Another Audio Synchronization Problem

[JUpton]

Hello,

 

I am new to both EMC9 and video editing in general. I have come across a problem with importing DVDs from a set-top recorder. The problem I am seeing is that following import, the audio is out of synch with the video.

 

Here is the scenario:

* Record TV series on set-top recorder. (Panasonic 160GB HDD DVD recorder.)

The video is recorded in highest quality mode.

* Write the recorded show to DVD(RW) from the set-top recorder.

* Take DVD to computer and import using EMC9 Media Import.

Select Video | DVD drive source | MPEG

* The video is imported (seemingly) without errors.

Elapsed time -- about 90 minutes for 45 minute HQ video. Seems about right.

 

* View the imported video in any computer aplication. (Roxio VideoWave, MyDVD, etc.)

Also checked with CyberLink Power DVD.

 

>> In all cases, audio is out of synch with the video. << This is the problem I am having.

 

Checks that were performed to isolate source.

1. Play DVD from set-top on computer using Roxio CinePlayer. Plays back in synch.

2. Play DVD from set-top on set-top. Plays back in synch.

3. Play DVD from set-top on computer using PowerDVD. Plays back in synch.

 

My conclusion is that DVD from the set-top is okay but the imported MPEG has the offset audio. Based on various suggestions in the forums here, I have tried the following additional experiments.

 

1. Import to DivX format using Media Import. Result - Out of synch audio.

2. Defrag hard file (again) and try new import to both MPEG and DivX. Result - Out of synch audio.

3. Update video drivers to latest available and try to import again. Result - Out of synch audio.

 

My system has the following characteristics:

HP dv5190us Notebook

Processor: Centino Duo 1.83 GHz

RAM: 1024 MB (No other foreground applications running.)

Disk: 100 GB SATA with 45 GB free (and defragged.)

Video: nVidia GeForce Go 7400 With latest HP driver.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to try next to get a good import? If all imports are to be out of synch (based on my multiple checks with multiple DVDs), is there an easy way to use VideoWave to introduce a compensating audio delay through editing the imported MPEG? That would be an acceptable work-around before completing my task. What I wish to do is edit out remaining commercials and then write a compendium DVD with multiple episodes of the series back to DVD at "normal" SP(ish) quality.

 

All help, tips and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

 

John

[ggrussell]

You can completely skip using Media Import now. Try just using Windows Explorer to copy the VOB files from the disc to your hard drive. Then use those files in Videowave. You didn't say exactly what you wanting to do. Cut out commercials? Videowave and MyDVD both can now use VOB files directly.

 

You can completely skip using Media Import now. Try just using Windows Explorer to copy the VOB files from the disc to your hard drive. Then use those files in Videowave. You didn't say exactly what you wanting to do. Cut out commercials? Videowave and MyDVD both can now use VOB files directly.

 

I've done that with my LiteOn set top recorder. The few times I have done that myDVD did NOT re-render the video, but it did transcode the audio to AC3 - in sync.

[JUpton]

You can completely skip using Media Import now. Try just using Windows Explorer to copy the VOB files from the disc to your hard drive. Then use those files in Videowave. You didn't say exactly what you wanting to do. Cut out commercials? Videowave and MyDVD both can now use VOB files directly.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I will try that again under more controlled conditions and report back.

 

Would you mind posting a short "Cookbook" version of exactly how you did this with your Liteon set-top recorder?

 

Copying the TS directory from the DVD to the computer was the first thing I tried. I then edited out the video sections I wanted (commercials) and tried to use MyDVD to create an ISO file of the result. MyDVD seemed to start doing something but did not produce any results. All hard file activity stopped after just a few seconds. Four hours later, the encoding progress window still showed 0% complete and the Windows task manager showed both system processors as idle. MyDVD was alive and responded to a "Cancel" in the progress window but had not actually been working on anything so far as I or the sysem could tell. After multiple tries with the same behavour, I gave up on that method and moved to the Media Import method.

 

I will try again with more careful documentation of what I try to see if it was just a fluke. I'd appreciate any details covering exactly what you do that appears to work.

 

Also, as I mentioned in my prior post, I'd like to know if there is a method of manually skewing the audio and video tracks in VideoWave. That seems like something that should be easily done but I could not discover the method by reading the User Guide or playing with the options in VideoWave.

 

 

John

[ggrussell]

The only thing I did different than you is that I output to file using Videowave. It did NOT re-encode the file. One thing you need to keep in mind is the BITRATE at which is was recorded. Videowave/MyDVD DO NOT support bitrates under 3Mbs for video DVDs.

