multiAVCHD - author Blu-ray/AVCHD (Blu-ray players, camcoders, Viera TV) + (HD) DVD

[Looukas]

Talking about PS3, am I wrong or recent firmware made it play AVCHD structures in 1080p, no matter what the resolution of material is? I've noticed my system displays 720p video with 1080p24 output, which seems not correct at all, I prefer it to output native resolution to get better processing by TV, 1080i material was played in 1080p too...

[wiseant]

Hi
I have been using MultiAVCHD on a fairly regular basis and this is what I have discovered:

1. Chapter thumbnails black or not showing
need to set "ffdshow video decoder information" for decoding H.264/AVC to ffmpeg-mt
From my tests - if I use LAVFilters to decode mov/mp4/h264/ - then thumbnails may work for the first title but won't work for additional titles

2. Maximum number of thumbnails to use for chapters is 12, any more and it will end up creating a 2nd chapter menu for the selected Title and it will be impossible to navigate to this second set of chapter thumbnails for this Title

3. I have successfully authored a Blu_Ray compatible compilation using three titles, each with 12 thumbnail chapters - burnt to a DVD-RW with ImgBurn [udf mode] and checked it with PowerDVD 10 and all the chapter thumbnails worked properly and I was able to navigate to each Title as well as the Title List menu

4. regarding the Title List menu - there is a dialogue box for Title list BG [background] Complexity under Menu/Advanced with the slider going from 0 to 12
This value, n, determines the skewed nxn Title List background, i.e. if you choose a value of 5 - then you will have a 5x5 matrix of "skewed" images for your Title List page

hope this helps

[verabgd]

Originally Posted by deank

Using [x] Advanced subtitle processing will give you better looking subtitles (using avisynth+vsfilter) so I'd suggest that you install Java for BDsup2sub. Subtitle processing will be slower, but the final look is much nicer.

If you want to go more advanced there are two small apps included in multiAVCHD package: easySUP and goSUP. Both will allow you to create Blu-ray SUP file from text-SRT subtitles. Once you get a SUP file you can load it in BDsup2sub and move the subtitles UP/DOWN and arrange them as you wish. easySUP is slower and supports bold/italic/underline. goSUP is ~10x faster, but doesn't support <b> <u> <i> (strips these codes).

Once you're done, use only file.m2v, file.ac3 and file.sup as input assets.

Dean

Problem with opaque subtitles:

I want something simple – to add opaque background to subtitles. I checked “Advanced subtitle processing” as well as “Use opaque box” but during compilation I got error message: “!!! Error converting subtitles! (java?)”. Compilation was successfully finished but subtitles didn’t have opaque background.

I installed Java (Java Platform (JDK) 7u2 for Windows x64) but then again I got the same error message. Then I installed easySUP, used it as standalone application and again I got error message.

This is from log file:

[07:43:13] Converting TEXT subtitles to PGS/SUP...
[07:43:13] [adriana l english.srt]
[07:43:13] Processing may take some time, so be patient!
[07:43:13] Advanced subtitle processing (step 1)...
[07:43:13] Fast mode enabled (1128x232 @ 50.000 fps with 76px margins)...
[07:44:08] Advanced subtitle processing (step 2)...
[07:44:09] !!! Error converting subtitles! (java?)
[07:44:09] Adding subtitles (Adriana L English.srt) (und)

What I did wrong? How to get subtitles with black/opaque background?

Thank you very much in advance.

[apple2pomme]

Originally Posted by apple2pomme

Why is multiAVCHD PS3 dependent?

I made a few AVCHD folders and played by one thick (old) and one slim (new) PS3. On the thick PS3, I tested all, over 90% of videos can be played without problem. Only <10% have only sound and no image. However, with the other thin PS3 (on the same system, just changed the HDMI and Optical plugs), only sound can be heard, no video.

With the thin PS3, the AVCHD folders, Welcome MENU, and XML menu showed well and the background sound played well. Only when the "play" is clicked on each movie, only the sound played and no image. However, each 0000xxx.m2ts in the "stream" folder can be played individually (with the thin PS3) with sound and image perfectly correct. I really don't understand this problem. Hope someone can help. So, it seems the image (video) link between XML menu and the video clip file is blocked by something in the thin (new) PS3.

Any setup wrong? Please help! Thanks!!!

