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

[chompy]

Hi deank,

in re-author mode after remuxing m2ts files with ATC_delta_entries in their clipinf, they lose this data and I don't know if it's related to this or not, but those files are in a seamless branching structure and after re-author one playlist in branching plays fine, but the other has a very small gap in audio between m2ts files.

Greetings

Edit: the problem isn't whit the second playlist, it's the second audio stream, because when I select it the first playlist the gap is also shown. I've kept the DTS core and changed it's order... I'll do some more tests

That's weird, if I keep the original DTS-HD there's no gap in audio between m2ts files, but if I only keep CTS core, I get this anoying gap :mad:

[MrVideo]

What is the message of your player when you insert the disc?

Not my players. A friend out west. I'll ask, but I do not believe there was a message.

Don't check "Skip top menu playback" in the author tab to be sure that you will see at least the menu, even if the player cannot play the videos.

Not checked, as I only have a top menu. No welcome.

When you hit the start button, you have to chose "AVCHD strict" if you wanna burn your project on a dvd. If you burn it on a BD, you chose Blu-ray (only one choice for this support).

Burning Blu-ray only.

Of course, you have to burn it in UDF 2.50 mode. It's easier to do if you let MultiAVCHD launch ImgBurn (that you have to install separately).
Check "use ImgBurn with Dvd/BD" in MultiAVCHD's settings.

Yep, already doing that.

Other possible reason of problem : the media itself. Some brands are not readable by all players, and it's impossible to know before testing it, except if you find a list of problematic discs on your player made by someone who tested it.

Ya, there is that possibility. I think he can burn. I'll have him try duplicating the disc.

[deank]

I was away for 4-5 days, but I'm back :)

***

About Panasonic BDP - AFAIK there is a problem which I cannot resolve. Version 4.1 menus (excluding 'AVCHD strict' mode) do not work for some reason in Panasonics. I have no explanation about it, yet. Of course it is possible to use [AVCHD strict] mode and burn to BD-R disc - it will then work. All ver 3.x menus work with Panasonic players.

[MrVideo]

I was away for 4-5 days, but I'm back :)

I hope you enjoyed your time off.

Of course it is possible to use [AVCHD strict] mode and burn to BD-R disc - it will then work.

I'm confused. I do have AVCHD strict mode set, but it didn't work. (Stricter AVCHD File Format).

[deank]

1st: it is the OUTPUT selection after you click [START] - AVCHD STRICT.

2nd: the option is "STRICT AVCHD FOLDER FORMAT" in AUTHOR tab.

[MrVideo]

1st: it is the OUTPUT selection after you click [START] - AVCHD STRICT.

That explains why, sort-of.

I'm authoring Blu-ray compatible discs on BD-R. So I'm selecting the Blu-ray option for ANY Blu-ray player.

I ignored the AVCHD area as I'm not making AVCHD format discs. The bitrate I have encoded with is higher than the AVCHD spec.

I'll make one of those after an encoding I am doing is finished. I'll see if it works in my Sony, then I'll send it to him to try.

[deank]

As I posted before, there is an UN-known problem with Panasonic BDP player models 35/55/60/80... For some reason they don't cope with version 4 menu implementation. Either use version 3 or AVCHD STRICT output and burn to BD-R disc. The difference is minor to none.

[MrVideo]

As I posted before, there is an UN-known problem with Panasonic BDP player models 35/55/60/80... For some reason they don't cope with version 4 menu implementation. Either use version 3 or AVCHD STRICT output and burn to BD-R disc.

Yes, I got all that.

The difference is minor to none.

I kinda figured that the menu/folder layout wouldn't be much different, but I encoded the h.264 video at a rate higher than the avchd spec. If that is a don't care as well....

If there are no current plans to add simple menu layout to 4.1 (as I'm not the only one asking for this), then I might have to find V3.x and see how that simple menu works.

[MrVideo]

Either use version 3 or AVCHD STRICT output and burn to BD-R disc.

A new AVCHD disc will be sent to him tomorrow. The media played just fine in my Sony.

[MrVideo]

@Dean

On your home website, the links to download the various versions has an error with V3. It points to Rapidshare, but it errors that the file has been removed.

[deank]

There is a link in the 1st post for Version 3.0 (http://download.videohelp.com/deanbg/multiAVCHD_3.0.exe).

