How do I change aspect ratio and correct audio synch??

[iasoncl]

Hi everyone...
This is my first post and I'll try to be as precise as possible.

I have a home-made DVD on which are 3 TV episodes. The first episode has the wrong aspect ratio and the audio is out of synch by about a second. I want to fix these problems and burn the whole thing onto a new DVD-R.

I have demultiplexed the VOBs to m2v and ac3 files, and then remultiplexed them to a single mpeg file (with TMPGenc plus).

How can I correct the problems in this file?

If anyone knows how to take care of this, I would be extremely grateful, as I have been trying for a few days without success.

Many thanks

Iason

[meranykta]

Hi. I do not really know what exactly your attempts were. Have you thought of trying interleaving of virtualdub to add an offset to audio track or Cooledit 2000 to adjust length before remuxing? I guess audio track must have been converted to wav first to be editable.
As far as aspect ratio is concerned, could you please be a bit more specific? If aspect ratio is wrong I don't think you will avoid re-encoding with tmpgenc which allows a lot af corrections.

[iasoncl]

Hi!
The 1st episode has the wrong aspect ratio (it has 2.35:1 instead of 1.78:1), and the audio is out of synch by a second or two. The other 2 episodes are fine.

This is what I have tried so far. I used DVD Decrypter to extract the 3 episodes individually: I have 3 folders with an episode in each (in VOBs). Next, I used TMPGenc Plus to Demultiplex the 1st episode, giving me an .m2v and an .ac3 file. Since I could not find a program to edit these 2 files, I re-multiplexed them into an .mpg file (with TMPGenc plus). I tried to open this mpg file in VirtualdubMpg2 but got the following error:

"Mpeg import filter: pack synchronization error"

Now I am stuck. Maybe I should convert the episode into an avi for virtualdub?

I hope that I have explained my probelm clearly... and that you'll be able to figure out a solution.

Many thanks
Iason

[meranykta]

Iason,
1. Only virtualdub-mod can accept vob files (or mpg, m2v renamed to vobs), but I AM NOT SURE if it is the right tool to fulfil our job.
What I would recommend is first ensure the audio track is either shifted or lengthed/shortened or both. Then get an audio tool. You can use Cooledit 2000 (but i do not think it opens ac3 directly) and select transform, time/pitch, stretch where you set a % value to fix length. You can also insert e.g. an 1 sec's space at the beginning or even cut part of the audio track.
Try this - I hope you 're still awake - convert to mp2 (tmpgenc can do it - tick "audio only") or AC3 (I 'm sure you 'll find a tool) if you like and remux with m2v.

2. video a. r.
I assume that given 2.3 as a.r. your first movie is displayed distorted. Assuming also that the black stripes up and down are auto-inserted and are not part of the frame (can you please check this with flaskmpeg?) then I THINK if you open the file with tmpgenc (check your version for mpeg2 opening) and set source - video arrange method: full screen, video: mpeg2 720x576, ar 16:9 display you 'll get what you expect.
Cheers

[iasoncl]

Someone sent me the following link, which explains how to correct the audio synch. I tried it and it worked. It is similar to what you recommended.

http://www.dvdrhelp.com/sync.htm

I also fixed the aspect ratio by messing around with the settings in TMPGEnc. I now have a mpg-2 file that is good.

How can I burn it onto a DVD-R along with the subtitles from the original DVD? I also want to burn the other 2 episodes from the original DVD to the same DVD-R... Any idea?

Thanks
Iason

[meranykta]

Thanks for the guide Iason.
Normally each asset (mpg file) you insert into your favourite authoring tool is considered as separate title (movie). Make a menu with the appropriate links to these files-movies and configure playback sequence.
Movie with subs
Talking about low-cost tools what I can say is : A free program that muxes m2v, mp2/AC3 and sub files (in sup format), but does not create menus is at the moment ifoedit. You may need sub2sup or microdvd2sup converter. If menu is also essential to you, take the muxed vob made by ifoedit and insert it to DVD-lab as asset, add menu and compile. DVD-lab (I hear it has bugs) accepts vobs and maintain subs operational (marking the first one as english and any other as unspecified).
Another trick for having menus and subs with free tools, not so elegant but a working one is detailed in this thread.
Good luck