DVD Ripper Fab 8 has major problems / Fab 7 still rips great!

[Organdude]

Hi Everyone,

I’m sorry to say that I continue to have nothing but problems using DVDFab 8’s DVD Ripper. Since its release, every version of DVD Ripper 8 that I’ve used has produced hugely flawed rips. With DVDFab 8.0.5.5 (December 4, 2010) for example there was a fix to a known problem having to do with cropping which I typically use in all of my rips (* Fix: Output video may be cropped incorrectly for anamorphic widescreen source in certain cases.)

The latest problem with DVDFab 8.0.6.1. is that I get files that play correctly on the PC with VLC and Winows Media Player, but do not playback on my portable device, a Cowon D2+. Playback is in jerky slow motion and the audio track wanders out of synch by up to 5 seconds or more.

DVDFab 7 still works great!
My current workaround is to use the DVD Ripper in DVDFab 7.0.9.3. DVDFab 7 on my system still produces excellent quality rips in all regards using the exact same profiles, settings and cropping attributes. I’ve included the info on the files created in version 7 and 8 - there are some differences.

If I’m doing something wrong here somebody please tell me!!! For Fengtao and the DVDFab team, if this is a software bug, please let me know what can be done to help you resolve these issues.

Any feedback would be really appreciated.

P.S. iPod is problematic as well…
I just tried the iPod profile and found that attempting to playback the resulting DVDFab 8 rip on the iPod Nano 4th gen. causes the unit to crash and “black-screen”! Again I’m using the standard iPod / MP4 profile, also with cropping!
_______________________________________________

DVDFab Pofile: to AVI / generic.avi.xvid.mp3
Resize to: 320 x 240 pixels
Crop: “Pan&Scan” (1.3333 full frame)

DVDFab 8.0.6.1. - PROBLEMS
General
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
FileSize/String : 743 MiB
Duration/String : 1h 49mn
OverallBitRate/String : 952 Kbps
Movie : SORCERERS APPRENTICE
Encoded_Application : Lavf52.78.4
OriginalSourceForm/Name : SRC_0N_NW1_1_DES

Video
ID/String : 0
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format_Profile : Advanced Simple@L5
Format_Settings_BVOP/String : Yes
Format_Settings_QPel/String : No
Format_Settings_GMC/String : No warppoints
Format_Settings_Matrix/String : Default (H.263)
MuxingMode : Packed bitstream
CodecID : XVID
CodecID/Hint : XviD
Duration/String : 1h 49mn
BitRate/String : 748 Kbps
Width/String : 320 pixels
Height/String : 240 pixels
DisplayAspectRatio/String : 4:3
FrameRate/String : 25.000 fps
ColorSpace : YUV
ChromaSubsampling : 4:2:0
BitDepth/String : 8 bits
ScanType/String : Progressive
Compression_Mode/String : Lossy
Bits-(Pixel*Frame) : 0.389
StreamSize/String : 583 MiB (78%)
Encoded_Library/String : XviD 1.2.1 (UTC 2008-12-04)

Audio
ID/String : 1
Format : MPEG Audio
Format_Version : Version 1
Format_Profile : Layer 3
Format_Settings_Mode : Joint stereo
Format_Settings_ModeExtension : MS Stereo
CodecID : 55
CodecID/Hint : MP3
Duration/String : 1h 49mn
BitRate_Mode/String : Constant
BitRate/String : 192 Kbps
Channel(s)/String : 2 channels
SamplingRate/String : 48.0 KHz
Compression_Mode/String : Lossy
StreamSize/String : 150 MiB (20%)
Alignment/String : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave_Duration/String : 24 ms (0.60 video frame)
Interleave_Preload/String : 24 ms
Encoded_Library/String : LAME3.98.4

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

DVDFab 7.0.9.3. - PERFECT RIPS EVERY TIME
General
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 782 MiB
Duration : 1h 49mn
Overall bit rate : 1 003 Kbps
Movie name : SORCERS APPRENTICE2
Writing application : Lavf52.33.0
Original source form/Name : SRC_0N_NW1_1_DES

Video
ID : 0
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile : Simple@L3
Format settings, BVOP : No
Format settings, QPel : No
Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Default (H.263)
Codec ID : XVID
Codec ID/Hint : XviD
Duration : 1h 49mn
Bit rate : 798 Kbps
Width : 320 pixels
Height : 240 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.415
Stream size : 622 MiB (80%)
Writing library : XviD 1.2.1 (UTC 2008-12-04)

