4:3 LB -> 16:9 subtitle problem

[OEM]

One of the really great features of Rebuilder is the ability to resize 4:3 material to anamorphic. Unfortunately though, after encoding/rebuilding only the first subtitle stream is available. The others are selectable, but only the first available language is displayed no matter what I select. I've tried several DVD's (both PAL & NTSC), using different versions of Rebuilder.

I did a search and there was mention of this problem in the bug thread a while ago (No mention of a possible fix/solution though).

Probably a very marginal problem for most users (and a possible workaround is to deselect all subtitles except the language I want), but I think this should at least be added to the "Known Issues" list. It would have saved me a few coasters...

[Joergen]

Hmmm.. which version of RB did you use? I have done 2 lb->16:9 conversions succesfully with earlier versions, but using 0.54 there were only the #1 sub track selectable in a disc I did. Could this really be a 0.54 problem?

[godhead]

I was going to post this same situation regarding a backup of "The Duel" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005B6LM/qid=1088912951/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-9469075-3320133?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846) because I wanted an anamorphic 16:9 and not letterbox for my HDTV. Simplified Chinese is the first sub and English is the second, so the disc becomes rather useless for me.

I've tried this disc with .52, .53, .53a, and .54 and it's always the same problem. I also tried using Nero Record (No Encode) to try and make Eng the only sub available, but for some reason the subtitles don't show at all at that point. Pretty strange results.

Let me know if you need any cfg files or anything from me.

[Joergen]

Ok that pretty much confirms it as a bug in RB instead of an authoring problem in the original I had.

I hope jdobbs can have a look at this, it seems like a straight forward problem where the other tracks are not even written to the output.

edit: Argh, I checked one lb conversion I did with 0.51c and it too has only the #1 track, others are 0bytes in shrink. But this one has the track I wanted as #1 so I didnt even notice before.

So that makes 2/3 jobs with bugged sub tracks for me.

[OEM]

I believe the earliest version to give me this problem was .4x something. I don't recall the exact version number.

I didn't really notice at first, since I'd only converted English language movies. Then I tried converting a Chinese region 3 Japanese language anime disc, and found the English subs had been replaced by Chinese subs...

Going back and looking at the earlier conversions, they all have the same problem.

The really annoying thing about 4:3 LB anime (or asian movies in general) is that they tend to have the subtitles placed across the black borders, which make them useless for widescreen displays (You have the option of watching a tiny picture with huge black borders all around it, or watch it fullscreen with no subs...). I have a small collection of asian movies that I can't watch for this reason, so a solution to this problem would be very welcome :)

[wmansir]

I just added this to the Known Issues sticky.

Jdobbs also posted in the stickySomething else is going on there. There really is no connection between the 16:9 conversion and subtitles...

The first report of this problem is here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=481685&highlight=convert+subtitles#post481685), using v0.44 and he reports that the error only occurs when Convert LB is enabled.

[Joergen]

I'll try to run a rebuild with lb conversion active, even when it wasnt active during prepare and encode.

[jdobbs]

Try it with v0.55... I found an anomaly that I fixed (related to the Windows 98 problem) that could affect subpictures. I'm thoroughly convinced the relationship between the conversion and the problem was only coincidental. I just looked at the code for the conversion and it is incredibly simple, a flag gets set when you choose the option and a line gets added to the AVS when the flag is set... nothing more.

[Joergen]

Ok.

I tried 0.54 with lb conversion active and it didnt have any effect on a project that was prepared and encoded without it active. (although its prolly not being applied since the playback is 4:3)

UPDATE:

I thought I'd make the most of my current D2VAVS dir that has a completed project in it.

0.54 EARLIER STEP:
0.54 Did an episodic disc as normal, only dynamic bitrate enabled, prepare, encode 3pass cce 2.66sp, rebuild, windvd test, burn, read-test, standalone test = ALL OK (as expected), plays back 4:3

0.54 SUB BUG TESTING STEP1:
0.54 Switch on lb conversion in the AVS options and rebuild previous project, windvd test, open in dvdshrink = ALL OK, lb conversion not applied apparently, plays back 4:3

0.54 SUB BUG TESTING STEP2:
0.54 Rename D2VAVS dir, run prepare with LB conversion enabled, edit rebuilder.inf for "progress 2", move *.m2v from renamed dir to new D2VAVS, rebuild, windvd test, open in shrink = Only #1 track displays, others are 0MB in shrink = BAD SUB BUG, plays back 16:9

0.55 SUB BUG TESTING STEP3:
0.55 move the m2v again to safety, run prepare with lb conversion enabled (double check that it is enabled), edit rebuilder.inf for "Progress=2", copy *.m2v to new D2VAVS, reopen working path in RB, rebuild, windvd test, delete shrink temp files and open = Only #1 track displays, others are 0MB in shrink = BAD SUB BUG, plays back 16:9

Sadly, 0.55 didnt fix this. So to me it seems it is a direct results of the LB conversion being enabled? :(

[Joergen]

It doesnt affect audio tracks though. This project I did above has two tracks and both play fine.

[wmansir]

I can confirm this is present in v0.55 and was in v0.42 (I'm working backwards to see where it was introduced).

[wmansir]

Looks like this was introduced in v0.36 or v0.37a.

In v0.35 all subs work, but the AR is not corrected in the IFO.

v0.36 encontered an error in the prepare stage, so I can't test it. This release has a changelog entry:- Fixed (again) an error that was causing 16:9 flags in the IFO to not be
updated correctly when using the Convert 4:3->16:9 option.

v0.37a contains the error when convert LB is enabled. Also, I checked the IFO and when this bug is activated the rebuilt IFO reports all 3 substreams using 0x20 in IFOEdit (original used 0x20, 21, 22 respectively)

[Joergen]

Thanks wmansir. Seeing as the output is still always 4.32GB it might be possible to fix a disc by editing the sub ID numbers in ifoedit?

(dont cry 'dobbsie.. we still love you!) ;)

[jdobbs]

Ahhh... so it isn't in the stream itself -- that's where I was looking. It's in the IFO...

I love you right back. XOXOXOXOXO :)

[jdobbs]

Ok... here's what I found. Nothing is removed. What happens is that I change the IFO to say that the the video is now 16:9 -- works fine, right? But what I neglected to do was update the table in each PGC header. It has a separate value for each possible aspect ratio in the subpicture table (PGC_SPST_CTL). The only reason the first subpicture was working was because each contained the default value of zero.

I'm fixing it now. Gotta' write some code to update the entire table.

Just goes to show you, nothing is ever as simple as you think it will be.

[Joergen]

Great news! The LB conversion is a great option to right one of the many wrongs against DVD committed by incompetent publishers and authoring studios.

I've accidentally purchased 3 movies that were supposed to be 16:9 (or that I EXPECTED to be) and boy was I disappointed. One of them was a "small" movie called The Fifth Element (Special Edition.. BAH!) and one The Abyss (Special Edition.. DOUBLE BAH!)

Thanks jdobbs!

[jdobbs]

Just posted the fix.

@Joergen and wmansir

Thanks for the super beta testing.

[borgraf]

ooh excellent news, i've been waiting for this one!

outstanding work, all of you!

[wmansir]

I can confirm this issue fixed with v0.55a. If we can get some other confirmations or there are no new reports in the next couple of days I will close the issue.

[borgraf]

I ran a test with 0.55b on two titles that i've prevously encountered the subtitle bug on. The Thing and Tremors, both R2. I tested both these 4:3 LB -> 16:9 conversions in software and hardware, and i'm glad to report that as far as I can tell the subtitles work perfectly!

[wmansir]

Everything looks good. I'm closing this issue.