GH1 Audio-sync Problem with 24fps Setting

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celestialdls

New member
I just posted up this on youtube regarding audio-sync with the 24fps setting on DMC-GH1. If anyone has insight, please chime in!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPLa-0CbnQk
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Audio for my 24fps DMC-GH1 footage is out-of-sync by a frame or so. I tested with both Final Cut and Sony Vegas - FYI, Sony Vegas doesn't perform any transcoding so issue is native to source.

I think audio-sync problem is due to the fact that the 24fps footage for the GH1 is "virtual 24fps" (24fps footage from 60i footage). Here are my reasons: (1) Audio-sync is fine when shooting at 30(60)fps [720p] setting (2) I tested with another new Panasonic camera but one that shoots "true" native 24fps and that camera did not have any sync issues.

So this is a huge disappointment for me with the DMC-GH1 since I'm very picky about lip-sync with dialogue. I'm hoping Panasonic will come out with a firmware update to fix this issue. However, I feel like I'm the only person who's complaining about this.

Please note, when footage is a frame off, (for most people) it's too difficult to tell with the human eye. FYI, I first noticed it when I was scrubbing through a hard sound effect with Final Cut and looking at the lip-sync.

Also, with this pen test, I purposely made my movements slower since to avoid motion blur and visible pulldown.

UPDATE: I previously had a video regarding Neoscene converted files being severely out-of-sync. However, Neoscene has supposedly addressed this issue with new builds of their software. I haven't tested it but have removed that video and instances where I mentioned Neoscene as faulty.
 
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Do you mean that the audio from the camera is out of sync with the picture?

I noticed that too, but ONE frame? I guess if you're picky, it's bothersome, but realworld viewing... who cares? Nobody. Hell- if you're sitting at the back of the movie theater 150' from the speakers you're getting almost a 2 frame delay.

And you could just MOVE it? :)
 
If you are SO picky you should be recording with a H4n or something like that. The auto gain from the GH1 mic is much worse than 1 frame off.

I use FCP log and transfer and then JES deinterlacer, I've noticed no sync issue when I have used onboard cam, BUT I have noticed no audio on the first second and a half of footage.

Point is, if your picky then you need to do the following:

Record Audio separate.

Transcode to an intermediate format that isn't as wonky as avchd h264 wrapper.

Then sync them as best you can. I've done fine with claps and taps in 60p mode, and shots not longer than a few minutes. Sync could drift over time, if so deal with it.

Camera Audio 24p: http://vimeo.com/7456604

H4n test 60p: http://vimeo.com/6746662
 
Tim Joy said:
Do you mean that the audio from the camera is out of sync with the picture?

I noticed that too, but ONE frame? I guess if you're picky, it's bothersome, but realworld viewing... who cares? Nobody. Hell- if you're sitting at the back of the movie theater 150' from the speakers you're getting almost a 2 frame delay.

And you could just MOVE it? :)
Click to expand...

Hey everyone, thanks for the workarounds. Although dealing with those type of workarounds is a hassle when editing. I need to be assured when editing every cut is in-sync - so using the 24fps setting on the GH1 (to me) is completely useless. My post here is pointing out that this is a defect in the camera that not everyone can see but a defect nonetheless. If I knew the camera had this problem, I wouldn't have purchased it.

Moving the audio wouldn't completely fix this issue b/c audio is not consistently off by one frame. It seems to range from 1 to 2 frames which is strange.

When I've recorded audio separately before, I've also used internal camera audio both for backup and a reference when syncing the external audio. If GH1's audio is out-of-sync, then I can't correctly sync up my external audio.

For now, I'm dealing with it by just recording in the 720p (60 fps) mode. So I'm disappointed since I've used 24fps cameras before without this problem.
 
For NTSC DVD the framerate has to be 23,97. Thats why i love our Europian PAL-System @ allways 25fps. But Panasonic has cancelled that for Marketing reasons in the GH2.
 
Haven't had a problem with mine. There is an offset, which all cams have, but it is less than a frame.
 
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