Real trouble with captured video...

This is rather a complicated situation, so I'll try and make the history of it as simple as possible. I'm using a Dazzle DVC-II to capture from VHS into MPEG-2 format. From there, I want to process it with DVD2SVCD and output the proper # of SVCDs as usual. The problems start here. PVAStrumento for some odd reason crashes everytime I try and convert the MP2 video file with it, and nobody has given me any suggestions or reasons as to why this may have happened or how to fix it. If someone could do that, it would make this process much simpler and I'd be alot happier. Then I could just do PVA2SVCD with few to no more issues. The only suggestion I was given was a link to the DVD2SVCD hacks post in the Advanced forum, where DVD2SVCD himself suggests a method to reprocess MP2 video as if they were a VOB. I decided to give it a go, as all other options I had been given were exhausted. So first thing I did was get out IfoEdit v0.932 and create IFOs for the MP2, which was now renamed to a .VOB file. This is most likely the origin of the problem right here, as I'm not sure if this method would even work. It output the IFOs successfully, and without error, but they aren't exactly accurate (more in a bit). So I took these IFOs and the renamed MP2 (I'll just call it the VOB from now on) and entered them into DVD2SVCD as usual, checked the preview window, looks fine. I looked at the movie length and it read 0 hours, 35 mins, and some odd seconds. Very strange, as the movie is almost 3 hours long. I decided to go ahead anyway, since everything was proceeding fine. Once I get to the video encoding stage, I start getting worried because I'm just doing a simple 1-pass VBR, which usually takes only about 3 hours, yet it is taking almost 13 hours to complete! So I open up the folder I'm saving everything into, and the CCE encoded video is over 12gb! That's 5gb larger even than the original MP2, which was only 7.. now I really don't know what's going on, but since I'd come this far I went ahead and let it continue. Get to the bbMPEG stage and I start to cool off a bit, as the first 2 muxed files come out in the proper filesize (just over 800mb each). Then I get to the 3rd and realize it's taking far longer than usual. I checked the filesize and it's over 10gb! That'll hardly fit on a CD, not even a dual-sided DVD! So I decide to take a look at each muxed video file, the first looks about right, a little short at 46-some minutes, but overall nothing too strange. I open the second muxed file... only 13 minutes, that's a real issue. The third is 1 hour 40-some minutes (that's the 10gb+ file). The process does continue without error though, and it writes the CD Images as usual. Since this video is consuming way more than it should, because of the problem with the IFO (I presume, details in a bit), I run out of HD space before the last image is written (which would have been the huge one). I don't mind, as I'm obviously not going to use these anyway. Curious, I started looking through the files trying to find a culprit. One of the first things I do is open up the IFOs in IfoEdit again, and start looking around for abnormalities. And there's the problem.. it reads over 13 hours for the video! Apparently, DVD2SVCD discarded this length as it was just too long, and kept the trailing 35 mins and some seconds, because that part seemed correct. So, am I correct in presuming that the IFO is the problem? Is it then improper to create IFOs using IfoEdit from the MP2 file itself? How then should I get an IFO that fits my needs? I can't just borrow it from some other DVD as they're all different, and since this is a VHS capture, I don't have the DVD anyway. If that's not the problem, then what is? So to recap, here's the questions I need answered: 1. How can I get the video to be converted using PVAStrumento without the program crashing? This would be the easiest method by far, and if at all possible, I want to take this route. 2. How can I get a proper IFO file in order to use DVD2SVCD to convert as it should? 3. If #2 isn't the issue, then what is? Also of note, the rest of the IFO created from the MP2 seems accurate, audio is fine, as is resolution and other details. It seems that only the video length is the problem. So, is there some way I can just change this factor in the IFO? Or perhaps edit the MP2/VOB file somehow to get IfoEdit to recognize the proper length? I know this is a really long post, but the only way to solve it is to post all the details, I believe, so that's what I've done. I'm very thankful to anyone who's actually read this entire thing and is able to give comments/suggestions/help! It is greatly appreciated! :) Here is my log for the details: -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/28/2002 7:06:11 AM - PVA to SVCD Conversion - PVA2SVCD ver. 1.0.9 build 3 -------------------------------------------------------- Initializing Initializing finished. Saving PVA Job: - D:\LOTR\PVA_Job.txt Executing PVAStrumento. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\PvaStrumento\pvastrumento 2.0.10\cmdshell\cPVAS.exe" "D:\LOTR\PVA_Job.txt" PVAStrumento failed to execute. File not found File not found -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 6:54:51 AM - DVD to SVCD Conversion - DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.9 build 3 -------------------------------------------------------- Initializing Initializing finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 6:54:57 AM - DVD2AVI -------------------------------------------------------- Creating DVD2AVI INI file: - C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.INI Variable settings: iDCT_Algorithm: 32-bit SSE MMX Executing DVD2AVI. Executing DVD2AVI. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.exe" -CS=2 -YR=1 -EXIT -OF=[D:\LOTR\DVD2AVI_Project_file] -IF=[D:\LOTR\VTS_01_1.vob] Analyzing DVD2AVI Project file Force Film NOT activated! Framerate: 29970 DVD2AVI processing done. -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 6:57:54 AM - Free on drive D: 30383.54 mb - AUDIO Extraction -------------------------------------------------------- Found MPA stream id: 0xC0 Filename: D:\LOTR\Extracted_audio_1.mpa Audio1 delay: -35 ms Audio extraction finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 7:11:27 AM - Free on drive D: 30097.29 mb - AUDIO conversion -------------------------------------------------------- Converting Audio to MP2. Filename: D:\LOTR\Extracted_audio_1.mpa Executing BeSweet. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "D:\LOTR\Extracted_audio_1.mpa" -output "D:\LOTR\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "D:\LOTR\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -ota( -g max -d -35 ) -2lame( -e -b 224 -m s ) Audio conversion of D:\LOTR\Extracted_audio_1.mpa finished. Audio conversion finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 7:29:43 AM - Free on drive D: 29811.03 mb - Video Encoding using Cinema Craft -------------------------------------------------------- Executing Cinema Craft Encoder. StreamSectors: 2501804592 AudioSectors: 304425408 VideoPAPO: 34038576 ScanOffsetBytes: 385471 SeqAligningBytes: 24498836 DVDBytes: 0 VideoEndHeader: 12 SubtitleSectors: 0 EmptySectors: 238.00 PictureSectors: 1.00 PureMPEGStream: 2138456288.53 Seconds: 10727.25 CalcMPEGStream: 2138456288.53 Frames: 321226 CDSize: 800.00 Cut point 795.00 Variable Settings: Frames: 321226 Anti Noise Filter: Off Passes: 4 Image Quality: 5 VAF file creation: On Video Encoding Mode: One Pass VBR Q. Factor: 5 Min. bitrate: 300 Max. bitrate: 1594 Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (No borders, encoded as 4:3) ---AVS Begin--- LoadPlugin("C:\DOCUME~1\Me\Warez\DVDCON~1\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\MPEG2D~1.DLL") LoadPlugin("C:\DOCUME~1\Me\Warez\DVDCON~1\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\INVERS~1\DONALD~1\decomb.dll") mpeg2source("D:\LOTR\DVD2AV~1.D2V") Telecide() BicubicResize(720,480,0,0.55) TemporalSmoother(2,1) ResampleAudio(44100) ----AVS End---- Closing program CCE Max Speed: 0.480 Video Encoding finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 6:45:01 PM - Free on drive D: 17961.88 mb - Converting Pictures from ES to PS -------------------------------------------------------- Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 6:45:05 PM - Free on drive D: 17961.88 mb - Converting Pictures from ES to PS -------------------------------------------------------- Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 6:45:08 PM - Free on drive D: 17961.88 mb - Multiplexing and cutting -------------------------------------------------------- Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini Offset in Seconds: 2 Executing bbMPEG. Variable Settings: Movie offset: 2 seconds Cut point: 795 mb Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File.mpg" Length of D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg 2795 Seconds Offset in Seconds: 2797 Executing bbMPEG. Variable Settings: Movie offset: 2 seconds Cut point: 795 mb Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File.mpg" Length of D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File01.mpg 802 Seconds Offset in Seconds: 3599 Executing bbMPEG. Variable Settings: Movie offset: 2 seconds Cut point: 795 mb Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File.mpg" Multiplexing and cutting finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/29/2002 11:54:11 PM - Free on drive D: 6392.54 mb - Determining length of audio -------------------------------------------------------- Analyzing: D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg 2797.152 seconds D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg Analyzing: D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File01.mpg 804.048 seconds D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File01.mpg Analyzing: D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File02.mpg 6996.288 seconds D:\LOTR\bbMPEG_Muxed_File02.mpg Analyzing finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/30/2002 12:11:39 AM - Free on drive D: 6392.53 mb - Creating CD-Images using VCDXBuild -------------------------------------------------------- - No. of chapters to create: 46 CD image #1: CD_Image_File_CD1.bin Executing VCDXBuild. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\VCDImager\VCDXBuild.exe" --verbose --cue-file="D:\LOTR\CD_Image_File_CD1.cue" --bin-file="D:\LOTR\CD_Image_File_CD1.bin" "D:\LOTR\VCDXBuild_Script_1.xml" -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/30/2002 12:14:26 AM - Free on drive D: 5593.26 mb - Creating CD-Images using VCDXBuild -------------------------------------------------------- - No. of chapters to create: 13 CD image #2: CD_Image_File_CD2.bin Executing VCDXBuild. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\VCDImager\VCDXBuild.exe" --verbose --cue-file="D:\LOTR\CD_Image_File_CD2.cue" --bin-file="D:\LOTR\CD_Image_File_CD2.bin" "D:\LOTR\VCDXBuild_Script_2.xml" -------------------------------------------------------- - 8/30/2002 12:18:10 AM - Free on drive D: 4794.49 mb - Creating CD-Images using VCDXBuild -------------------------------------------------------- - No. of chapters to create: 97 CD image #3: CD_Image_File_CD3.bin Executing VCDXBuild. Commandline: "C:\Documents and Settings\Me\Warez\DVD Conversion\DVD2SVCD\DVD2SVCD\VCDImager\VCDXBuild.exe" --verbose --cue-file="D:\LOTR\CD_Image_File_CD3.cue" --bin-file="D:\LOTR\CD_Image_File_CD3.bin" "D:\LOTR\VCDXBuild_Script_3.xml" VCDXBuild failed to create a bin/cue file! Remember, that last error is because I ran out of HD space, in lieu of the oversized video files being created. If it should make a difference (if it would, probably concerning PVAStrumento), I'm using WinXP on this machine, I've not attempted it on any other, as I don't have another fast enough to get it done in any reasonable amount of time. Lemme know if you guys need something more than what I've already explained and provided. Again, thanks to anyone that helps, you totally rock! :D

