Dvd To Avc/aac (problem)

[MrkAndrws]

I am attempting to transfer a DVD to AVC/AAC. I had no intentions on purchasing the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component as I felt Toast 9.0.4 was my solution because it can read both MPEG-2 and Dolby Digital codecs.

 

However, Toast does not recognize the 3:2 Pulldown flag and displays a frame rate of 29.97 even though it is really 23.976. A slight drawback but nothing major. I still attempted to export as DV to preserve the quality and all seemed well. After the 2+ hour wait and 20GB later, the film was now successfully converted to DV.

 

I open up the newly converted DV in QuickTime to examine. The frame rate is 29.97fps as expected but this does not seem to affect playback as the Video and Audio are in perfect sync throughout. My problem is I am missing a few moments near the end of the film despite the duration being correct. This must be a problem caused by the frame rate.

 

I have tried using different importing methods (VIDEO_TS, Video) and I must be missing something. Also, exporting at 23.976 results in the incorrect frames removed thus resulting in stuttering playback with duplicate frames still present. What is my solution to getting my DVD converted?

 

Desired Workflow:

VIDEO_TS to DV (Toast)

DV to AVC/AAC (QuickTime Pro)

[tsantee]

How did you add the video to the Toast Convert window? An alternative approach to using the DVD disc or VIDEO_TS folders settin is to use the Toast Media Browser. Choose DVD with the top button of the Media Browser. Double click on what appears in the browser window. Drag the titles you want to the Video Files setting in the Copy window. Toast then extracts the MPEG video from the DVD or VIDEO_TS folder and uses this copied file as the source for converting.

 

Since you already have a DV file of all but the last several seconds you can use the Media Browser button that is just below DVD to access the chapters level of your DVD. Assuming the DVD has chapters you can drag over the last chapter so you'll only need to convert it to DV.

 

I've read other posts where Toast has clipped the end of some videos. I haven't looked into this or done any tests of my own so I'm not sure what could be the cause. I'm also uncertain if my alternative process will be any different than the one you used, but it's worth a try.

[MrkAndrws]

I have tried the VIDEO_TS method and selecting to convert the Main video. I have tried the Video method and selecting the .VOB file. I have also tried the Video method and selecting the DVD Title using the Toast Media Browser. All resulted in the file being cut short.

 

Today I tried the Video method and selecting the DVD Chapters using the Toast Media Browser only for the cut offs to be even worse. I am currently in the process of using MPEG Streamclip to Demux the .VOB to .M2V and .AC3 as this does not require the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component. I really don't expect this to work, but here's hoping for a miracle.

 

Is there a method I missed? Why doesn't Toast 9.0.4 convert my DVD correctly? I can't be the only one who has experienced this problem.

[tsantee]

I have tried the VIDEO_TS method and selecting to convert the Main video. I have tried the Video method and selecting the .VOB file. I have also tried the Video method and selecting the DVD Title using the Toast Media Browser. All resulted in the file being cut short.

 

Today I tried the Video method and selecting the DVD Chapters using the Toast Media Browser only for the cut offs to be even worse. I am currently in the process of using MPEG Streamclip to Demux the .VOB to .M2V and .AC3 as this does not require the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component. I really don't expect this to work, but here's hoping for a miracle.

 

Is there a method I missed? Why doesn't Toast 9.0.4 convert my DVD correctly? I can't be the only one who has experienced this problem.

It will be awhile before I can test this out. I just extracted a movie from DVD using Toast and the mpeg file it extracted ends at the correct point. But the source does not have 3:2 pulldown. I also haven't had time to export it to see if that is where it gets truncated. So even if it passes these tests I need to find and rip a film-based video DVD and start all over. So please be patient.

[MrkAndrws]

Well demuxing via MPEG Streamclip did not solve the problem I am experiencing. MPEG Streamclip reads the combined .VOB files as having a duration of 1:36:04, yet Toast reads the same files as 1:36:00 (Same duration as DVD Player). After the demux Toast reads the combination of .M2V and .AC3 as having a duration of 1:52:00. *Sigh*

 

Even though the duration Toast states is accurate (1:36:00), after export the film is incomplete even though the duration is identical. There must be a problem with the way Toast handles files with 3:2 Pulldown. Is this resolved in Toast 10?

[tsantee]

Well demuxing via MPEG Streamclip did not solve the problem I am experiencing. MPEG Streamclip reads the combined .VOB files as having a duration of 1:36:04, yet Toast reads the same files as 1:36:00 (Same duration as DVD Player). After the demux Toast reads the combination of .M2V and .AC3 as having a duration of 1:52:00. *Sigh*

 

Even though the duration Toast states is accurate (1:36:00), after export the film is incomplete even though the duration is identical. There must be a problem with the way Toast handles files with 3:2 Pulldown. Is this resolved in Toast 10?

I completed a test using a source DVD that had 3:2 pulldown and can confirm that a few frames are dropped at the end. I took a 4:01 chapter and converted it to DV. The DV file was three frames shorter than the source. Because the problem for me happened within the final GOP of the MPEG 2 file I can't be certain if Toast simply stops at the last key (or I) frame. However, you report a fairly significant loss of frames that certainly is beyond the final key frame.

 

I also did a test using a professional application from Miraizon that specifically is for this purpose (we're not supposed to discuss other apps here that do similar things as Toast) and it converted to DV the entire length to the last frame (which is how I know the Toast version was three frames shorter).

 

Given your need, it appears Toast is not adequate. You either need to find a way to pad the source video with more frames or use a different conversion application.

[MrkAndrws]

Problem solved. After some time and numerous tests, I managed to get Toast 9.0.4 to properly convert my content. Here is my method.

 

As usual I selected the Video option under the Convert tab. Placed my VIDEO_TS folder on the desktop and selected the desired title from the Media Browser. At which time Toast began to extract the content to the Roxio Converted Items folder.

 

Within the Roxio Converted Items folder were two files, one being .mpg the other being .xml. I then opened the .xml file in TextEdit and extended the durations set drastically for both video and audio streams and saved. Re-dragging the .mpg file to Toast would then state the new duration (hours longer). At which time I began the conversion process.

 

Toast completes the conversion after it no longer has a video or audio stream to convert. It simply converted the entire clip duration as it should be, not the duration I set. Turns out the actual video is 1:36:04.