SOLVED: smartLabs tsMuxeR and Sony Vegas 9.0a pro incompatibility?

[v_o_r_t_e_x]

Since Vegas has some known issues with rendering M2TS files,
I'm looking for another way to render H.264 movies:

(1) Source:
Video Camera: Canon HF100
Video Stream: H.264 1920x1080, 16mbit
Audio Stream: AC3 Stereo

(2) Edit in Vegas 9.0a Pro 64bit

(3) Render Video as:
Video Stream: MainConcept Mpeg-2 25mbit, 1920x1080 (M2V File)
Audio Stream: Dolby Digital AC3 Studio (AC3 File)

(4) Convert Video using meGUI:
Convert M2V to H.264 RAW Stream, 16mbit

(5) Muxing H.264 RAW Stream with AC3 Audio:
Using TSMuxer to mux to M2TS

(6) Create AVCHD Disk using multiAVCHD


All of this is working perfectly. I can play the Target Video
on my PC, on the PS3 as Video and as AVCHD.

What is not working: The target video cannot be edited
with Vegas anymore. It opens the file but once I try to edit,
Vegas crashes. Tried this with on 2 computers now.

Any ideas?

[deank]

Try skipping step (5), load your elementary streams directly in multiAVCHD and uncheck [-] Insert enhancement information.

Dean

[Emulgator]

While this won't fix the Vegas crash, but as a passer-by:

I would suggest not to use MPEG2 as intermediate as you did in Step3,
you may have already lost quality in doing so.

As intermediate from Vegas (if I had to) I would use Huffyuv or Largarith,
(I use Canopus Lossless, because I export mainly from Edius Timeline)
then x264 will see a smoother video as input.

And if you can live without intermediate, lose it, frameserving is your friend.

There is a universal frameserver for (including) Vegas,
written by Satish Kumar:

Debugmode Frameserver(now in version 2.6)

http://www.debugmode.com/frameserver/

I hope it still works for Vegas 9.0a
it is said to work(haven't tried this yet),
in my Vegas 8.0c it worked, as well in EditStudio 6.0.5.

Edit: Now that I saw you use 64-bit Vegas 9.0a and looked further:
Debugmode Frameserver is not ready yet for Sony Vegas 9.0 64-bit version as of today...

[v_o_r_t_e_x]

@deank:

Made a new video as desribed in my post above but muxed with multiAVCHD:

1) No changes
--> problems in Vegas as described above.
2) deactivated "Insert enhancement information" in multiAVCHD
--> Vegas does only recognize audio
3) deactivated "Insert enhancement information" in multiAVCHD &
deactivated "Insert sequence parameter sets
--> Vegas does only recognize audio

So the issue seems to have to do something with the muxer settings... but what?!

[v_o_r_t_e_x]

@Emulgator
This is good input for keeping best quality. Thanks.
But it does not help to solve the issue, that files muxed
with multiAVCHD or TSMuxer cannot be loaded into Vegas
anymore. Most of the time this is not needed, but you never
know...

[deank]

Try to export a video from vegas with the same resolution/framerate/profile in AVC/H.264 format and compare the differences with the AVC stream muxed by tsmuxer. There must be something different.

[poisondeathray]

Originally Posted by v_o_r_t_e_x

But it does not help to solve the issue, that files muxed
with multiAVCHD or TSMuxer cannot be loaded into Vegas
anymore. Most of the time this is not needed, but you never
know...

Works ok on Vegas9.0a 32-bit version, tsmuxer 1.10.6

I tested my native AVCHD clips, re-wrapped with tsmxuer=> OK in vegas

I tested a re-encoded clip with MeGUI (stable 0.3.1.1051 build (x264 r1183) with the nal hrd patch, not the beta testing build), re-wrapped with tsmuxer=> OK in vegas

[CJSIMPSON]

Can somone assist me with this please? I am having major issues with exactly the same thing and am getting weird results.

I have edited some m2t files in vegas and the only way I can get an export that plays properly is to use main concept mp4 codec which doesnt allow 5.1 audio. If i use the sony avc codec or anything else the video and audio lose sync and the video plays at different speeds.

I have tried exporting to lossless then re-encoding but that doesnt seem to work either, I have also tried exporting an mp4 video and then an ac3 stream and muxing in ts muxer but the video goes really pixelated for some reason.

I need help??? (ive been at this for weeks experimenting)

[poisondeathray]

Weird. Are you on 64-bit Vegas as well? That might be the bug?

Do you have project properties set up correctly? (e.g. it's set to stereo downmix by default). Do you have the other properties set to match ? That might explain sync issues.

I usually use debugmode, as suggested above, but it doesn't keep 5.1 audio. To get around that, you can export an audio only track (e.g. using wave64)

[Emulgator]

BTW, V9 users are still reporting problems after V9a is out.
Even though my update from V9.0 to V9.0a (32bit) is installed, it is waiting for safety reasons.
Vegas 64-bit people seeming more affected, asking for V9.0b...

[CJSIMPSON]

Yes Im on the 64 bit version, as for the project properties I did the match settings thing.