[chompy]

That's weird, if I keep the original DTS-HD there's no gap in audio between m2ts files, but if I only keep DTS core, I get this anoying gap :mad:

I think I've found a bug (at least with Up Spanish blu-ray edition) in tsMuxeR, and as it's one of the tools used in MultiAVCHD, maybe it could be interesting posting it here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showpost.php?p=1426693&postcount=3997

[deank]

Sometime ago users reported such gap-problems with tsMuxeR, although I never experienced such bugs.

A way around is to use eac3to to extract the audio.

[chompy]

A way around is to use eac3to to extract the audio.

I have the option "Use eac3to" enabled, but it seems that the conversions available don't include "core only", which seems that it's always done with tsMuxeR... ¿Could this option also be added?

Thanks

[MrVideo]

There is a link in the 1st post for Version 3.0 (http://download.videohelp.com/deanbg/multiAVCHD_3.0.exe).

Oh good grief! It is buried within all of the images, instead of being at the top of the post, along with the other links that are there. That is why I didn't see it at first. I did look, though I never expected more links to be buried within the images.

Plus it would be nice to fix the other links.

[Cela]

The ability to create a simple menu is not within the capability of mAVCHD. As I mentioned in a previous posting, there should be and it should be added as a fourth menu type (Simple/XMB/Slider/Carousel).
...
As others have pointed out, doing a simple compilation Blu-ray disc is not simple with mAVCHD, as a fancy menu must be used and a fancy menu is not necessary ...I agree with you! I'm sure Dean will make us a simple "table-of-contents"-like menu when he will have some spare time. Be sure, he is a genius, but a very busy man, too!

And, look at it from the other side: most video freaks don't care about anything else than just watching their captured and 'imported' video streams as they are! No trimming, no ads-cutting! Nothing! One said: "I want to watch my video, not the menu! Not loose time with editing and other nonsense!"
I guess that is a 90+% majority! From the rest, most like a simple fancy Youtube-/Website-like picturesque "title" menu. Just have a look what fancy stuff you get from CL PowerDirector (and the others in that league).
Not many, you may be among them, care about a chapters menu.
But a plain text menu? NO GO!

I am from last century! I would, in addition to what multiAVCHD already offers, like to get a TOC menu like I have seen in my neighbours C# code book: Titles + chapters in plain text (in the book it is Sections,chapters and paragraphs):
e.g.
4. Text-, binary-, Zip-files // ~ title
4.1 Read text files //~ chapter
4.2 Write text files
4.3 Append text files
....

(To be honest, I would want to have a little more: select a nice background picture, plus some headline and forward/backward controls per title- and chapter-menu page, etc.)

Probably we should discuss a requirements specification for a "simple toc menu" and then ask Dean what he would do for us. Last but not least, menus mean layout and art. You never can please everybody!

When I compare Dean's reaction timescale to that in other fields, than Dean is like a lightning in the thunderstorm! You know what I mean! ;)

And I'am very pleased and happy with what I currently get from multiAVCHD menus! :)

[MrVideo]

Probably we should discuss a requirements specification for a "simple toc menu" and then ask Dean what he would do for us. Last but not least, menus mean layout and art. You never can please everybody!

As far as authoring (and player) is concerned, a list of something, anything, is a menu.

What you are describing is basically what I am looking for. The inclusion of background (poster) image is a must. But a user selectable must (just like it is now). I posted a sample image of a simple menu, listing the items to play, A simple static menu.

So, I think we are on the same wavelength.

[insaneoctane]

I'm still working on my Monster AVCHD compilation (1.5TB) and I've resorted to using static menus (boo)...but now I'm getting this weird error, followed by the second error....any ideas?

[deank]

ERROR 1006 : The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid. (ERROR_FILE_INVALID)

The is an OS error and I have no control over it. It means that something happened with your USB HDD during the final phase - either it can't handle so many read/writes or windows unmounted it for some reason. What OS do you use?

Try to update manually and try again.

[insaneoctane]

ERROR 1006 : The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid. (ERROR_FILE_INVALID)

What OS do you use?

Even with that error the compilation should work... or you can re-import and re-process without changing anything.

Windows 7 Ultimate

I've tried 3 times with the same error, in the exact same spot.
It does NOT play, because it looks like the playlists are not 8.3 and the PS3 won't recognize them...it looks like it broke before the 8.3 compliance was applied (look at the log window in picture, it happens during the "processing CPI/CLPI files" section.

[deank]

Try to manually update and try again... As I said - it is an OS problem.

