MuxMan output flickering

[~Revolution~]

I have this 25 fps progressive m2v which I put through DGPulldown to make it 29.97 then I authored it with MuxMan. The m2v played fine, the pulled down m2v played fine but after muxing/authoring, the video frames "flicker" the most on static areas and the bottom and top edge of where the video and black bars meet, flickers. BUT when I just click on the vob file to play it, it plays fine and there is no flickering at all. it just happens when I click on the IFO file. Any help please?

[Guest]

it just happens when I click on the IFO file Why do you want to "click on the IFO file"? What happens when you play the authored DVD as intended using a player? That is what is important. "Clicking on an IFO file" is an undefined operation as far as playing DVDs is concerned.

[~Revolution~]

Why do you want to "click on the IFO file"? What happens when you play the authored DVD as intended using a player? That is what is important. "Clicking on an IFO file" is an undefined operation as far as playing DVDs is concerned.

Actually I just muxed it back into the original menu now and even when i click on the play button on the menu it starts with the flicker but when I go to the song menu or chapter menu and begin on anything else but the beginning, it doesn't flicker.

[Guest]

You probably hosed up the field order, which is the usual cause for flickering.

[~Revolution~]

You probably hosed up the field order, which is the usual cause for flickering.

I selected top field first in DGPulldown if that makes a difference. The original source was a fieldblended PAL -> NTSC which I deinterlaced to 25 fps Progressive and the m2v and the pulled down m2v play fine even from the start. It's just that something happens after muxing it in MuxMan and when i click on the IFo or "play movie" in the muxed menu it starts to flicker. If I click on individual vobs or click on songs or chapters that arent from the start of the movie then everything works perfectly.

[Guest]

I don't know MuxMan so can't help you.

[~Revolution~]

I don't know MuxMan so can't help you.

Is there a way to mux a dvd with adobe encore by any chance? Maybe that might solve the problem.

[Guest]

I use TMPGEnc DVD Author. There may be a free trial.

[~Revolution~]

The thing is that I need to mux a subtitle (.sup) stream, the pulldown video stream, the ac3 audio stream and the chapters file so that I can replace the titleset in the original DVD and keep the menu and everything intact. That's why MuxMan tends to work out but it's just killing me to figure out why it flickers from the IFO and not the vobs or anythign else. :(

[Guest]

Again, "from the IFO" makes no sense.

[~Revolution~]

Again, "from the IFO" makes no sense.

I mean, when I double-click on the IFO file and play the muxed dvd (output from muxman) in media player classic then the frame flickers. But, when I randomly select a VOB file from the titleset and double-click on it to play in mpc, no flickering occurs.

[Guest]

Did you possibly author from multiple M2V files and they have different field orders?

[~Revolution~]

Did you possibly author from multiple M2V files and they have different field orders?

nope. one source. one script. one m2v. :)

[Ghitulescu]

1. Is there a reason to change the standard?
2. Have you tried it also on a standalone?
3. Is the IFO still referring to a PAL file?

It's hard to believe that a muxer, which by definition only puts things together without altering a thing, can destroy a good file.

[~Revolution~]

1. It was a fieldblended (PAL->NTSC) NTSC source which I deinterlaced to 25 fps progressive and I put that script through CCE. The resulting m2v file played perfectly and as expected. I wanted to deinterlace the fieldblended NTSC source to a properly deinterlaced NTSC DVD.

I put the m2v from CCE through DGPuldown by selecting the 25->29.97 and top field selected.
2. I have not tried the muxed dvd on a standalone.

3. Muxman was fed the pulled-down m2v from DGPulldown, AC3 audio from the original source DVD, and english (.sup) subs from the original source DVD. The resulting IFO that was created by Muxman referes to an NTSC file (double-checked by IFOedit).

[Ghitulescu]

I put the m2v from CCE through DGPuldown by selecting the 25->29.97 and top field selected.
2. I have not tried the muxed dvd on a standalone.

Watching on a PC screen might yield some [de]interlacing artefacts as the PC display is always progressive. It depends solely on the deinterlacing algorithms of both the playing software and the graphic driver how an interlaced video would look like. Well, I assume 29,97 refers to interlaced NTSC (as DVD accepts only 480i29.97).

[~Revolution~]

Watching on a PC screen might yield some [de]interlacing artefacts as the PC display is always progressive. It depends solely on the deinterlacing algorithms of both the playing software and the graphic driver how an interlaced video would look like. Well, I assume 29,97 refers to interlaced NTSC (as DVD accepts only 480i29.97).

on 23.976->29.97 pulldowns I don't see any flickering or the like. The oddity is that even after the pulldown, the resulting m2v plays absolutely fine. but when I play the muxed version by double clicking on the ifo (from muxman) it flickers. However, when I play individual VOBs by double clicking on them, the vobs play perfectly fine.

[Ghitulescu]

You have to believe on two counts:
1. muxman has no influence on the flickering
2. I really do not understand why you performed so many operations on a NTSC file, including passing through PAL (apparently once more - it includes the original source), only to arrive again at a NTSC video. I'm lost. It's beyond my understanding.

[~Revolution~]

You have to believe on two counts:
1. muxman has no influence on the flickering
2. I really do not understand why you performed so many operations on a NTSC file, including passing through PAL (apparently once more - it includes the original source), only to arrive again at a NTSC video. I'm lost. It's beyond my understanding.

You are correct, muxman should not have any influence whatsoever on the flickering issue. however it boils down to the fact that something is not working properly in the ifo. Because if the original m2v and the pulldown m2v and the individual vob files work as they are supposed to, then something is clearly wrong with the ifo file that muxman created. The solution to that escapes me.

[Video Dude]

Did you load the IFO in any other software player?

When you load the IFO, a software player usually uses a DVD mode. Loading the VOBs directly uses file mode.

[~Revolution~]

Did you load the IFO in any other software player?

When you load the IFO, a software player usually uses a DVD mode. Loading the VOBs directly uses file mode.

Problem solved. Thanks Video Dude. Stupid me, I didn't enable DVD Decoding in ffdshow. That fixed it. :)

PS: I'm sorry that I wasted everyone's time :o but at least the issue was resolved :)

[manono]

Isn't the intention to play the thing on a standalone? And you said, didn't you, that you haven't played it in a standalone yet? So, burn it to disc and play it.

I've noticed that flickering also on the computer when playing unblended DVDs, but usually not when played in a standalone. But I have a good standalone and can't guarantee you'll get the same results when you try.

I suspect that when played as a file the pulldown is being ignored and you're playing the progressive video but when being played as a DVD it's being deinterlaced (poorly). That's just a guess, though.
Because if the original m2v and the pulldown m2v and the individual vob files work as they are supposed to, then something is clearly wrong with the ifo file that muxman created.
Nonsense.

[~Revolution~]

Isn't the intention to play the thing on a standalone? And you said, didn't you, that you haven't played it in a standalone yet? So, burn it to disc and play it.

I've noticed that flickering also on the computer when playing unblended DVDs, but usually not when played in a standalone. But I have a good standalone and can't guarantee you'll get the same results when you try.

I suspect that when played as a file the pulldown is being ignored and you're playing the progressive video but when being played as a DVD it's being deinterlaced (poorly). That's just a guess, though.

Nonsense.

Yep, you're right :)