[MPlayer-users] MPlayer playback of certain DVD chapters is broken - DVD media is sane

[Stephen D. Leedle]

Hello!

I got following problem, which isn't covered by FAQs or manuals. Therefor 
I'm posting this question here:

I am experiencing problems with playback of a DVD. The error is a broken 
picture at some parts of the movie(s). The picture is warped. There are 
bevelled/almost, but not really, horizontal lines displayed, which are 
continous. A comparison for demonstration is following situation:
Take a picture of resolution 100x100. Read the picture, but assume another 
resolution, e.g. 90*111 (about 100^2). The result will be a distortion 
where the picture is a little bit recognizable, but there will be 
artifacts.

If it is allowed to post a file in this group, e.g. a small 720*576 sized 
JPEG or PNG, I will give You an example. (Please let me know!)

So, the problem can be specified further and dealt with in SOME cases 
succesfully!

It is not the whole DVD affected by this. Mostly it is the main part of 
the film. The intro with the producer's logos etc. is in clear, proper 
format. In the moment of playback after the logos have been displayed, 
the described effect takes place.

The solution is - in some cases - to define a point of playback via the 
"-chapter <n>" option. E.g. chapter 1 and 2 are the intros/logos, chapter 
3 is the main film starting. Jump to chapter 3 with above option and 
playback will be fine. Maybe until the next logo or commercials at the 
end of the DVD title.

In my opinion this has to do something with some resolution change or 
similar while continous playback.

This problem IS a common one on converting DVDs, I experienced the same 
effect using software under Win32 (on other DVDs) (names are not 
available, I can't remember them, sorry.) (It was an Open Source or 
Freeware DVD copier.) There I could do a work around by also specifying a 
later chapter in playback/conversion.

My big problem now is that there ARE 15 chapters in the required DVD 
title, but chapter 3 to 15 are set directly at the beginning of the last 
logo and NOT at the beginning of the requested movie itself. So chapter 
workaround doesn't help in this case.

Another solution would be to use the "-ss <seconds OR hh:mm:ss>" option to 
seek into a later position to avoid the assumed resolution change (or 
whatever it is) but in this case - very unexpectable! - the video 
playback starts ALWAYS at the chapter 3 point.
Or the "-sb <byte position>" option, which results in exactly(!) the same 
effect - playback from this ominous chapter 3.

Well, at this point I am considering the DVD authoring as broken. Or the 
DVD to be in non-standard/non-supported format.

One assumption: I am not able to jump directly to any other chapter than 2 
and 3. All other chapters fail (or go to start of 3), seeking doesn't 
work in sense of switch "-ss <n>" or "-sb <n>". Seeking itself (using 
arrow keys in console) works.
So, there is something wrong, but I don't know what.

Additional information:
Playback of single *.vob file is possible, e.g. adressing mplayer to use 
VTS_02_3.VOB. The playback WILL BE properly. Only on the last *.vob file, 
VTS_02_4.VOB, the error reoccures on entering the commercials after the 
main movie.

I copied the DVD to hard disk using the (IMHO) excellent "# vobcopy -m", 
which mirrors and de-css-es the disc.

I am using almost brand new CVS code for MPlayer:
"MPlayer dev-CVS-031203-10:50-3.2.3"

Any other information can be handed out, except the title of the DVD which 
isn't reconstructable. (It is a japanese hentai of "Cool Devices", please 
don't blame me of anything.)

In the hope of not stealing Your time, I politely ask You for help in this 
situation.

Maybe this problem is a generic one, so I could assist in some way to fix 
this in general!

Greetings, Stephen D. Leedle