Jumpy video (PAL->NTSC)

[lemmy999]

I have tried to convert a 25fps PAL DVD to 23.976fps NTSC. When I play the resulting .m2v file in WinDVD, it plays fast then pauses, then plays fast, then pauses (it continues this 1-2 second cycle continuously). This is how I created the video:

Ripped a PAL DVD using DVDDecrypter
Made a .d2v file using dvd2avi.
Next I created a .avs file:

LoadPlugin("C:\Avisynth\MPEG2DEC.dll")
Mpeg2source("C:\MOTORHEAD_BONESHAKER\motorhead.d2v")
AssumeFPS(23.976)
BicubicResize(720,480,0.00,0.75)

I loaded this .avs in TMPGEnc 2.54 with these settings:

Stream type: Video Only

Video Tab:
Size: 720x480
Aspect Ration: 16:9
Frame Rate: 23.976 (29.976 internally)
2 Pass VBR: 4820 AVGbitrate 9000max, 2000 min
VBV buffer size: 0 (automatic)
Profile & Level: MP@ML
Video Format: NTSC
Enocde mode: 3:2Pulldown when Playback
YUV Format: 4:2:0
DC Component precision: 10 bits
Motion search: High quality (slow)

MPEG Setting:
Video Source type: Progressive
Field Order: field B
Aspect Ration: 16:9 525 Line (NTSC)
Arrange Method: Full Screen (keep aspect ratio)

GOP Structure:
I,P,B: 1,5,2
Output Intervel of sequence header: 1/GOP
Max #frames per GOP: 18
Detect Scene change

(I have tried Force picture type setting and loaded the locations of the I,P,B frames made by IFOEdit but it was no different)

I have tried setting encode mode to Interlace and Frame Rate to 23.976 and this hasn't worked either. Also, the original VOB file plays fine in WinDVD and before I start encoding in TMPGEnc, I can go to File -> Preview and it plays fine. Does anyone have any idea what I could be doing wrong? I have done lots of searching the past few weeks and this seems to be the general method many have used with good results. Thanks for any ideas.

[lemmy999]

Now I am even more confused. I loaded the .m2v in windows media player and it seems to play it perfectly. So is the file ok?

[ulfschack]

Same thing happens to me, but it was more stuttering than fast-slow-fast. The symptoms you describe happened to me on an other (PAL) project when I had a 16:9 (TmpgEnc) encoded Mpeg-2 and authored it in SpruceUp, which I later found out only does 4:3. Workarounds (in IfoEdit) for this are described, but following them didn't pay off ... still the same symptoms. I learned that for SpruceUp I have to add borders and author 4:3. Otherwise I use maestro for true anamorphic.

Cheers

BTW. I found no solution to the first problem :(

[auenf]

did you change the length of the audio file? or just take the extracted stream off the dvd into you're authoring?

apart from that, the other thing i would suggest is to create the avs as a huge (huffy???) avi and see if it plays fine there.

Enf...

[ulfschack]

auenf: In his second post he says that it plays fine in wmp, as was the case for me.

[lemmy999]

Yeah, it played fine in WMP. I then put it in SpruceUp and built the DVD and simulated and it played fine. However, I then found out that when rippng I had not chosen multiangle processing so it during the small 3 minute multiangle section it was screwed up and I have to start over.

ulfschack,
I am using DVDpatcher to make the m2v header say it is 4:3 and then SpruceUp will take it. Then right before compiling, you load the .m2v again with DVDpatcher and set it back to 16:9. It is supposed to work (but I have never tried it). However, I think my menu screens may be a little stretched out. I have also heard you can change to 4:3, compile, then change back with IFOEdit, but I am no pro at editing IFO files. I just have the most basic knowledge, so I will try the other method first.

[ulfschack]

What you do is to fool Spruce into thinking it's 4:3 so it generates ifo-files thereafter resulting in crappy playback when trying to render something that is really 16:9. Like I said, I tried the IfoEdit-method without sucess. As for DvdPatcher; it works for fooling spruce with regards to resolution, saying f.i that your old 480x576 svcd mpegs is temporarily 352x576 (dvd compliant) and then patch it back. However ... I'm not at all sure that the same thing goes for AR.

I bet you if you have a 4:3 (black bordered) encoded m2v file it'll work. In order to evade reencoding you might do a change on your existing file, that is to change the AR to 4:3 from 16:9 with this (http://www.offeryn.de/avestensione.htm) tool that I've sucessfully used myself. It might very well be that DVDPatcher can do this reliably as well, but I haven't tried it. As for proper playback on your set you'll have to "go 16:9" on your (hopefully) modern TV.

Try the above to narrow it down. It's done in a jiffy.

cheers

[lemmy999]

My video is not a black bordered 4:3. It is anamorhpic 16:9. I do have a 16:9 TV too. So does the tool you mention just change it to 4:3 to fool SpruceUp, then before compiling the project I just load it and change it back to 16:9? Does this result in any quality loss? I guess all of the video information is there and it is the same resolution, but the flag setting the AR is changed. when I play the original PAL DVD on my computer, it plays in 16:9, but when I rip the VOB files and just load one of those in WinDVD, it plays in 4:3 (same video information, but my guess is that it does not have the IFO file to tell WinDVD to play in 16:9 AR). Thanks.

[ulfschack]

I know it's 16:9 your material, and no I don't propose changing for the purpose of fooling spruce. You've allready tried that and failed.
What I'm saying is that you should reencode and ADD borders so that it'll look 16:9 when you play back your 4:3 spruce-authored DVD. SpruceUp doesn't do 16:9 see.

OR (as I suggested) you could change the AR to 4:3 (it's not just one flag, it's for every frame ... takes a few minutes) Of course the proportions would be off, but you could fix that by letting your TV sqeeze it vertically for you, if it has such features. Anyways, I suggested this because it was a quick way of showing you that it'll play fine as long as you don't screw around with the AR setting when importing into SpruceUp and as long as you use 4:3 material.

cheers

[lemmy999]

Actually, I haven't already tried anything. I got it to import and it played in simulation mode, but I never compiled the project because I noticed that I had not selected multiangle processing in the rip, so part of it was screwed up. So I had to start over. Thanks for the suggestions.