25fps pulldown removal?

[ottermi619]

I'm trying to restore film content that apparently has been converted from PAL to NTSC. It has an entire VOB file to itself. When I open it in VirtualDub-MPEG2, then go to change the framerate, the video-audio duration matching framerate is 25.329 fps. (I believe the video might have been telecined in a 50Hz country).

http://tinypic.com/96yql0.jpg
This is apparently a pulldown frame after I run a interpolate deinterlace filter. Notice the colors from the next and previous frames (which I'm not going to put on here) are bleeding in?

[Delphin]

I'm trying to restore film content that apparently has been converted from PAL to NTSC. It has an entire VOB file to itself. When I open it in VirtualDub-MPEG2, then go to change the framerate, the video-audio duration matching framerate is 25.329 fps. (I believe the video might have been telecined in a 50Hz country).

http://tinypic.com/96yql0.jpg
This is apparently a pulldown frame after I run a interpolate deinterlace filter. Notice the colors from the next and previous frames (which I'm not going to put on here) are bleeding in?

This sounds like someone used DGpulldown on the source.

I wrote all the information below then remembered that VirtualDubMPEG2 has some very nice features of it's own that make the below procedure 'overkill'.

In your "File Open" dialog check the 'extended open' option when loading your VOB then UNCHECK the option to "allow Repeat First Field Flags".

This should have an effect similar to what I outlined below . . .

I'll include the AVIsynth instructions below just in case you ever need to do more advanced processing. :)

DG stands for Donald Graft, and his tool allows non-standard pulldown ratios like the one used to go from 25fps > 29.97

Time to bite bullet and pre-filter the VOB through AVISynth. That way you can use another of Don's Tools to [hopefully] straightn out this mess.

If you use VirtualDubMOD you can use the AVISYNTH scripting support that is built in.

Here is the step by step to use DGmpgdec in VirtualDub mod:

First the installation . . .

1. Get and install AVIsynth 2.5 or later at . . .

http://www.avisynth.org/

2. Get and install DGmggdec at . . .

http://neuron2.net/dgmpgdec/dgmpgdec.html

3. After installing dgmpgdec you can move a COPY of the DGDecode.dll to the AVIsynth 'plugins' folder at . . .

C:\program files\Avisynth2.5\plugins

Leave a copy in the DGmpgdec install directory and you might want to create a desktop shortcut to DGIndex.exe (we will be needing that later).

4. Now you shoud be able to load "d2v" files useing the MPEG2Source template. I changed my MPEG2Source.AVST template to look like this . . .

#ASYNTHER MPEG2Source (DGDecode.dll)
[MPEG2Source("%f")]

The (DGDecode.dll) part is only a comment to remind me that this file does NOT load MPEG2 directly (it loads pre-parsed d2v files, which tell it how to read the MPEG2 file. It's a little round-about, but the results justify the 2 step process)

The above four steps should have got your VirtualDubMOD install ready to use AVIsynth and DGDecode.dll

Now that the software is loaded, here is a simple 2 step process to load MPEG2 files through AVIsynth.

1. Open DGIndex and use it to load your VOB (or MPEG1/MPEG2 file).

2. Mark the section of the start and end sections of the file you want to save as a D2V project (in this case, before you save, you will want to use the options to force DGIndex to 'Ignor Pulldown').

3. In VirtualDubMOD use the standard 'File Open' but First Select and load your "MPEG2Source" template from the dropdown list at the very bottom of the dialog window. Then [VERY IMPORTANT] don't open the VOB, open the D2V file (you will need to use the *.* option under file types).

That's it! You should be looking at the first frame of the selected range from your MPEG.

A few other things you need to know.

a.) When you "Ignor Pulldown" DGIndex doesn't try to re-calculate the correct frame rate. It will Import as 29.97. You can fix this in the AVIsynth script, but it's easier to use the Top 'Assume Input Framerate' option from the "Framerate" dialog window in VirtualDubMOD. Just tell VirtualDub to Assume 25fps initially (you may want to tweak this later slightly for perfect sync).

b.) DGIndex will save the AUDIO as a separate file, but you can use the 'Streams' window in VirtualDubMOD to 'ADD' it back in.

c.) When DGIndex saves the AUDIO it indicates any OFFSET DELAY in the file name.

