crazy freezing problem

[housepig]

okay, can't figure this one out for the life of me.

source is a Digital8 tape, about 35 mintues of material. captured as avi, 720x480, 29.97fps, MJPEG codec. as an avi, this file plays fine.

converted using TMPGenc (CBR, 7,500kbs) to separate m2v and mp2 files, then ripped the wav audio from the original avi and converted it to ac3 with BeSweet. the m2v file plays correctly when viewed in WMP.

imported these into DVD Lab and authored the dvd. what should play is about 6 seconds of black screen, and then video and audio come in at the same time. what happens is the video starts immediatly, then freeze frames / hiccups a couple of times, then at the 6 second mark the audio comes in and the video starts to play normally, in proper sync.

what I have tried so far:

- authoring in DVD Lab with :
--- m2v + ac3, discreet streams
--- m2v + wav, discreet streams
--- m2v + ac3, muxed before import, no demux by DVD Lab
--- m2v + mp2, muxed before import, no demux by DVD Lab

-- authoring with IFO Edit with m2v + ac3, discreet streams.

every version I've tried has the same problem on playback - whether I set the video material as first play, or start from a menu, or insert another intro movie in front of it, it keeps hiccuping.

any info would be most helpful - this is a paying gig, and in theory I need to deliver 20 copies by tomorrow noon. (in reality, the client is aware of the problems, and is okay with the stutter... but I'm not!)

I'm trying a version right now with IFO Edit and m2v and wav streams, but I'm not holding out a lot of hope for it....

is the 6 seconds of black screen screwing it somehow? I can't see why it would, but then again, I don't know why the methods I've used sucessfully for the last 18 months are not working with this material....

[housepig]

update - no love with IFO Edit and the m2v & wav streams - the video is going 2x while the audio cruises at regular speed (at least it's a new, different problem...)

this is vexing me quite badly. I see this friggin' thing in my sleep. no ideas from the peanut gallery?