[JUpton]

The only thing I did different than you is that I output to file using Videowave. It did NOT re-encode the file. One thing you need to keep in mind is the BITRATE at which is was recorded. Videowave/MyDVD DO NOT support bitrates under 3Mbs for video DVDs.

 

Well, I have gotten past the probem with a workaround but am convinced the problem is within the Roxio handling of VOB files.

 

I tried the method you suggested. I copied the TS directory from the TV set-top recorded DVD onto my hard file. I opened the recording's VOB file set in VideoWave and then Output it to an MPG file. When that file was played, it was found to be in synch at the beginning but got progressively worse as it played. By the end of the 45 minute recording, the audio was out of synch by a full 6 seconds! This was much worse than just using Media Import as I ad done before when I first noticed the out of synch audio.

 

I checked the bit rate from the set-top DVD. It was greater than the required minumum of 3Mb/s as you pointed out. I wonder if it was TOO high. It was found to be recorded at over 9Mb/s. Perhaps Roxio has just as much of a limitation with high bit rates as low.

 

After a few more experiments, I decided to try another tool for the handling of the VOB files. I used the VOB2MPG third party tool to build the MPG from the VOB file set.

 

When this converted MPG was opened in VideoWave, the audio was perfect. I then went into MyDVD and added it to a project along with a new menu. I output it to an ISO file and then used DiskCopier to write the ISO to DVD. This DVD plays fine on the computer and on the set-top box. The audio and video are well synchronized.

 

It seems that Roxio's Media Import and VideoWave cannot support whatever is in the VOB file sets from my set-top recorder without introducing an audio synchronization problem into the MPG that is not present in the original VOB files.

 

Using a third party tool to do the initial VOB to MPG convertion seems to do the trick. I seem to recall that you mentioned that you had used VideoReDo to remove the comercials from your set-top recordings. Perhaps VideoReDo fixed up the VOB files for you the way VOB2MPG fixed up the files for me. After that initial fix-up, the Roxio programs can work with the resulting MPGs just fine. In my case, MyDVD did recode the video down to 9Mb/s when it was output to ISO. Maybe I need to see if I can tune my set-top to not encode the video higher than 9Mb/s so I can skip that step also from now on.

 

I may play with this a little more but when I'm not in a mood to experiment and need to write a few TV series episodes to DVD, I will pre-convert the VOB file sets to MPG using VOB2MPG so that I can be pretty sure the audio synchronization doesn't get messed up by the Roxio import/convert appications. They work well with MPG but for me, the VOB support just doesn't work correctly.

 

 

John

[james_hardin]

That is a good theory but I have not had this problem with VOB from my Recorder, regardless of the settings use in record/capture/output…

 

I don't use any 3rd party programs, just V9. One difference is that I normally don't capture the files but rather just rename them from xxxx_xx[/i}.vob to xxxx_xx[/i}.mpg.

 

But the main thing is that you seem to have found a solution that works in your case and that is what counts!

[TageSK]

Sorry if this is a obvious to others, but here we go: I have a long (1 hour) video captured by a HDD and burned on a DVD for me. The thing I want is 23 minutes interspaced with commercials, news, and other stuff.

 

I used "Add Photo/Video" many times on the same VIDEO_TS.IFO and then using the "Trim"-tool to cut off so that in the end I am left with the five parts I want. In the "Trim"-tool window the audio is in sync. But when I play the whole thing (in the Timeline window) the audio is 1 second out of sync; it starts before the video. Burning it doesn't help (no surprise there).

 

So I cut the thing with the external program DVD Shrink, and verify that the audio is in sync. When I "Add Photo/Video" it is out of sync again. I tried "Add Photo/Vidio" on the .VBO

 

I have a win XP, 3GHz processor with 2 GB of memory and SATA disks. The "Graphics test" shows about 100 FPS and 190 MB/s memory speed.

[edavis]

You are not alone. I am also having problems with the audio no syncing with the video. The syncing does vary and sometimes the audio will slowing go out of sync. I have tried other software and I have not had any problems.

 

I believe the sync problem is introduced when the software is performing a conversion, such as

- VOB to IPOD (mpg)

- *.mpg to DVD

 

One other note, the conversion takes hours, a 90 min "OnAir HDTV" analog video capture, *.mpg, took approximately 8 hours.

 

A movie transfer to IPOD took 5 hours.

 

I have defragmented my disk. My PC runs at 2.8Mhz. I have shutdown tasks, but I do not see any improvements. I am running XP.