Why do you recompress the movie. Is the output from the Dazzle DVC-II bad in some way. Why don't you just split audio and video and then remux with cut with bbMPEG.

In order to get decent quality capturing from Dazzle, the bitrate has to be very high. If you set the bitrate down to what it calls SVCD quality, the output sucks. Believe me, if I could avoid reprocessing it altogether, I would have.

so you cannot capture to avi with your dazzle card? then you could simply use avi2svcd and frameserve however you wanted?

by no means am i an expert but capturing with huffy avi (assuming you have a reasonable amount of disc space) is just about lossless quality assuming your source is a decent feed. after you do that i think you should be able to do what you want...just an idea and by no means the best way.

I just made another attempt using an IFO off of a DVD that another board member (SVCD4Me) provided for me. I just edited the resolution in IFOEdit and started the conversion process as usual. I got the exact same results as before.. now this is really getting to the point where I'm about to get mad. I noticed this time that the .mpv file created by CCE when opened in WMP says the length is 15+ hours, thought it's only about 3 hours. Anybody have any idea what the problem is and/or how to fix it? TIA!

Did you use the DVB(pva) option or the DVD option on the Misc tab? I'm just asking because I noticed it is possible to have the DVB(pva) option selected and still load the IFO file. I have never tried it that way though. Using the latest build of DVD2SVCD w/CCE 2.5 SP... I select DVD on the Misc tab. Then I go to the Conversion tab, select the folder button and find the IFO file. Once it loads the IFO file, it (of course) says that it can't find the VOB files. Reason being, I don't name the VOBs to correspond with the IFO file and they are in a different directory. It then asks me to load the files manually. I click Add, go to the directory of my capture, select the capture.vob, and then click OK. I let it automatically select the audio track, and just click Go. Here is my log from a 3 min. test conversion I did the other day when I was testing out my old Athlon 1Ghz processor to see if it was stable (it's the only log I have right now). The date/time is wrong because I had to clear the CMOS on my MB to boot up my computer. The conversion process worked without any problems, as it did with 3 other tests. Perhaps it has something to do with the size of your file. I can't say for sure, as the longest capture I have converted is 30 mins. If you haven't already, try doing a small test clip of 15-30 mins. to see if you have the same problem. Good luck! -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:33:38 AM - DVD to SVCD Conversion - DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.9 build 3 -------------------------------------------------------- Initializing Initializing finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:33:40 AM - DVD2AVI -------------------------------------------------------- Creating DVD2AVI INI file: - C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.INI Variable settings: iDCT_Algorithm: 32-bit SSE MMX Executing DVD2AVI. Executing DVD2AVI. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.exe" -CS=2 -YR=1 -EXIT -OF=[D:\dvd2svcd\DVD2AVI_Project_file] -IF=[D:\Dazzle Recordings\Clip8.vob] Analyzing DVD2AVI Project file Force Film NOT activated! Framerate: 29970 DVD2AVI processing done. -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:34:19 AM - Free on drive C: 16313.33 mb - Free on drive D: 54416.37 mb - AUDIO Extraction -------------------------------------------------------- Found MPA stream id: 0xC0 Filename: D:\dvd2svcd\Extracted_audio_1.mpa Audio1 delay: -51 ms Audio extraction finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:34:31 AM - Free on drive C: 16313.33 mb - Free on drive D: 54416.37 mb - AUDIO conversion -------------------------------------------------------- Converting Audio to MP2. Filename: D:\dvd2svcd\Extracted_audio_1.mpa Executing BeSweet. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "D:\dvd2svcd\Extracted_audio_1.mpa" -output "D:\dvd2svcd\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "D:\dvd2svcd\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -ota( -g max -d -51 ) -2lame( -e -b 224 -m s ) Audio conversion of D:\dvd2svcd\Extracted_audio_1.mpa finished. Audio conversion finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:34:57 AM - Free on drive C: 16313.33 mb - Free on drive D: 54416.37 mb - Video Encoding using Cinema Craft -------------------------------------------------------- Executing Cinema Craft Encoder. StreamSectors: 834285788 AudioSectors: 5247592 VideoPAPO: 12842244 ScanOffsetBytes: 6468 SeqAligningBytes: 411077 DVDBytes: 0 VideoEndHeader: 4 SubtitleSectors: 0 EmptySectors: 238.00 PictureSectors: 0.00 PureMPEGStream: 815778402.67 Seconds: 184.85 CalcMPEGStream: 815778402.67 Frames: 5390 CDSize: 800.00 Cut point 796.00 Variable Settings: Frames: 5390 Anti Noise Filter: Off Passes: 4 Image Quality: 22 VAF file creation: On Video Encoding Mode: Multipass VBR Min. bitrate: 700 Max. bitrate: 2530 Avg. Bitrate: 2300 Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (No borders, encoded as 4:3) ---AVS Begin--- LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\SIMPLE~1\SIMPLE~1.DLL") LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\mpeg2dec.dll") mpeg2source("D:\dvd2svcd\DVD2AV~1.D2V") SimpleResize(480,480) ResampleAudio(44100) ----AVS End---- Closing program CCE Max Speed: 1.090 Video Encoding finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:49:21 AM - Free on drive C: 16313.33 mb - Free on drive D: 54522.76 mb - Converting Pictures from ES to PS -------------------------------------------------------- Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:49:23 AM - Free on drive C: 16313.32 mb - Free on drive D: 54522.76 mb - Converting Pictures from ES to PS -------------------------------------------------------- Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:49:25 AM - Free on drive C: 16313.32 mb - Free on drive D: 54522.76 mb - Multiplexing and cutting -------------------------------------------------------- Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini Offset in Seconds: 2 Executing bbMPEG. Variable Settings: Movie offset: 2 seconds Cut point: 796 mb Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "D:\dvd2svcd\bbMPEG_Muxed_File.mpg" Multiplexing and cutting finished. CD-Image creation finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 6/18/2002 12:49:40 AM - Free on drive C: 16313.32 mb - Free on drive D: 54468.05 mb - SVCD Creation finished! -------------------------------------------------------- Shutdown in 33 seconds

My computer is plenty fast enough to keep up with Dazzle, that can't be the problem. I can be recording something and still use the comp no problem. @SVCD4Me: That's almost exactly what I do. Maybe it is the outputted file that has some problem, but I hope not as I don't want to go record it again... Also of note.. I usually shut down my computer during the night as it sits right next to my bed and it's really hard to sleep with it on, so in the case that I'm doing a conversion I just hibernate it so I don't have to start over. This hasn't posed a problem before, but I noticed that when I resumed the computer the next morning, is when the filesize started getting way too huge. It could just be coincidence, or could it be that hibernating during the video encoding has created a problem? Although I don't think I hibernated during the first encode, so I dunno... Any ideas?

The movie length inside the IFO is not very important, it's only used to display the length in conversion tab. DVD2SVCD starts CCE to get the number of frames CCE wants to convert (thats the reason why CCE is started, shut down, and started again) and gets the real length this way. Sorry, I don't know where your problem is, but I think it can't be a wrong length inside the IFO.