Picture vanishes halfway through movie.. help!

[eli]

it's been a while since i've had to come seeking help, after everyone assisting or pointing me in the right direction (thanks again) on my last visit i actually learned a few things and i can now manage to sort most things out myself... but i'm stuck on this one and was hoping you could lend a helping hand again.

my problem lies with trying to convert (?) avi files to MPEG and then burn them onto VCD.. i do this by basically following chickenmas tutorial (virtualdub - winamp - tmpgenc). i have been following this pattern for about 6 weeks and everything has been going fine, then last week i turn my computer on, run a batch encode of avi files on TMPGEnc.. and every one of them only has video for anywhere between a 1/4 and 1/2 of the film, with audio playing all the way through. i thought maybe my comp was just having a bad day, so i tried again.. same thing. now every movie (avi file) i have tried since i have the same problem.. when the encoding has finished and i check the file for audio syncronisation i see the picture dissappear. i have uninstalled then reinstalled all of the above programs and still nothing. i have changed nothing on my comp, neither adding or removing any new software or hardware prior to this happenning and i just can't understand what has happenned.

any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance

eli

[ChickenMan]

Are you able to re-convert an AVI that you had previously converted okay? Does it now have the vanishing video problem or does it encode as it did originally? Are these AVI's DivX or Xvid compressed (GSPOT will tell what video & audio codec the avi has been made with) ? Are you getting problems with only one type or both? What DivX and Xvid codec's have you installed?

The AVI's could also have problems (common with many downloaded avi's using download managers)

Check your avis with DivFix ( from http://divfix.maxeline.com/index.php?target=showdoc&docid=355 ) and DivXRepair ( from http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=75428& )

[eli]

thanks chickenman. i have no idea if the files i encoded successfully will still work because they're not on my hard drive anymore. i will try your suggestions and cross my fingers that they will work. thanks. can i just ask though... what is 'GSPOT'?

and on a completely different topic (sorry).. lets say i burned a vcd and was stupid enough to delete the file off my hard drive before i checked the disc, only to find later that the sound is out towards the end of the disc (i know, i'm stupid) how would i get the movie off the disc back onto my hard drive so i can fix it and re-burn it?

thanks again

eli

[eli]

ok, i downloaded and installed DivFix and DivXRepair and i have absolutely no idea how to use them!!

i ran one of the files through DivFix and it did say i had 'corrupted data' at the exact time when the picture goes blanc, so obviously thats where my problem lies, but now i don't know what to do! can DivFix get rid of the files, or do i have to do it another way? there were no help, or instruction files that came with the software or i would have a read and try and figure it out myself, so now i am completely clueless!

thanks again for any help you can offer

eli

[ChickenMan]

GSPOT - http://www.headbands.com/gspot/ a utiliy for letting you know the Codec used in an AVI (or mpeg).

As for DivFix, load the avi in, then hit Rebiuld Index, when its finished its all done, exit program. Now try encoding it again. As for DivXRepair, gee there are only a couple of buttons, you cant get that one wrong.

As for your VCD problem get VCDGear ( http://www.vcdgear.com/ ) to do a *.DAT to *.MPG conversion for you.

[eli]

Originally posted by ChickenMan
As for DivXRepair, gee there are only a couple of buttons, you cant get that one wrong.

wanna bet lol.. kidding.

ok... once again... thanks chickenman, it's all sorted out now wish i could repay the favour but i seriously doubt there is anything i could help you with! maybe i could just keep popping back and help someone else out instead if thats ok?

thanks again

eli