PLEASE assist w/ FFmpegX audio sync probs.(AFROPIC instead?)

[toisanji]

Every single time I try to make a vcd or svcd, the audio is all out of sync. I am not using other people's videos/movies, I am taking DV footage from my camera adn then importing to imovie. Then export as a quicktime movie with the highest quality(so it is the same size as the raw DV footage). I have tried every combination of switches with FFmpegX that I am I starting to go crazy. Could someone please assit me on what I need to do to get my pure unedited video to have synced video/audio. Also, at the end of my movies, the audio isn't off by a second or 2, it is off by a minute at the end!!!!! I can understand why people could have out of sync movies if they were moving from one video format to another, but I still have the original source for my video, so I am expecting I should be able to fix this, am I assuming wrong? Sorry if I left out important info. If you need any other info please ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And finally, I want to do this all on a mac. Thanks.

[toisanji]

Ok, some people told me I should use AfroPic with the mpeg2 quicktime component, which I got. I then tried out AfroPic, but I am having one problem that I don't know how to fix. The movie I am trying to convert to (S)VCD is my home recorded DV video. How can I encode my DV video so that AfroPic can read it. In AfroPic, it only takes VOB files and mpeg files. Which program should I use to convert my video to a format AfroPic can use. I tried using imovie, but in the export options, there was no option for mpeg or VOB. THanks for any info and sorry for asking easy questions.

Every single time I try to make a vcd or svcd, the audio is all out of sync. I am not using other people's videos/movies, I am taking DV footage from my camera adn then importing to imovie. Then export as a quicktime movie with the highest quality(so it is the same size as the raw DV footage). I have tried every combination of switches with FFmpegX that I am I starting to go crazy. Could someone please assit me on what I need to do to get my pure unedited video to have synced video/audio. Also, at the end of my movies, the audio isn't off by a second or 2, it is off by a minute at the end!!!!! I can understand why people could have out of sync movies if they were moving from one video format to another, but I still have the original source for my video, so I am expecting I should be able to fix this, am I assuming wrong? Sorry if I left out important info. If you need any other info please ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And finally, I want to do this all on a mac. Thanks.

[bilestyle]

you can input .mov, mpeg or vob-- im ASSUMING dv files could be read just as easily as .mov files-- but i havent done a test with them so i'm not 100% certain- you COULD try for now changing the name suffix to mov from dv and see if it works-- im not 100% certain that it will, but it cant hurt to try.

[SCB]

You shouldn't have sync issues if you're just going from DV to SVCD. Sync issues typically only arise when doing DVD to (s)vcd conversion.

Do you know if your audio is 12bit or 16bit? How long is the movie you're exporting? Is your exported movie out of sync before converting to svcd?

I know that exported video from iMovie can get out of sync if the audio that was imported is 12bit (this depends on the length of the movie).

[toisanji]

My movie is 60 minutes, it is one full DV tape. How should I check if my audio is 12 or 16 bit? Is this an option I check on my camcorder? I was thinking also that if I am using video from my camcorder, then it shouldnt be out of sync.

You shouldn't have sync issues if you're just going from DV to SVCD. Sync issues typically only arise when doing DVD to (s)vcd conversion.

Do you know if your audio is 12bit or 16bit? How long is the movie you're exporting? Is your exported movie out of sync before converting to svcd?

I know that exported video from iMovie can get out of sync if the audio that was imported is 12bit (this depends on the length of the movie).

[bilestyle]

heh- i didnt even THINK about that-- yeh your movie should definitely not be going out of sync when converting from dv or mov to svcd....that is really strange

[SCB]

toisanji, this is from the Apple Care Knowledge Base:

iMovie 2: Audio and Video Lose Synchronization When Exported to QuickTime or iDVD


TOPIC

Creating iMovie projects with DV footage that uses 12-bit audio may cause a gradual loss of audio/video synchronization when the project is exported to QuickTime or iDVD.


DISCUSSION


Symptom

When exporting an iMovie project to QuickTime or iDVD, audio and video gradually lose synchronization.

Products affected
• iMovie 2.0 and later
• Mac OS 9
• Mac OS X

Solution

For best results when creating long movies (over 20 minutes), record footage using 16-bit audio. Recording with 12-bit audio may result in a gradual loss of audio-video synchronization. Check the manual that came with your DV camcorder to find out how to se the audio format.

If you have already created a project with 12-bit audio, you may be able to export the project to QuickTime as follows:
1. Export the iMovie project that contains the 12-bit audio footage to a DV camcorder set to 16-bit audio.
2. Open a new project in iMovie.
3. Import the fresh footage you created in step 1 from the camcorder into the project you created in step 2.
4. Export this project to QuickTime.

