Hi All,

I'm having a strange problem ripping & transcoding DVD's to AVI.

Every time, my resulting AVI files are messed up. When playing back, they have colored lines and stuff. They skip around, etc.. hard to explain exactly. Terribly quality.

I've tried multiple different ripping programs: dvd::rip, AcidRip, Avidemux, K3B, etc

In each program, I've tried multiple different Codecs: Xvid2-4, Divx, ffmpeg, etc

I first try the program's default settings, then I've manually messed with the various frame rates, and bit rates.

I've tried deinterlacing, and NO deinterlacing.

No matter what I try, the results are always bad to worse.

I have no problems going the other direction, btw. I can take a AVI file I've downloaded, and burn a video DVD no problem. (using DeVeDe)

Various Specs:
AMD64 X2 Dual 6000+
Ubuntu "Gutsy" x86_64
ATI Radeon X1200
ATI 8.1 video drivers
KDE 3.5.8
2G of ram
6G of swap

I recently upgraded my ATI drivers, but this problem existed BEFORE I did that.

Any Ideas or suggestions on what I'm screwing up?
HELP?

Thanks,
Ron

Try using a media player like VLC or Media Player Classic for playing the AVI file.
They don't use system codecs -they are self contained in the app.

If that doesn't help then, if you want you can try the hands on method with VirtualDub.
It can load the VOB files and reprocess them to an AVI.
The plugins allow it decodec the MPEG video and the AC3 audio.

VirtualDub runs out of its folder - no installation.
All other downloads can be uninstalled from Control panel.
This is important, because your problem sounds like there are too many codecs competing for the video.

Install the plugins and run VirtualDub.
Load the VOB files
'File' 'Open Video File'
'Automatically load linked segments' box is checked.

Select the first VOB click 'Open'

Click 'Audio' 'Full processing mode' 'Compression' 'No Compression' 'OK'
Click 'File' 'Save WAV' and save the audio to the desktop.

Click 'Audio' 'WAV' and load the saved WAV file.
Click 'Audio' 'Full processing mode' 'Conversion' and check the boxes for '48000, High Quality' 'Stereo' 'OK'

Click 'Audio' 'Full processing mode' 'Compression' 'Lame MP3' 48000,128, CBR, stereo. OK.

Click 'Video' 'Full Processing mode' 'Compression' 'DivX 6' 'Configure' 'Restore defaults' 'OK' 'OK'

'File' 'Save as AVI'

VirtualDub, look for 'stable' download.
http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/

AC-3 ACM Codec
and MPEG2 Plugin for VirtualDub
http://home.comcast.net/~fcchandler/index.html


XVid Codec
http://www.xvid.org/

Free DivX codec
http://www.divx.com/divx/windows/download/

Lame MP3 codec
Right click on 'LameACM.inf' file and Install
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/4866.cfm

Thanks for the info.

I've tried copying my avi files to another machine, and they play just as crappy, so... I'm assuming my problem is the transcoding, not the viewing.

I've had luck with XVidENC [url=http://xvidenc.sourceforge.net/][/url]
but its a pain in the ass.

I will give your method a try.

Thanks!

From one linux user to another.. I think you are using the standard "no rip/no transcode" mainstream video tools..

You need to check your dependencies carefully and look for things like libdecss. *nix will copy vobs from a dvd with all the encryption intact.. which is why the use of acidrip is recommended. Your problem sounds more like something has gone wrong with dependencies..do you have transcode and mencoder installed?
Part of this problem is likely to be missing x64 version codecs which just haven't been written yet.. there should be development versions upstream.

Try some of the packages from http://debian-multimedia.org/ I was having the same sort of issues a long time ago so I got involved in the dev side of dvd ripping.

I have been using acidrip and dvd::rip. I've downloaded the source for some of the codecs and compiled them myself. things are running a little faster once I've done that.

I have both transcode and mencoder installed.

The result is still a crappy AVI. the video skips around, and has horizontal lines thru it. The sound is fine, however.

when I use xvidenc, the avi comes out pretty flawless... just takes forever, and isn't the most user-friendly software.

I'll try some of your suggestions tonight.

Thanks!

Try some command line stuff.. ffmpeg in particular has a lot of configuration options.. http://afterdark13.11.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=75

lots of ideas.. I'm starting to think that just maybe the framing is going out somewhere along the line.