TMPGEnc won't recognise avi, ConvertXtoDVD no subtitles!

[CaptainChaos]

I have an avi (Chinese film with english subtitles) ... It doesn't play in Windows Media Player (just sits there blank), but DOES in VLC (with subtitles).

TMPGenc doesn't like it (cannot open or unsupported), ConvertXtoDVD converts fine, but no subtitles (I have .sub file and an .idx file). I also have an .srt file, but that was found somewhere else & may be way out of sync with the film!

GSpot tells me the video codec is DX50/DIVX (Divx5.0)

Where am I going wrong?
I suppose I could learn Chinese ...

Thanks

[guns1inger]

Sound like it may be corrupt. VLC is designed to play damaged or partially downloaded files, however for conversion you really need the whole thing. If you convertX can convert it, why not load the srt file and find out if it is in sync. You can do this with subtitle workshop if you don't want to re-convert.

[jagabo]

Do you have a Divx decoder isntalled? WMP requires a DirectShow Divx decoder. VLC has its own built in decoder. I think TMPGEnc requires a VFW Divx decoder. Install the Divx codec, Xvid codec, or ffdshow. All of them include both DirectShow and VFW decoders for DX50.

[Baldrick]

Convertxtodvd supports idx/sub. Did you add the sub file? How did you test the dvd? You probably need to enable the subtitle manually in the software player or dvd player remote.

[tomlee59]

Look into jagabo's suggestion. It is almost certainly the case that you don't have Divx installed (it requires a manual operation by you; it's not automatically done by the OS, nor by WMP, etc.). Once you do that, then you should be able to get TMPGEnc to recognize your file, and then you'll be all set.

[CaptainChaos]

Ok thanks - I've been to the "divx codec" that jagabo suggested - it's telling me "divx 7" - is that the one I need? Do I just double click the .exe & let it do it's thing, or is there something else I need to do?
I know I've got the ffdshow stuff, so that's not a problem. This is the first film I've had this trouble with, so hopefully getting the codec sorted will help!
Oh yes, one thing I did notice ... tmpgenc 2.5 didn't like it, but I COULD load it into "tmpgenc dvd source creator". Should I just let that try to convert it (although it seems to take days to convert) and see what happens?
Thanks for all your suggestions, guys.

[jagabo]

Divx 7 is the current version of Divx. It will decode DX50. If you have ffdshow installed you can try enabling both its DirectShow and VFW DX50 decoders instead.

[CaptainChaos]

Ok ... installed divx7 ... tmpgenc still doesn't like it ... windows media player doesn't play it ... I tried to get into ffdshow but couldn't see the vfw dx50 / directshow bits you mentioned.
I tried using the trial divx7 decoder but that came up with something about mpeg-1 not supported or something .... arghhh

[jagabo]

Ok ... installed divx7 ... tmpgenc still doesn't like it ... windows media player doesn't play it ...

Something is wrong with your system or with the file. When you say WMP doesn't play it -- what does that mean? Same blank window as before? Do you get audio?

I tried to get into ffdshow but couldn't see the vfw dx50 / directshow bits you mentioned.

Start -> All Programs -> ffdshow -> VFW Configuration -> Decoder tab -> Codecs (in left pane) -> Divx 4/5/6 (in right pane). Select libavcodec or xvid (try both).


Start -> All Programs -> ffdshow -> Video Decoder Configuration -> Codecs (in left pane) -> Divx 4/5/6 (in right pane). Select libavcodec or xvid (try both).

Post a GSpot snapshot of the file.

FYI:
WMP uses DirectShow decoders
TMPGEnc uses VFW decoders
VLC uses its own built in decoders

[CaptainChaos]

Tried libavcodec & xvid - no difference in WMP just a black screen, no audio, no movement. If I click on the "timebar" to get it to a certain bit of the film, it moves there, comes up with a time (eg 32.10) but no picture, no sound, no movement.
I'll do a snapshot of the G-spot info & post it very soon ... Thanks for your help!

