VBR Audio Stream detected

[luketheduke]

When I used virtualdubmod to open an AVI (DivX) file I encountered this message:

"VirtualDub has detected an improper VBR audio encoding in the source AVI file (audio stream 1). The current preference is to rewrite the audio header with standard CBR values during processing for better compatibility. This may introduce up to 10954 ms of skew from the video stream. If this is unacceptable, decompress the “entire” audio stream to an uncompressed WAV file and recompress with a constant bitrate encoder. (bitrate 105.4 ± 12.0 kbps)

Do you still want to rewrite the header?"

How do I fix this?

[TheAdMan]

When it asks to rewrite the header choose no, then demux the audio stream STREAMS>STREAM LIST>(highlight desired audio stream) SAVE AS WAV. I think you can also choose DEMUX but I usually just save as wav.

You then need to encode the wav file using an encoder that allows you to use CBR, most decent audio encoders will have this option (refer to software section of this website), once your audio is using CBR you can then Mux ur audio stream with the video using VDUB.

[guns1inger]

If you just do a Save as WAV you will get a wav container with the VBR MP3 audio inside it. You can right-click and set the mode to Full processing, right-click again and select Compression and set it for Uncompressed PCM. Now when you use Save Wav you will get an uncompressed PCM wav file to work with.

If you have LAME MP3 installed then you can choose CBR MP3 at whatever bitrate, instead of Uncompressed PCM, and save that instead.

[Abond]

How do I fix this?

What reason for?

[luketheduke]

Thanks to all for the explanation.

When I ran a hardsub on it the audio is out of sync.

[Abond]

Sorry if I miss something obvious, but is there a special reason to hardsub?

[luketheduke]

It is the only and one reason that I'm going through all this, for my elderly mother-in-law.

[Abond]

No,no, that is not what I mean. I usually also need subtitles, but I don't make them "hard". The "special reason" is when the device on which you are playing the video does not support "soft" subtitles.
For example, DVD players support separate subtitle stream, that is not hardsubbed. Computer playback can achieve displaying of separate text (or image) based subtitles through direct show filters (VobSub or VSFilter) and some software players have such filters build-in. Most of the DVD players capable of avi playback also support text (or image) based subtitles. That is, if you can avoid hardsubbing you can also avoid re-encoding of the files and the problem would be solved much easier.

[luketheduke]

Unfortunately, my Sony player does not support either soft or divx. Do you know of a specific DVD brand player that support soft subtitles?

[guns1inger]

LG, Pioneer - pretty much all of them support at least .srt format subs. The subs have to be in the same folder and have the same name as the movie. E.g.

movie1.avi
movie1.srt

[Abond]

All standalone DVD Players support soft subtitles in comercial DVDs - the subtitles that you can switch on or off are soft. Then you create a regular DVD with soft subs - that is. All commercial dvds have subtitles as separate streams multiplexed in the VOB files - so they are not hardsubbed. You can use ConvertXtoDVD or DVD Flick to create it. If your DVD player does not show subtitles in commercial DVDs then it is defective.
Now as sometimes the converters have a problem with VBR mp3 I can see a point to make it CBR or even better uncompressed wav.
@guns1inger
This Sony player does not play avis (DivX/XviD), it is regular DVD player

[TheAdMan]

If u r going to create a dvd with soft subs you need to use a good DVD authoring program that allows u to import elementary streams (video, audio, and subs) many of these programs will also include a tool to adjust the subtitle timing or u may use other subtitle programs to do this in which case u can keep the the movie in avi form after adjusting the subtitles.

If you are simply dropping the avi into a prog like nero, then soft subs most likely wont show up on your stand-alone DVD player.

Here is a list of subtitle progs (scroll down page):
https://www.videohelp.com/tools?toolsearch=&s=24&orderby=Rating&hits=50&convert=&dvdaut...+or+List+tools

[guns1inger]

ConvertXtoDVD authors with softsubs quite happily.