NTSC and Nero Recode....

[Number7]

I am attempting to convert Mpeg2 (NTSC Telecine) video to Nero's AVC codec. The issue that I am having is the Nero does not support 3:2 pulldown so I get choppy video.

I know that you can use pulldown.exe to remove the Telecine however my source files are in VOB format and using pulldown.exe would require demuxing the VOB files, running the tool on the video stream, muxing everything back together again, and then re-encoding it in Nero... I have tried this, but it is such a lengthy process and I literally have hundreds of NTSC TV episodes in Mpeg2 that I want to convert the H.264.

24 frames per second is fine with me.

My question is: Is there an easier way to drop the NTSC Telecine crap or is there a better H.264 encoder that also supports 3:2 pulldown and Dolby 5.1 audio?

[JohnV]

Hmm.. For me Recode detects Telecined VOB and does inverse Telecine just fine automatically. Are you using a recent version and do you have "Analyze files while importing" enabled from Configuration->Nero Digital?

If you still have a problem, maybe you could upload one VOB of yours to a FTP (I give you the address privately if it's ok)

[Number7]

Thanks for responding....

Inverse Telecine would be awesome, if I knew how to get Nero to do that...

I can upload a VOB if you like....

Recode version 2.2.6.16

Yes Analyze on import is enabled.

I have conversed with Norbert Follrich in Nero's technical support department about this... here are some quotes him after explaining the choppy video issue with NTSC...

Quote from Mr. Follrich:
The problem lies in the fact, that Nero is not able to perform a 3:2 pulldown.

But there are freeware tools available, that will do the pulldown of the Mpeg-2 file, so the file will not replay jerky.
You could download Pulldown.exe from the following website to perform the task:
--
My Response:
Is there an easier way? My originals files are VOB not MP2?
--
His Response:
Unfortunately not.
Since the files are from TV and use the 29.97 frames per second,
there is no other way to have the files play smoothly but to perform
a 3:2 pulldown.
Since Nero does not perform that, you would have to use another
program to do that.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
--
My Response:
do you ever plan to support 3:2
pulldown or the removal of it... It is too much trouble to demux and
remux everything. I have over 546 episodes that I was planning to
convert to H264 using Nero...
--
His Response:
I am sorry, but so far we do not know, if the 3:2 pulldown will be implemented in a future version of Nero.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

---

So here in lies my dilemma.... I want to convert my entire Star Trek collection of episodes from Mpeg2 to Nero's H.264, but when the space ship flies by the video is noticeably jerky...

[JohnV]

Eeh, I don't know what the technical support is trying to explain, but 3:2 pulldown or Telecining means converting the 24 fps film to 30 fps (or 23.97 to 29.97 frames/59.94 fields per second, since there's 0.1% slowdown for NTSC). Your VOBs obviously are already Telecined (3:2 pulldown done) if they are NTSC TV material and the original material was 24fps.
Inverse Telecine means removing the Telecine process and converting from 29.97 to 23.97 progressive. Recode should be able to detect the Telecined content and perform the inverse Telecine automatically. At least it does so in my test clips (at least with Recode 2.2.6.17 which I tested).
I'll give you an FTP address in private message where you can upload a VOB and I'll take a look..

[bill_baroud]

wasn't Star Trek a total hybrid content ? I remember in the ol'days, it was a Donald Graft torture clip and he even set up a challenge in the avisynth forum to see who would achieve the best output... i fear it's not a simple problem to deal with.

[omion]

wasn't Star Trek a total hybrid content ? I remember in the ol'days, it was a Donald Graft torture clip and he even set up a challenge in the avisynth forum to see who would achieve the best output... i fear it's not a simple problem to deal with.
I bet that's the problem. In Star Trek, all the inside scenes are 24 fps, but all the special effect "Enterprise-flying-by" shots are 30. I don't think there's any way to make Nero encode VFR files.

If I were doing it, I would make an AVIsynth script using the VFR version of the decomb filters (which decides whether or not to inverse telecine depending on the frame content), load that in Nero to encode, change the timecode file that the decomb filter made to reorder the frames (if you use B-frames), then put the video and timecode file into a VFR Matroska file.

It's not exactly easy... :p

[Number7]

I bet that's the problem. In Star Trek, all the inside scenes are 24 fps, but all the special effect "Enterprise-flying-by" shots are 30. I don't think there's any way to make Nero encode VFR files.


You know what, you may be right, because normal character based scenes do not appear choppy to me, only the special effects scenes, like a ship flyby or ships in battle appear to be choppy. I can almost live with it, but I am searching for perfection, which may not be possible without too much effort...

I am going to FTP a VOB to JohnV. Perhaps he can shed some light on the subject...

Thanks...

[Number7]

If I were doing it, I would make an AVIsynth script using the VFR version of the decomb filters (which decides whether or not to inverse telecine depending on the frame content), load that in Nero to encode, change the timecode file that the decomb filter made to reorder the frames (if you use B-frames), then put the video and timecode file into a VFR Matroska file.

It's not exactly easy... :p

I researched this and not only it not easy, it would take way too much time and effort to accomplish my goal.

It would be nice if Nero would support VFR since the MP4 container supports it. Or at least give you the option to easily convert the entire video to a constant frame rate.

Does x.264 support VFR encoding or should I just give up and to buy bigger hard drives to store these Mpeg2 files? Guess I should search beforing asking a dumb question.

Thanks for the information.