I changed clpi processing a bit + a small fix for welcome screen fadeout (it was cut few frames before the complete fadeout, but now okay).

[MrVideo]

It looks like no menu type is selected in order to get simple text menus. Where is the tab/location to change the starting position of the title list?

Side note: Another reason why I do not like not using frame numbers for the frame value showed its ugly head. When the chapter files were read in, all of the frame values were set to ZERO. Now I have to figure all of them out by hand.

[Cela]

...Side note: Another reason why I do not like not using frame numbers for the frame value showed its ugly head. When the chapter files were read in, all of the frame values were set to ZERO. Now I have to figure all of them out by hand.Let your VRD TVSuite4 convert your frame# ".ff' format to ".mss" format and you will have no problems. ;)

IMHO all payware should do the conversions between the popular timecode formats!

For named chapters multiAVCHD should stick to its basic "hh:mm:ss.mss" (milliseconds) standard!

In addition to that, to please frame number fans I would reccomend to employ the pure frame numbers FFFFFF (without the "hh:mm:ss" part).

I like it pure!

Example for 50fps HD footage:
hh:mm:ss.mss (standard for named-chapters textfile !!!)
00:00:00.000 (pure time depending on fps) :)
00:00:00.020
00:00:00.200
00:00:02.000
00:00:20.000

F (pure frame#) :)
0
1
10
100
1000

hh:mm:ss:ff (mixture between time & sub-second Mod(fps)) :(
00:00:00:00
00:00:00:01
00:00:00:10
00:00:02:00
00:00:20:00

P.S.
Just read page 313 again. Dean has already supplied ":ff "! :)
VRD still hasn't got ".mss"!!! And probably never will! Payware!!! :(
But VDR TVSuite 4 is excellent for frame-accurate h.264 TS cutting! :)

[raisinberry777]

I'm trying to convert a 16:9 1440*1080i MPEG2 file to 1920*1080i AVC using your program, but I'm having an issue.

Whenever I get the options for transcoding files, it automatically thinks that it is 4:3, not 16:9. It only gives me the option to transcode to 1920*1440 and 'uncrop' to 1920x1080, cropping the top and bottom of the squashed picture.

What is the correct way to resize this file properly?

[deank]

Select the proper resize option from the drop-down list... Scroll down and you'll find "1920x1080" or "1440x1080".

[insaneoctane]

Try to manually update and try again... As I said - it is an OS problem.

I changed clpi processing a bit + a small fix for welcome screen fadeout (it was cut few frames before the complete fadeout, but now okay).

I ran multi-update and ran again...same exact error in same spot.

[MrVideo]

Let your VRD TVSuite4 convert your frame# ".ff' format to ".mss" format and you will have no problems.

If it were only that simple. 1) the fractional frame value doesn't work for me. I have it set, but it stays with real frame numbers. 2) it is not milliseconds but hundredths, which is horrible accuracy. I have to pull the numbers from the 4.1 version. The professional TV industry does not work with fractional frames, it works with real frame values. I don't know who started this millisecond frame thing, but it isn't industry standard.

For named chapters multiAVCHD should stick to its basic "hh:mm:ss.mss" (milliseconds) standard!

As I mentioned above, fractional frames is NOT industry standard. I had never seen it until mAVCHD.

I like it pure!

Then you should only be using hh:mm:ss:ff - the ONLY timecode nomenclature that is used in the professional television industry. It is what I have been dealing with for 40 years.

Just read page 313 again. Dean has already supplied ":ff "! :)
VRD still hasn't got ".mss"!!! And probably never will! Payware!!! :(
But VDR TVSuite 4 is excellent for frame-accurate h.264 TS cutting! :)

mAVCHD 4,1 will accept :ff as input, but it only displays :mss. I don't blame VRD for not having :mss as it is not industry standard.

[deank]

A new [SEARCH] button next to title-name field in [properties] allows you to search movie database (free/donate service provided by TMDb http://www.themoviedb.org) for posters and covers and use them for menu background and title thumbnail. Search/service depends on my web-server to execute search queries, so I can't guarantee 100% availability.

.\multiAVCHD\templates\res\tmdb\ folder is used for poster/cover downloads + conversion to BMP, so you may watch its size/contents. It is used for cache and once poster image is downloaded it will be re-used from this same folder to avoid unnecessary download traffic.

There will be some more things to come with this, but I'm not sure what will be useful.

http://multiAVCHD.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_tmdb_2.jpg

http://multiAVCHD.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_tmdb.jpg

Available in build 764.

