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

[Music Fan]

Hi dean,
I tried to add chapters on a mp4 video to save it in MKV, but MultiAVCHD always reencode the video though I didn't ask it. Is it normal ?
I had never tested the MKV output before.

[deank]

Yes, all three file modes use re-encoding of the source.

[mrcool]

You must have a lot of computers to be making all these mkv files from your own Blu-Ray disks. How can the conversion to mkv be out-pacing the making of AVCHD? Wouldn't you want to automate the entire chain?

No, I have just one PC which is exactly why I would like to put the files in a queue and batch process them :-)

Over the years I have accumulated some files that I have ripped to mkv format. Now that I have a BR-burner I would like to burn them in a format my BR-player understands. It would be helpful if I could create multiple AVCHDs over night.

Is there any option for this?

[idbirch2]

Hi Dean,

I just dug out MultiAVCHD again after finding out it can convert 3D BluRay discs into old-school anaglyph 3D. I'm trying to convert the 3D Avatar BluRay but after configuring all my options (MKV output, ColorCode Anaglyph) I get an error before anything actually happens:

(RT) Invalid array index(2). Valid range (1-1) - Line 104.

I'm using the mpls file as input (00854.mpls on the Avatar 3D BluRay) if that helps. Any ideas what's going wrong?

[Vincent Vega]

I'll need a sample file... Or you can rename to MKV and add it as 'external audio' - then check if it is recognized.

hi Dean, here's a few sample dolby media encoder output files:

http://www.mediafire.com/?9u1mrfwghjwt964

archive includes:
- source 7.1 wav
- .ec3 - DD+ standard target
- .eb3 - DD+ BD target
- .mlp - TrueHD standard/BD target

can you you "teach" Multiavchd to recognize these dolby file types?

[deank]

Hi Dean,

I just dug out MultiAVCHD again after finding out it can convert 3D BluRay discs into old-school anaglyph 3D. I'm trying to convert the 3D Avatar BluRay but after configuring all my options (MKV output, ColorCode Anaglyph) I get an error before anything actually happens:

(RT) Invalid array index(2). Valid range (1-1) - Line 104.

I'm using the mpls file as input (00854.mpls on the Avatar 3D BluRay) if that helps. Any ideas what's going wrong?

Currently the source is compressed and line ERROR numbers can't help me. I'll recompile multiAVCHD and will post an update and then I'll figure it out. If you can send me this .mpls it may be easier to find where the problem is.


hi Dean, here's a few sample dolby media encoder output files:

http://www.mediafire.com/?9u1mrfwghjwt964

archive includes:
- source 7.1 wav
- .ec3 - DD+ standard target
- .eb3 - DD+ BD target
- .mlp - TrueHD standard/BD target

can you you "teach" Multiavchd to recognize these dolby file types?

There is support for .mlp files already. DD+ is not supported for muxing, so there is no use of it at the moment.

[Music Fan]

And 7.1 wav in 48/24 should work (I had tested successfully a 7.1 wav in 48/16 with MultiAVCHD).

[guru1968]

If you read the log from multiAVCHD you'll find that the correct path is

1) I:\PRIVATE\AVCHD\BDMV\INDEX.BDM
2) When you load your AVCHD folders click [properties] and change the processing to FULL-MODE (you'll see [f] in front of the titles and not [p]).

Dean

1) actually the log reads:
[20:48:54] T:\AVCHD-20101204-205631 folder created (AVCHD/Blu-ray output)!
[20:48:54] Copy T:\AVCHD-20101204-205631 to X:\PRIVATE\ of SDHC/SD/MMC card.
[20:48:54] or SD_VIDEO and PRIVATE to root of your SDHC/SD/MMC card.

so that's different to what you just wrote...
the log says to copy the content of the AVCHD-20101204-205631 folder (i.e. not the AVCHD-20101204-205631 folder itself) to the PRIVATE folder--only its content, you just mentionend to copy the whole AVCHD folder itself into the PRIVATE folder - that's somewhat different...

2) oh, I see: I have to click a button labelled "fast mode" to change the processing to full mode!? are you kidding me or what? no offense - I only don't like stupid interfaces :-P
btw: the original processing mode was [m] what ever that means...


so, it's doing definetly more than before now, hope it works

and nevertheless - thanx for this great program; you only really need to clean up the interface


<Edit> :-(
still doesn't work - neither in my TV (TX-P50VT20E) nor in my Blu-Ray player (DMP-BDT 300); I selected 'TV / Camcorder (PAL 50Hz)' as output option; now i am trying this with 'Panasonic Blu-ray players' output option
...frustration is ongoing :-/

<Edit2> :-(
also no-go with the Panasonic Blu-ray players option...

what else do I need to do besides setting the full-processing mode?

