Encoding with CCE results in shorter length video!

[Lambchop]

I have some captured files (MJPEG AVI) which I am trying to convert to video MPEG using CCE. However, when I encode, a ~15 minute clip ends up at around 4 1/2 minutes long. It seems to have the correct start / end point, so I guess its dropping frames along the way through the middle of the video. Does anyone have any idea why? :confused:

thanks

[RB]

Have you played back what CCE produced? Are there truly dropped frames or maybe the video just plays too fast? What MJPEG codec are you using?

[Lambchop]

Originally posted by RB
Have you played back what CCE produced? Are there truly dropped frames or maybe the video just plays too fast? What MJPEG codec are you using? Yup, it appears to jump and skip all over the place where it didn't before. The transfers were from VHS or TV card, so there was some noise here and there, but nothing significant, and not in the places where it is skipping anyway. I'm encoding using the hardware MPJEG encoding in my Matrox G400TV card. Any ideas what might be causing this? :confused:

[RB]

Sorry, no idea what's going on. Maybe you have better luck asking this question in the DV forum.

[Lambchop]

I've just discovered encoding works fine (correct video length) when I encode at CBR, but I still get the problem with VBR....does this shed any light on what might be going on? :confused:
Its got me!

[surreal120]

Lambchop, this is happening to me too! Are you using DVD2AVI to create a d2v project and then frameserving? I have an NTSC movie that DVD2AVI shows as FILM 100%. I've noticed the following:

If I don't use Force Film then I get the same problem that you are having - video is about 1/3 as long after encoding with CCE, even though nothing seems to be missing. However, if I do use Force Film, the video is a little under 1/2 as long as it should be.

This isn't much better, but I was wondering if you get the same results. Maybe this will help someone out what's going on!

[Lambchop]

surreal120, I'm not trying anything as complicated. I've captured some AVI files directly...I've tried feeding them into CCE directly, and I've tried frameserving them in, both with the same problem when I try to do VBR encoding. Like I mentioned, CBR works fine, but I'd like to be able to use VBR. I'm working in PAL by the way, but I don't think that's going to make much difference. fingers crossed someone knows!! :confused:

[surreal120]

Just a thought, but have you tried checking to see if the original avi and the encoded mpv have the same number of frames (I think bitrateviewer might be able to do this)? I would check myself, but I deleted my CCE encoded video file and it took HOURS to encode so I thought I'd ask first if you still had your files and could check.

[RB]

Lambchomp, try the latest CCE-SP trial version (http://www.cinemacraft.com/files/cce/ccspt267.zip). If that doesn't fix it, I'd suggest you file a bug report to Custom Technology.

[t610425]

Originally posted by Lambchop
surreal120, I'm not trying anything as complicated. I've captured some AVI files directly...I've tried feeding them into CCE directly, and I've tried frameserving them in, both with the same problem when I try to do VBR encoding. Like I mentioned, CBR works fine, but I'd like to be able to use VBR. I'm working in PAL by the way, but I don't think that's going to make much difference. fingers crossed someone knows!! :confused:

I think the difference between cbr and vbr is that for multipass vbr a .vaf file is created. Maybe you could try to delete any old .vaf before trying multipass vbr?

Just a thought

takis

[Lambchop]

t610425, I tried that, but it didn't seem to make any difference :( thanks for the suggestionn though. :)
I'm getting in touch with Cinema Craft now, thanks RB. :)

[surreal120]

Lambchop - I finally got mine working (I'm using CCE 2.50, btw)! I'm not sure if this will work for you, since you said you are using DV material. But it might have something to do with the media player/codec you are using for m2v video. Even though I had a 2+ hour audio file and an apparently hour and fifteen minute m2v file, I tried authoring in Scenarist anyway. Everything came out fine and the burned DVD works great in my standalone player (correct time, audio in sync, smooth playback, etc).

Playback was always smooth in my media player though, even though the timer display was way off. Anyway good luck, I know this must be incredibly frustrating!

[Lambchop]

Yeah, I'd noticed there was an error on playback sometimes, so I tried opening in TMPEGENc and a couple of other players also with the same effect. I just tried opening in ULEAD, and it registered as the correct length!! Trouble is when I tried to add the audio track to this file, it crashed! d'oh!
I'll look into this further...THANKS :D
oh, does anyone know how I might resolve this codec problem with amore suitable codec? :confused: