DVD to MPeg using VLC: skipping problem

[syncpuls]

Hi all,

I'm using VLC to 'transcode' a DVD to a mpeg stream so that I can see them using my MVP's. To do this I'm using this small batch file I made, inspired by the XDVD plugin:
---

@echo off

:: usage: dodvd name dvddrive: subtrack title
:: name = name of the video, one_word.
:: dvddrive: usually drive D:
:: subtrack: nr. of the subtitle track, usually one less than what the player tells you (so track 1 become track 0)
:: title: at what title do you want to start the segment, for example: 4 if you want to skip the first two segments with commercial crap.

:: example: dodvd Farscape_the_piecekeeper_wars_part2 e: 3 4

set dirname=\\voo-server4\video\
set dump=%dirname%%1\%1.mpg
mkdir %dirname%%1
echo ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo Saving video in: %dump%
echo Options: name: %1 drive: %2 subtrack: %3 title: %4
echo Transcoding %1...
%systemdrive%\Progra~1\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe dvdsimple://%2@%4 ub-track=%3 out=#transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=3072,scale=1,acodec=mp2a,ab=128,channels=2,soverlay}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=ps,url=%dump%"}} out-all

echo done.

---
This seems to give me very nice mpeg2 files that appear to work quite nicely, there's just one problem that keeps bugging me: when playing the mpeg files back over the MVP's and 'fastforwarding' or 'skipping', the output just skips miles ahead. Even skipping 'back' is going forward! Itls like the time code in the mpeg files generated by VLC is not correct or something like that. I don't know enough about VLC to understand what could be changed to improve this.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what might be going on and what to try to get this skipping back on track?

[syncpuls]

Solved the problem, skipping works fine now; the resolution was to enforce PAL 25 frames p/s (for PAL) and adding interval frames.

In case this might be useful to anyone: I've changed the batch file to be more usable. Reminder; you may want to use XDVD instead of this simple batch file, but I like that this solution gives me some more control, as well as the ability to now have several computers transcoding a DVD at once and all putting it in the same location on the GBPVR server. I now have 3 to 4 computers backing up my DVD's at the same time.

I have added some comments for readability and some error-checking to make it somewhat 'fool-proof'. Note that two minor changes might be needed to make this work for you:

1. If you are in a NTSC country: change the 25 framerate to 30
2. You will need to change the directory location/ server share the batch file is saving the .mpg file to.

@echo off

:: DoDVD.bat version 1.0 by Syncpuls
:: usage: dodvd name dvddrive: subtrack title
:: name = name of the video: one_word. This is used to create a subdirectory as well as the filename. (with .mpg added)
:: dvddrive: usually drive D:
:: subtrack: nr. of the subtitle track, usually one less than what the VLC player tells you "on screen" (so track 1 become track 0)
:: title: at what title do you want to start the segment, for example: 3 if you want to skip the first two segments with commercials.

:: example: dodvd MyDVDName D: 3 4

:: Check command line arguments, nothing or too many given? Show user what to do.

IF [%1]==[] GOTO Syntax
IF NOT [%5]==[] GOTO Syntax


:: Note that dirname is pointing to a server location in this example. You can use any path to where you want the files written.
:: !!! YOU NEED TO CHANGE THIS !!!
set dirname=\\voo-server4\video\

:: dump is just a simple variabele that supplies us with a path and filename to write to.
set dump=%dirname%%1\%1.mpg

:: Lets make the directory
mkdir %dirname%%1
echo ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
echo Saving video in: %dump%
echo Options: Name: %1 DVD drive: %2 subtitle-track: %3 title/chapter: %4
echo Transcoding %1...

:: The line that does all the work, note that it is 'smart' about at what drive the VLC progam is.
:: add " --intf dummy" at the end of the below line to avoid the GUI
:: Note: --sout-transcode-fps 25 at the end of the line is for PAL, use 30 for NTSC
%systemdrive%\Progra~1\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe dvdsimple://%2@%4 ub-track=%3 out=#transcode{vcodec=mp2v,vb=3072,scale=1,acodec=mp2a,ab=192,channels=2,soverlay}:duplicate{dst=std{access=file,mux=ps,url=%dump%}} --sout-transcode-fps 25 --sout-ffmpeg-keyint 16 vlc:quit

:: Thats all folks
echo done.
goto:eof


:Syntax
ECHO.
ECHO DoDVD.bat version 1.0 by Syncpuls
ECHO Backs up a DVD to a MPeg2 file, using VLC
ECHO.
ECHO Usage: DoDVD name dvddrive: subtrack title
ECHO Where: name = name you want the file to have: one_word.
ECHO dvddrive: usually drive D:
ECHO subtrack: nr. of the subtitle track.
ECHO title: starting at what title/chapter do you want to start the backup.
ECHO.
ECHO example: DoDVD MyDVDName D: 3 4

[syncpuls]

Oh.. and by the way, there's one hing left to figure out... the audio is quite low. I noticed someone else also having this problem. No solution that I know of so far, other than 'upping' the volume on your TV set.

[jorm]

mencoder fixes the audio problem but you would have to switch off of vlc which has other features.