how to author/convert DISH Network PVR streams ?

[lordsmurf]

I have a handful of PVR dumps, from DISH Network stream. 544x480 MPEG-2 interlaced, 29.97fps.

If I try to convert them in Procoder, the video is jerky. FPS matches up, it's just jerky. It appears to be on I-frames (about 1-2 times per second). In fact, I had to roll back to PC 1.0 because PC 1.5 saw them as 24FPS (false reading).

If I try to convert them in TMPGENC, the video has interlace errors on scene changes where there is fast action (not all scene changes). TMPGENC insists the video is 1:1 ratio, not 4:3 and will look like crap otherwise.

If I try to patch the first header in DVD Patcher (352x480 patched), Ulead DVD Workshop 2 and/or TMPGEnc DVD Author will see the streams. The preview windows shows the video aspect messed up, but the frame rate is fine, and it authors without re-encode. However, the resulting authored folder has audio sync loss and jerky video.

What is going on here? I want to either re-encode the video to compliancy, or author them with a patch/hack method. A friend of mine just bought DVD-Lab Pro, so I can go visit him if needed, but neither of us know how to use that software yet (the guides on this site are no help either).

I'm just dumbfounded by this. Somebody else out there surely has worked with files like this. A little help?

At the moment, I'm using the TMPGENC files from a DVDWS2 author, but it could be better. It reminds me of an interlaced PAL->NTSC conversion and it's interlace artifacts.

[xpavement]

You mentioned may want to re-encode, so maybe try creating a .d2v project file and feeding that through avisynth as well to do any resizing for compliancy, then see if the encoders deal with the resulting .avs file any better...

[bugster]

Have you tried frameserving from dvd2avi to TmpGenc. Doing it this way TmpGenc doesn't have to decode the source mpeg-2 1st and so may give better results.

[lordsmurf]

Hmmm.... DVD2AVI .... now there's a thought. I shall try it.

[lordsmurf]

Alright, to get more in-depth, I tried TMPGENC with both CRI and Ligos as decoder. Cyberlink refused to see the MPEG files. Quicktime sucks as usual. Ligos looks about the same as CRI. Sadly, Ligos made it brighter too?

MainConcept sees the video as 23.976 INTERLACED source (it is interlaced, but it is truly 29.97, not 3:2 progressive).

Testing some D2V now ... but I have no faith. The DVD2AVI said the file is only 95% NTSC. WTF?

One file, in fact, when tested with GSPOT reports that BOTH TFF and BFF are present in the file??!! WTF again?!

Am considering an SVCD author and analog recapture.

DVD2AVI to follow soon. Each test takes a while.

[bugster]

Testing some D2V now ... but I have no faith. The DVD2AVI said the file is only 95% NTSC. WTF?

One file, in fact, when tested with GSPOT reports that BOTH TFF and BFF are present in the file??!! WTF again?!

Is it not possible, that due to ad breaks etc, for the boradcaster to switch field settings?

That may also explain why DVD2AVI reports 95% NTSC, the other 5% would be film! This could throw out many if not most encoders.

[lordsmurf]

The ads were removed with Womble .. and stupidly, before I realized this would be a problem, I tossed the highest source .... but I've gotten a disc from a friend (that has since broken off contact, the weirdo) where he took the same kind of files, edited womble (same version), and authored.... the exact methodology I never asked of him...

So I doubt that's the issue. But it does pose an interesting idea. However the errors appears in the middle of the movie too, nowhere near a commercial break, had it happened.

I've tried a number of other methods too (some very complex) and still no luck. Have not tossed in towel yet.

[lordsmurf]

Final update:

Womble messed up some of them, the edited ones.
The unedited files were fine after I ran this conversion process:

1. Extract the DVD back to VOB using IFO mode in DVD Decrypter.
2. Open to VOB in DVD2AVI
3. Save DVD2AVI .D2V project file
4. Open in TMPGENC
5. Source in second window in interlaced BOTTOM field, FULLSCREEN, 1:1 AR
6. Clip top 2 PIXELS with a top frame mask (cover satellite overscan data)
7. Encode to new settings (352x480, interlaced MPEG2, 8 bit DC, CQ mode 4000k max @ 80% is looking nice)

The Womble files are lost. I just accept the few errors in the TMPGENC conversion, and no better to not use Womble on these kinds of files next time (MPEG-VCR 6-2004 version). It screws up the interlace to include both TFF and BFF and some other odd interlace-type problems. Deinterlace is an option, but it would probably look just as mediocre. Live and learn.

Lesson: Be wary of using Womble on PVR rips. In fact, PVR rips suck altogether. Make your life easier: CAPTURE or DVD RECORDER! Hell, even VHS would have been better, in the end.