Damaged video stream? Why?

[jopereira]

I've encoded Pearl Harbor and Tomb Raider without a problem, and have made many correct tests in between.

Since last weekend, I'm trying to encode Shrek and Jurassic Park III but I'm getting crashs (CCE, bbMPEG) and erratic video streams.
Very often I have bbMPEG creating MPEG streams of 1Gb-3Gb, and what was supposed to fit in a 800Mb CD, bbMPEG goes to 2nd MPEG stream.
This is, of course, an erratic behavour.

Below are some images to get you in tune with my problem. There seems to be block images that belong to some other frame in some of this images.

When bbMPEG MPEG streams seems to be correct (about 795Mb), I've tried to mux the video and audio stream with TMPGEnc, with the same results (which lead to not consider bbMPEG problems).

Opinions about this?

Note: this kind of problems are not constant (time wise) in video stream but maybe I have about 1 problem every 3 minutes.

http://content.communities.msn.com/_Secure/0MAAcCkYPIllJx2fYwLdnjKAyLImPt03vVpvDm05jT8YUrks4JpocZ2EpvCGbSD0hhl*YAx2aeIh4AZ8C*bf8dw/PDVD_000.JPG

http://content.communities.msn.com/_Secure/0MAAgAEcPSVlJx2fYwLdnjHsVas7UM42JlArfLKntaxCG05Il1nrskejropXcNIELBieDHwBGh91oAHQAaAB0AA/PDVD_001.JPG

http://content.communities.msn.com/_Secure/0MAD**0gPcFlJx2fYwLdnjO*64EuKsTPOgpvO6qtQQK3AMB1XLPZECeS2raYfrMD*j0OrsCnD8UD2sYq2aAB0AA/PDVD_002.JPG

http://content.communities.msn.com/_Secure/0MACJD0sP5VlJx2fYwLdnjLVJAx0GLpNdfVDfdxNq3yXsfcKWpdtEF1qO8yfHjpVQHD4bKOPjZ!FAdIkPZsc3dQ/PDVD_005.JPG

[Clixo]

was this print scream from a burned cd or from a loaded imahe troght daenon , or even the muxed file ?. this is tipical of bad quality cds od even from normal cdrw, also if it is from a burned cd was it burned at 4 x ?

[Nick]

Looks exactly like a media problem I had.

Check out exactly where these errors come in.

WinMediaPlayer will play CCE_encoded_video.mpv
and BBMpeg muxed file.mpg.

Your software DVD player will play the image files if you mount the cuesheet in Daemon Tools.

If all the files play OK but the discs don't, try burning slower. If this fails, bin the discs and buy some new ones. If the errors exist in the image files, or in the Muxed files or the Encoded video let us know which files are affected and we'll try and fathom it.

However, whilst this looks like the problem I had, when I posted about it,

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21537

one of the responses was regarding JP3 and Shrek is known to be a problem causer, so who knows, maybe these are just problem movies.

Thinking on though, if it is the same problem I had, there should be a glitch in the audio when the faults occur. If so, this is a good sign that the problem is @ muxing or later.

[jopereira]

Thankx for your support. Here is more data:

The problem occurs even with the use of Daemon Tools (without even get a cd burned...).

I guess I have an older version of Windows Media Player because I can't read .mpv files, but the mpeg stream produced by bbMPEG already has errors.
BTW, I don't get audio problems where the video problems appear.

[Nick]

OK, we've ruled out media, burning method, image creation and most likely bbMPEG (since muxing with TMPGenc doesn't help)

As for the .mpv files, If Media Player won't do it, DVD2AVI will, you'll find it a folder in the DVS2SVCD folder in C:\program files. You have to check it frame for frame, though.

If the encoded video stream is fine, then in must be a muxing problem. If not, we are looking at either ripping or encoding being the culprit.

So check your rip to start with by opening the .vob files with your software player. If it hasn't ripped properly with internal routines try vstrip. If the rip is OK then it's pretty much certainly an encoding problem.

A million and one things can go wrong during encoding so to have a hope of tracking it down we would need your Encoder tab settings and a log file pasted here.

[jopereira]

Originally posted by Nick
OK, we've ruled out media, burning method, image creation and most likely bbMPEG (since muxing with TMPGenc doesn't help)
...
So check your rip to start with by opening the .vob files with your software player. If it hasn't ripped properly with internal routines try vstrip. If the rip is OK then it's pretty much certainly an encoding problem.
...
A million and one things can go wrong during encoding so to have a hope of tracking it down we would need your Encoder tab settings and a log file pasted here.

I haven't see the .mpv file but I will. BTW, my computer (PIII-500) cannot play a DVD @ 25 fps, but it seems that .vob files are alright.