[daberti]

Deank, please is there a way to generate an mkv/h264 with AC3 of a bitrate other than 128 out of a Bluray?

Thanks

[C2D]

Yes, if I do understand what you are saying, you basically have to get TSmuxer, extract the audio from the respective m2ts file, encode it using megui (you can use any other one but I use megui) and when you add the bluray to multiAVCHD, you go to the respective playlist/m2ts file and manually add the encoded audio. Quite easy. If this is what you mean anyway :p

[chatorex]

I have a compilation of 39 titles, but for any reason, after i added the most recent title, when i want play the compilation on my ps3, just the most recent added title plays, any of my others titles plays, if i want to play the title 1, starts the title 39, if i want to play the title 3, starts the title 39. Anyone to can help me with this issue.

Thanks in advance.

[daberti]

Yes, if I do understand what you are saying, you basically have to get TSmuxer, extract the audio from the respective m2ts file, encode it using megui (you can use any other one but I use megui) and when you add the bluray to multiAVCHD, you go to the respective playlist/m2ts file and manually add the encoded audio. Quite easy. If this is what you mean anyway :p

Huge thanks :)
it works. Just a nuance: if i trim the video within MultiAvchd, the external audio is not trimmed (yet can be demuxed trimmed from TsMuxer).

[C2D]

After transcoding some special features in one bluray the pop up menu for each video is gone, any way to fix this?

[MrVideo]

encode it using megui (you can use any other one but I use megui)

To be quite technical here, megui doesn't do any encoding at all. It uses the x264 H.264 encoder.

[C2D]

More like neroAacEnc ^^

Since its audio :p

[daberti]

More like neroAacEnc ^^

Since its audio :p

Nope. Aften AC-3 since we're talking about AC3 as final destination :p

[MrVideo]

Nope. Aften AC-3 since we're talking about AC3 as final destination :p

Oops, I stand corrected. Point is, meGUI doesn't do any encoding at all.

[C2D]

True! But its quite easy to work with :)

[MrVideo]

True! But its quite easy to work with :)

For repeatability, it isn't. Not just meGUI, but no GUI program is really worthwhile when you repeat stuff over and over (for simple stuff).

I haven't used meGUI in ages. I do all of my work via Z-shell scripts. I have cygwin installed on my system, as I am a born and bred Unix guy. That allows me to write scripts that have command line options to handle daily chores of the stuff that I do. It handles the video and, if needed, audio encoding and wrapping with MKV.

I control the x264 encoder settings, as well as the AC3 (aften) encoder settings.

I just enter the name of the script in the Xterm window (like a comand.exe window) and the needed options, along with the transport stream's filename and let it do its thing. No muss, no fuss.

GUI's are not the be-all to end-all. Complicated jobs do require GUIs, like multiAVCHD. Encoding of video and audio does not.

[C2D]

For repeatability, it isn't. Not just meGUI, but no GUI program is really worthwhile when you repeat stuff over and over (for simple stuff).

I haven't used meGUI in ages. I do all of my work via Z-shell scripts. I have cygwin installed on my system, as I am a born and bred Unix guy. That allows me to write scripts that have command line options to handle daily chores of the stuff that I do. It handles the video and, if needed, audio encoding and wrapping with MKV.

I control the x264 encoder settings, as well as the AC3 (aften) encoder settings.

I just enter the name of the script in the Xterm window (like a comand.exe window) and the needed options, along with the transport stream's filename and let it do its thing. No muss, no fuss.

GUI's are not the be-all to end-all. Complicated jobs do require GUIs, like multiAVCHD. Encoding of video and audio does not.

No one said the program is worth the space it takes but that it is easy to work with.

[MrVideo]

No one said the program is worth the space it takes but that it is easy to work with.

For jobs that are variable, i.e., not consistently the same, meGUI is a great tool for one-off jobs. But, if you are constantly doing the same thing over and over, but with a new source each time, you are better off writing a script to do those repeating jobs. It will go a lot faster, i.e., the time it takes to actually start the job, from minutes, to seconds.

BTW, meGUI itself is actually pretty small. It is all the other programs that it uses to do the job that takes up the space.

[jbeale]

I'm trying to author a very basic Blu-Ray disc with multiAVCHD 4.1 (build 770). My project has only one title, with several chapters. Source is a single 80 minute long 1920x1080i60 MP4 file encoded by x264. The video part works fine, I'm just trying to understand how to author the menus. I want to have one title menu page, and a chapters page (or pages). So far I have got it close to working. Using the Title #1 properties, "custom" menu, static/slide type with my background BMP image I have an OK main menu, except that it has the multiAVCHD.deanBG.com website watermark very large in the background. Can I turn that off?

Also, all chapter thumbnails come up as black frames. Is something extra required? I do have avisynth on my system, but maybe I need to tell multiAVCHD where the files are? How do I do that? Thanks for any help!

[Music Fan]

it has the multiAVCHD.deanBG.com website watermark very large in the background. Can I turn that off?
In the menu tab, you can change or erase the headline and the footer, and also the smart line in general tab, below menu preview.

[jbeale]

>In the menu tab, you can change or erase the headline and the footer, and also the smart line in general tab, below menu preview.

Thank you, yes I have already erased those three items. But this is a fourth text item, about 80% transparent, script font, large, centered on the screen, covers almost the full width of the screen.

EDIT: solved it. set "Transparency" slider under "background image" selector fully to the left.

[deank]

From an email from a German user:

Subject: Experience with multiAVCHD

Dear Mr. Kasabow,

I transfered AVCHD-Data from my computer to Panasonic Blu-ray Disc-Recorder. Panasonic Service recommended multiAVCHD. I should transfer with SD-card and not with USB....[cut]

Hahah :) :rolleyes:

[Emulgator]

Congratulations, Dean. Well earned.

[setarip_old]

@deank

Richly deserved compliment and notoriety!

Perhaps it's time for you to get a press agent, so that the major PC magazines can consider publishing articles about multiAVCHD - the true "Swiss Army Knife" of conversion and presentation ;>}

[rendez2k]

Just been trying to convert a 23.976fps MKV to SD DVD PAL. The convert went fine but theres almost a slight 'blur' on everything. I assume this has come from the frame rate conversion and the extra frames?

[Music Fan]

You have to do a Pal Speed-up to avoid blur.
You can change the fps of your mkv (put 25), but the sound won't have anymore the same duration than the image, so you have to treat it separately to accelerate it.

[MrVideo]

You have to do a Pal Speed-up to avoid blur.
You can change the fps of your mkv (put 25), but the sound won't have anymore the same duration than the image, so you have to treat it separately to accelerate it.

The problem there will be trying to keep the sound in sync. Speeding up 23.976 to 25 is 1.042709376. Try getting the end of the program in sync.

Since most PAL DVD players will handle NTSC stuff, trying creating a 23.976 DVD and see if it will play. Nothing lost from trying.

I know, 23.976 isn't NTSC, but the player should handle it.

[jetro75]

Hallo 'i'm Alex, sorry in advance for my english i'm italian.
I'm a lukely owner of a panasoniv viera tv model txp42g20E and i'd like to play movies in hd format by avchd (mkv to avchd). i founded multiavchd program to do that and read a lot of thread on a dean forum following detailed info about programs installation and setting (avysinth haali ffdshow) initially every test didn't work.
I use as sample an mkv file 1280x720p, frame rate 23.976, ref frames 4, single audio track and no subtitles
transcode to gain a compliant file, "pal speedup" and push on TV/camcoder pal 50 Hrz, once finish i've put the entire folder avchd on a private folder on my external hard disc and tried to play on my tv, i see an image preview but when click play it say "file is unreadble", trouble seems to be in manual transcoding, i've tried "fit all" option and it converted a sample properly, so i've tried to convert a movie "The Matrix" 25.000 fps and everythings were ok.
then i've tried to converte "state of play" 23.976 fps and it didn't convert properly, in a movement scene i see alway an unfocused images, i have no idea what's the matter but my viera tv is a 2010 model so maybe it can reproduce 23.976 fps movies so i've tried to convert it with same fps and program gave me this error: "floating point division by zero line 23", please help!!!

[Sylph]

Hi Dean!

Is there any way to convert BD-J disc to AVCHD, which will play on Philips BDP7500 player using USB HDD? (Sorry fo bad English)

[Music Fan]

I have a problem with MKV 4/3 (AVC in 720.576) : it's considered as 16/9 by MultiAVCHD (and the picture of this title in the menu is stretched in 16/9 though it should be pillarboxed). My player is well settled to respect 4/3 not to stretch it in 16/9 and plays correctly MKV 4/3.
It used to work before with MultiAVCHD. Is it a bug ?
Other (little) problem : the pop-up menu is very little and placed on the left of the screen when displayed on this title in 720.576. Can't the pop-up menu be displayed correctly on SD (480, 576) titles ?
It's displayed correctly on HD videos.