[toisanji]

Thanks for the info, one question, I wont have my camera fora few days, how can I check my quicktime file to see if it is 16 bit or 12 bit audio? Also, the audio seems to be in sync in the quicktime video, its only after I process the quicktime movei to make a (s)vcd, is when it gets really really out of sync.
Thanks again.

toisanji, this is from the Apple Care Knowledge Base:

iMovie 2: Audio and Video Lose Synchronization When Exported to QuickTime or iDVD


TOPIC

Creating iMovie projects with DV footage that uses 12-bit audio may cause a gradual loss of audio/video synchronization when the project is exported to QuickTime or iDVD.


DISCUSSION


Symptom

When exporting an iMovie project to QuickTime or iDVD, audio and video gradually lose synchronization.

Products affected
• iMovie 2.0 and later
• Mac OS 9
• Mac OS X

Solution

For best results when creating long movies (over 20 minutes), record footage using 16-bit audio. Recording with 12-bit audio may result in a gradual loss of audio-video synchronization. Check the manual that came with your DV camcorder to find out how to se the audio format.

If you have already created a project with 12-bit audio, you may be able to export the project to QuickTime as follows:
1. Export the iMovie project that contains the 12-bit audio footage to a DV camcorder set to 16-bit audio.
2. Open a new project in iMovie.
3. Import the fresh footage you created in step 1 from the camcorder into the project you created in step 2.
4. Export this project to QuickTime.

[techne]

Quicktime can open the DV files created by iMovie. Open a DV file from your iMovie project in QT. Go to Movie -> Get Movie Properties. If you want to check if you camera recorded at 12b or 16b go to Sound Track / Format. Also check the time codes in Video Track / General y Sound Track / General. They must be the same..

Then, create a iMovie project with only this DV file and export it to iDVD or Quicktime / Full Quality, large. Open the new file in QT. Check the time codes using the path described up there. If you file is about 1'30'' you will have longer audio than video.. 2 frames longer audio than video!!. If your project is about 20' you will have about a second longer audio than video. I thought If was something with my machine, and being new to mac I didn't want to waste to much time find out (geeesh in mac everything is supposed to work!!!).

I wonder how often it happen to others mac users. People making a DVD using iDVD are supposed to export their iMovie projects this way. Is the problem caused only by using 12b audio in your DV video cam? The KB Article 61636 advises to convert your 12b audio to 16b audio by send it back to the DV Cam. It fixes nothing. Problem is still there even if I use 16b audio mode in new original footage.

I decided to not continue wasting my time with iMovie and moving to Adobe Premiere and StrataDV If they don't fully support 12b audio or produce desync QT files I guess I'll be selling my beloved Canon Elura DV Cam, hehehe

By the way, I'm using OSX 10.2.3, iMovie 2.1.2 and a PB G3 Pismo/500.

[toisanji]

Did you get a chance to use Adobe Premiere or StrataDV yet? I want to get rid of these stupid audio sync problems too. It doesn't make any sense that going from my DV camera to (s)vcd will produce these audio sync problems.

Quicktime can open the DV files created by iMovie. Open a DV file from your iMovie project in QT. Go to Movie -> Get Movie Properties. If you want to check if you camera recorded at 12b or 16b go to Sound Track / Format. Also check the time codes in Video Track / General y Sound Track / General. They must be the same..

Then, create a iMovie project with only this DV file and export it to iDVD or Quicktime / Full Quality, large. Open the new file in QT. Check the time codes using the path described up there. If you file is about 1'30'' you will have longer audio than video.. 2 frames longer audio than video!!. If your project is about 20' you will have about a second longer audio than video. I thought If was something with my machine, and being new to mac I didn't want to waste to much time find out (geeesh in mac everything is supposed to work!!!).

I wonder how often it happen to others mac users. People making a DVD using iDVD are supposed to export their iMovie projects this way. Are the problem caused only by using 12b audio in your DV video cam? The KB Article 61636 advises to convert your 12b audio to 16b audio by send it back to the DV Cam. It fixes nothing. Problem is still there even if I use 16b audio mode in new original footage.

I decided to not continue wasting my time with iMovie and moving to Adobe Premiere and StrataDV If they don't fully support 12b audio or produce desync QT files I guess I'll be selling my beloved Canon Elura DV Cam, hehehe

By the way, I'm using OSX 10.2.3, iMovie 2.1.2 and a PB G3 Pismo/500.

[toisanji]

another note, I tested all my clips. they are all 16 bit audio. Why am I getting these sync errors with my home DV video?