(Completed): MMC capture results in 44100 sample freq instead of 48000.

[palouse]

Goal is to preserve home VHS videos to DVD format that will play on any cheap home DVD player. Make multiple copies so that family can view without VHS machine.

In computer, I have ATI VIVO X-800XL video card, 2GB RAM, AMD X2, and MMC 9.06. JVC TBC-enabled VHS playback source. I spent a month of free time trying to get a MMC and driver combo that would capture with my card. Earlier or later MMC versions don't work.

Result of capturing 10 VHS segments is 10 .mpg files. I want the 10 files to make one DVD, and total size is fine. Stand alone mpg files play great on my PC. I very carefully set the MMC options so as to capture audio at 48000 sample frequency..

When I first attempted to use GUI for dvdauthor (GFD), GFD rejects .mpg files because they are not demuxed.

I demuxed each .mpg file. I tried all with TMPGEnc and another batch with DGDecode v1.4.9. When I attempt to import demuxed files from either app into GFD, it says that the 44100 sample freq is unacceptable. If I attempt to initiate dvd creation anyway, it takes 20 hours to complete 66% of the DVD. App throws thousands of errors, such as "WARN: Discontinuity 4702 in audio channel 8; please remultiplex input." I did not let it run to completion.

Is MMC capturing audio at 44100KHz even though I set it to 48000?
Are the demux apps altering MMC audio stream from 48000 to 44100?
Is there a bug in GFD that misreads audio files?
Is there a way to author the raw .mpg files to a play-anywhere DVD without demuxing, or an authoring tool that does not require 48000 sample freq?

HELP! I have been at this since late May...

[dadrab]

Since you'll be demuxing anyway, just set your capture device to 44100 to get the sound. Demux and transcode to AC3/48000 in the app. of your choice.

I wouldn't stress over not capping directly into 48000 since the transcode is easy, fast and you'll be demuxing already.

[lordsmurf]

What is your audio card? Do not use on-board sound or sound cheap crappy sound cards ($10 or less).

You really need a Turtle Beach or Creative / Sound Blaster card.

[palouse]

Since you'll be demuxing anyway, just set your capture device to 44100 to get the sound. Demux and transcode to AC3/48000 in the app. of your choice.

I wouldn't stress over not capping directly into 48000 since the transcode is easy, fast and you'll be demuxing already.

Thank you for both replies.

I can't find a way to set sample frequency in the demux function of either app listed above. Good idea, though. The TMPGEnc "mpeg demux" facility is an add-on with limited license (30 day). Either demux app/function is very simple. Assuming card or MMC issues, and the resulting captured .mpg file is 44.1KHz, what demux application/function would allow a demux and transcode to 48KHz at the same time?

lordsmurf,
I have a VIA based Envy24 card, which, I believe is equivalent to the Turtle Beach. It has been a while since I researched the card, and installed it. Not expensive, not cheap. The VIA control pannel settings for "recording" are at 48KHz, not 44.1. I'm actually using the 9.08 version of MMC. Your self-help guide is clear and easy to follow, so it is frustrating to stumble into these out of nowhere issues.

Any other ideas or suggestions? MMC bug; hardware issue; demux bug? Thank you for your help.

[Noahtuck]

Just throwing something out there seeing as you never really specified what type of "MPG" you are capturing or the resolution of the resulting MPG file ?

Because MPEG-1 for VCD would have 44100 audio and the video would still be in DVD specs although a much lower resolution.
Check the resolution of the "mpg" files you say have 44100 audio.

[lordsmurf]

I'd still place blame on the audio card. Swap out for another one.

[palouse]

Just throwing something out there seeing as you never really specified what type of "MPG" ...Check the resolution of the "mpg" files you say have 44100 audio.

Noahtuck,

I set the MMC 9.08 to capture at 720x480, "Type = MPEG-2", bit rate = 256, "Audio format = 48KHz 16 bit", VBR ~4 max. "Frame sequence" settings were "2P", "2B", GOP clicked, without clicking "I Frames Only" button. I ran out of space by about 4 minutes, so to make it fit, I also recorded one segment at 352x480. Each segment, regardless of resolution or how I try to order the author of files, throws the 44.1KHz error. I checked every file, and was extra careful to ensure I did not screw up settings on the last capture. (Writing these posts from work without the system in front of me can leave out some good info.)

