Sticky Region? Player halts?

Grazie wrote on 8/2/2006, 11:04 PM
20 minute Video.

Encoded in Vegas, authored in DVDA3.

On a mobile DVD player it plays through the 20 minutes. Not a problem. But on another, set-top cheapo player I get a sticking point.

Details . ..

VIDEO: DVD Arch PAL video stream: VBR 2-Pass; MAX:8; Average 5.4; Min 0.192 ( that is the default Vegas minimum)

AUDIO: AC3

Yes, I know I don't need to do 2-pass as it is only 20 minutes, and I have acres of space, but I did to maybe assist the noise factor?


QUESTIONS:

#1: Yes there is visual noise, what can I do to discover the value of the noise? Is there software that will identify "tricky" areas of an un-burnt DVD?

#2: And what can I do to make it play on the set-top DVD player?

#3: What advice on altering the settings?

Thanks

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 8/3/2006, 5:21 AM
Try increasing the minimum to at least 2.0 or even a bit higher. Space is obviously not an issue. Some players have difficulty with sections where the bitrate is too low and they get confused.

Actually, for what you're doing with that 20 minute video you might have better compatability if you burned at CBR 8.
ScottW wrote on 8/3/2006, 6:25 AM
I agree with Kelly. Go for CBR. You've probably got lots of bit rate spikes, and they are bothering the player .

I encountered something similar 2 years ago. Got an MPEG bitrate analyzer tool and sure enough, there were 6 or 7 short spikes, one right after the other, in the bit rate right at the timepoint that the player would stutter.

--Scott
johnmeyer wrote on 8/3/2006, 8:42 AM
If changing the bitrate, but changing absolutely, positively nothing else, changes compatibility, please post back here and give us the details. I still haven't seen this documented, although I am by no means saying that it couldn't be so. However, until I do see it documented, I just don't believe it. Much more likely is media incompatibility.

Remember, however, that if you change more than one thing (i.e. burning on different media AND changing bitrates), then you won't really know what caused the original problem.
Grazie wrote on 8/3/2006, 11:28 AM
Sorry Guys . . I've made the reply over on Vegas site . .

Media is Verbatim DVD-R. Printable white.
Grazie wrote on 8/3/2006, 11:39 AM


. .and from Vegas site . .


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4 things.

* VBR to CBR

* 8 MAX to 6 CBR

* NO 2-pass

* Named the file differently so I could identify it.

But Same video and same AC3. In any event I haven't redone the AC3, just kept the same AC3 and slotted in the variations of encoded MPGE2

I've now watched it 4 times on the set-top box, the box that WAS giving me grief, and now it is solid, "Solid as a Rock!"

What can I say?

Bob's point about the "difference" in the RATIO between my MAX - 8 - and my MIN - 0.192 - was too big, to BIG for this particular set-top AND the funky stuff I as pushing through.

I might try and up to 8 CBR and see if I can notice a quality improvement.

What you advise others is up to you. But for my scenario AND applying Bob's experience of a "similar" issue, it is working for me John?


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johnmeyer wrote on 8/3/2006, 12:06 PM
Since you changed to CBR, that muddies it a little. What would be interesting would be to use a bitrate analyzer on the MPEG file that caused the problem and see what the bitrate was doing at the points where you were having problems on the various players. Was it at some peak or valley?

I'd sure like to know for sure, because VBR is something I have to use when doing longer encodes, and I usually leave the max and min at the default settings. However, from what you say in your last post: "MAX - 8 - and my MIN - 0.192 - was too big" those defaults may create a problem. Now, I've sent out discs to many hundreds of different people in the past twelve months and not gotten a single complaint, but I still have anxiety every time I do a project that will be widely distributed, and would love to truly know, scientifically, EVERYTHING I can do to make my disk more compatible.

If Sony's marketing team was really crackerjack, this would be a great project to pursue, and from the knowledge gained, they could write a "white paper" that could really help all of us.