Dean

[raisinberry777]

Select the proper resize option from the drop-down list... Scroll down and you'll find "1920x1080" or "1440x1080".

I feel like an idiot now! Thanks deank.

[MrVideo]

@Dean:

Any info on my query about being able to position the text in the simple menu for V3.0?

[deank]

@raisinberry777: Take your time to look through the options... You'll see you can do a lot :)

@MrVideo: Version 3 is no longer updated or supported. As I posted some time ago, I'll modify the 'classic title-list' menu in version 4 to produce what was the simplest menu in version 3. I hardly find time for multiAVCHD for the last month, but I'll get to it.

Dean

[MrVideo]

As I posted some time ago, I'll modify the 'classic title-list' menu in version 4 to produce what was the simplest menu in version 3.

Sorry, I must have misunderstood that you added that to your to-do list.

I'll await the update.

:thanks:

[insaneoctane]

Dean,

Strange. I just tried a completely new project. Single movie. Convert to SD-DVD. Different hard disk for output...and got this error:

[Music Fan]

As I posted before, there is an UN-known problem with Panasonic BDP player models 35/55/60/80... For some reason they don't cope with version 4 menu implementation. Either use version 3 or AVCHD STRICT output and burn to BD-R disc. The difference is minor to none.
I have an idea : don't you believe that BDEdit could change any parameters and make the project readable by the Panasonic players ?
Or a simpler solution : open and export the project with BDRebuilder in full backup BD-25 mode, assuming that it changes some parameters in the index.bdmv, MovieObject.bdmv, clpi and mpls files.

[deank]

A slight change for SLIDE menu, when used with [x] Create single-title menu pages option, combined with poster/cover search/download feature. The option is useful when you want to have a better view of the background or/and when creating one-title compilations (one movie). I hope you like it. :)

http://multiAVCHD.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_SLI_poster_3.jpg

http://multiAVCHD.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_SLI_poster_2.jpg

http://multiAVCHD.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_SLI_poster.jpg

multiAVCHD will add the 'blu-ray-cover' to the image and will use proper frame/resize depending on the image used (portrait or landscape). This small poster image can be also animated (as motion-title-thumbnail). :)

http://multiAVCHD.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_SLI_encode.jpg

http://multiAVCHD.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_SLI_poster_4.jpg

Dean

[deank]

I ran multi-update and ran again...same exact error in same spot.

Update manually and try again.

About the second problem - try to disable the preview (close it).

[insaneoctane]

Update manually and try again.

Can you verify how to "update manually"?

[deank]

Start multiUPDATE.exe

In the latest update the values for "Main title offset" can be used to move the title-thumbnail in SLIDE menu both horizontally and vertically (when [x] Create single-title menu page option is selected). Title name text is correctly placed above or next to the poster/thumbnail. Title-names with 2 or 3 lines of text are supported, too.

[cwh060]

dean,

Just did the update, the poster/cover works great!

Couple of notes for those wishing to use.

-Make sure in Menu=>General the transparency slider is all the way to the right.
-As dean mentioned, [x] Create single titles is checked, it's found under Menu=>Extended

cwh

[deank]

Actually, the slider should be to the far left and user should browse for background POSTER from .\multiAVCHD\templates\res\tmdb\ folder. This way one can use both COVER and POSTER, downloaded via tmdb. :)

The latest update changes access to themoviedb.org - it is now direct to the server and not to my server.

Dean

[cwh060]

odd, mine has to be on the right and it seems to automatically pull both the cover and poster from the site together. I didn't go searching for the poster, although I see it's in the temp folder.

If my slider is on the left whatever is selected above shows as background plus the cover.....hm

[deank]

You're right, because what you select in the movie-database-search is used both as background and as title-thumb. If one wants to select the BIG poster as a background (if available) one needs to select it from the folder I posted about and set transparency to 0%. :) That way you get different title-thumb and background (like the WALL-E image I posted above).

Dean

[chompy]

Deank, the problem I reported some posts back regarding audio gaps in seamless branching jumps when downconverting HD audio tracks with MultiAVCHD are due as I said to a bug tsMuxeR seems to have when downconverting DTS-HD to DTS an TrueHD to AC3.

The solution as you said, is doing these (and only these) downconversions with eac3to, as if I demux video + audio with eac3to, then I'll have gaps in all audio streams (I neither can open the demuxed video with Adobe Premiere, while tsMuxeR demuxed video opens and can be edited perfectly fine).