I'm confident that I have no setting options in MMC that I may have left out, other than Frame Sequence. I don't understand the settings well enough to guess that it could impact this issue.

lordsmurf,
The current board is a Chaintech AV710. I couldn't find any record problems from Google searches on Envy24 based systems. Maybe there is a second input jack, on the off chance there is a limitation on the first. (MIC-in vs. AUX, or some such.) I started this project in June, and a new driver came out in July.
I will try cleaning the drivers, and reinstall the newer version. I can also try recording a segment on another computer, this one having on-board audio.

I ran a couple of the 5 minute segments through GFD, and even with hundreds of errors, completed the DVD build. On my PC, they seem to play fine. Maybe if burned to DVD, then played on home DVD player, they will not be "correct". "Creating" the full 10-segment DVD would take about 30 hours.

Comments?

[lordsmurf]

9 out of 10 audio capture problems are hardware related, meaning the audio card.

[palouse]

9 out of 10 audio capture problems are hardware related, meaning the audio card.

Roger, that. I'll work it as a card issue next. Thks.

[sanlyn]

palouse, if you recorded with MMC at 48K, that's the way MMC recorded it. But when you demux, what parameters are you using? Unless your DVDGUI has gone whacko, the 48k shouldn't change. Try demuxing to uncompressed (PCM) and see what happens. Also: the MMC dialog where you set the file type (MPEG1, MPEG2, etc.) requires that you set it to MPEG2 (DVD), not just "MPEG2". If you don't specify the choice for "MPEG for DVD", MMC will use a 41K audio rate.

[palouse]

9 out of 10 audio capture problems are hardware related, meaning the audio card.

AARGH. "hardware related"..., or OPERATOR ERROR! I used MIC IN instead of LINE IN for audio input. (I remember having to unplug my son's game headset/microphone during capture sessions so as to plug in the audio cable from JVC player.) Tonight is first time since last post to experiment. The process is to capture-demux-author, (MMC-DGIndex-GFD).

Using same MMC settings and running a short test process twice:
- when audio cable connected to MIC IN, GFD reports "44.1KHz",
- when connected to LINE IN, "48KHz", and GFD "creates" the DVD with no errors, very quickly.

Now all I have to do is re-capture the hours of tape that I had previously captured. Thanks to all for the help and suggestions. Operator error.

[dadrab]

Keep in mind now, you don't really have to recapture all that footage. You can demux, take your 44100 audio and convert it easily to 48000. 8)

[palouse]

...You can demux, take your 44100 audio and convert it easily to 48000. 8)

Now, I like that. Oh, and you already said that.

I can't demux to 48KHz using DGIndex or TMPG. What tool can I use to convert the demuxed audio files to 48KHz? (Aren't they in AC3 format, already?)

[lordsmurf]

Yes, but microphone audio is often a diminished quality, so re-capture may be more desirable.

[palouse]

Yes, but microphone audio is often a diminished quality,...

I was just wondering if that would be a corollary to dadrab's suggestion. If I take dadrab's route, is ssrc.exe or VirtualDub the way to go?

(Recapture 2 hours of obnoxious videos where I know all the settings and video breaks plus admin time, OR 1.5 hours of tinkering and testing a new twist to the application set where I may not have the desired results. Hmm.)

sanlyn,
Thanks. I have not tried the PCM setting. You helped confirm it was not software issue.

edit: [I re-captured everything last week, and all files are accepted by GFD, and all fit with room to spare. I moved bit rate to "6" maximum, and "4" target, from 7 and 5. The audio problem was likely that I originally captured with MMC set to "MPEG" instead of "MPEG-DVD". While I thought my test of MIC-IN versus LINE-IN was consistent, I may have selected the record type, "MPEG-DVD", differently. Regardless, MIC-IN is mono on the current VIA Envy24 driver; use LINE-IN and no issues.

Thanks to all that tried to help.]