Converting HD-DVD to MKV: Audio delay

MKV playback, recompression, remuxing, codec packs, players, howtos, etc.
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BeakersHelper
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:27 am

Converting HD-DVD to MKV: Audio delay

Post by BeakersHelper »

Hello,

I have just discovered MakeMKV as I am working out how add ~100 HD-DVD titles to my film library as MKV files. I understand that currently there is no way to strip the pull down flags within MakeMKV so this is the approach I have been experimenting with.

(1) Use AnyDVD HD to remove encryption and copy image of HD-DVD to ISO file.

Once I have all of the films ripped as ISO files, I can automate the next few steps in a bat (.bat) file.

(2) Use EAC3to copy main feature video stream (e.g. VC-1) to an MKV container. This will remove the pulldown flags so the playback frame rate is 23.976 fps (i.e. 24p). No audio is extracted using EAC3to.

(3) Use MakeMKV to extract the main feature, including english subtitles, all english audio tracks and chapters.

(4) Use MergeMKV to merge the two mkvs together and replace the video track extracted by MakeMKV (which will be at 29.xx fps and contains pulldown flags), with the video track extracted by EAC3to (which has removed the pulldown flags and plays back at 23.974 fps). This produces a final MKV that has video with the pulldown flags removed, but all the original audio muxed by MakeMKV. This playsback fine with no noticable syc problems. However, the disks I have tried so far only have very small shifts in the audio track (for example, -84 ms)

So my questions are:

(A) Does MakeMKV automatically correct the audio shift in the audio streams? The reason I ask is because in step 4, the resulting MKV (from MakeMKV) is demuxed and then remuxed again (to replace the video track) and I am not sure whether I need to include an audio shift or not.

(B) Does MakeMKV do anything else to the audio (i.e. my understanding is that no decoders/encoders are used).

Best wishes,
setarip_old
Posts: 2136
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:31 pm

Re: Converting HD-DVD to MKV: Audio delay

Post by setarip_old »

Hi!

Forgive my ignorance but, what necessitates the removal of the pulldown flags? Just as your original HD-DVD plays back at 29.970fps properly, won't your .MKV do the same?

BeakersHelper
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:27 am

Re: Converting HD-DVD to MKV: Audio delay

Post by BeakersHelper »

Hi setarip_old,

thankyou for your reply. It is my understanding that the native frame rate of HD-DVD is 23.976 fps (24 fps between friends) but the video includes pull down flags to tell a non 24 fps compliant player which frames to repeat when doing pull down to display at 30 fps (1080 / 60Hz). If I play the HD-DVD on a HD-DVD player capable of 24p (a Toshiba HD-EP35), the output stream is 1080/24p. This confirmed by the input of my AV reciever (Onkyo TX-SR875) which displays 1080/24p --->1080/24p (1080/24p input, 1080/24p output). If I use MakeMKV to create an MKV and play the movie (either in VLC or on an Xtreamer Sidewinder HD), the playback rate is 30 fps, even if all of the devices/software involved are capable of displaying at 24 fps. However, if the pulldown flags are removed using EAC3to (it is done automatically when the video stream is muxed into an MKV container), the playback rate is correctly displayed at 23.976 fps. The video playback is then smooth with no judder caused by pulldown to 30 fps.

I see on some other forums that others have requested the option to remove pulldown flags in MakeMKV and I would like to add my support to that request.

Can you make any comments on my question about the audio shift. Is it detected and removed by MakeMKV or do I need to include it manually when demuxing/remuxing an MKV created by MakeMKV?

Best regards,
BeakersHelper
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:27 am

Re: Converting HD-DVD to MKV: Audio delay

Post by BeakersHelper »

It is a bit disappointing that I did get a reply to my query. However, during the time between posts, I did a lot more research and came to the conclusion that for my particular objective, MakeMKV is completely unneccessary and the results that I desire can be achieved using software already available. At least I discovered this before purchasing it. Thankyou for ignoring my post and giving me the time to discover this on my own, it saved me some money.
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