MultiAVCHD - choppy video

[bobo343]

Most of the time when authoring my HD files as AVCHD via multiAVCHD everything goes fine. But sometimes when I author them, upon playback (on my PS3) everything will be fine for the first few minutes, and then suddenly the video starts to sort of lag.

Like the FPS or something drops and the video sort of goes in choppy slow-mo, and it falls way behind the audio due to the audio carrying on as normal. The thing is though, when putting the file into multiAVCHD it fits all the parameters and I get no errors in the log when making the folder.

Does anyone know what could be causing this? It's really annoying as the first three episodes of a show I have work perfectly, yet the rest seem to have this choppy video problem.

[guns1inger]

Not something I have experienced with MultiAVCHD. I would test play the authored files from your HDD to confirm if it is something happening during re-encoding.

What media are you using ? Could be a quality issue with the discs

[bobo343]

How would I play back the AVCHD file on my computer? The initial files I use are fine and can play back without any issues on my PC.

As for what media I'm using, they're downloaded 720p mkv files. If it'll help, here's the log from the process.

[08:18:01] Log started for multiAVCHD v3.0 (build 729)
[08:18:01] Selected output mode: Playstation 3 (USB/SDHC/MS)

[08:18:01] Processing one title...
[08:18:01] Existing c:\Users\Adam\Desktop\AVCHD\ cannot be used as destination folder!
[08:18:01] Output will be written to: c:\Users\Adam\Desktop\AVCHD-20100927-081801
[08:18:01] Processing (C:\Users\Adam\Documents\Downloads\[Mazui]_To_Aru_Kagaku_no_Railgun_01-24_[h264]\[Mazui]_To_Aru_Kagaku_no_Railgun_-_04_[F9E68ACA].mkv)...
[08:18:02] Detected frame reference count: 3 (max:7).
[08:18:02] Detected video: ID#1:V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC 1280x720, fps=23.976, ref=3
[08:18:02] Detected subtitles: ID#3:S_TEXT/ASS Language: eng
[08:18:02] Detected audio: ID#2:A_AAC (48000Hz 16bit 2ch) Language: jpn
[08:18:02] Attempting to convert A_AAC audio track #2...
[08:18:02] Demuxing AAC audio...
[08:18:19] Decoding AAC to PCM audio...
[08:18:28] Track has 2 channels.
[08:18:28] Encoding PCM to AC3 audio... (276430848 b)
[08:19:15] AAC to AC3 conversion successful!
[08:19:15] Added audio: A_AC3, "C:\Users\Adam\AppData\Local\Temp\_multiTMP\te mp-2.ac3", lang=jpn
[08:19:15] Extracting SRT/SSA/VOBSUB subtitle tracks.
[08:19:15] Plase wait - it may take a while!
[08:19:18] Converting to SRT/PGS...
[08:19:18] Converting TEXT subtitles to SUP/PGS...
[08:19:18] [mazui]_to_aru_kagaku_no_railgun_-_04_[f9e68aca].extr.003.eng.ssa
[08:19:18] Processing may take some time, so be patient!
[08:19:18] Advanced subtitle processing (step 1)...
[08:19:18] Fast mode enabled (1128x144 @ 23.976 fps with 76px margins)...
[08:20:49] Advanced subtitle processing (step 2)...
[08:20:49] DELETE EXCEPTION: Should not touch file! (c:\users\adam\documents\downloads\[mazui]_to_aru_kagaku_no_railgun_01-24_[h264]\[mazui]_to_aru_kagaku_no_railgun_-_04_[f9e68aca].extr.003.eng.ssa)
[08:21:11] !!! BDSup2Sub reported: 33 warnings!
[08:21:11] *** 15 problems of all 33 are fixed!
[08:21:11] *** Imported subpictures: 454/454
[08:21:11] Conversion successful...
[08:21:11] Adding external subtitles (srt-984787.eng.sup) (eng)
[08:21:11] Converting TEXT subtitles to SUP/PGS...
[08:21:11] [mazui]_to_aru_kagaku_no_railgun_-_04_[f9e68aca].extr.003.eng.ssa
[08:21:11] Processing may take some time, so be patient!
[08:21:11] Advanced subtitle processing (step 1)...
[08:21:11] Fast mode enabled (1128x144 @ 23.976 fps with 76px margins)...
[08:22:40] Advanced subtitle processing (step 2)...
[08:22:40] DELETE EXCEPTION: Should not touch file! (c:\users\adam\documents\downloads\[mazui]_to_aru_kagaku_no_railgun_01-24_[h264]\[mazui]_to_aru_kagaku_no_railgun_-_04_[f9e68aca].extr.003.eng.ssa)
[08:23:03] !!! BDSup2Sub reported: 33 warnings!
[08:23:03] *** 15 problems of all 33 are fixed!
[08:23:03] *** Imported subpictures: 454/454
[08:23:03] Conversion successful...
[08:23:03] Adding external subtitles (srt-1096421.eng.sup) (eng)
[08:23:03] M2TS stream split set at 4000MiB...
[08:23:03] Creating clip and playlist info (tsMuxeR)...