[CaptainChaos]

Ok - Here is the G-Spot screenshot - hopefully it works on here!

[CaptainChaos]

If that's too small to read, I'll post a bigger one!

[jagabo]

You need to update your GSpot and post a 1:1 screen shot.

At the bottom left of the GSpot window, in the "Proposed Codec Solutions and Tests" section try pressing the little 1,2,3 buttons (in that order) under GSPot Vid. Also try the same under MS A/V.

[CaptainChaos]

Ok, updated GSpot ... opened avi file, clicked 1 then 2, then got "Error Send Now" Windows message. I have done a screenshot of the M/v part og Gspot ... hope this is what you need.

[jagabo]

The GSpot image looks normal. Does it crash when you press the 2 below MS A/V? What about 1,2,3 under GSpot Vid? Can you play other DX50 AVI files?

[CaptainChaos]

It didn't crash when I pressed the MS A/V 1 & 2, or Vid 1, but DID crash when I pressed Vid 2 ...
I have no idea whether I can play other DX50 files - tmpgenc usually sorts it all out - very rare I can't play an avi in Windows.

[jagabo]

Here's a short DX50 AVI you can try:

dx50.avi

It has no audio to rule out possibilities of audio problems.

[CaptainChaos]

Hi - That clip worked fine on WMP .. aNELVANA Production ....

[jagabo]

OK, we know now it's not simply a matter of DX50 not working. It may be a version number incompatibility. Someone may have used a buggy version of Xvid or ffdshow and specified the DX50 fourcc. Can you open and view the file in VirtualDub or Divx Player?

[CaptainChaos]

The file opened fine in both Virtualdub & divx player ...

[jagabo]

The file opened fine in both Virtualdub & divx player ...

Try remuxing the video with VirtualDub:

1) File -> Open Video File
2) Video -> Direct Stream Copy
3) File -> Save as AVI.

See if WMP will play the resulting AVI.

[CaptainChaos]

Result!! Yes, WMP plays the "new" avi with sound (in sync) ... now I just need to code it to dvd WITH subtitles ... I've got an .srt file & a .sub file ... any difference with those?
Thank you (so far so good)

[jagabo]

The usual techniques for making a DVD with subtitles should work now.

[CaptainChaos]

Yoikes ... Thank you very much for all of your help - I think that if this happems again, I'll just virtualdub it & start with that one ... Thank you!

[CaptainChaos]

Ahhhh ... now then ... If I have the new avi on its own in a folder & play it (no srt or sub subtitle files) it plays fine ... As soon as I add the srt file or the sub file into the same folder, it doesn't play (freezes) in WMP! Which leads me to believe that there is a problem with the subtitles, even though the avi plays WITH subtitles in VLC!

[jagabo]

I'd try uninstalling and reinstalling your sub software. VOBSub? VSFilter? Remember that VLC doesn't rely on DirectShow for processing (except for final display).

[CaptainChaos]

Ok, now I'm really stuck ... the .sub file & .srt file were with the .avi when I got it ... I have no idea how they were done, or how to do them again/correct them ... sorry

[tomlee59]

It's generally easier to correct the .srt file, because it's just plain text. My favorite tool for working with subtitles is jubler. You can open an .srt file with an ordinary text editor to see if there's an obvious problem, such as oddball fonts, etc. If the problem is obvious and simple, you can just correct in, say, Word Pad, and give it a try. Be sure to maintain a copy of the original, just in case you muck things up.

[jagabo]

Can you play other SRT files?

[CaptainChaos]

Yes - Tmpgenc doesn't have a problem - it seems to automatically add other films if their name is the same as the avi ... eg. SoClose.avi & SoClose.srt ... but not this one. This is the only one I've had trouble with.
I've got that Jubler programme, but I can't see anything wrong with the writing/text/strange symbols with the .srt file.