I have more information: I have done all the tests in CBR... BUT yesterday I have tried VBR just to see what happens... and guess what? CCE gives me a check-sum error in video file (check-sum different front last pass)!!

Does anyone had this problem before? Is this a software conflict (related to DVD2SVCD) or is it a hardware problem (HD problem)?
(right now, I left the computer at home doing a SCANDISK to drive c: where I have the working directory - drive d:, where I have original ripped files has no errors)

Notes:
1)as I said in my first post, I've already successfully backed-up two movies without this kind of problems (also in VBR- 4 passes)
2)I can past my log file here, but the process doesn't give any errors. If I get something wrong in log file I'll post it here. Anyway, thanks for suggesting.

Yours in ripping,

[jopereira]

I have already seen .mpv file and it has errors, although less than final MPEG.

Here is an error in .mpv, there is an error at MPEG, but there are some MPEG errors that don't appear in .mpv.

Could this be a harddisk problem that is not detected by software?!?!

Any idea about possible tests?

BTW, Nick, what kind of information do you think is relevant so I can post it here?

TIA,

[markrb]

Did you check your VOB files like was suggested?

Open them in DVD2AVI manually and check them out. There is a guide on how to use DVD2AVI on Doom9.org.

You can also check them in a software DVD player.

I have never seen a problem like this introduced by the encoder. Whenever I have seen it it's always a source issue.

Anything is possible, but definately check the source files on the HD.

Mark

[jopereira]

Originally posted by markrb
Did you check your VOB files like was suggested?


Yes Mark, and didn't see any error. But, since my PC doesn't play DVD in real time, I cannot say for sure there are no errors in vob files (but I still believe they are alright).

[markrb]

Just so we are on the same page. I am talking about the VOB files on the Hard Drive not on the DVD. Make sure they are OK after they have been ripped.

You can check them in a Software DVD player or DVD2AVI.

Mark

[jopereira]

Sorry Mark, my poor english make misunderstandings frequent... :(

When I said "does play DVD in real time" you should read "cannot play .vob files (DVD or HD) in real time", which means there are frames that I just don't see. But I seen the .vob files several times where the SVCD encoding has errors, and didn't see errors.

BTW, each time I encode a chapter the problems are in diffrent places from previous encoding, which rule out .vob problems (and doesn't rule out reading problems of a good .vob...)

[markrb]

This is wierd. Post you DVD2SVCD_log.txt file from a bad encode. Use cut and paste, don't attach it.

Mark

[jopereira]

Here it is Mark. TIA.


--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 8:49:58
- DVD to SVCD Conversion
- DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.8 build 1
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing
Initializing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 8:50:01
- Free on drive C: 19050.56 mb
- Internal rip
--------------------------------------------------------
Preparing vobfiles to be ripped:
- D:\Shrek\VTS_01_1.vob
- D:\Shrek\VTS_01_2.vob
- D:\Shrek\VTS_01_3.vob
- D:\Shrek\VTS_01_4.vob
- D:\Shrek\VTS_01_5.vob

Ripping: D:\Shrek\VTS_01_1.vob
Ripping finished. Speed: 5783

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 9:06:17
- DVD2AVI
--------------------------------------------------------
Creating DVD2AVI INI file:
- C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.INI

Variable settings:
iDCT_Algorithm: 32-bit SSE MMX

Executing DVD2AVI.
Executing DVD2AVI. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.exe" -CS=2 -YR=1 -EXIT -OF=[C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\DVD2AVI_Project_file] -IF=[C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\VTS_01_1.vob]
Framerate: 25000
DVD2AVI processing done.

Saving Subtitles
--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 9:07:26
- Free on drive C: 18364.66 mb
- AUDIO Extraction
--------------------------------------------------------
Found AC3 stream id: 0x82
Filename: C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3
Audio1 delay: 0 ms
Audio extraction finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 9:10:10
- Free on drive C: 18328.66 mb
- AUDIO conversion
--------------------------------------------------------

Converting Audio to MP2. Filename: C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3
Executing BeSweet. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3" -output "C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP\MOVIE\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP\MOVIE\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -azid( -L 0db -c none -g max ) -ssrc( --rate 44100 ) -2lame( -e -b 224 -m s )
Audio conversion of C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3 finished.

