Maestro: subtitle import problems due to timecode

[Chetwood]

This seems to be more of an advanced problem since this is the first time on Doom9 I haven't gotten an answer to my posting in 24 hours after posting it. Maybe someone in this forum has heard about this prob or can point me to some other info source.

As mentioned in other forums on this board before I'm still working on ripping some PAL Buffy DVDs from 4 eps/DVD to 3 eps/DVD-R. I'm planning to author my own menu page where you can choose between the three eps placed on the DVD-R (no scene selection though).

I've extracted a single ep with DVD2ONE, demuxed all streams and also have extracted subtitles with Subrip on 25 FPS into Maestro's .son-format. Now when I try to import this file in Maestro I get the following error message:


No corresponding subtitles found! The video asset timecode may not correspond to the timecode specified for the subtitles in the import file.

The files are of course there and even the son-file itselfs points to the correct dir with the subtitle bitmaps. And even when the subtitles are the first asset I'm loading into Maestro, I'm getting the same message; which other timecode does Maestro refer to? A right-click on the timeline lets me choose between 'Zero Based' and 'Asset Timecode' but to no avail. I mean, there shouldn't be any manual offset to be entered cause it's all ripped from the very same ep extractecd with DVD2ONE so all streams should be on the very same timecode?!

Any suggestions? TIA.

[quinn]

Look at the time code of the video asset - it's probably 1:00:00:00:00 (or maybe with 1 less set of :00 - I don't remember). You need to reset the time code to 0:00:00:00:00 - then you should be able to import the subtitle.
I believe clicking on the time code will bring up a dialog box to allow you to change the start code (don't have Maestro here at work to try it out). Good luck.

[DVDGuy99]

I had this problem trying to import *.stl files into Maestro.

I don't know about SON files, but anyway, the solution to my problem was to make sure the STL files were pure ASCII. It turns out my text editor ( notepad ) was putting in some none ASCII characters, and it cause Maestro to barf.

[Chetwood]

Originally posted by quinn
Look at the time code of the video asset - it's probably 1:00:00:00:00 (or maybe with 1 less set of :00 - I don't remember). You need to reset the time code to 0:00:00:00:00 - then you should be able to import the subtitle.
I believe clicking on the time code will bring up a dialog box to allow you to change the start code (don't have Maestro here at work to try it out). Good luck.

That was it, thanks for the tip. I had to set the offset of 00:59:58:00 in Subrip when saving to .son and Maestro can import it. It still weirds me out that I could not import it without offset manipulation when I had the overall m2v timecode reset to 00.

Anyways, now that this works, I got another problem: although I've used Maestro presets upon extracting and saving in Subrip, Maestro uses wrong colors for the subtitles, in my case blue subtitle with black frame which is of course unreadable. In Maestro's subtitle editor I can change the mapping but only for a single subtitle and not globally!

I've checked the reference guide and I understand that the color mapping of the subtitles is independent from the one used for menu buttons. So why does Maestro map to weird colors and how do I change the mapping globally?

[oddyseus]

Open up a subtitle, go to colors and load the spf file subrip created with the son one. That should revert the colors off all the subs as they r in the original.

[Chetwood]

Originally posted by oddyseus
Open up a subtitle, go to colors and load the spf file subrip created with the son one. That should revert the colors off all the subs as they r in the original.

Yep, I'd already found it (reading over it at least 3 times, doh) and I was planning to mention that here on the board. Thanks anyway.

[TeFLoN]

Ok now I found the other thread with a little searching Chetwood. Ok, so where do I find that video asset offset number? Inside of Maestro after i import the video and ac3 files? Then open subrip and put that value in? Can you be a bit more explicit for dumbies like me? :)


TeF

[Chetwood]

Originally posted by TeFLoN
Ok now I found the other thread with a little searching Chetwood. Ok, so where do I find that video asset offset number? Inside of Maestro after i import the video and ac3 files? Then open subrip and put that value in? Can you be a bit more explicit for dumbies like me? :)


TeF

Check out this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=303360#post303360).

[TeFLoN]

thx

[singhcr]

It took me a long, long time, but here is how I got subtitles to work correctly in DVDMaestro.

***NTSC Only****

First, when you rip the subs, make sure your *.SON file is in the same directory as the actual subtitle BMP's, this is why you got the "no corresponding subtitles found" message. Save your *.SON in Maestro format, 29.97 FPS NTSC Drop-Frame.


Here's what you do with the video.
1. Encode a one-pass video in CCE (or whatever you use) and make sure it is at 29.97 fps, in other words don't use ForceFilm in DVD2AVI. This video is for your subtitles.

2. Encode another copy of the video (I use 9-pass CCE), make sure it is at 23 FPS (enable ForceFilm on DVD2AVI). You technically don't need step #2 but using the video from #1 often leads to interlacing problems.

3. Run Pulldown on video #2.

4. Load the chapter list onto DVDMaestro.
5. Remove any file on the video track and replace it with video #1. You should see "29.97 Drop Frame" in the lower left of the Maestro window.
6. Now right-click in the subtitle tracks and import.
7. Replace video #1 with video #2. The framerate should now be 29.97.

I guarentee this will work. :) If you import the subtitles when video #2 is in the video track your subtitles will not sync properly.

I hope this helps. I have spent several hours and I used the guides on the Doom9 site but this is the only method that works for me.

7.65mm

[TeFLoN]

THanks for the VERY informative post bud! :D

After looking at the Trilights guides and comtemplating it, I figured it was something like you described, but I wasnt sure of the "exact" steps to take. That was EXACTLY what I was looking for. You rock man!

TeF

[singhcr]

No problem, happy to help. I know how annoying the subtitles can be. I had my mpeg2 video and audio and I was all ready to go but I spent a good week of my free time (although with college i dont get much free time in the first place :mad: ) so I am glad it worked for you.

[TeFLoN]

Worked like a champ!
I'm a happy man...thx once again for the helpful post
TeF