[deank]

I have a problem with MKV 4/3 (AVC in 720.576) : it's considered as 16/9 by MultiAVCHD (and the picture of this title in the menu is stretched in 16/9 though it should be pillarboxed). My player is well settled to respect 4/3 not to stretch it in 16/9 and plays correctly MKV 4/3.
It used to work before with MultiAVCHD. Is it a bug ?
Other (little) problem : the pop-up menu is very little and placed on the left of the screen when displayed on this title in 720.576. Can't the pop-up menu be displayed correctly on SD (480, 576) titles ?
It's displayed correctly on HD videos.

You must untick the option to match the pop-up menu to video resolution.

About 4:3/16:9 - there is no change in multiAVCHD about that. Check if the mkv is really set for 4:3.

[Ghitulescu]

Hi Dean!

Is there any way to convert BD-J disc to AVCHD, which will play on Philips BDP7500 player using USB HDD? (Sorry fo bad English)

You're the only one who can test it, try all the variants.

[deank]

Hi Dean!

Is there any way to convert BD-J disc to AVCHD, which will play on Philips BDP7500 player using USB HDD? (Sorry fo bad English)

You can convert it to AVCHD in re-author mode by selecting target device as PS3. In normal author mode you can import the movie playlist and convert it to AVCHD, too.

[Ghitulescu]

You can convert it to AVCHD in re-author mode by selecting target device as PS3. In normal author mode you can import the movie playlist and convert it to AVCHD, too.

You did not read the whole sentence, Dean. All Philips (like the Samsungs, which they are made upon) do not allow the playback of HD movies from USB (only MP3, JPG, DivX SD, WMV/WMA).

Should nevertheless Philips provide a FW, it's only Sylph the one that can see if it works.

[deank]

I didn't realize philips doesn't support HD video from USB... then he can create AVI (DivX) (SD) from BD-J disc :)

[Manaka]

When I re-author some blu-rays that have two video tracks in the main movie file (picture-in-picture commentary), after muxing the commentary video track get deleted by MultiAVCHD which result unplayable disc. Any help for this problem ?

[Music Fan]

You must untick the option to match the pop-up menu to video resolution.

About 4:3/16:9 - there is no change in multiAVCHD about that. Check if the mkv is really set for 4:3.
Thanks for the answer.

1)It 's unticked, I didn't change the default setting.

2)Yes it is 4/3, and my player send this MKV in 4/3 (pillarbox) when I play it as a file (not in an AVCHD structure).:confused:
But I played this AVCHD from a USB key, I should try on a dvd to see if my player's behavior is different.

[setarip_old]

@deank, @Ghitulescu

"Ghitulescu" said:You did not read the whole sentence, Dean. All Philips (like the Samsungs, which they are made upon) do not allow the playback of HD movies from USB (only MP3, JPG, DivX SD, WMV/WMA).


The following information from a review of the Philips BDP7500 appears to indicate that the statement made by "Ghitulecscu" is in error:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/blu-ray-players/philips-bdp7500-blu-ray-player-674276/review


Chief among these is its support for 7.1 surround sound and both the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio lossless audio formats found on Blu-ray discs. It's also compatible with a variety of music (WMA and MP3) and video (DivX, DivX HD, AVCHD) files, all of which can be played via a USB stick or disc.

[Ghitulescu]

@deank, @Ghitulescu

"Ghitulescu" said:


The following information from a review of the Philips BDP7500 appears to indicate that the statement made by "Ghitulecscu" is in error:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/blu-ray-players/philips-bdp7500-blu-ray-player-674276/review




I'm afraid there's a problem here. Firstly, that the operation manual of Philips does not say a single word about playing AVCHD files or similar (DivX HD) from USB (only disks are mentioned there), whereas divx/jpg/wmv/mp3 files are mentioned as playable from both disks and USB (one needs a bit of experience with reading these manuals :rolleyes:). Secondly, the FAQ of the same Philips says exactly this. I'm sorry TechRadar contradicts Philips, but it's not the first time when magazines and testers were wrong (paid to be wrong ??), anyway only DivX HD was mentioned there with generalised conclusions.

There's only one explanation: there must have been a FW upgrade in between. Whether it's global, or restricted to certain countries, I don't know, I don't buy Philips. This is why I directed that guy to test himself.

