Audio quality poor in MPEG4 with VS X4

[GiddyUpHorsey]

I've rendered my project to MPEG4 and the audio has a light popping intermittently through it. I thought it might be caused by having multiple video overlays but only one track had audio enabled. I've now split out the audio and put it into it's own track but I'm still getting the poor quality sound.

What's going on?

[Ken Berry]

Sorry, but we have no idea what video was originally involved, its format, what editing was done etc. Can you give us an idea of that? To get the original properties, please right click on one of the clips in the VS timeline and copy ALL its Properties here.

[GiddyUpHorsey]

There are three video files involved, I am creating a PiP effect. Two of the videos came from Youtube and one came from my Panasonic SDR-H80 video camera. The two Youtube videos are in MP4 format. I am using one of the Youtube videos as the audio source. It has been split from the video and moved to the voice track. The other videos have the sound muted using the mute option on the track.

The video with the audio being used has the following properties:

File format: MPEG-4
File size: 192,151 KB
Duration: 254.767 seconds

Video type: H.264 High Profile Video
Total frames: 7,643
Attributes: 24 bits, 1920 x 1080
Frame rate: 30
Data rate: 6021 Kbps

Audio type: MPEG AAC Audio
Total samples: 11,233,328
Attributes: 44100 Hz, 16 bit, stereo
Bit rate: 153 Kbps

[GiddyUpHorsey]

Ok, I've finally been able to render my video with clean audio. It seems to be related to the sampling and bit rates used.

The original video file that contains the audio has the following attributes when viewed in MediaInfo:

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 4mn 14s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 152 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 178 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 4.62 MiB (2%)
Title : IsoMedia File Produced by Google, 5-11-2011
Encoded date : UTC 2011-08-17 04:52:52
Tagged date : UTC 2011-08-17 04:52:53

The audio in the generated video file when using the MPEG-4 HD setting (which has poor audio quality) is :

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 4mn 11s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 32.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 3.84 MiB (1%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2012-01-14 05:21:58
Tagged date : UTC 2012-01-14 05:21:58

I tried using a custom MPEG-4 HD setting with bumped up bit rate and sampling rate (but resulted in even poorer audio quality):

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 4mn 11s
Duration_FirstFrame : -21ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 256 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 7.68 MiB (2%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2012-01-14 16:48:04
Tagged date : UTC 2012-01-14 16:48:04

Finally, I regenerated the video with these settings (same sampling rate as the original file and the closest bit rate setting available) and the audio now sounds the same quality as the original.

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 4mn 11s
Duration_FirstFrame : -23ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 160 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 4.80 MiB (1%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2012-01-14 16:51:35
Tagged date : UTC 2012-01-14 16:51:35

Is this normal behaviour? Do I have to try and match the output audio settings with the original input audio? I would have thought VideoStudio would be able to preserve the quality of the audio when output in different formats from the original.

To me, this seems like a defect in VideoStudio. Thoughts?

[GiddyUpHorsey]

Ok, one last try here...

I've used mp4box to extract the audio tracks from the video files and have uploaded them here. I've included the original 44.1 KHz audio track and the tracks from two of the rendered video files with degraded quality (32KHz & 48KHz).

[cdoughertycd]

I am having the same problem with video file rendered to MP4, popping in audio. I'll try rendering it "same as project settings" and see if that solves it. I am using Pro X5.

Does Pro X6 correct this, does anyone know?

thanks,
Candy

[lata]

Hi Candy

The original poster seemed to have success rendering like for like,
That is using the same properties as the original video file, something we would recommend anyway.

I would use Make Movie Templates Manager to create your templates.

Can you give details of your video files properties, right click a clip in the timeline and select properties, what are they?

