Scenarist Error: AVI PAL -> NTSC DVD

[damsan05]

Hi, pls help.
I am coverting an AVI PAL file to NTSC DVD. I edit AVI Synth file with the following:
BicubicResize(720,480)
Convertfps(29.97)
Everything goes well until Scenarist executes its script. When Scenarist tries to multiplex the video and audio I am getting the problem. Here is the scenarist report:

Info Starting Multiplex Encoded_Video_CCE_PAL-t (1 / 1)
Info Multiplexing VOB Main Stream
Warning Total bitrate too HIGH. Audio(1) PTS(26943177) is less than SCR(26943208) (around 00:04:59:02).

Error dvd_mux : DoMux Multiplexing Error
Error Terminated Multiplexing (movie0.scn-Encoded_Video_CCE_PAL-t_t.vob).
Error Total bitrate is too HIGH. Please reduce the stream bitrate or the number of stream.
Error Multiplex is failed.
Error Multiplexer failed (Encoded_Video_CCE_PAL-t)
Info Finished Multiplex - 1 error(s), 0 warning(s)

I assume the error is the mismatch between the lenghth of video and audio file since I converted Video to 29.97 fps but audio stayed as PAL.
Can anyone help? How can I convert the Audio correctly so that Scenarist can multiplex the files? Thanks,

[Nick]

By using Convertfps not Assumefps you should not have to mess with the audio. Can I ask which build of DVD2SVCD you are using? This sort of error was reported a lot when DVD output was first introduced in DVD2SVCD. If you are not using the latest build (1.2.2 Build 1)please give it a try. There have been some fixes made and also a freeware authoring engine so you don't need Scenarist.

If you are using the current build try using DVDAuthor instead of Scenarist, see if it works.

The only problem with the newest build is with AVI resizing. This results in the wrong figures being calculated for the Resize and AddBorders lines in the Avisynth script. If you are not using the newest build and wish to try an encode with it, copy the Resize and AddBorders lines from the script from your old encode before you start. Then when you edit the Avisynth script in the new encode to add ConvertFPS, remove the incorrect resize and AddBorders line and paste in the correct ones.

HTH
Nick

[damsan05]

Thanks for your reply Nick. I am using DVD2SVCD 1.2.1 Build 2, not the newest build.
I will try using the new build.

You mention that I do not have to mess with audio when using Convertfps.
From what I can see, on one side that seems to be right since Scenarist is reporting exactly the same lenghth of encoded audio and encoded video.
But from other side I do not understand how can that be possible since Audio is extracted and encoded before I edit the Avisynth file by adding Convertfps, so how can DVD2SVCD know if I am going to use Convertfps when the program starts and does audio encoding so that encodes audio correctly?
I will checkout the new build and let you know, I was hoping there is a solution to this with this build I am using. thanks.

[ralphthedog]

Also make sure you don't have the DVD compliant box ticked in the CCE advanced settings, and your audio+video streams add up to well below 10,000bps.

[damsan05]

DVD compliant box is not checked and audio and video are together 8192 kpbs, Video 8000 and audio 192. I checked everything and did not find the reason why the problem is appearing. It must be the bug Nick talked about. I will try to install a new build and see how it goes. I would like to keep Scenarist for DVD authoring though, I would not like to switch to any other app, like DVDAuthor if possible. Why switch to something else when I already have the best you can find, right?

[ralphthedog]

Thought I'd mention the bloody obvious just in case;)

To be honest I prefer the new DVDAuthor(I used Scenarist 2.6 in the past without much trouble), I'm doing PAL though.

Some people had problems with DVD2SVCD/Scenarist in the past, including the fixed length chapters that might come in handy with AVI captures etc..

[damsan05]

Well, I created a number of NTSC DVDs from NTSC AVIs without problems with Scenarist 2.6. This is the first PAL AVI I am trying to convert to NTSC DVD and the first time it gives me error. I guess I will have to switch to a new DVD2SVCD version.

[ralphthedog]

Can you convert your PAL AVI to NTSC first in virtualdub or something, then run it through DVD2SVCD?

[damsan05]

Hello folks, I believe I found what was causing the problem.
It seems that PAL AVI file was not encoded properly because video and audio are out of synch. The file I used at the beginning and which was giving me the error was part 1 of the movie. I tried today using part 2 of the movie and it encoded everything without any problems, both in NTSC or PAL, scenarist did not fail on this one.
I have a question though.... Is there any way to fix this AVI file which has audio and video out of synch? Is there a way to repair the header or something like that? Thanks for your help.