Audio
ID : 1
Format : MPEG Audio
Format version : Version 1
Format profile : Layer 3
Mode : Joint stereo
Mode extension : MS Stereo
Codec ID : 55
Codec ID/Hint : MP3
Duration : 1h 49mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 192 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 150 MiB (19%)
Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
Interleave, duration : 24 ms (0.60 video frame)

[Organdude]

To AVI STILL HAS PROBLEMS WITH DVDFab 8.0.6.5

Just tried the latest release to see if there was a fix - DVDFab 8.0.6.5 (December 27, 2010).

Sorry but the same problem persists: the video file does not playback correctly on my mobile device, a Cowon D2+. (The file does playback OK on the PC.)

Any suggestions anyone?

[mcorley]

Version 7 Ripper is better

Just echoing the comments above. Version 7 rips 25-40% faster and the resulting mp4 files play much smoother on my Logitech Revue Google TV box than those produced with version 8.

[billbell52]

I had the exact same problem with my Touch Pro 2. I did manage to solve it. Please refer to:



Look for TP2. I now get MP4 videos that work better than 7.x.

Subsequent to this I played with MS Expression Encoder Pro, the best MP4 encoder in my opinion, and determined there are multiple encoding techniques. If I use basic it works on the TP2. If I use advanced it looks like DVDFab. I assume DVDFab changed to an advanced technique that the TP2 is not equipped to handle.

[Organdude]

Is the problem the encoding profile: Advanced Simple@L5?

Hey mcorley and billbell52 thanks for your replies!

I’m not positive, but think I know what the problem is, and I don’t know if there is a fix besides using an older version of DVDFab Ripper. Codec experts please lend a hand here!!!

I believe that DVDFab 8 now uses a different, more “advanced” encoding profile which is not supported by my “older” playback devices, an iPod Nano 4th gen. and a COWON D2+.

According to the data supplied by Media Info on the two AVI files, it looks to me like DVDFab 8 now uses Advanced Simple Profile@L5 (ASP@L5) encoding for rips “to AVI” generic.avi.xvid.mp3 - it used to be Simple@L3 with DVDFab 7.

Can anyone confirm if this is the reason why rips do not playback on my portable devices?
If yes, is there a solution within DVDFab 8?
Can you for example select the select Simple@L3 encoding?

Again, any feedback would be appreciated.

[signals]

All of the codecs were updated early in v8 and some of them have had problems, particularly xvid. I can't get the current v8.0.6.7 to encode xvid+MP3 at all. I'm sure this will be corrected. The encoder level would be a good thing to add to the list of properties that can be controlled from the profile for those that want or need it, although this is really a player firmware/chipset problem. Your logs show a very high bits/pixel value, particularly for a small-screen device. Try reducing the bitrate to get the bits/pixel below 0.2 and maybe lower the framerate a few fps as well (these adjustments will interact).

[Saabaru]

The only way I was able to 'fix' the jerky video, was to completely uninstall all versions of DVDFAB, then to 'clean' the registry of all DVDFAB keys.

Reboot

Install most recent version of DVDFAB

This is the only way I have been able to 'fix' the jerky video fixed.


Well, just viewed a movie done with 8.0.6.6, and the jerky video is back.
The DVDFAB software dev team really has some work to do on this issue.

[Organdude]

Hey signals, thanks for the reply it's much appreciated!!!

Now at least I can stop pulling my hair out, blaming myself for the unplayable rips produced in DVDFab 8.

I have in fact experimented with different bit and frame rate settings as you suggested. However the settings that I'm using now are well within the "mid-range" of the COWON's playback specifications and until DVDFab 8 have served me extremely well.

I'm also using the most up-to-date firmware on the D2+, but unfortunately its been a long time since the last update - the latest released was way back JAN 2010.

iPod Nano Issues
My iPod Nano 4th gen is also running the most recent firmware, but as reported previously will crash if you try to play a DVDFab 8 rip on the thing. Again with the same tried-and-true setting that I've been using for a long time. Media Info does show two different codec IDs, Fab7 - Codec ID : isom / Fab8 - Codec ID : M4V. (I wish that all meant something to me but it doesn't!)

Bottom line?
I guess that we'll just have to hope that a future release will fix everything!