VCD - DVD Audio Woes

[Modality]

Hi,

After using the SVCD2DVDMPG+ for sometime now, I am very happy with it, and would like to urge ChrissyBoy to keep up the good work.

My one problem is, I have major sound quality issues when converting VCD to DVD, the output sound is so crackly on bassy levels that the films are unwatchable, I recently downloaded a Marvel VCD title and ran it through the prog, it turned out really bad.

I have had this problem before with another VCD 'Old School' the exact same thing happens, and as they are the only 2 VCD's i've tried with it then I presume it's only a VCD issue.
The created mpg files are fine, it's the resulting VIDEO_TS files are are useless.
I followed the guide for sending the 10mb sample, when I first got the problem, about 3 weeks ago, recieved a reply from chrissyboy saying he'd look into it, but have yet to recieve another reply since (I know your busy fella, wasn't a dig there) although when I had a mooch about on the server at other samples I saw someone else had the exact same problem with the same VCD.

Should I just not bother with the program for VCD's? Will it have the same issue on them all?
Or is there a fix?

[ChrissyBoy]

I got your sample but it was unusable(try it yourself). Could you use TMPGEnc's Mpeg Tools to cut the mpg this time?

In my experience vcd work ok. Some sources don't react 100% to the audio resampling but this is rare.

I'll have alook at your sample as soon as you send it.

[Gurm]

Have you run the VIDEO_TS folder through PowerDVD or another software player? Does it still crackle out?

I find it a bit odd that the VIDEO_TS would have issues that the MPG file doesn't, since not THAT much is done to it.

Have you tried running that created MPG through another authoring program and then seen (although the video is likely messed up at that point) if the audio is OK?

None of this is definitive, mind you. I still can't make a good-sounding disc on my Pioneer player. It's 100% incompatible with BeSweet's AC3, and the MP2 is being flaky as well when I use the SCEPatcher.

- Gurm

The sample I uploaded to your server was a sample from the VOB file and played fine for me in PowerDVD although the sound was still crackly.

If I convert it and upload the mpg file I wouldn't have thought it would tell you anything as the sound is fine.

I've tried it on my PC yes, with Power DVD and it is still crackly exactly the same as in the standalone player.

My next job is to try authoring the created mpg with another prog and see if that comes out bad.

[ChrissyBoy]

indeed but i can't split it to analyse the audio as all programs reject it. I need a bit from the original source.

[yf2001usa]

What i learned so far form my numours tries to make dvds out of VCDs is:
1. Always use a two step encoding form mp2 to ac3. mp2->wav, wav-ac3. Or even 3 steps: mp2->wav, wav 44.1 - > wav 48, wav->ac3. This gives less cracking in the audio. And if this doesn't help try the solution of tip 2.
2. Sometimes audio is out of sync. Then reencoded the audio with tpmenc. then encoded it to ac3 it will be sync than. This is the problem i have for 90% of the time.
3. Use a program to author the dvds that doesn't reencoded the input files like: SVCD2MPGDVD+ but that will not work if you got the second problem or tmpgenc dvd author. I know you can't have fancy menus but it is always better then video's with blocks or audio trouble.

[Gurm]

Actually, I've discovered that in certain situations there's something... up... with SVCD2DVDMPG+'s DVD folders creation. The problem seems to crop up when using AC3.

I don't know what it is, but I've run across several situations where I can make perfectly good DVD's by running SVCD2DVDMPG+, having it output Elementary Streams, and then authoring with DVD Maestro or TMPGEnc DVD Author. But creating the DVD Folders directly causes audio corruption, video corruption and all kinds of wierdness.

I've given Chrissyboy a bunch of samples, and I'm confident he'll figure it out. In the meantime, try using MP2 - it seems to work 90% of the time for me (although there are problems with the odd video here and there which again is being worked on I think).

- Gurm

[ChrissyBoy]

Yep - I'm on the case!

Gurm's issues are compounded by having a Pioneer (i forget which model). However there are still issues to be resolved with some "samples" which we are both working on.

Also if you could upload a sample form the original mpeg i can "process" it & do some tests.

There is also a new facility to use Sonic Foundry SoftEncode (discontinued but available on eBay etc) as a AC-3 encoder coming in the next release (tomorrow) - which may help your case.

[Gurm]

Mmm... Pioneer still no likey SoftEncode all the time, but ME likey.

Actually, once again it's just the DVD Folder author that kills the SoftEncode AC3. So anyone outputting Elementary Streams will be able to use AC3 for their Pioneer now. W00t!

It is slow though. CB said it was HORRIBLY slow, but it's not THAT bad now that he's tweaked it. Probably twice as slow as BeSweet's AC3 encoder, but such is the price of getting compatible AC3 out.

- Gurm

[Gurm]

And ... since you can't buy Soft Encode any more, anyone that wants some help "scrounging up a used copy" should probably PM me.

- Gurm

P.S. One warning, before you all go complaining about the Muxer hanging... SoftEncode is even less tolerant of badly encoded audio streams than BeSweet is. It produces better output, and has an actual interface... but if you try to slip it some badly sliced video it WILL barf.