Problem authoring with DVD-Lab Pro (stuttering video)

[Smells_Like_Feet]

I am having a very specific problem with VideoReDo & DVD-LAB Pro.

A little background first. I enjoy making compilation dvds. My process to do so starts with dvdshrink to rip just a portion of a commercial dvd. I then load the created VOB(s) into VRD. I edit down to very short snippets and output the files as elementary streams. Then I reauthor the shortened clips using DVD-Lab Pro. I check the output in PowerDVD prior to burning. This process has worked great for the first 30+ dvds, but I have run into one trouble disc.

The problem is a stuttering in the video while the audio seems to play fine. I have investigated this problem significantly, with the following observations:

1. The original source file (without the VRD edits) will author in Dvd-Lab Pro without problem (no stutter).

2. The VRD edited file plays back extremely slowly in the DLP preview window. I think that the nonedited version also played back slowly but it authored fine and played back in PowerDVD fine (as noted in #1). This is an unusual condition in my experience with DLP.

3. Outputting the edited file as a muxed mpg/vob and importing into DLP (with and without demuxing) made no difference (authored file still stuttered).

4. Authoring just the video (no audio) still results in stuttering video.

5. Authoring the edited files in DVD-Architect results in no playback issues.

6. Taking the VOB files from the DVD-Architect output and importing them into DVD-Lab Pro for reauthoring results in stuttering video.

7. Taking the DVDA VOB files and demuxing using VOB-Edit and then importing into DLP still results in stuttering video.

I know that the obvious workaround is to use DVD-Architect instead of DVD-Lab Pro, but I really prefer the workflow in DLP and it offers features that I cannot find in DVDA (such as the random playlist). Another workaround is to reencode the edited video, but this will result in quality loss.

In my research into this problem I have found that DLP may have some problems with very long GOPs. Is there a program that will allow me to check my GOP length to verify? Perhaps my edits are resulting in extra long GOPs (where the original VOB doesn’t?)  seems like a long shot but who knows? I am running out of ideas and would welcome some new thoughts.

My trial period with DLP is running out and I would like to buy it, but can’t until I understand this problem and hence the limitations of the program. Any help is appreciated.

[guns1inger]

DVD has a limit on the length of GOPs, so using very long GOPs may well be out of spec. DLP is pretty pick about spec if you haven't relaxed compliance. At a guess, it is something videoredo is doing that DLP doesn't like. Try running the output from VRD through restream, then importing it into DLP. Or try editing in something else, just to confirm that VRD is the culprit.

[CrustyCurmudgeon]

Set your GoP to 15 and forget it. There's no good reason to change this, other than saving a tiny amount of file space.

Also be sure your total bitrate for video and all audio streams combined don't exceed 9.8Mb/S. This is the max for DVD. Exceeding this will guarantee stutter.

[Smells_Like_Feet]

Thanks for the suggestions. I went ahead and tried MPEG VIDEO WIZARD for my edits and it too produced a the same strange stuttering video effect in the output of DVDLabPro. The direct output from both VideoReDo and MVW play fine the MediaPlayerClassic, but after authoring the dvd the stuttering begins. The stuttering phenomenon is unusual. The video plays "fine" for 15 frames then sticks for a quarter second then fine again for half a second and sticks for a quarter second.

As I said before this problem does not occur when I take the edited video and author it in DVDArchitect, so I think it should work in DLP. I have ruled out the Long GOP problem as I have confirmed that the file in question has a GOP length of 13 frames.

Also, I found a work-around that will get me by for this particular file. If I do not edit out the first few frames, the output works fine in DLP (no stuttering). Perhaps this fact indicates what is going on but I just haven't gotten there yet. Any help is always appreciated.

-Smells_Like_Feet