Problems with getting audio and video in Robocop to synch

[Bill Clo]

When I try to encode Robocop, using DivX5, I am unable to get the sound and video to synch. When I demuxed the original files, it shows them as AC3 files, with 913ms delay. I tried changing the delay in the final screen that pops up in GordianKnot where you set the output files, and tell it what to do with audio processing (encoder tab, I think).

I tried changing the BeSweet settings/delay to 85ms, which I've seen in other movies, but it seemed to make no difference at all. I used custom MP3 paramaters - 320kbs.

Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong, or how to correct this?

I am not very familiar with the intracies of these programs, so use easy to understand terminology, please. :)

[manono]

Hi-

Are you saying that you tried 913 first and it didn't work, and you then tried 85? Are you sure that it wasn't -913 ms? Makes a difference, you know. However, I have found movies where the given delay doesn't work. So if that's the case with yours, you can fix it easily enough. Here's one way:

Open the finished movie (with the asynch audio) in NanDub. Set Video to Direct Stream Copy. Then go Audio-Interleaving and fool around with the delay. You'll have to estimate how much the audio is off, and then set a positive or negative delay (where 1000 ms=1 second). Then go File-Save As and give it a new name. It might take 3 or 4 tries to get it right. And it's easier to do if you can test on a sharp sound, like a gunshot. It can be harder to do it by watching lips move.

[Bill Clo]

That's right, I tried the 913 ms AC3 file that it demuxed first. I then tried 85ms. I don't know if it's positive or - 913ms. The file name says 913ms, and of course since I changed the encoder setting ,Gordianknot now says 85ms - the second try. The words are spoken before the character's lips move, so I'll try negative 913.

I'll try your Nandub suggestion, and get back to you. Thanks.

[manono]

Hi-

The sound comes out before the lips move? Then negative values won't help. You need a larger positive value. If the sound came out before the lips moved even with the original 913 ms delay, then estimate how much the difference is. If, for example, the sound was still coming out a second early, then maybe try 1900 ms. If it was less, then adjust. But there's no need to do any more encoding. You can fix it by adjusting the delay in Nandub.

[Bill Clo]

I just got done using Nandub to fix the synch problem. I went into interleaving options, and changed delay to 913ms...and it looks correct now. It did take me a while to get Nandub working - didn't know that if I set the video for direct stream copy and audio to full processing mode, it'd crash. I finally figured out that both audio and video have to be in direct copy mode, with the interleaving change..3 mins of processing, and voilla! It works. I just have to split it into 2 CDs, but that's easy.

Hey, at least I know what to do next time. Thanks.

[manono]

Good, I'm glad you got it fixed. The reason I didn't mention setting the Audio to Direct Stream Copy is that it's the default in NanDub. And as you found out after some trial and error, that's the way it's supposed to be.

It does lead to the question, though, of whether or not you set the 913 ms delay in GKnot before encoding. Or if, perhaps, something messed up in the audio encoding. The BeSweet log should tell you if the delay was set correctly.