H.264 Audio/Video out of sync

[Metallirat]

Hi,
I recently got the new version of ffmpegx and I though I would rerip and try out H.264 on my Team America DVD. I used the preset and only adjusted the bitrate. When done I checked it out and after about half way through the movie and until the end the audio is slightly out of sync with the video. I used the VIDEO_TS as the input and tried both the 5.1 and the Stereo in the sound tab.

I tried this dvd with the XviD codec and it worked great and was not out of sync. I also tried different audio options (mp3, mp2) on the H.264.

Thanks in advance

[sedination]

I've had issues as well with getting the audio and video in sync with H.264. Encodes using XviD work perfectly.

[major]

I'm making some tests about this. It would be worth checking if you have the same issues when the input is a VOB file instead of a VIDEO_TS folder.

[Metallirat]

I reripped the title as one VOB in MTR and I'll try that. I'll let you know when it gets done. My powerbook sure is getting a workout.

One thing I wanted to note. I ripped the VIDEO_TS from my House Season 1 dvds to see if it was just the team america dvd. The thing is when I woke up it was done, but this time it was obvious the video was running a lot faster than the audio. So it looks like another issue, but we will work on the first one first.

I'll keep trying different things to try and get it to work.

[Metallirat]

Well,
It just finished after the progress window went to 153% and it left the file as a .264 file so i changed it to both mp4 and mov and neither of which would open in quicktime. There was also a 0kb in size .aac file left in the folder as well. I looked in the log and this was the last few lines

Duration: 01:03:21.3, start: 0.195633, bitrate: 9473 kb/s
Stream #0.0[0x1e0]: Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 720x480, 29.97 fps, 9800 kb/s
Stream #0.1[0x20]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.2[0x21]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.3[0x22]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.4[0x23]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.5[0x24]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.6[0x25]: Subtitle: dvdsub
Stream #0.7[0x80]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, 5:1, 448 kb/s
Stream #0.8[0x81]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Stream #0.9[0x82]: Audio: ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Codec type mismatch for mapping #0.1 -> #0.0

[major]

It is trying to convert a subtitle (#0.1) into audio. Try to select 7 as audio track. I'll add more option to detect the audio streams. In the meantime, use VOBs with a single audio track and no subtitles, or use VIDEO_TS.

[Metallirat]

I have now tried a Single .VOB & VIDEO_TS with multiple movies and none of which are in sync. They start off in sync and then slowly get worse. Not sure what else to do. Thanks for you help so far Major. That was the problem with the audio thing on the other one but still out of sync once I fixed that.

[major]

Which framerate were you using?

[mikepenn]

http://handbrake.m0k.org/

[Metallirat]

Which framerate were you using?

Well ffmpeg's video windows says the VOB is 23.976 and in the video parameters it says NTSC FILM so thats the same but when i start encoding the progress window says the following.

Encoding started on Sun Sep 4 00:17:41 CDT 2005
MEncoder dev-CVS-050814-13:46-3.3 (C) 2000-2005 MPlayer Team
Mac OSX static build for ffmpegX
AltiVec found
CPU: PowerPC
success: format: 0 data: 0x0 - 0x9495c000
MPEG-PS file format detected.
VIDEO: MPEG2 720x480 (aspect 3) 29.970 fps 9800.0 kbps (1225.0 kbyte/s)
[V] filefmt:2 fourcc:0x10000002 size:720x480 fps:29.97 ftime:=0.0334
Opening video filter: [expand osd=1]
Expand: -1 x -1, -1 ; -1, osd: 1, aspect: 0.000000, round: 1
Opening video filter: [scale w=640 h=272]
Crop: 718 x 358, 0 ; 58
Opening video filter: [pp=md]
Opening video filter: [pp=0x33]


So which is right?
and if the ffmpeg window is right how do i force it to not change to 29 fps?

[davco9200]

I have also been having the same problem... When I left the frame rate at 29.97 the audio was WAY out of sync (by minutes). I adjusted it back to "FILM" and it is much better but still off by about 1 min at the end of a 22 minute episode. I haven't tried other settings.

