NTSC material
What do you mean? What is IVTC? why? How?

The subtitles are working properly with VLC but not with the BluRay...

You Blu-ray player probably doesn't support vobsub subtitles in mkv files -> you might have to convert them to in example pgs (= subtitle format used on Blu-rays) or a text based subtitle format like srt/ass.

How are you doing this?

What should be the correct parameters with PAL DVD? With NTSC 29.970 seems to be better but I will need to check further. I changed the preset from normal to high profile. Seems a little bit better.

[siocnarf]

[QUOTE=Selur;2231820]btw. for IVTC should be selected as deinterlacer when converting NTSC material

With Mediainfor, I am reading: Scan type : Progressif
Should I still use a deinterlacer? Decomb?

[Selur]

No clue how handbrake named it, but there should be a IVTC option:https://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/Telecine

[siocnarf]

[QUOTE=jman98;2231471]Set your output framerate to 24 fps and see if you get better results from that. I am guessing that Babylon 5 was shot on film, so 24 fps is the right choice if that is true.

I am back to 29.976. The image was too jerky. But it is still at 29.976. Should i put decomb on or detelecine or may you suggest me some idea?

[siocnarf]

No clue how handbrake named it, but there should be a IVTC option:https://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/Telecine

Can I use Dcomb with Detelecine or must I use only one or the other?

[Selur]

Sorry, no clue never used handbrake, but normally you deinterlace or apply ivtc on normal DVD content.

[siocnarf]

[QUOTE=Selur;2231820]btw. for IVTC should be selected as deinterlacer when converting NTSC material

I tried it and got out of sync on my DVD but not on VLC.