Sync problems after authoring with Tmpg DvdAuth

[Wezz]

Hi peeps

I would class myself as a fairly experienced movie convertor - but am experiencing problems with audio sync.

I have been converting VCD's / SVCD's - Avi-Mpg for a few years now without any problems.
I use TmpgEnc to convert my Avi files to Mpg (with the help of Goldwave to extract the separate audio source). All of the VCD's / SVCD's I have created have worked perfectly - both on my computer and on my stand alone DVD player.

I have now moved onto DVD burning, If I download a movie in Vob format - I can use Nero to burn without any problems what-soever. However when I try to create a DVD compilation of Tv episodes (such as CSI or the Sopranos) I seem to always get a sync problem.
I download the original files in AVI format - then convert to MPG1 with tmpgenc, once all the files have been converted to Mpg I load them into TmpgDVDAuth and convert to Vob format. All is good up until I play on my stand alone DVD player - after about 15/20 minutes the audio gradually goes out of sync. This has happened on several compilations.
I have also tried using Ulead Movie Factory but still have the audio sync problem after 15/20 mins. The weird thing is (the Mpg files are absolutely fine before placing them into TmpgDVDAuth / Ulead Movie Factory) so it can't be the avi-mpg conversion - the problem must happen when I am authoring the DVD.

If anyone has any suggestions I will be most grateful.

Thanks in advance
Wez

[megamachine]

Thanks for the detailed question, and I hope some one can answer it, because I have had a similar problem recently with both TMPGEnc DVD Author and DVDLab, though I arrived at it differently. In my case, I begin by capturing VHS to MPEG-2, which plays fine as an MPEG, but once I author it to DVD structure, I get the same sync drift you are describing. This happens only when I capture PAL video sources (25fps), and I suspect that it has something to do with the ratios between the framerate of the video, and the audio and video bitrates. When I capture NTSC (29.97fps) I use 4mbps and an audio bitrate of 224kbps, and have had a sync problem. For PAL, I also use 4mbsp and tried the audio at 224, 256 and 320kbps but still get sync drift. I recall seeing a post somewhere on here, I can't find it now, that made similar connections between video framerate, and audio and video bitrates, so it would be really helpful if some one could provide some advice on ratios between these three factors.

[megamachine]

Another thought on this, if any one is interested. Ulead Video Studio encodes MPEG-2 in a way that seems to mask or replace or otherwise fix dropped frames, and so if that is your problem, you might want to try encoding your files with UVS. It also has a DVD authoring plugin. I used it on the above problem MPEG and it fixed the audio sync problem. Not sure what was or is the cause of the problem, but at least this method provides an in-sync DVD.

[Calle]

Can the sycnh issue arise when you use an avi with 23.976 frames and create a dvd compliant mpg file with different framerate? How can i convert the framerate?

This is my problem case right now - an avi file that gets an audio unsynch gradually through the film...I used TMPGEnc Xpress to create a dvd PAL mpg file...

Calle

[bendy]

I've had similar problems using DVD Lab and DVD Maestro. I'm not quite sur eof the solution, but I have at least isolated the problem. After you encode typical video it comes out in whatever mpeg extendion in 29.97, however these DVD Authoring/compiling programs are for some reson reading/using the video files at 30Fps as intended for video. I hope someone has an answer to this. Personally I am going to try and re-encode the Avis in Procoder, setting the FPS at 30 and seeing if that fixes the off sync. Let me know if you have any successes

[setarip]

To Wezz

"If I download a movie in Vob format - I can use Nero to burn without any problems what-soever. However when I try to create a DVD compilation of Tv episodes (such as CSI or the Sopranos) I seem to always get a sync problem.
I download the original files in AVI format"

As "megamachine" knows, as do most other posters to these forums, discussion of anything related to such activity is a violation of the rules of these forums (particularly Rule #6)...

[megamachine]

Got it, sorry for the slip up!

[bendy]

I found a soultion for DVD Lab if you use the bitrate calculator in tools it will recheck the video frame by fram and give you an accurate time reading, however as DVD Lab doesn't do all the things I'd like it to, I'm still stuck in Maestro