Help - Windows Media Center Convert DVR-MS to Divx AVI

[bcovington]

First, let me say I hate posting questions...I don't want to bother you smart people. But, I've searched this and countless other sites for the last week and haven't found a solution.

As you know, Media Center DVR-MS files, in HD, are rather large. I'd like to get them converted down to the Divx Home theatre setting in avi. 720x480 to reduce file size.

I've used many different programs and many different variations of attempts. I've settled on VideoReDo as the easiest, fastest way to convert DVR-MS to Mpeg. That works flawlessly. BUT... when I try to cut out commercials, convert to Avi using VirtualDub-MPEG2 (vs1.6.19) I get an audio sync problem. Audio starts out in sync but by the end of a 30 minute program, I'm at least 9 seconds off (audio slower than video).

I've read that the mpeg timestamps are the main reason that the file plays perfectly in mpeg but loses sync when converted to other formats. I've tried a variety of ways to get around this. I've stripped out the ACM, tried to reload it, etc. Nothing has worked.

I am not going to go into too much detail about my failed attempts - suffice it to say, nothing worked. Well, almost nothing. I can actually achieve a perfectly synched file using the windows movie maker software in wmv format. I can also convert the dvr-ms file to dv-avi using windows movie maker, but as you know, the resulting file size is huge, and I see that the quality is greatly reduced as well - especially after I use vdub to convert dv-avi to divx. Bottom line, too much work for poor quality.

So, here is my question, or questions.
1. Does anyone know a relatively simple way to convert dvr-ms to divx with no audio sync problems?
2. Does this process require 3,4 or even 5 steps to complete? If so, it's probably not worth the effort.
3. If I can get good quality with a wmv file (dvr-ms to wmv in windows movie maker) should I just be satisfied? I can get a very good file with that process, but it's wmv, not avi.
4. Is there a simple way to convert wmv to avi? I like using vdub to cut out commercials, etc - divx/avi/vdub is great for that.
5. DVR-SM to WMV to AVI - or - DVR-MS to MPEG to AVI ---- which process preserves the most quality? Any thoughts?


summary -
1. dvrmtoolbox gives me unpredictable results and only succesfully converts to mpeg 1 out of 5 times.
2. I've tried using ffdshow and not using ffdshow
3. videoredo gives me a great mpeg file.
4. windows movie maker gives me great wmv files.
5. virtualdub-mpeg can't handle the mpeg's without audio sync problems.
6. I've tried super, mediacoder, dvdflick, mcebuddy, and I think, avi2dvd (although I can't be sure about that one) - after about 30 attempts, you lose track.

Thanks for any advice you can send my way. Since I've had trouble finding this info - I hope it will benefit many others as well. Also, many posts that even touch the surface of this issue are 3-6 years old so possibly not even relevant now.

Thanks.

[setarip_old]

Hi!when I try to cut out commercials, convert to Avi using VirtualDub-MPEG2 (vs1.6.19) I get an audio sync problem. Audio starts out in sync but by the end of a 30 minute program, I'm at least 9 seconds off (audio slower than video).Try performing the commercial editing AFTER you've created the .AVI.

With regard to the presently out of synch .AVI(s):

Load the file into VirtualDub, VirtualDubMod, or NanDub.
Set BOTH"Video"(VirtualDub,
VirtualDubMod and NanDub) and "Audio"
(VirtualDub and NanDub - VirtualDubMOD>"Streams>"Stream
list") to "Direct Stream Copy".

A) If the difference between audio and video is constant
throughout the video:

From the "Audio" dropdown menu, select "Interleaving" (For
VirtualDubMOD, rightclick on the listed audiostream and then
select "Interleaving")

Under "Audio skew correction", set an appropriate number of
milliseconds (positive or negative) in the box labelled "Delay
audio track by"

Save with a new filename

B) If the difference increases as the movie plays:

From under the "Video" dropdown menu, select "Framerate" -
and select "Change so video and audio durations match"

Save with a new filename

Let us know of your success ;>}

[bcovington]

Thanks Setarip -
I hadn't thought of converting from mpeg to avi in vdubmpeg2 without cutting the commercials out first...so I was excited...it made sense...But, it didn't work.

The audio still lagged the video by 8-10 seconds by the end of the 30 minute clip. Too much lag to adjust with vdubs settings.

Regarding -
A) not constant. Starts in sync but begins to deviate about 4-5 minutes in. I've tried interleaving selected and deselected.
B) I had previously tried to adjust frame rate as well. Frame rate is roughly 60fps. When I instructed vdub to change frame rate to match audio, the results were still out of sync. ----- However, I just realized that I haven't tried this step with commercials still in the file. I'll do that and respond back with results.