Audio conversion finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 9:20:08
- Free on drive C: 18318.63 mb
- Video Encoding using Cinema Craft
--------------------------------------------------------

Executing Cinema Craft Encoder.
StreamSectors: 833934864
AudioSectors: 19326384
VideoPAPO: 12618720
ScanOffsetBytes: 20219
SeqAligningBytes: 1285017
DVDBytes: 0
VideoEndHeader: 4
SubtitleSectors: 0
EmptySectors: 238.00
PictureSectors: 1.00
PureMPEGStream: 800684520.13
Seconds: 680.96
CalcMPEGStream: 800684520.13
Frames: 16849
CDSize: 800.00
Cut point 795.00
Variable Settings:
Frames: 16849
Anti Noise Filter: 2
Passes: 4
Image Quality: 17
VAF file creation: Off
Video Encoding Mode: CBR
Avg. Bitrate: 2230
Closing program
CCE Max Speed: 0.300
Video Encoding finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 9:59:44
- Free on drive C: 17947.22 mb
- Converting Pictures from ES to PS
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini
--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 9:59:47
- Free on drive C: 17947.28 mb
- Converting Pictures from ES to PS
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini
--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 9:59:49
- Free on drive C: 17947.28 mb
- Multiplexing and cutting
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini
Offset in Seconds: 0
Executing bbMPEG.
Variable Settings:
Movie offset: 0 seconds
Cut point: 795 mb

Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File.mpg"
Multiplexing and cutting finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 10:01:49
- Free on drive C: 17941.69 mb
- Determining length of audio
--------------------------------------------------------
Analyzing: C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg
673.855 seconds C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg
Analyzing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 10:02:17
- Free on drive C: 17937.66 mb
- Creating CD-Images using VCDXBuild
--------------------------------------------------------
- No. of chapters to create: 2

CD image #1: CD_Image_File_CD1.bin

Executing VCDXBuild. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\VCDImager\VCDXBuild.exe" --cue-file="C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\CD_Image_File_CD1.cue" --bin-file="C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\CD_Image_File_CD1.bin" "C:\WINDOWS\Desktop\Movie\VCDXBuild_Script_1.xml"
CD-Image creation finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 27-04-2002 10:02:55
- Free on drive C: 17863.94 mb
- SVCD Creation finished!
--------------------------------------------------------

[markrb]

I cannot see anything wrong. The bitrate looks good and nothing jumps out at me as this is a problem.

At this point I am grasping at straws and it may well be specific to this DVD.

I don't really have anything for you to try.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful,
Mark

[jopereira]

Thanks for your support. I'm think there's an hardware problem.

Yesterday, I installed my Win98SE again (from a formated HD). After drivers instalation, I've installed CCE and DVD2SVCD. The problems still there...
I've read the new ripped .vob file and I don't see any problems here MPEG has failures (remember, I've ripped the movie to a HD directory, but I have to rip it again just to test it with one chapter).

I'll try hardware tests from now on.

Anyone knows about hardware testers ?

[jopereira]

Well, I'm not 100% sure, but after I set the BIOS default values last nigt, I left DVD2SVCD running over night... CCE VBR 4pass.

If you remenber, I was getting problems related to CRC errors when using multi-pass readings. After about 7 hours of enconding using VBR, CCE was still running without a problem.
I have to stop enconding since the max average was set at 2230bps and the movie (using two CD's) can take 2290. To get the max. available space I stop enconding and started it again.
I believe, after MANY enconding hours, I'll get the correct MPEG stream without errors.
If I don't post here again, you'll know I was lucky and my problem was a BIOS (incorrect) setting. The strange thing is that I didn't get errors using one pass enconding (Windows or hardware should give me reading errors or something, don't you think?). CCE helped me saying it was getting 'different' source video files each time it read it.

Still don't know who did that mess in my BIOS... :D
(I'm the only one who works at that computer... could that mean something?!?! ;) )

[markrb]

Gremlins.

If you did 1 pass VBR without creating a VAF you wouldn't get a CRC error since there is no file to check it against. The same goes for CBR.

If you used the CRC patch try reinstalling CCE without the patch and see if you can go through an entire encode without the error. Whenver possible it is best not to use the patch, because even if the error is minor it is still an error and can cause problems.
I didn't think of that as a possibility, but it makes sense now.

Mark

[jopereira]

Last night I encoded "Shrek" chapters 1-9, 4 passs VBR, and guess what?!? No errors while processing, no errors in video stream!

BIOS settings were my problem.

Thanks for your help!

:)

[andyman]

:rolleyes:

sounds familiar......what exactly did you change in your BIOS settings.....i ran a memory tester on my system and had problems...b4 taking the RAM back to the supplier I changed a few BIOS settings and re-ran the tests with no problems......don't ask me what i changed but the BIOS can be a real problem area.....

[jopereira]

I don't remember exactly what I've changed, but I think I reset to default value (that should be more conservative ones.