Accuracy problem in TMPGEnc Merge and Cut feature... help!

[Thumper Strauss]

I'm trying to merge two mepg1 files with the Merge & Cut feature of TMPEGenc.

The video of the two mpeg-1 files overlap by a few seconds. So, I need to set the outpoint on the first video to one frame or so before in the inpoint on the second video.

Makes sense, right?

But, for some reason, when I merge the two mpeg-1 files in this precise way, the merged version doesn't produce what I asked for. It gives me about a half-second of overlap!

I've re-done the merge a dozen times, delaying the inpoint of the second file ever so slightly each time. But, in the end, all I get is either a missing frame (which looks a bit weird) or a repeated frame (which looks even worse).

Any ideas on why this is happening?

P.S. I don't seem to be having the sync problems others have complained of -- just accuracy problems!!

[Poplar]

MPEG-2 files are difficult to edit, because of there are three types of frame, I, P, B, of which only I frame is self-decodable. When doing cutting and merging, you must consider all the problems with these frames. That's why you can't do exactly what you want.

If you are a perfectionist and want what exactly what you want, you need to make every frame in overlapping area an I frame, I think.

[Tommyknocker]

I do not believe the Merge & Cut function does it by frames. I do believe the Source Range function may give better results.

[mikebarbarick]

I just use the source feature in TMPGnc and encode cuts of a given AVI. Then I use Roxio's video maker and load all the cuts. It then merges them and burns. Has worked flawlessly for me and is simple.