audio/video out of sync

[GarryLPM]

I'm using DVD MovieFactory 5 and everytime I burn a movie onto a DVD the audio/video are out of sync. It's not just movies but TV shows as well, I'm downloading them via Bit Torrent. Most are AVI files and they work fine playing on my computer via any popular media player. As well in MovieFactory, once I select an AVI file and play it in the step (1/3) window, the audio and video are in sync. And then when I advance to the step (2/3) window and press play on the picture of a hand-held remote, the audio and video are in sync again. Then I have tried two different ways to burn my projects:
1) one is to make an ISO disc image first and save it on my hard drive. Then I burn the disc image to disc.
2) Just burn the project to DVD disc.

But either way of burning leads to the audio and video being out of sync when I play the DVD project on my Samsung DVD player. Does anybody have any idea(s) what I can try to fix this problem?

[DVDDoug]

This is usually caused by a corrupt A/V file. For example, a bad video frame may be thrown-away during re-coding or re-multiplexing (rendering), but the associated audio is not thrown-away... Now, you have a sync problem.

Most of the time, the original corrupt video will play back fine. Apparently, it doesn't take much to foul-up the MPEG encoder. I call it "sneaky" corruption" Also, this seems to be more much common with MPEG files than with DV files.

FYI - "AVI" is not a single format. It's a "wrapper" or "container" format, and it can contain DV (i.e. from a DV camcorder) MPEG-2 (DVD format), Xvid, DivX, etc. The AVI file header contains a code that tells the computer which codec is needed.

You may have better luck using a 3rd-party program such as SUPER (FREE!!!), to convert your AVI files to MPEG-2, before feeding them to Movie Factory. If you do use a 3rd-party conversion program, you can prevent Movie Factory from making another conversion by checking the box under Project Settings that says Do Not Convert Compliant MPEG Files. (You loose quality with each conversion.)

The bottom line is, these highly-compressed downloaded files are meant to be watched on your computer. They can be difficult to convert to DVD format, and they will never be "DVD quality" due to the extra compression and multiple conversions.

[GarryLPM]

I download SUPER version 1.791 and there's no documentation, I haven't a clue how that application works. Secondly, regarding the following opinion:

"The bottom line is, these highly-compressed files are meant to be watched on your computer. They can be difficult to convert to DVD format, and they will never be "DVD quality" due to the extra compression and multiple conversions."

I've done many basic Google searches regarding AVI to DVD audio sync problems and other such searches regarding this subject. There's seems to be many people having the same problem. Some people advise to change the AVI to something else, some suggest using other applications (DVD Santa, Nero, WinAVI, Tmpgenc, etc.), some suggest to use applications to break-up the audio and video into 2 streams...I'm so lost!

Can anyone out there rather than suggest an idea to try, layout exacting instructions that are 99% full proof to burn an AVI file onto a DVD movie format? Because I just need one method to use that will be universal for all DVD MovieFactory application users. I don't want to buy another application to break-up the audio and video streams and then feed them back to my already paid for DVD MovieFactory programme. I and I'm sure all users of Ulead software would appreciate a simple and already tried method that will work. If we can figure this solution out now, then this method can be posted for all time on the Web Board so that all Ulead software users can benefit.

So let's hear from anyone out there that has actually burned a great number of AVI files to DVD using DVD MovieFactory and has solved the audio sync problem. If you've done it, please layout your steps for doing so, I and all present and future Ulead software users will surely benefit---thank you.

[maddrummer3301]

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[GarryLPM]

I haven't a clue what the following advice means:

"Play the files back on the computer using the video out & audio out jacks of the computer into a dvd recorder, realtime ."

First off what files? I have my AVI file which DVD MovieFactory converts to an ISO file. Then you can either let the software burn your DVD in one step with the conversion process or you can just do the conversion to place a disc image on your hard drive. If you do the disc image process then you go back into DVD MovieFactory and choose the option to burn from disc image.

So again what file are you talking? The AVI or the ISO? Secondly, playing which file on my computer using what application? I'm talking about burning a DVD disc so that I can play it properly on my Samsung DVD player. My Samsung can't record so any suggestion of hooking-up audio & video jacks between my computer and my Samsung DVD player makes no sense!

Once again, I'm asking if someone has converted many AVI files to DVD movie format using DVD MovieFactory and has solved the audio sync issue, please layout your steps in detail---thank you.

[Ron P.]

Garry,

As DVDDoug has stated, AVI is not a video format in and of itself, it is a container, that will have some type of video file inside. In reading your first post, when you stated that you downloaded them from Bit Torrent, it is more then likely you are downloading DivX, Xvid, or MPEG-4. All of which are very highly compressed. DVDMF does not handle some of those formats very well. Not many of us use the program for making DVDs from downloaded files from the internet.

I would go along with DVDDoug on the suggestion of using a third party program such as Super to convert it a format that DVDMF can handle. Your out of sync problem comes from your source.
To determine the type of video file, in DVDMF, with a video clip on the timeline, right-click and select properties. What are they? Are they one of the formats mentioned above?

If you want the procedure laid out, then we need to know what file format we are working with to start with. IF it is DivX or Xvid then using another program to convert it will be the first step..

[GarryLPM]

Hi Ron P.

OK, I've gone into DVD MovieFactory and looked at the properties of a bunch of movies and TV programs like you suggested. And they all came up with Xvid MPEG-4 Codec for the Video Compression and MPEG Layer-3 for the Audio Compression. So I've done that, now what do I do?

[Ron P.]

Of all possible codecs Xvid is not a good one to try.. You need to try to convert it from Xvid MPEG-4 to MPEG-2 DVD Compatible. Using Super is not that difficult.