I tried and tried, this problem persists. Have you had the same problem?

[apple2pomme]

I used mkv2vob (long before I knew multiAVCHD) for PS3. It works nearly every time. For me it has only 2 shortage comparing to multi-AVCHD:
(1) single AVCHD
(2) single audio track and no subtitle (or re-encode one in the movie which is no good)

multiAVCHD has above, very nice features: multi-AVCHD (by its name) and audio & subtitle like real BD.

However, multiAVCHD is more fragile. Sometimes AVCHD folders can NOT be played on certain PS3; Certain movies don't play at all; certain movies only audio heard, no video; audio mux problem, etc.

For example, one movie has 2 audio tracks. I tried with multiAVCHD many times and it only came out with one (non English). mkv2vob can have the perfect any single one.

I wonder if multiAVCHD can adapt features from mkv2vob as it has souurce code available?

Or multiAVCHD has its source code available?

Thanks.

[Moritzio]

How do I login or register for the offical forum? I cannot see any links to the forum on http://multiforum.deanbg.com/. Does the author still have a forum? I used to have a login, but cannot find a way to use it or reregister.

[setarip_old]

@Moritzio

Hi!

You might try searching for him at PS3-specific sites...

[Moritzio]

I got this error tonight night: variable contains only a single value - line 106. Any ideas what is up?

Last log entries were:
[03:09:41] Encoding static XMB menu page [4/7] [Static title thumbnail].
[03:10:03] Encoding static XMB menu page [4/7]: Chapter page [1/1].

[Pipeline79]

Hi there, sorry if this is a stupid question - but I have looked as best I can for a defintive answer for this and there doesn't seem to be one as I can find.
I'm running multiavchd on Win 7 - 64 bit now, rather than Vista 32 bit.
I have - MultiAVCHD in the Program Files folder.
ffdshow 64 in the same place and ffdshow 32 in the x86 program files.
avisynth and haali are also both in regular prog files folder.
I understand MultiAVCHD is a 32bit prog, as are avisynth and haali.
I installed the 64bit ffdshow first because of OS, but when using the multitest tool I kept getting a VC-1 error. Installing the 32bit ffdshow and using the directshow tweaker eventually helped me get four OKs with this. So does this tool (the multitest) assume everything is for 32bit decoding/encoding?
The only thing which is confusing me now, is the button in the settings tab (in multiAVCHD) for 64-bit OS - having it checked, with the set-up I have right now causes the encoding to fail, and having it unchecked means it works fine. Does this just mean it doesn't really work with Win 7 atm?
So, finally - if anyone else is trying something like this, perhaps tell me if the 64-bit win 7 would speed anything up with this particular program anyway?

*Plus* Is there a common cause when transcoded avi/mp4 files get A/V sync issues after going through multiAVCHD that someone could point me to?

I do like this program, though - don't get me wrong!

[Music Fan]

My Sony bdp-s370 has a weird behavior with pop-up menus on AVCHD : it works on USB key but not on dvd (no pop-up), whatever I choose strict mode or not (anyway I don't use motion menu).
@ people who have this player (or the 470, or the 380, ...) : did you succeed in making it work on dvd ? I have still an old firmware and I would like to know if it's the cause or not of this problem before to upgrade it.

Something else about pop-up : when I choose AVCHD (for USB) as output format, pop-up are displayed but shrinked on not Full HD titles (720p, 480p, ...), even when I check "always match pop-up resolution" (I tried both, with and without).

But I found a strange method to make it work correctly (I mean to have the good pop-up size) on AVCHD (only on USB key) : I first choose Blu-ray as output format, I do not check "always match pop-up resolution", then I re-author it in AVCHD for USB and the pop-up size is good on all resolutions titles.
If I check "always match pop-up resolution", they are shrinked on not Full HD titles, while the inverse would be more logical.

To check or not "add pop-up" at the re-authoring step has no effect, the pop-up are there anyway.

I also tried to change the display resolution in my player's setup (1080p, original signal, 720p, 480i), it has no effect on the pop-up.

[c2k]

[... Resolved ..]

€dit: Nevermind, seems to work now.
Don't know what got it working, but I guess it works now because I changed the MPEG2-Encoder to "lavc 2-pass" in the settings tab.