[setarip_old]

@Ghitulescu anyway only DivX HD was mentioned there with generalised conclusions.

C'mon - The quote I provided clearly states video (DivX, DivX HD, AVCHD) files, all of which can be played via a USB stick or disc.

Last time I checked, "AVCHD" = Advanced Video Coding High Definition...

[Music Fan]

Or there is a little error and it could mean AVC HD (AVC files in HD and not the AVCHD structure). It's just a guess.

[Music Fan]

You must untick the option to match the pop-up menu to video resolution.

About 4:3/16:9 - there is no change in multiAVCHD about that. Check if the mkv is really set for 4:3.
I tried again with the same MKV, and now the 4/3 is correctly displayed.:eek::confused:

I ticked the option to match the pop-up menu to video resolution for my 576i file, and there is the same problem than when unticked.

[Sylph]

You did not read the whole sentence, Dean. All Philips (like the Samsungs, which they are made upon) do not allow the playback of HD movies from USB (only MP3, JPG, DivX SD, WMV/WMA).

Should nevertheless Philips provide a FW, it's only Sylph the one that can see if it works.

Yes, I provided the tests
AVCHD without Java menu works VERY well from USB without problems.

BD-J disk re-authored well using PlayStation 3 mode, but when I tried to play this, my player shows black screen, and writes Browser on his LCD. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

[Ghitulescu]

@setarip_old:
I know what does AVCHD means, I tested myself long time ago this Philips in a showroom, and I've read the article. From the last to the first: the article does not say anything more that they used DivX-HD to watch, the rest is a freely adaptation of the marketing flyers; the German model couln't play anything HD and the salesperson confirmed it (unwillingly).

If a particular model does accept AVCHD on USB then it was a FW upgrade in between.

@sylph:
There are various potential issues, as AVCHD is not Blu-ray, one can only hope to play a ripped Blu-ray in AVCHD form on a HD player. AVCHD, while considered by many to be a sort of "BD-light", was actually designed to fit HD camcorder formats and media (SD, DVD). It won't accept anything than H.264 (MPEG-2 camcorders pack the movie differently, so the HDV ones) and AC-3/LPCM (up to 5.1 chn.) and features no subtitles. There are also restrictions concerning the various codec parameters and levels. Anything else (like subtitles which some camcorders use to store the date/time/timecode) is outside the standard and presents major risks of non-acceptance from other devices, even from the same manufacturer.

Playing any AVCHD video on any HD player is always a trial-and-error procedure, which by no means can be generalised, not even for the same model (as firmware changes may bring or remove features).


Wasn't the same with the DVD, long time ago, when DVDRs burned with different burners were or not compatible with a certain DVD player model?

Or today, when a VRO DVDR cannot be played in most other devices....

[Sylph]

@Ghitulescu hm, my player in AVCHD mode can play movie, how it was originally on Blu-ray disc (with menu, subtitles and all sound formats).
Only problem with Java menu - can't understand how to make it work through USB.

Seems I should buy Dune Prime HD 3.0 player))

P.S. Asked about this from Philips support - they don't know what JAVA is it))

P.S.2 People, who use Dune Prime/Base say, that BD-J image takes much more time to load and it's necessary to wait at least 2 minutes. Will try today this thing.

[Ghitulescu]

@Ghitulescu hm, my player in AVCHD mode can play movie, how it was originally on Blu-ray disc (with menu, subtitles and all sound formats).
Only problem with Java menu - can't understand how to make it work through USB.
I forgot to tell you that neither menus nor java are allowed on AVCHD disks. So it's a good thing that your player can use ripped movies from USB. Keep it like this (don't upgrade it).
P.S. Asked about this from Philips support - they don't what JAVA is
Just brilliant :p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p
P.S.2 People, who use Dune Prime/Base say, that BD-J image takes much more time to load and it's necessary to wait at least 2 minutes. Will try today this thing.
They shouldn't need more time than on a standalone (several seconds) as the Sigma processor is faster than or equal to those found in standalones (sigma, mediatek, realtek or own design, like Uniphier or Pioneer), and the access to an optical disk is generally slower than the access to a HDD, even through USB2.0.

[setarip_old]

@Music Fan, @Ghitulescu
As stated by "Sylph": Yes, I provided the tests AVCHD without Java menu works VERY well from USB without problems. It works with the model player "Sylph" asked about.

So kindly cease with the "woulda, coulda, shoulda, maybe, theoretically, once upon a time, a long long time ago..."