Here's a challenge for techies

[Necromancer]

When I capture using VirtualDub, and encode with TMPEG, it plays back fine on both my computer and in my standalone dvd player.

When I capture using VirtualVCR (which I prefer because of audio sync problems I have with VirtualDub) and encode it exactly the same way, then it still plays back fine on my computer, but it has random video glitches when played on my dvd player. And by random, I mean that they don't occur in the same spots if you replay the segment over again.

It obviously has something to do with the way it was captured, but for some reason only becomes apparent on my dvd player. Any guesses as to why that is?

Could it have anything to do with the capture being at not exactly the right frame rate? I don't know how the encoder handles something like that when creating an NTSC SCVD.

[Sefy]

To me it sounds like VirtualVCR doesn't do a good capture job, and that is
why you are getting those problems, perhaps the frame rate is not accurate.

[Nelson37]

Need more specifics on "random video glitch".

Multi-colored blocks or pixelisation? Speed up or slow down? Momentary pause or freeze? Audio loss, or speed variation? Variable image quality?

Very interesting that the problems do not show up at the same place every time, and that they are random. If the capture is dropping frames then they are always gone at the same place in the final video.

How frequent are the errors, and is the frequency constant?

[Necromancer]

The multi-coloured blocks are the closest I can come to describing it. There are no pauses. Every few seconds, a random shape/size/location(s) of the frame is garbled in a blocky fashion. It happens every few seconds on average, but the frequency is random. I have watched the same sequence over and over again, as a test, and I never noticed the glitches in the same place twice. The audio is perfect.

[Nelson37]

That sounds like data errors on the CD itself. Try playing the CD on the PC, though PC drives and software are often more forgiving of errors than standalone DVD players.

Are you sure you are using the same bitrate and GOP structure as on successful burns? Have you changed media brand, or even got a different batch of same brand?

I would try some short burns on CD-RW as a test.

[Necromancer]

It plays back fine on the computer from the cd. Same batch of cds as previous good cds, and all the post-capture procedures have been exactly the same.