Launch Super, at the top you will notice where you select the output formats, set these to MPEG-2. Where it asks for the audio set it to the proper codec, try using AC3. If you are located in NTSC area, set the Frame rate to 29.97, for PAL set it to 25 fps. Now right-click on the screen and you will get the menu. Select insert multimedia file. Navigate to your Xvid video file, select it and click open. Then using the menu again, set the folder where you want the output file to be. Then press the Encode (active job list) button. Super should convert it from the AVI (Xvid) to MPEG-2.

Now this still does not guarantee there will be no lip sync problems. The reason being Xvid is more compressed then MPEG-2. I don't know what your video quality will be, or if DVDMF will even accept the converted file.

What you are trying to do is take a smashed soda can, and unsquash it. It's just plain difficult to get it to look like it has never been smashed..

Good Luck..

[DVDDoug]

haven't a clue what the following advice means:

"Play the files back on the computer using the video out & audio out jacks of the computer into a dvd recorder, realtime ."

- It means, use hardware instead of software, and make an analog recording.

- You need a stand-alone DVD recorder (i.e. living room recorder). Or, you can use a VCR and make a tape instead of a DVD.

- Your computer needs a video card with a composite video output. This is a yellow-color 'RCA' jack that matches the one on your VCR/DVD recorder. (Most computers don't have this, and you would need to buy a new video card.)

- Hook 'em up and play the video on the computer (with Windows Media Player, or whatever you are using to watch the video.

- Record the analog video with the VCR/DVD recorder.

Can anyone out there rather than suggest an idea to try, layout exacting instructions...

Sorry - Digital video is HARD! Everybody's using different file formats, different hardware, different goals, and different types of projects. It's not like learning to use email or the Internet... It's more of a hobby that you've got to invest some time in... After much playing around... Errrr Experimenting, most of us have figured-out a procedure that works for our particular hardware, video format, and project goals. When a new type of project comes along, we start experimenting again.

[GarryLPM]

Hi Ron:

Well I did exactly what you suggested (using SUPER) and I converted an AVI file that had XVID Video Compression with MPEG Layer-3 for the Audio Compression (AC3) to a MPEG-2 file. I also ran the MPEG-2 file on Media Player Classic to see if it worked and it did. Then I opened up DVD MovieFactory, launched a new project and when I tired to choose this MPEG-2 file, MovieFactory froze! I had to manually end the application by pressing Alt+Ctrl+Delete which opened my Windows Task Manager, I clicked on ¡¥end task¡¦ to shut down MovieFactory. I then started up MovieFactory again just to see if it would accept burning AVI files. When I tried to choose an AVI file, I got the following error message ¡§xvidcore.dll not found.¡¨ So now my codec has been corrupted!

So the first thing I did was to uninstall SUPER and I tried MovieFactory again just trying to burn an AVI file. But yet again I got that error message ¡§xvidcore.dll not found.¡¨ So I decided to uninstall my K-Lite Codec Pack, I needed to restart my computer and then I reinstalled my K-Lite Codec Pack (I have version 2.79 Full). When I went back into MovieFactory and tired to choose an AVI to burn, I had no error message.

So now I¡¦m right back to where I started which is that I have a bunch of AVI files (XVID Video with AC3 Audio) that I can burn to DVD using MovieFactory. But when I do, the audio is out of sync with the video. So now what can I try?

[htchien]

Hi,

I believe it should be XviD video with MP3 audio.

This kind of video usually is only OK for playing but will have out-of-sync problem when you are trying to import them for editing or authoring. This is due to the design philosophy of the XviD codec (smaller file size for viewing the video with high quality).

You need some other convert tool to convert those video files before you use them in DVDMF. However, it's not guaranteed it will eliminate the OOS problem.

Hope this helps.

H.T.

[GarryLPM]

I finally found it, after a week of searching on the Internet I know how to fix out of sync AVI¡¦s! First go to: http://www.alexander-noe.com/video/amg/

Then download the application AVI-MUW GUI. Once you have it installed, start the application and you¡¦ll see a top window. Just drag and drop an AVI file in this window, then you must single left click this AVI to highlight it in blue. Then underneath the ¡¥Open Files¡¦ window is a very narrow but long bar that says ¡¥Generate Data Source From Files¡¦, single click the bar. Now what you¡¦ll see in the big window at the bottom will be the info on that AVI file. The key is to look at the audio info and to see if anywhere it says delay (for example delay 26 ms). If you don¡¦t see any delay data then this AVI file is clear of audio sync problems. However, if you see any delay data then single click the AVI file again that is displayed in the top ¡¥Open Files¡¦ window so that the AVI name is highlighted in blue. Then at the bottom right to the AVI-Mux GUI window, look for ¡¥Start¡¦, single click it and a window will pop up asking you where you wish to save this file. Be sure to name it a different name than the original AVI! Then click on ¡¥Save¡¦, the application will do it¡¦s work and then you¡¦ll be notified when it¡¦s completed.

Now just to show you that your newly converted AVI file to an AVI file that is in sync is a reality, find this new AVI file and drag it over to AVI-Mux GUI. Test it exactly the same way as you did before with the original, you¡¦ll be pleasantly surprised to see that there is no delay info in the big window this time!

It took me hours and hours of searching the Internet but I found the application to fix audio sync problems---enjoy!

[maddrummer3301]

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[GarryLPM]

Please refer to my complete instructions to burning in:

How to change quality of picture? Thus change volume to burn

I started the above question in the forum only to once again answer my own question. I give a detailed breakdown on how to change the quality of the video and thus altering the volume you can burn on a DVD. Of course before I did anything, I ran my AVI through AVI-MUW GUI.

[Ron P.]

So using AVI-MUW GUI, you were able burn a DVD with DMF, from the XviD format, and the DVD did not have any OOS?