I have in the audio project settings got the master bus setting to 5.1 surround, in the timeline it shows up as Stereo on two audio tracks and then mono on two other channels. In effect I have 4 audio channels with 6 chanels of sound. I dont know if thats correct or if it should show as 6 different channels as its the first time i have edited with 5.1 sound.

By the way I only have stereo speakers on my pc, I think I have a card that will let me do 5.1 though if i had the speakers but im not bothered about that anyway I just want to be able to hear most of the audio when editing then end up with a 5.1 audio track on export.

[poisondeathray]

cjsimpson - that's how it appears in vegas by default, nothing to worry about.

Some combinations of video&audio won't allow 6ch audio export. You can export the audio separately either as wav64 and then use a different encoder, or use "dolby digital ac3 studio" for direct export. You can re-multiplex it later with other applications depending on what format you want. If you want to double check, just open up the exported audio in an audio editor like audacity beta , soundforge, soundbooth, audition etc.... and you will see that it is indeed 6ch

If you need to edit separate channels, you can edit in a dedicated editor like the ones listed

I can't help with any specific suggestions, unless you provide more info on the input file type (e.g. mediainfo) and exact project settings used. It may very well be an issue specific to 64-bit Vegas 9 as emulgator said.

[CJSIMPSON]

This is an example of my input file:

General
ID : 1
Complete name : C:\Users\Me\Videos\Projects\Florida\BDMV1\STREAM\00001.MTS
Format : BDAV
Format/Info : Blu-ray Video
File size : 25.4 MiB
Duration : 16s 800ms
Overall bit rate : 12.7 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 18.0 Mbps

Video
ID : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Duration : 16s 640ms
Bit rate : 11.8 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.227
Stream size : 23.4 MiB (92%)

Audio
ID : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Duration : 16s 800ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Surround: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Video delay : -80ms
Stream size : 788 KiB (3%)

Text
ID : 4608 (0x1200)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : PGS
Duration : 16s 256ms
Video delay : -80ms

I have tried many export options as already stated, can anyone help?

[poisondeathray]

Are you sure the project properties match the export settings, which match the video? Most of the time that's where the errors come from

The project preset would be "HD-1080 50i, (1920x1080, 25fps)", make sure you adjust the audio tab to 48Khz, bus mode to 5.1. Your export settings should match

When you preview the project within vegas , are their any issues?

Describe exactly what is wrong with the exported file. Sorry, but "weird results" isn't descriptive enough. e.g. is it a constant sync issue, progressively worsening sync issue..etc...

Have you ruled out a playback issue? Tried other media players? eg. MPCHC, VLC, KMplayer? Are computer specs decent enough?

The more complete the information you can provide, the higher the chance that you 'll get decent suggestions...

[CJSIMPSON]

Yes Ive just checked and the template is HD 1080 - 50i, the audio is set to 48,000 and 5.1 master bus.

Preview is OK, the playback can sometimes be a little jerky depending on size of project and quality setting and sometimes is a bit jerky for a sec or two if i skip to another part of the project

The playback device is a ps3 which is plenty powerful enough and it plays the native clips from my camcorder fine so thats not a issue.

The issue I have is that if I play the file it starts ok then loses sync after a while, the video then starts playing jumpy and then suddenly speeds up as though its catching up. No matter what i do then it is out of sync. Also if I ff/rw then it starts straight away after that.

Its hard to explian exactly but it is very annoying.

[v_o_r_t_e_x]

Originally Posted by deank

Try to export a video from vegas with the same resolution/framerate/profile in AVC/H.264 format and compare the differences with the AVC stream muxed by tsmuxer. There must be something different.

I compared the two files (using vegas properties):
TSMUXER:
Video: 00:00:11.780, 50.000 fps progressive, 1920x1080x12, AVC
Audio: 00:00:11.780, 48'000 Hz; Stereo, Dolby AC-3

VEGAS:
Video: 00:00:11.840, 25.000 fps interlaced, 1920x1080x12, AVC
Audio: 00:00:11.840, 48'000 Hz; Stereo, Dolby AC-3

Either there is something with the container, or the encoded video is really wrong?!
The information from vegas seems to be right. At least that's what I expect.

It's also interessting that vegas has no problems with small files... I'll try with a bigger one...

[v_o_r_t_e_x]

I got a solution for my problem:
Rendered Video in Vegas as RAW Stream *.AVC and Audio as *.AC3.
Then muxed video with TSMuxer to M2TS. This video is now ok in Vegas.

What I figured out:
The reencoding from a Vegas MPEG2 (*.M2V) to a H.264 Video results in a file that TSMuxer recognizes as progressive, 25fps.
And then Vegas recognizes the muxed file as progressive, 50fps.
Instead the file should be interlaced, 25fps.

I think I discovered two issues:
1) Vegas is not muxing correct.
2) My MeGUI settings seem not to be "perfect".

Now:
1) Either I have to change some meGUI settings or
2) I use the workflow described above; which is anyway much faster and does not include a reencoding.

Let's hope this solution works for all Videos I'll produce...