tsMuxeR (Version 1.10.6) output:
================================================== =============================
Decoding H264 stream (track 1): Profile: High@4.1 Resolution: 1280:720p Frame rate: 23.976
Change H264 level from 4.1 to 4.1
H.264 stream does not contain fps field. Muxing fps=23.976
H264 bitstream changed: insert nal unit delimiters
H264 bitstream changed: insert pict timing and buffering period SEI units
Decoding AC3 stream (track 2): Bitrate: 384Kbps Sample Rate: 48KHz Channels: 2
Decoding PGS stream (track 3): Resolution: 1280:720 Frame rate: 23.976
Decoding PGS stream (track 4): Resolution: 1280:720 Frame rate: 23.976
H264 bitstream changed: insert SPS/PPS units
Decoding H264 stream (track 1): Profile: High@4.1 Resolution: 1280:720p Frame rate: 23.976
Change H264 level from 4.1 to 4.1
Processed 34611 video frames
Creation of Blu-ray playlist
Creation of Blu-ray stream info and seek index
Mux successful complete.
Muxing time: 16 sec
================================================== =============================

================================================== =============================
tsMuxeR meta:
================================================== =============================
MUXOPT --no-pcr-on-video-pid --new-audio-pes --blu-ray --vbr --custom-chapters=00:00:00.000;00:00:55.000;00:02:35.000;00 :12:42.810;00:21:56.199;00:23:39.690 --split-size=4000MiB --vbv-len=500
V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC, "C:\Users\Adam\Documents\Downloads\[Mazui]_To_Aru_Kagaku_no_Railgun_01-24_[h264]\[Mazui]_To_Aru_Kagaku_no_Railgun_-_04_[F9E68ACA].mkv", insertSEI, contSPS, track=1, lang=eng, level=4.1, fps=23.976
A_AC3, "C:\Users\Adam\AppData\Local\Temp\_multiTMP\te mp-2.ac3", lang=jpn
S_HDMV/PGS, "C:\Users\Adam\AppData\Local\Temp\_multiTMP\sr t-984787.eng.sup", lang=eng, fps=23.976
S_HDMV/PGS, "C:\Users\Adam\AppData\Local\Temp\_multiTMP\sr t-1096421.eng.sup", lang=eng, fps=23.976
================================================== =============================
[08:23:19] Setting resolution (720p).
[08:23:19] Media transfer: 00000 -> 00000.m2ts
[08:23:19] Processing playlist...
[08:23:19] Title #1 added: "[Mazui] To Aru Kagaku no Railgun - 04 [F9E68ACA]"
[08:23:19] Verifying title...
[08:23:23] Title has: 1 audio tracks and 2 subtitle tracks

[08:23:23] Preparing authoring information...

[08:23:23] Setting menu for 1 titles...
[08:23:23] Playback will end after title #1.
[08:23:23] Playback will start with title #1 ([Mazui] To Aru Kagaku no Railgun - 04 [F9E68ACA]).
[08:23:23] Setting menu properties...
[08:23:23] Selected TV system: [NTSC]
[08:23:23] Processing clip (CPI/CLPI) files...
[08:23:23] Completed.
[08:23:23] Setting FAT compatible 8.3 filenames...
[08:23:23] Done!

