Video Recording/Playback/Editing/Converting/etc.

Anime Dad wrote:Ralph, I didn't add them to an MPEG2 file in the end: I used VitualDubMod to create a new .avi, then converted that to .vob with WinAvi video converter, then burned to DVD with Nero. Fixed my sync problems :)

I burned Swing Girls last night, but I haven't watched it yet to see how it turned out.

My problem is that I'm a quality freak. I cannot stand the artifacts and bad picture created by AVI. So I'll do any convolutions to get a squeaky perfect conversion assuming the source video is perfect in the first place.

Right now I have a great rip from Tokyo TV of the Kekkon series sent to me by my Tokyo friend. So I must get the subs to merge without first converting to AVI and destroying the pristine quality....
Because you see it features my all time most favorite actress in teh universe the inimitable Kuninaka Ryoko.... (the star of Churasan). Nothing must belittle her incredible beauty and smile....

I found some software today that seems to do a very good job with mpeg2 or vob input and puts a merged mpeg2... but it costs and until I'm sure that virtualdubmod wont do the same thing I don't want to put the money out. It's called Puma Video Converter.... :mrgreen:

ralphm1999 wrote:My problem is that I'm a quality freak. I cannot stand the artifacts and bad picture created by AVI.

You won't get any if you choose the highest quality setting. :)

ralphm1999 wrote:

My problem is that I'm a quality freak. I cannot stand the artifacts and bad picture created by AVI. So I'll do any convolutions to get a squeaky perfect conversion assuming the source video is perfect in the first place.

Right now I have a great rip from Tokyo TV of the Kekkon series sent to me by my Tokyo friend. So I must get the subs to merge without first converting to AVI and destroying the pristine quality....
Because you see it features my all time most favorite actress in teh universe the inimitable Kuninaka Ryoko.... (the star of Churasan). Nothing must belittle her incredible beauty and smile....

I found some software today that seems to do a very good job with mpeg2 or vob input and puts a merged mpeg2... but it costs and until I'm sure that virtualdubmod wont do the same thing I don't want to put the money out. It's called Puma Video Converter.... :mrgreen:

I'd probably be a bit fussier if I had a perfect original. My copy of Shinobi was good, but it was still only a 700MB avi file.

Anime Dad wrote:I'd probably be a bit fussier if I had a perfect original.

It's more of a mental thing than actual observed quality degradation, I believe.

The current "perfect originals" won't be so perfect if HD versions existed, ne?

So in kind, a 80%/85%/90% quality version will be negligible, except in one's mind. :)

Anime Dad wrote:

I'd probably be a bit fussier if I had a perfect original. My copy of Shinobi was good, but it was still only a 700MB avi file.

Of course then you can't make it any worse... But I'm starting with a TV ripped .vob file which is as good as the original airing... so degrading it with Kuninaka Ryoko would be blasphemy. :cursing:

Well. I tried the frameserve route and get as far as starting the frameserve and it never ends.

I'm reaching the point where I will sub one more complete episode of Kekkon and merge it with Puma. If it's good all the way, they'll get my $$$.

Make sure to let us know how you go.

By Jove, I think I've figured out how to extract and hardsub the video files from a DVD... :woot: :dancing:

More testing to be done, but it looks very promising... :victory:

Lots of different pieces of software are involved. :sweat:

ralphm1999 wrote:

Well. I tried the frameserve route and get as far as starting the frameserve and it never ends.

Hmm, that's strange. It shouldn't be that long since it isn't encoding nor converting, but only making some sort of a bridge file (the vdr file) to link virtualdub to tmpgenc. Doesn't look like Avery Lee's subfilter is compatible with frameserving. :sweat:

Ok, try doing this instead. This time around use the virtualdub mpeg-2 version that I told you to use. But first, download VSFilter and install it. As usual, after installing it copy the textsub.vdf and vobsub.vdf plugins and paste it to the virtualdub mpeg-2's plugins directory, just like the way you did to Avery Lee's filter. Then do the usual routine in virtualdub, only this time you will use the textsub filter instead of Avery Lee's filter to hardsub your video. And of course, frameserve your video and use the vdr file in tmpgenc for encoding. This is the last thing I can think of, hope it works this time. :fingerscrossed:

Saito_Hajime wrote:

Hmm, that's strange. It shouldn't be that long since it isn't encoding nor converting, but only making some sort of a bridge file (the vdr file) to link virtualdub to tmpgenc. Doesn't look like Avery Lee's subfilter is compatible with frameserving. :sweat:

Ok, try doing this instead. This time around use the virtualdub mpeg-2 version that I told you to use. But first, download VSFilter and install it. As usual, after installing it copy the textsub.vdf and vobsub.vdf plugins and paste it to the virtualdub mpeg-2's plugins directory, just like the way you did to Avery Lee's filter. Then do the usual routine in virtualdub, only this time you will use the textsub filter instead of Avery Lee's filter to hardsub your video. And of course, frameserve your video and use the vdr file in tmpgenc for encoding. This is the last thing I can think of, hope it works this time. :fingerscrossed:

Oops. I reread your original instructions. Did not realize until now that frameserve has to run at same time as tmpgenc. Just tried that with the old setup in virtualdubmod and got further than before. BUT, as soon as tmpgence started the conversion it quit with a divide 0 error.

Saito_Hajime wrote:

Hmm, that's strange. It shouldn't be that long since it isn't encoding nor converting, but only making some sort of a bridge file (the vdr file) to link virtualdub to tmpgenc. Doesn't look like Avery Lee's subfilter is compatible with frameserving. :sweat:

Ok, try doing this instead. This time around use the virtualdub mpeg-2 version that I told you to use. But first, download VSFilter and install it. As usual, after installing it copy the textsub.vdf and vobsub.vdf plugins and paste it to the virtualdub mpeg-2's plugins directory, just like the way you did to Avery Lee's filter. Then do the usual routine in virtualdub, only this time you will use the textsub filter instead of Avery Lee's filter to hardsub your video. And of course, frameserve your video and use the vdr file in tmpgenc for encoding. This is the last thing I can think of, hope it works this time. :fingerscrossed:

Tried it above way too. divide by 0 error.... :grumble: :banghead:

One of the comp mags I buy has created their own (free) software, including some very handy tools. One of them is designed especially to join .vob files together to make one large .vob.

If anyone's interested in a copy, please let me know ;)

ralphm1999 wrote:
Tried it above way too. divide by 0 error.... :grumble: :banghead:

Ok, you save your file as ******.vdr, right? Try to add .avi as the second file extension just like this one

[image]

If that still doesn't work then try doing the following solutions in videohelp http://www.videohelp.com/virtualdubframeserve.htm#problems

Okay... I think I finally got the procedure down on re-authoring Ralph's copy of Nyokei Kazoku without re-encoding... Lotsa software involved: TMPGEnc DVD Author, VOBblanker, DVDSubEdit, DVDShrink, PGCEdit... :sweat:

Thre's gotta be an easier way. :banghead:

ralphm1999 wrote:
divide by 0 error.... :grumble: :banghead:

Oh, we computer programmers.... :shakehead: :hehe: Always trying to do the impossible.

bmwracer wrote:Okay... I think I finally got the procedure down on re-authoring Ralph's copy of Nyokei Kazoku without re-encoding... Lotsa software involved: TMPGEnc DVD Author, VOBblanker, DVDSubEdit, DVDShrink, PGCEdit... :sweat:

Thre's gotta be an easier way. :banghead:

That sounds like an awfully long-winded process. I think it's Ralph's desire for perfection that's making it so difficult :)

Anime Dad wrote:That sounds like an awfully long-winded process. I think it's Ralph's desire for perfection that's making it so difficult :)

I understand his not wanting to give up quality, but if you want to do things like embed subtitles into a video, you have to re-encode... It's inescapable.

Dunno if step 2 on this videohelp.com thread would help?

http://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=219535

Anime Dad wrote:Dunno if step 2 on this videohelp.com thread would help?

http://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=219535

It might, since TMPGEnc DVDAuthor has no provisions for subtitles :grumble:

However, DVD Lab Pro ain't free. *starts looking for a hack*

bmwracer wrote:
It might, since TMPGEnc DVDAuthor has no provisions for subtitles :grumble:

However, DVD Lab Pro ain't free. *starts looking for a hack*

I tried finding one for Puma but no luck anywhere.

I d/l DVD lab pro to see how it works and it appears fairly ccomplex. Have not found a way yet to incorporate subs. But haven't had much time to spend on it either. :fingerscrossed:

dochira wrote:
Oh, we computer programmers.... :shakehead: :hehe: Always trying to do the impossible.

:doh: I should have known. I never encountered that problem. Could it be a run time error?

Anime Dad wrote:Dunno if step 2 on this videohelp.com thread would help?

http://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=219535

I just checked it and it looks like it just insert the subtitle to the video file to make it a switchable subtitle in dvd where you can turn on or turn off your subtitle (a.k.a. soft subs). Several free dvd authoring tools like dvdauthorgui can do it as well. ;)