As per the other poster, using MPEG 4, avi container (using menencoder) worked just fine, using the exact same framerate and audio settings (as far as I can tell.) Again, thanks for the excellent product and support.

[lhawkins]

Just posting to let you know that I had the exact same issues from VIDEO_TS folders on "Constantine" and "Fight Club" so it doesn't seem to be disk related. Both were ripped with MTR and both encoded correctly to XviD. I tested Fight Club in Handbrake and that was in sync.

[Metallirat]

Just posting to let you know that I had the exact same issues from VIDEO_TS folders on "Constantine" and "Fight Club" so it doesn't seem to be disk related. Both were ripped with MTR and both encoded correctly to XviD. I tested Fight Club in Handbrake and that was in sync.

We must think alike, I tried fight club with both .VOB, and VIDEO_TS and out of sync but Handbrake works fine.

[Metallirat]

I might have found a temporary solution.

What I did was I ripped a DVD as the .m2v and .ac3.
Then i muxed them as a dvd (without authoring) in ffmpegx.
I then used the resulting .mpg file in ffmpegx and the video and audio was in sync. I'll try another one when i get the chance.

[BAL_050905]

hi,

I recently found Mplayer Documents updated,here.

Improving muxing and A/V sync reliability.
http://www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/menc-feat-dvd-mpeg4.html#menc-feat-dvd-mpeg4-muxi...-filter-issues

I wish i could understand english better,,,

If you have QuickTime Pro,This may help.
1)encode without B-frames
2)demux x264+aac.mp4 to x264.mp4 and aac.mp4
3)copy Video and add TO aac.mp4

Some screenshots here
http://www.geocities.jp/howtoffmpegx/009t_H264mp4.html

good luck

[Metallirat]

Well, I tried my method on fight club and it didn't work. I guess i'll stick with Handbrake untill ffmpegx works better. Keep up the great work major.

[major]

Please try again with the 0.0.9t r3 version which I just uploaded at http://homepage.mac.com/major4/ffmpegX.dmg (no need to reinstall binaries, just download again the disk image and overwrite the application). Please report if it works now.

[Metallirat]

I tried my Boondock Saints DVD VIDEO_TS folder with the new version and still out of sync.

[major]

Strange, I tried with a full NTSC DVD here and it was okay. Are you using NTSC or NTSC FILM? How much is it out of sync? If you encode a single VOB from inside the VIDEO_TS, it is also out of sync? Thank you.

[Metallirat]

Strange, I tried with a full NTSC DVD here and it was okay. Are you using NTSC or NTSC FILM? How much is it out of sync? If you encode a single VOB from inside the VIDEO_TS, it is also out of sync? Thank you.

After dragging the VIDEO_TS its says its 29.97 so NTSC. I checked about 2/3rds through the movie and its about 15sec off. I'm going to try a single VOB right now and i'll let you know when it finishes.

[major]

Which kind of material is the VOB, a regular movie, cartoon or anime, music video?

[Metallirat]

Which kind of material is the VOB, a regular movie, cartoon or anime, music video?

Movie

[major]

Try using NTSC FILM as output to check if it makes any difference.

[Metallirat]

Well I tried a single .VOB from the movie (about 16 min) and it was still out of sync, both with NTSC and NTSC Film.

[Mechcozmo]

Er, I am having video sync issues going to/from anything.