Thanks.

OK, results. Vdub file info had the audio and video as the same length so it wouldn't auto adjust the frame rate. I did a little math and manually set a frame rate. Video was 59.94 fps. I set it to 59.6. Result was video/audio pretty much spot on at the end, but unfortunately, the audio was actually 1-2 seconds ahead of video early in the avi. The process was helpful and would likely work for many files.

I played the original mpeg again for comparison and realized that vdub was dropping (didn't contain) the last 5-8 seconds of the audio. When I adjusted the frame rate in vdub (on the avi) the audio is in sync at the end, but actually stops (no audio) for the last 5-7 seconds of the avi. No problem in this case because it is only ending credits.

I will try to remember how I stripped out the AC3 file from the mpeg and do that again. If it is complete, I'll try to add it into vdub as the audio source and repeat the above steps.

I still welcome any input. I obviously haven't solved the audio sync problem, just made it more bearable.

Thanks.

[bcovington]

OK, more testing.

My original mpeg was 33:15 in length. But when I load it into Vdub, the length is listed as 33:04. That is likely why I couldn't get audio and video to sync. Still don't know why the length is off. Vdub file info says video and audio are both 33:04 but I know that is wrong. So getting sync was impossible.

So, I extracted the uncompressed wav file from the original mpeg - file length 33:15. Tried to add the audio file to the video stream and told vdub to stop audio when video stops. Didn't work.

I found a program called "Womble MPEG Video Wizard" that is supposed to quickly process direct stream copies of mpegs and correct errors (I think). It also will convert the mpeg to avi. So, I had Womble output the avi using divx for video and AC3 for audio. There wasn't a selection for direct stream copy audio...I had hoped that Womble would just recognize the ac3 and pass it through without processing it. But, after the 4 hour run time, I found that the audio was severly messed up. But, the file length was correct, 33:15.

So, I loaded the new avi file into vdub and then loaded the wav file I had extracted earlier. Direct stream copy, save as avi.....PERFECT! It worked. A/V are in perfect sync.

Womble took longer than I'd like, 4 hours for a 30 minute clip won't work for me....unless of course I have no choice. I'll play around with it and see if I can reduce processing time.

Now, my next problem. Vdub/divx wouldn't allow me to select the home theatre profile (720x480). It gave me an error (video compression error....source image format etc.) and required me to use the 1080HD profile - I suppose that is because my original file was 1080 60 fps and the 1080HD profile is the only divx profile that handles 60fps. But, I want to drop the file down to 720x480. Any ideas on how to make divx change the file???

[buzzqw]

could you try automen, transcode video to avi.. then cut video with virtualdub...

BHH

[dat720]

If your movie starts out in sync then goes out of sync that would indicate to me that the video framerate is different to the audio framerate, your going to have to either look at stretching or shortening the audio clip to suit teh video.

[bcovington]

I have downloaded and tried the automem, etc. Played around with it some and haven't gotten the results I expected yet. I tried to work with the mpeg's first....haven't tried the avi's yet. Mpegs didn't give me a new file...couldn't tell whether it was working or not. I'll try it to convert to avi soon and report back.

[bcovington]

Thanks...I did play around with frame rate. But, the result = started together and ended together, but everything in the middle was a little off.
I appreciate the input though....I am answering with my experience so others reading this post will have pointers to go by.

[Buggle]

I am aware that this thread is a tiny bit old, but I also wanted to share my experiences. I have been searching for months to get files recorded in Vistas Media Center DVR-MS format to something tinier. Finally, the GraphEdit trick helped me, the audio I got directly from DirectShowSource in avisynth.
What I did:
1. Make an avisynth with Directshowsource. Compressed audio from that using MeGUI
2. Create a Graphedit file, which contained: the DVR-MS file, two outputs to null renderers, the video output to Nero DVD decoder, that to Deinterlacer, that to color space converter and that one first to Video Renderer and play it a bit, then remove the last connection
3. Save the GRF file and load it as a DirectShowSource, using the arguments fps=25 (in my case), convertfps=true and audio=false
4. Load the avs in VirtualDub and transcode to MJPEG or Huffy, to reencode in a later stage. You can add the decoded audio also, which makes it possible to cut in later stages without losing sync.

Hope this helps anyone in my position. Just thought I should contribute.

[Southstorm]

The method I use is a program called DVRMStoMPEG to convert the Media Center recordings to Mpeg2, with no quality loss.
Then I use Cuttermaran to edit commercials. The resulting file is always in sync, and can be converted to other formats if needed.