What are you trying to make, I assume a video for the internet, youtube etc

[cdoughertycd]

Hi Trevor:
Here are the properties of the .VSP project from the timeline - VS X5:
File format: NTSC HDMV
File size 5,099,940 KB
Duration: 2501.001 seconds

Video:
Video type: H.264 Video, Upper Field First
Total frames: 74,955 frames
Attributes: 24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 16:9
Frame rate: 29.970 frames/sec
Date rate: Variable bit rate (Max. 16000 kbps)

Audio:
Audio type: Dolby Digital Audio
Total samples: 120,048,048 Samples
Attributes: 48000 Hz
Layer: None
Bit rate: 256 kbps

What I did was render the above to MP4 due to I like the better quality than "same as project settings". I am making DVDs for orchestra members and then would like to put it on YouTube, but right now making DVDs is most important.
Here are the properties of the rendered MP4 file:
Video:
Lenght: 00:39:04
Frame width: 1920
Frame height: 1080
Date rate: 13455 kbps
Total bitrate: 13583 kbps
Frame rate: 30 frames/sec

Audio:
Bit rate: 128 kbps
Channels: 2 (stereo)
Audio sample rate: 32 kHz

The MP4 file comes out with the audio "popping/clicking" on the DVD burn. I then rendered it to "same as project settings" and the popping is gone, but I like the better quality of MP4. I used to be able to burn MP4 files without this audio problem, that started about a year ago.

Thanks so much for your help with this.

Candy

[cdoughertycd]

Trevor:
I forgot to tell you this project is a two camera edit. Here are the properties of one of the clips from the 2nd camera that I have on the overlay track. I have multiple clips from this camera:
File format: MTSC HDMV
File size: 1,998,282 KB
Duration: 681.682 seconds
Video:
Video type: H.264 Video, Upper Field First
Total frames: 20,430 frames
Attributes: 24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 16:9
Frame rate: 29,970 frames/sec
Data rate: Variable bit rate (Max 22699 kbps)
Audio:
Audio type: Dolby Digital Audio
Total samples: 32,720,721 Samples
Attributes: 48,000 Hz
Layer: None
Bit rate: 256 kbps

The audio for this project was "shared" out to a .WAV audio file and is on the audio track. Camera 1 and camera 2 audios are muted.

Thanks again,
Candy

[lata]

Hi Candy

What are the properties of the Audio File
Video Studio default setting uses
Microsoft WAV Files
PCM
44.100 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

When you convert/render the project to mp4 make sure the audio uses the same data rate as your audio. I notice the Mp4 is using 32kbps??
Use Make Movie Templates Manager to create a new template.

DVD
A standard dvd disc has to use Mpeg2 files typically

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Video data rate: 8000 kbps (for 0ne hour of video)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Reduce the data rate for video longer than 60 minutes. as a guide 90 minutes use 6000kbps, 120 minutes 4000kbps

Set the project properties to use the above settings.
Share Create video File Same as project properties.
The new file should be lower than 4.3 Gb to fit to disc.

Then start a new project, nothing in the timeline, Share create Disc--DVD—Add your new Mpeg2 video file.
Burn a disc image, you can play the ISO using VLC Player to view the quality, if ok
Use VS 5 to burn the ISO (Tools Burn from Disc Image)

[cdoughertycd]

Trevor: I did not know about the Make Movies Template Manager. I will try that on my next project. So the way it works is you start a new project and then select the template? I'll play with it.

So to get around it I tried rendering it to WMV 720p and the popping/cracking is gone but the quality if fine. Takes a while to render 39 minutes but it worked. This is for the piano soloist for recent orchestra concert so I wanted the DVD as good as I could get it.

Thanks for your help as always,

Candy

[lata]

Hi Candy

Your original video s are NTSC HDMV to create a standard DVD these need to be converted to DVD Mpeg2, use that file to burn a disc.

For the internet you can convert to Mp4, WMV is also suitable for the internet.

You should NOT do HDMV to MP4 to DVD Mpeg2.

Workflows
There are several approaches in burning a dvd, all require a mpeg2 video file. You can create the file yourself or allow Video Studio to create the file in the burner module.

Option one
1 / Share Create Video File create a Mpeg2 file using the properties I posted earlier.
Share Create Video File DVD will also create a Mpeg2
2 / Start a New Project-Share Create Disc- opens the burner module
3 / Add media-Add the Mpeg2 file created above
4 / create a menu and burn the disc.

Option two
1/ with the project open in the timeline
2 / set the project properties using the properties I posted earlier.
3 / Share Create Disc
4/ Create the menu then burn the disc
Now the project will be converted to mpeg2 using the project properties, Showing as Create Title on the progress bar, then the disc will be created.

Audio blips
I think this is due to the difference in audio properties.
You show bitrates from 32kbps to 48 kbps
Retain the bit rates as original values

[cdoughertycd]

Trevor, thanks so much for this info. Has helped clarify it.

Candy