Encoding started on Mon Sep 12 17:11:10 PDT 2005
Input #0, mpeg, from '/Volumes/Second HD/ftp/VirtualUsers/dad/Good Eats/Good Eats - ''Circle of Life'' (Recorded Jul 28, 2005, FOODP).mpg':
  Duration: 00:30:00.7, start: 11.111111, bitrate: 6089 kb/s
  Stream #0.0[0x1e0]: Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 480x480, 29.97 fps, 5800 kb/s
  Stream #0.1[0x1c0]: Audio: mp2, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s
Output #0, dv, to '/Volumes/Second HD/Good Eats/Good Eats - ''Circle of Life''.mpg.ff.dv':
  Stream #0.0: Video: dvvideo, yuv420p, 720x480, 29.97 fps, q=2-9, 25000 kb/s
  Stream #0.1: Audio: pcm_s16le, 48000 Hz, stereo, 1536 kb/s
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
  Stream #0.1 -> #0.1
[mpeg2video @ 0x4199e0]Warning MVs not available
[mpeg2video @ 0x4199e0]concealing 870 DC, 870 AC, 870 MV errors
[mpeg2video @ 0x4199e0]Warning MVs not available
[mpeg2video @ 0x4199e0]concealing 870 DC, 870 AC, 870 MV errors
[mpeg2video @ 0x4199e0]ac-tex damaged at 10 2
[mpeg2video @ 0x4199e0]Warning MVs not available
[mpeg2video @ 0x4199e0]concealing 840 DC, 840 AC, 840 MV errors
[dvvideo @ 0x4199e0]Can't process DV frame #53979. Insufficient audio data or severe sync problem.
[dvvideo @ 0x4199e0]Can't process DV frame #53979. Insufficient audio data or severe sync problem.
[dvvideo @ 0x4199e0]Can't process DV frame #53979. Insufficient audio data or severe sync problem.
[dvvideo @ 0x4199e0]Can't process DV frame #53979. Insufficient audio data or severe sync problem.
[dvvideo @ 0x4199e0]Can't process DV frame #53979. Insufficient audio data or severe sync problem.
bench: utime=4961.509s
video:6326016kB audio:337707kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead -5.073119%
Encoding completed on Mon Sep 12 18:55:06 PDT 2005

That is from MPEG2 to DV. Severe sync problem is what I'm betting on since the original plays fine in VLC. (I was trying to go MPEG2->DV->H.264 but nuts to that)

[lhawkins]

I'm suprised by the different experiences we are all having... When I said that Fight Club was out of sync, it was only about a half a second by the end of the film, certainly not anything like 15 seconds. I am encoding it again with the new r3 version but I won't know until morning whether it worked any better or not.

[Metallirat]

I'm suprised by the different experiences we are all having... When I said that Fight Club was out of sync, it was only about a half a second by the end of the film, certainly not anything like 15 seconds. I am encoding it again with the new r3 version but I won't know until morning whether it worked any better or not.

Yeah, Fight Club was off, Boondock Saints was off by a different amount. My House DVD was weird because the video was like it was in fast forward the whole time. Different with every one.

[major]

I'm trying to find a source file which shows the sync problem when encoded to MP4 H264. Can anybody provide me with a link to download one?

[Metallirat]

I tried My matrix dvd as one big .VOB. Its NTSC Film but the audio is just a fraction off (half a second).

[sedination]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but the out-of-sync problem with x264 may be caused by a reasoned which is exemplified in the following tests I made:

Source: 24fps, about 2 hour long movie
1. Xvid @ 24fps: plays in sync
2. Xvid @ 30fps: plays in sync but video a bit choppy is certain sequences (as expected because encode is at 30fps and source is 24fps). Nevertheless, video and audio are perfectly in sync
3. x264 @ 24fps: plays about about 0.5 seconds out of sync
4. **x264 @ 30fps: Here's the key test. WAY WAY out of sync...video ends about 20-30 minutes before audio. Video seems like it's every so slightly in fast forward. Video and audio are in sync at the VERY beginning and gets progressively more out of sync as the movie progresses.

Here's what I think is happening. #1, everything's fine. In #2, because encoding is at 30fps and source is 24fps, 6 duplicate frames must be made every second to keep video and audio in sync. However, this frame duplication doesn't seem to be happening in x264 encodes and this is what is causing the out-of-sync problem.

This would explain why #4 is WAY out of sync and would explain why the video would seem to be slightly in fast forward. And to explain #3, when I looked at the log file, I saw that sometimes in the encoding process a few frames would be skipped. This would cause #3 to be slightly out of sync.