Still there is one question I would like to have answered:
When I am playing the last chapter of a title with a following title, how can I get it to work to play the following title when I click the "Next Chapter Button" (on remote) ?
At least on my PS3 it doesn't work.

Oh, one more thing:
When motion menu and motion title thumbnails are activated, the background will show a video based on the trailer cuts sequence while the title thumbnails just plays a 32 second long part of the video.
Is there any way to get a trailer cuts sequence into the title thumbnails ?

[Music Fan]

Originally Posted by c2k

When I am playing the last chapter of a title with a following title, how can I get it to work to play the following title when I click the "Next Chapter Button" (on remote) ?
At least on my PS3 it doesn't work.

I have the same problem on my Sony player, we should maybe tick "add chapter at title end" in author tab, I never tried it.

[c2k]

Thanks, I'll give it a try.
One more thing:
How does the AviSynth tab work ?
Or: What do I have to do to get my custom AviSynth script processed ?
For testing, I have pasted one into the AviSynth tab of one title, but instead the program generated script was used (for motion title menu), at least the file in the output folder is from the "standard" slide multiAVCHD script and not mine.
I tested the script with VirtualDub and it has no errors, so what do I need to do to get my script processed ?
Maybe I wouldn't even need that if someone could explain how I get the menu background video (8 trailer cuts with fade in/out) as title thumbnail ?

[Music Fan]

Originally Posted by Music Fan

I have the same problem on my Sony player, we should maybe tick "add chapter at title end" in author tab, I never tried it.

I tried it and it works. Clicking on "next" goes to 1 second before the end of the title, so the wait is short to see the following title.

[c2k]

Thats great, thanks for the heads up.
But can you help me with my custom AviSynth script problem from my previous post ?
Just a short explanation on how to use it would be great.

Or does someone at least know how multiAVCHD processes the menu scripts ?
I gues with x264.exe, but what are the paramters ? And is there something called before it ?
I would just like to get similar results to multiAVCHD just with my customized script...

[Music Fan]

Sorry, I can't help you for that part, I never use multiAVCHD to encode. I create my scripts manually and I encode with MeGui.

[Dofin]

Hi I Running Windows 7 64bits, with 12 Go of memory. My problem is almost all of my memory is used at a point during the process (after I see the message "completed") and for the rest of the process, the memory used stayed high and never came back to normal (which is around 20%), even after the program has been closed !
I've checked 64bits, move transitional files and All, in the Settings. I've never been able to go back to normal operation because my PC is slowed down to a point that it is not workable.
When I've been previously running a 32bits version on the same PC, this has never happened and I only had 3 Go at the time.
I've checked for malware, defrag, etc. with no success. The only way to go back to mormal is to close the session or reboot. Any clue ? Thanks.

Update: I've changed the output to another physical drive and although after "completed" in the process, 90% of memory is used, it goes back to a normal 15% of memory used, after completion. Previously the partitions used were different but on the same physical drive. This time, input and output ate on separate partitions, on different physical drives. This way, I get a performance improvement.

[c2k]

Originally Posted by Music Fan

Sorry, I can't help you for that part, I never use multiAVCHD to encode. I create my scripts manually and I encode with MeGui.

Great hint.
Works for me, but will make the whole process a bit more complex.
Thanks anyways.

[a320]

Originally Posted by deank

ffdshow and haali spliter installation steps: (steps to take if you have problems with transcoding or menu preparation!)

If you have ffdshow or avisynth or haali splitter - uninstall them and install supported versions in following order:

1) Install Avisynth 2.58

2) Install ffdshow

3) Install haali (Matroska / Матрешка) splitter
....................

THANK YOU DEAN!

This solved my problem where the preview window, where I'd try to select spots in the movie to link them to the main title image, would have blocks/artifacts instead of a clean image. Additionaly, I use Sharks codecs, I went into shark settings and made sure everything was selected to use ffdshow + haali instead of the other choices available. Not sure if this made a difference as well.

[Cela]

DVB-S2 channel arteHD (Astra 19.2°) will broadcast six shows in 3D side-by-side mode later this sunday. This may provide some test footage.

The answer of how to convert these 3D HD ts may be buried somewhere in the 7000+ postings in this thread.

Please, could somebody provide a link to the solution or give a short summary of how to convert a recorded transport stream from side-by-side to anyglyph (blue/yellow and/or red/cyan) mode.