.vob to mpeg2 - audio sync problems

[redlester]

I've burned my first DVD on my set-top recorder (Tosh D-R1) and now I want to put the files onto the PC, convert to mpeg, edit out unwanted material at beginning & end, then re-author with chapter points & menus.

Have tried using Womble mpeg-VCR, DVD Decrypter and TMPGenc, and combinations of same, but am getting no joy. My problem is keeping audio in sync with video after conversion from .vob to .mpg. I've tried Womble by converting each .vob file (there are four) individually, and the first seems to be ok, but the others are about a second or two out of synch. When I tried to join all the vobs into one large mpg file on Womble, there was no audio at all after the initial quarter of the resultant .mpg file!

Have tried converting using DVD Decrypter, which gives me 4 .m2v files and an .ac3 audio file. Multiplexing these in TMPGenc worked, but the audio had drifted significantly out of sync by the end of the movie.

Am I missing something obvious? What is the easiest way (which actually works) to achieve what I'm trying to do? Is it anything to do with the fact that I'm using PAL files? Do I need to alter any default settings for that?

[oldfart13]

I hope you didn't attempt to edit anything on the disc you used to transfer from the set top recorder to your computer. This will definitely throw out the sync. The only places you can edit are at the beginning and end of the recorded program. I use Womble Mpeg Video Wizard for all my editing and have no sync problems at all. I can then load the files (set to automatic in the "save as" pull down) into TMPEnc DVD Author, set chapters, add a menu and save to the HDD. Burn with Nero. Nothing simpler. I use a Panasonic E80H and record to DVD-RAM for transfer to the computer. If you burned to a DVD-R, to transfer to your computer, it's best to rip with DVD Decryptor set to save as a single large VOB. If you record to DVD-RAM, the best is to get software that recognizes the DVD-RAM independednt program streams like Panasonic's Movie Album Copy Tool and copy each individual program to your computer HDD. If you need more info, PM me...

[gshelley61]

I've burned my first DVD on my set-top recorder (Tosh D-R1) and now I want to put the files onto the PC, convert to mpeg, edit out unwanted material at beginning & end, then re-author with chapter points & menus.

Have tried using Womble mpeg-VCR, DVD Decrypter and TMPGenc, and combinations of same, but am getting no joy. My problem is keeping audio in sync with video after conversion from .vob to .mpg. I've tried Womble by converting each .vob file (there are four) individually, and the first seems to be ok, but the others are about a second or two out of synch. When I tried to join all the vobs into one large mpg file on Womble, there was no audio at all after the initial quarter of the resultant .mpg file!

Have tried converting using DVD Decrypter, which gives me 4 .m2v files and an .ac3 audio file. Multiplexing these in TMPGenc worked, but the audio had drifted significantly out of sync by the end of the movie.

Am I missing something obvious? What is the easiest way (which actually works) to achieve what I'm trying to do? Is it anything to do with the fact that I'm using PAL files? Do I need to alter any default settings for that?

I've never run into any A/V sync problems with my JVC DVD recorder VOB files. This is my method:

Extract and save your VOB's to one large file first. Do not demux! DVD Decrypter and Smartripper can do this, but you can also just use Simple File Joiner (free at http://www.peretek.com/sfj.php) to join and rename your VOB's to a single MPG in one step. VOB's are just DVD-Video compliant MPEG2 files with a different extension... you can even just rename them with the MPG extension and they will still work.

After creating a single extracted or joined MPG, then load it into Womble MPEG Video Wizard or MPEG-VCR for simple frame accurate editing (basic cutting and joining). If you use MVW, don't bother with any of the slick transitions, add music or narration, etc. That will force your file to be completely re-encoded (loss of quality - bad!). Load the edited MPG into TMPGEnc DVD Author or another DVD authoring program, pick chapter stops and create a menu (if you want a menu). Then burn the authored DVD files to your final DVD-R with Nero or some other burning software.

Again, keep in mind that VOB's are already MPEG2 video files and do not have to be "converted", transcoded, or re-encoded. VOB is a specific file extension used in DVD-Video compliant file structures, that's all.

[redlester]

I hope you didn't attempt to edit anything on the disc you used to transfer from the set top recorder to your computer. This will definitely throw out the sync.

No, havent edited anything yet. I want it as one large .mpg file then I just want to trim the start and the end.

I'm using a DVD-R which was finalised in the recorder (obviously)

If you burned to a DVD-R, to transfer to your computer, it's best to rip with DVD Decryptor set to save as a single large VOB.

Thats possibly where I'm going wrong. I need to find the right settings to do that. Sorry, am very unfamiliar with DVD decrypter - have always used DVD Shrink in the past for ripping. Will give it a shot.

[redlester]

Extract and save your VOB's to one large file first. Do not demux! DVD Decrypter and Smartripper can do this, but you can also just use Simple File Joiner (free at http://www.peretek.com/sfj.php) to join and rename your VOB's to a single MPG in one step. VOB's are just DVD-Video compliant MPEG2 files with a different extension... you can even just rename them with the MPG extension and they will still work.

now that is very interesting, and something I didn't realise. Will definately give that a try - thanks.

[duhmez]

Sweet jesus no! vob files are NOT just dvd compliant mpg files with different extension! They have additional data in them and are a completely different container for holding AV and program data! (one of what they CONTAIN is dvd complaint mpg data..................

[gshelley61]

Sweet jesus no! vob files are NOT just dvd compliant mpg files with different extension! They have additional data in them and are a completely different container for holding AV and program data! (one of what they CONTAIN is dvd complaint mpg data..................

True, of course. A VOB (Video OBject) contains several streams multiplexed together: Video, Audio and Subtitles. Video is MPEG-2, audio can be AC-3, Linear PCM, Mpeg 2 multichannel or MPEG1 layer2 2 channel audio. But, for VOB's recorded with a DVD recorder, they can be renamed and treated as muxed .MPG's and they will work just fine. I suppose it would have been more accurate to say VOB's contain DVD compliant MPEG2 video and one or more DVD compliant audio files, plus additional data like subtitle files, etc.

If you are starting out with a commercial DVD with encryption and multiple audio tracks, subtitles, etc. then you would have to rip and demux the streams first.

[redlester]

It worked guys. Joined the .vob files in Simple File Joiner and set the file extension of the joined file to .mpg and it worked beautifully. I've now been able to chop the unwanted bits out, then demux to .m2v & .ac3 ready for chapters & menus using DVD Maestro. Brilliant!