- go to the streamlist window,
- right click the stream you added back in above.
- pick interleaving... from the dropdown list.
- Then enter the value indicated in the file name that DGIndex saved.

For example if DGIndex saves the file with -180ms in the file name you have to put the -180 in the audio skew correction entry in the 'Audio/Video interleave' dialog window.

The above sounds worse than it is, I just loaded a file with 25>29.97 pulldown applied and ran a quick check in about a minute (of course I already have AVI synth installed).

If you have audio sync problems or if the above steps don't perfectly De-TeleCINE your video you will still be in MUCH better shape, because you can ASK over in the AVISynth thread how to set up options in the AVIsynth script to fix it (there are a ton of options to for De-TeleCINE in AVIsynth).

Hopefully complicated measures won't be needed.

As a last note . . .

I understand that VirtualDubMPEG2 is still undergoing active development (with the MPEG2 build versions only a few weeks behind the main Virtual Dub development). It would be GREAT if there was a Ignoor Pulldown option in this program)

[Guest]

VirtualDub MPEG2 has an Ignore Pulldown Flags option! That's what you get when you uncheck "Allow Repeat First Field Flags". What it is missing is an equivalent of "Force Film". Don't worry, though, fccHandler is on the case, and I've noticed, he's a very bright guy. I'm sure that feature will be along any day now. Also needed is the ability to load multiple MPEG2 files. He's well aware of that as well.

Thank you for your interesting guide presented in your post.

[Delphin]

VirtualDub MPEG2 has an Ignore Pulldown Flags option! That's what you get when you uncheck "Allow Repeat First Field Flags". What it is missing is an equivalent of "Force Film". Don't worry, though, fccHandler is on the case, and I've noticed, he's a very bright guy. I'm sure that feature will be along any day now. Also needed is the ability to load multiple MPEG2 files. He's well aware of that as well.

Thank you for your interesting guide presented in your post.

Yes, exactly true . . .

I realized that as I was getting to the end of the guide and wrote that comment.

I could not remember seeing an "Ignor Pulldown" in VdubMPEG2 like DGindex, but then I remembered that I HAD SEEN a way to TURN OFF the "Allow Repeat First Field Flags option", (which off course is the same thing).

So before putting my foot in my mouth I decided to actually check (imagine that!), and Sho-Nuf VirtualDubMPEG2 DOES HAVE THIS FEATURE.

So I came back to my comments and started to wipe out everything, and just recommend the simple "Un-Check > Allow Repeat First Field Flags" but, your DGDecode is so much more flexible I decided it would be a crime to nuke a perfectly good 'How-To' guide (because even if it's not needed this time, DGDecode might be needed the next time).

In the process I forgot to eliminate the misleading comment at the bottom.

OOPS! Stupid of me!
:stupid:

Sorry!

As far as VirtualDubMPEG2 features go . . .

The one thing I would really, really like to see in VirtualDubMPEG2 is the little AVS script launch function that is in the VDubMOD file open. If fccHandler, sees this, I am NOT talking about the complicated scripting extensions they put into VirtualDubMOD, just a simple feature to launch a AVS script from a 'Template' in the Template folder and substitute the FILE NAME where needed like VirtualDubMOD.

Also if this is done then the D2V file type should be available (either all the time, or, even better, just when launching an AVS script 'Template').

Of course you can just create an AVS externally but the 'Template' thing in VdubMOD is pretty slick.

Frankly, I never liked the whole 'Stream' menu thing in VirtualDubMOD because they Nuked the Audio menu. This was silly (Sreams can contain extra 'Video' elements so why not nuke the whole Video menu too, and make us use that goofy 'hidden' right click interface for everything?) "Stream View" should have been a THIRD menu option (in addition to Video and Audio) as an ALTERNATE VIEW FOR BOTH but NOT as a replacement for those menus (which should have continued for direct access to the main (or selected) Audio and Video streams. My point is not to knock VirtualDubMOD (which is still a great program), but to point out that it is a little more confusing for beginners (and VirtualDubMOD is getting a little long-in-the-tooth anyway), so I would willing switch to VirtualDubMPEG2 exclusivly if the AVS script launching feature was available. HINT : HINT : HINT :) :) :)

Virtual Dub has a MUCH friendlier user interface, but AVIsynth has better scripting and more flexible frame processing options, so why not make it easier to use them together?