[08:23:24] Saving multiAVCHD quick-load project (mpf):
[08:23:24] c:\Users\Adam\Desktop\AVCHD-20100927-081801\multiAVCHD.mpf (OK!)

Compilation summary:
Format: Playstation 3 (USB/SDHC/MS)
Name : multiAVCHD
================================================== =============================
1. [Mazui] To Aru Kagaku no Railgun - 04 [F [00:24:03]
================================================== =============================
Overall duration : 00:24:03
Output size : 417 MiB (0.408 GiB)

[08:23:24] c:\Users\Adam\Desktop\AVCHD-20100927-081801 folder created (AVCHD/Blu-ray output)!
[08:23:24] Copy c:\Users\Adam\Desktop\AVCHD-20100927-081801 to root of USB stick/disk or MemoryStick card or to X:\PRIVATE\ of SDHC/SD/MMC card.
[08:23:24] You may now remove temp folder (C:\Users\Adam\AppData\Local\Temp\_multiTMP\).
[08:23:24] Your compilation contains 0hrs 24min 3sec of video material.

[08:23:24] multiAVCHD finished in 323 seconds (00:05:23)!

[08:23:24] End of log.

[guns1inger]

When I say media I mean the blank discs you are burning to.

You can play back the ACVHD files by either using a player that supports AVCHD folder playback, or by drilling down into the authored structure and finding the m2ts files and playing those.

[bobo343]

Ohh, sorry I misunderstood. I just copy the file to a USB as the PS3 supports AVCHD folder playback.

[multiAVCHD]

Does it happen always at the same point (the slow-mo)? I have couple of USB sticks and one of them is really-really slow. If you're using USB HDD then it should never happen. Is there a fast moving scene or something (like smth which would require very high bitrate)?

[guns1inger]

Cheap USB sticks are like cheap blank media - you really do get what little you pay for. Try the same files on another (different brand) stick, or a USB HDD and see what happens.

[bobo343]

Nope it's definitely not the USB, it's always the same files at the exact same point where the slow-mo occurs. There's nothing about those points either that should cause it to become all choppy as there's not a particularly large amount going on or anything.

E.g the show is 24 episodes long, I added the first 4 episodes to be made into an AVCHD folder and left it to work. Got the file when it was done, stuck it on a USB and watched it on my PS3. The first 3 episodes ran fine, but then the 4th went extremely choppy.

I thought there just might have been an error during the encoding so I went back to my PC, loaded on episodes 4-7 and let it run. Came back, popped it back on the USB and went to watch it. The same episode, at the exact same point the slow-down occured.

I skipped to the next episode just to check in case the file was corrupted or something to that effect, the next episode then works for appproximately the same amount of time and then goes choppy again. The episode runs fine for the first few minutes of footage, then it shifts to the opening theme and that all runs fine, but then after the opening finishes it always goes choppy.

I decided to try a different show and that works fine, just these episodes in particular. I'm completely confused as towards what it could be.

[bobo343]

Okay so I tried it using my iPod as the mass storage device and the same problem still occurs at the same point on the same episodes. I added episodes 4-7 to try, episodes 4, 5 and 6 all slowed down at the same point after the opening ended but episode 7 works perfectly.

So, I'm not sure if it's an error within those 3 episodes, whether they're corrupt or not, or even if the rest of the show will work too. Do you guys have any ideas as to what it could be? I'm totally confused lol.

Edit - In examining each of the files, the only thing I can find that's common between the ones that do work and the ones that don't work is the ref count. Episode 7 which does work, along with the rest of the season (which I will assume, for now, work) have a ref count of 9.

Episodes 4-6, the episodes proven to not work have a ref count of 3. I'm re-downloading the first 3 episodes which I know for a fact work to see what their ref count is. But even so, this shouldn't explain it as there's no such thing as having too low a ref count, only too high, right?

Edit, again - I decided to run the files through mkv2vob, transcoding x264 to keep the subs and the quality as the size doesn't really matter. But, after doing that they slowdown at the same part when playing back on my PC, not just the PS3. So I'm pretty much certain that there's something wrong with the files, no idea what though... It's even more strange as the original files play back perfectly on my PC all the way through.