Variance in Frame Rate When Using Scenalyzer to Transfer DV

[Zeek]

Has anyone noticed any problem with frame rate in DV transfers (Mini DV to hdd) when using Scenalyzer?

Until recently, my tried and true method of transferring video from mini-DV camcorder to hdd using UVS 7 has worked flawlessly. For some odd reason, A/V synch has suddenly become an issue using this method and, after fidgeting with it for a week or so and perusing these forums, I finally broke down and switched to Scenalyzer for capping/transfers.

This certainly did the trick at first but, after trying to append some of these transfers to "normal" avi files, I've noticed a very small disparity in frame rates between every other (NTSC) file I have and the transfers I am doing with Scenalyzer. Normal frame rate for NTSC should be exactly 29.97 fps. However, with these ("Scenalyzed") transfers, V-Dub is reporting a frame rate of 29.97003 and G-Spot, oddly enough, sees it as 29.971. As a result, I'm sunk every time I try to append anything to these files and this is most definitely putting a damper on my intended Christmas gifts.

As a possible solution, I've tried converting the frame rate with V-Dub and, unfortunately, have gotten nowhere as the program does not yet support fractional frame rate conversion, per Mr. Lee himself. (See url here .)

Additionally, I found a program called verge (stuck at work and can't find the url now, but will post it later) that supposedly will work with and merge avi files that have different frame rates. Thought this might be my savior but, alas, it is not able to read or recognize the avi files produced by Scenalyzer.

Lastly, I've tried this several times with two different camcorders, tried switching from regular old DV transfer to A/V passthrough - just for kicks- and basically messed with every other variable I can think of. The problem is consisten across the board and the only thing that has changed for me from normal procedure is the software.

Has anyone seen this before or possibly come up with a fix? Is there something simple that I am missing with regard to Scenalyzer? It does seem awfully odd that such a well written program would allow such an obvious glitch to take place, so I'm thinking this may be something stupid, obvious, and simple that I am not doing or missing, but I'm stumped. At this point, I would gladly take the time to re-transfer the whole 5-6 hours of video I'm working with if that ends up being what's needed. I've spent at least that amount of time researching this problem since then, and to little avail. This little project is my intended Christmas gift to someone, so any help, as always, would be much apprec....

Zeek

[Richard_G]

Don't you think the problem may be more fundamental? The software that you have always used without problem suddenly starts giving problems. An alternative software doesn't work quiet how it should. Do you think that maybe the same fault is causing a problem with both bits of software, it is simply manifesting itself in different ways?

I would look at what caused the original problem, maybe curing that would fix the second one. Cure the cause, not the symptom.

[Zeek]

Thanks, Richard_G.

Although I could certainly be wrong, my gut tells me the two are probably not related. This forum is peppered with complaints and questions from people pertaining to synch issues with DV cameras. (Finding out about them was actually quite a surprise to me because the whole point for me, as with many other people, of going to DV transfer, was to elminate said issues.) In any case, many of the responses to these questions have been suggestions to give Scenalyzer a try and for many people, myself included, this software does the trick. Unfortunately, in my case, this solution seems to have come with some unintended side effects.

One thing I did not mention about my original de-synch problem is that the sound was stretched, not displaced - and stretched significantly, I might add. IF Scenalyzer is doing something with frame rate (and only frame rate) to try to compensate for this, wouldn't the original problem still remain? It seems to me that the problem is what it is, and changing the frame rate (even marginally) would only display the same problem at a different speed...correct? I realize that there may be more variables at work here than just this one but, for the moment, I'm unfortunately not able to detect them.

I'm pretty clueless as to why the original Ulead problem was happening in the first place. The only thing that's really changed since the last time I did it is the OS (clean install, not a different one). I suppose this itself could end up altering any number of things but, again, I've done this *many* times before on the same system with nary a problem. My logic in giving Scenalyzer a try was to try to get a quick fix that would let me move on and return to Ulead later, if and when. And so, for now, it seems that the shortest road is in finding a fix would be to find some kind of toy that will do fractional frame rate conversion AND work with my troubled files.

[Paul Glagla]

With DVdate you may fix the framerate to be precisely 29.97 or a fractional value. But this changes only the video framerate and does not change the audio. With the same freeware you may check the audio duration to verify if it is different from the video duration.

Actually the framerate of DV NTSC should be exactly 30000/1001=29.97003 but most software use 29.97.

[Zeek]

Paul,

That sounds like it's definitely worth checking out.

Basically, I'm trying to merge silent (title-like) clips that have a 29.970 frame rate with the bulk of the movie, which has a 29.97003 rate.

Since the silent clips are, well, silent - would this nullify any audio synch problems I might have had when appending everything?

Definitely can't wait to get home and try this out.

Zeek

[Paul Glagla]

Of course if the clips are silent, there can be no out of sync issue!

[Zeek]

Such a pity.

Problelm solved. Thanks, man...

[Zeek]

Maybe spoke too soon, Paul.

I just pm'd you. Please drop me a line if you get a chance. Thanks...