Stuttering playback with DMR-ES10 recorded DVDs?
 

I posted this at Videohelp also, but wanted to get any input here as well since a lot of very knowledgeable people at both sites...

I just got a Panasonic DMR-ES10 this week which seems to be working well aside from one strange issue - when I record to DVD, the DVD plays back with random stutters in the video. It happens every 30 seconds - 1.5min, it will hang up on a frame & then stutter forward. I was going to attach a video clip showing the issue, but strangely when I demux the video from the DVD, the problem is gone and the video plays fine with no stutters.

Also, I am getting the stutters when I playback the DVD folder from my harddrive on my computer, so its not an issue with a bad DVD player not liking the disc. The media is also high quality Verbatim 4x.

I have tested all inputs on the ES10, have tested with DVD-RW and DVD+R, tried different VCRs and I've also tested it running in passthrough mode sending the signal to another DVD Recorder. The stutters are present on all recordings produced by the ES10 - but not on the passthrough recordings by a different model. The video signal is not being affected and I guess its not in the recording either since the demuxed video plays smoothly. I figured it was maybe something wrong with the recording system, but I guess it must be something with how its producing the DVD?

Anyone know what this problem could be and if I can somehow fix it? I just bought the recorder this week on ebay and its in great physical condition and I haven't found any other problems, but I'll probably have to return it if it can't perform its basic function correctly.

The passthrough mode does seem to help improve some issues with the picture, but overall I'm not sure what I think about its effect on PQ unless its really needed to correct some issue with the signal. I don't think its worth it for me to keep it if this can't be fixed.

the stutters are on chapter markings? looks like bad encoding from ES10, encode/passtnrough with other dvd recorder….

No, its not on chapter markers its every 30 seconds to 1+ minutes. Its not in the same spots if I re-record, its random spots, but its always the same spots on the individual DVD during playback.

Like said, the demuxed video plays perfectly fine. Its only the originally authored DVDR that plays badly, and its not the player.

I also remuxed the video and authored a new DVDR with the remuxed video - remuxed DVD plays perfectly fine.

The ES10 is somehow producing a faulty DVD but the actual video recording is fine.

So it's an error inside the ES10, only thing you can do is look for settings in the ES10 own software menu, that will have effect on the encoding error, maybe certain encoding options of compresion rates, or other video quality settings, otherwise i'm afraid you can't do much about this fault the ES10 generates.

Again, the encoding is fine. There isn't anything wrong with the video. Its something about how the DVD is authored. The ES10 doesn't have much in the way of settings, as far as I've seen there isn't anything you can change here. The only solution I can think of is possible firmware updates but all firmware updates for these recorders are impossible to find online anywhere - I've done lots of searching. If anyone has the firmware updates would really appreciate a share, because its the only potential solution I can think of.

This is likely a bad/cheap blank disc issue. What are the discs?

I don't think its the discs. I'm using 4x Verbatim, DVD+R and DVD-RW (the RW is brand new, never used)

And as said, I'm playing back from the copied DVD folder to my hard drive using VLC - so the disc is entirely out of the equation. I play tons of movies on my computer, do quite a lot of video editing and never have this issue.

Every DVD recording I've tested with the ES-10 has this problem. But the demuxed and remuxed video plays totally fine - its only something in the ES-10 authored DVD

Wait, back up...

VLC has known interlace problems. The developers are dismissive and stubborn about interlacing. So let's eliminate it as a variable.

Are you seeing issues on the ES10, and the computer? (Re-test to not use VLC for playback.) The exact same errors, the same exact places?

The ES10 was never a respected recorders.
- Passthrough as TBC(ish), yes, good at what it does.
- As a DVD recorder, no, sucked.

Panasonic is also infamous for bad authoring. Many models, maybe all models. The streams are dirty, and can go out of sync. I had to use Womble MEPG Video Wizard for years, when handling Panasonic-made discs.

I guess I don't see how it can be a problem with VLC since I'm using VLC to play both the demuxed video and the reauthored DVD which both play fine. If it was a VLC issue, seems like it would have the same problem playing those videos as it does with the original DVD.

Also, this is a recording of a commercial VHS. Its not interlaced but telecined.

I'll try some other players and also try some different hardware DVD players to see.

Ok, So I played the original DVD back on a Philips DVD player and it played ok. Plays ok on the ES-10 also. Magnavox DVD Recorder reads the disc but won't play any of the video at all.

Played the dvd folder from my harddrive using KMPlayer instead of VLC, and surprise surprise, it plays fine. So I guess VLC is part of the problem after all.

I still don't know what to make of the fact that the remuxed video plays fine in VLC but I suppose I will just chalk it up to something funky with the ES10 authoring that may cause issues with certain players.