So right now the workflow needed to get 100% working backups is:
1) Demux video + audio streams not downconverted with tsMuxeR.
2) Demux audio streams downconverted with eac3to.
3) Mux all files with tsMuxeR.

(I'll post this finding in BD-Rebuilder forum as it has the same "problem").

Greetings

EDIT: Just one question, in my player my seamless branching backup works perfect without enabling ATCd with BDEdit, but would it also work in all players or is it better copying original ATCd values in my backup?

[Music Fan]

@ chompy : Do you have this downconverting problem when you let MultiAVCHD use TSMuxer or also when you use TSMuxer separately before using the file in MultiAVCHD ?
I ask that because I had this kind of problem and I noticed that it worked well when I used at first TSMuxer (checking "keep core only") and then importing the file without HD audio.

[Music Fan]

Dean, I believe you forgot that question ;) ;
I have an idea : don't you believe that BDEdit could change any parameters and make the project readable by the Panasonic players ?
Or a simpler solution : open and export the project with BDRebuilder in full backup BD-25 mode, assuming that it changes some parameters in the index.bdmv, MovieObject.bdmv, clpi and mpls files.

[deank]

I think the problem is with the menu m2ts files (9****.m2ts), but I can't find anything wrong with them. It seems there is something panasonic doesn't like and quits playback the moment it loads and executes the menu.

[deank]

Next update includes some important fixes for poster/cover downloads and user poster images. Sometimes BMP files are saved as .JPG and it causes menu generation/preview to fail. It should be okay now.

Also, Title-list preview will show poster images if available. Posters will be properly displayed and not stretched:

http://multiavchd.deanbg.com/multiAVCHD_TL_preview_new.jpg

[Cela]

... I don't know who started this millisecond frame thing, but it isn't industry standard...Maybe I did it concerning multiAVCHD, ;)
But it started long before me!

What is industry standard? USA? Europe?
Maybe it originated from the fact that DVB TS packets (in Europe only?) have PTS (presentation time staps - not frame stamps!) to establish the packet sequence and to synchronize video and audio. PTS, as far as I have read, is based on a fps independent ticks time format. There are many experts in doom9 forum who can give you more details.

For me it started in now 'antiquated' but never surplussed program ChapterXtractor back in 2001.
(By the way, ff was added in ChapterXtractor in 2002.)

See screenshot assembly "TC-Formats-Conversions_35pc_g.jpg"!
1. Open an IFO
2. Select Preset for output
3. Get otput format from preset -> Get converted tc format in tc pane
4. Copy&Paste to .txt notepad file
5. Copy&Paste .txt <-> .xls if you need to edit the .txt
6. Use approriate .txt variant in your authoring program

Now I use 'antiquated' but never surplussed Mpeg2Schnitt for this task.

What we need is an up-to-date, universal TC-Converter/Calculator! Pay ware, e.g. Excel, VideoReDo, should have it included. But hasn't!
I planned to make a little TC-Converter/Calculator tool myself. Not quite myself! Being only a user I need a programmer. My neighbor’s son, who usually helps me, is not available these days (girlfriend, first job!). So it will take some time to start that private project.

Dean is a very busy man! If Dean had time, it wouldn't take him long!

Everyone is welcome to step in! ;)

That is all I can contribute to this matter!

[chompy]

@ chompy : Do you have this downconverting problem when you let MultiAVCHD use TSMuxer or also when you use TSMuxer separately before using the file in MultiAVCHD ?
I ask that because I had this kind of problem and I noticed that it worked well when I used at first TSMuxer (checking "keep core only") and then importing the file without HD audio.

I have the problem always: using before, after or with built-in MultiAVCHD process, because the problem is not how tsMuxeR is used/called but how tsMuxeR downconverts HD audio streams. I cannot test TrueHD (mrr19121970 has done some tests and he has the same results), but the DTS core downconverted from DTS-HD isn't compliant with DTS standard (has something in its lasts bytes that corrupts the file).

[deank]

@Cela: Email me what you need from this convertor and I'll create a small GUI for it.

***

Quick note: next build 765 will include something else, too. A prompt will appear when user loads MKV files muxed with newer mkvmerge or mkv2rls (x264). Because these files may cause troubles for tsMuxeR, multiAVCHD will prompt if you want to remux the file before loading.

Dean