Audio Sync problem with TMPGEnc plus

[Coolchange]

This is my first post, so please bear with me.

I have used a Videomate DVB-T300 PCI tuner card to capture HDTV on my hard disk. According to the manual, the capture file is a fixed MPEG-II file format with an avi extension. It plays back without any difficulty using Windows Media Player.

My objective is to cut out the commercials and convert and save this file to DVD.

I followed the guide posted by Lt. Columbo (see Basic Tmpgenc .avi/.mpg to DVD conversion guide). In step 7 of that guide it indicates that the audio may go out of sync, in which case this can be corrected by using some of the more advanced features.

My audio is out of sync but there is no guide on how to use the more advanced features. I have fumbled around in Tmpgenc plus but really have no idea what to do.

Can someone help me?

[Coolchange]

Further info

I think I know the source of my problem. I tried to load my .avi file directly into Tmpgenc DVD author but could not - the message came up that the video framerate of 50fps cannot be used for a standard dvd. 50fps is twice the 25fps required.

How do I adjust for the framerate discrepancy?

[anonymez]

am i right in guessing you live in australia, and are recording from ch7's sorry excuse for HD? (576p) in this case, its far better to record the SD stream in the future, its almost always higher quality (less compression artefacts) and fully dvd compliant. even if you're not in australia, the same idea applies

this is the method i used when if/when i am forced to record and author such content (i only ever do it if the hd audio is significantly better than SD):

1. In TMPGEnc, open Settings->Advanced->Inverse telecine (User setting).
Optionally: Right click on the large picture part in the window just opened and select the last menu item "Display Flicker Power".

[With the five thumb area along the top of the inverse telecine window, select frames to view by clicking on the grey area just below the thumb. Don't click on the thumb picture itself--which will give it a red border-- as this will select it for inclusion. (Clicking again will get rid of the red border in any case.)]

3. The frames are numbered 0a, 0b, 1a, 1b, 2a and so on. Right click on the first 'b' frame and select from the menu "Deal after this frame according to ... Ctrl-P" and enter the pattern "1000".

If you're familiar with the interface, you'll know that what you just did was select every second 'b' frame to use in your final video. You might also notice that all the 'b' frames have a high "flicker" value (i.e. they all appear interweaved). You only need every second 'b' frame because adjacent 'b' frames share the same field if compared even to odd. The end result is 25fps, each containing two fields (i.e. 50i).

4. You can select 25 fps in the drop down list to the right and click "Check" if you want to make sure you picked consistent frames. Either way, click OK when done.

5. If you're going to save as interlaced, I think it's just a matter of selecting MPEG-2 Video in the Video tab and choosing Interlaced. (I think TMPGEnc is clever enough to know that the frames you picked are already interlaced. I'm not sure what'll happen if you perform resizing or clipping though) If you want progressive, use the Deinterlace: Double filter.

After doing this, the resulting video should almost be as if you captured the SD channel to begin with, will be dvd compliant, so you can load into tmpgenc dvd author

[Coolchange]

Still more problems

Thanks anonymez.

Firstly, you guessed right - I'm from Australia and recorded from ch7's sorry excuse for HD (if you worked this out from my humble post, can you let me know the lotto numbers for this week?)

I followed your instructions (twice), but now have a file that runs at twice the normal speed and I get no speech. I still hear background music but no speaking.

Any thoughts?

[anonymez]

Firstly, you guessed right - I'm from Australia and recorded from ch7's sorry excuse for HD

still got it! just a little advice, avoid ch7's HD. ch9 and 10's are the only ones that will be of use. all other channel's HD is actually lower quality (IMO) than their SD.

now back to tmpgenc, did you choose 'interlaced' in either attempt?

ps i'm wondering why your source is an avi file? if anything it hsould be an mpeg/ts/tp file?

[Coolchange]

anonymez - Yes and don't know

Yes, I used interlace both times and I don't know why the saved file is .avi. The software that I am using (it came with the Videomate DVB-T300 PCI tuner card) is ComproDTV 2.5.

[anonymez]

ok it seems the the specs may have changed (or my memory is hazy) since i last did this (which was a couple of years ago )

so, do this instead, it should give pleasing results, i just tried it with a 1 min clip from 7 HD:

1. make a new project in tmpgenc, pick 'PAL 16:9', and cbr mp2 for audio

2. set up the video and audio inputs, for 'video type', select 'non-interlace'. for 'aspect ratio' select '16:9 display'

3. click 'next' then 'other settings'. choose which bitrate, motion search precision (i recommend high quality for this), etc. and make sure 'encode mode' is on 'non-interlace'

4. click the 'advanced' tab, and select 'keep aspect ratio 2' for 'video arrange method.

5. double-click 'inverse telecine'. in the first 'a' frame, (should be the very first frame, called '0a'), right-click the part under the small frame, and click 'deal after this frame according to...'

6. put the number 1000 in there, then click ok

7. set the framerate to 25fps, then click OK

8. setup your audio settings, etc.

9. encode, then input into tmpgenc dvd author

this should work. if it doesn't, something's different either on your PC or the source of the video...

either way, let us know how it goes

[Coolchange]

Getting there, but...

OK, anonymez, I followed your instructions and its works, but the audio is slightly out of sync. I noticed the other thread about correcting for this, so I will try that first (once I get some energy back up).

However, to make sure I had the method right, I captured 5 minutes of SDTV and tried to transfer it to DVD using Tmpgenc DVD author. Tmpgenc dvd author would not accept the file because the video bitrate of 12000 kbps is too high for DVD (9800 kbps). Therefore, I first put the file through Tmpgenc , but in so doing lost the audio.

How do I make so I do not lose the audio?

[anonymez]

when it says the bitrate is too high, click 'ignore'.

also, i don't know of am SD channel that has a bitrate of 12mbps (the highest bitrate in australia is around 12.5mbit, which is ch9's HD). i think you recorded HD, not SD...

[Coolchange]

Thanks anonymez. I think I now have a routine for both HDTV and SDTV which I think will work.

One last question. I noticed that my Nero software has a TV capture and DVD burn setup. Has there been any reviews on the quality of this package?

[anonymez]

you're welcome!

IMO don't bother with nero's package - that's my review

[anonymez]

coolchange, i take it the audio problem is solved?

i know that your card definitely supports BDA drivers. in that case, i VERY VERY highly recommend you try out the freeware program 'progdvb' rather than the default software. it is easily one of the best dvb programs out there, and doesn't capture in avi container (no program in dvb should).

also, avoid capturing in HD unless you are going to watch it on a PC or a HTPC. capture in SD if you want the video on DVD.

[Coolchange]

Thanks anonymez.

I'll give progdvb a try and let you know. And once more you were right - I checked the file produced by my software and it is mpg (don't know why I thought it was avi).

[blutach]

Thanks anonymez. I think I now have a routine for both HDTV and SDTV which I think will work.

One last question. I noticed that my Nero software has a TV capture and DVD burn setup. Has there been any reviews on the quality of this package?

And coolchange, from our many discussions @work, you know my feelings about Nero. Why did I bother to print out all that good stuff about PgcEdit?

PS Did you try again at 25 fps with a fixed delay?

Regards

[anonymez]

@blu: it wasn't so much the audio that needed work, it was converting 7's 50fps to 25fps for dvd, without 'jerkyness', especially in panning scenes. i hadn't done it in a while, so that method was from memory, but i remembered it worked quite well

hope we can get some feedback coolchange!
what do you use to cut your mpeg2 files, coolchange?