[MEncoder-users] impossible dvd encode? a/v sync problem

[Everett]

I have a dvd (samurai jack: season 1) that I would like to rip so 
that I can watch it on my computer.  Eventually, I would like to 
rip it so that I can watch it on my ipod, but for now, I'd settle 
for any format/video codec/audio codec that had proper a/v sync.

notes on the dvd:  some of the titles are constant 30000/1001 fps, 
but several of them jump back and forth between 30000/1001 and 
24000/1001.  those are the ones that I can't get to sync no matter 
what.

I have exhaustively searched the documentation--  here are some 
things that I tried:

with and without -vf pullup,softskip,harddup,softpulldown, etc.
with and without -vf yadif
with and without -ofps 24000/1001, 30000/1001
I tried every combination of the above three strategies I could 
think of: in other words, encoding as progressive.  encoding as 
interlaced.  encoding as progressive with deinterlacing 
filter.  encoding as mixed progressive/telecine. encoding as mixed 
progressive/telecine with deinterlacing.  I realize that not all of 
those options make sense, I wanted to try everything. 
(obsessed!  ;) )
I tried -ofps 25 to see if that would help.
I tried -mc 0 and -noskip (I am aware that -noskip wouldn't have 
worked, I tried anyway (didn't work)).
I tried encoding first to -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=ffv1 -oac pcm 
just to see if encoding first to lossless video and audio would 
sync the audio, then I could re-encode to compressed.  (didn't 
work).
I used the -audio-delay option to sync up the first part of the 
video, but then the rest of the video went steadily out of sync.

I have thought of re-muxing into mkv and using the -y (sync) option 
to stretch out the audio, but that's going to take a lot of trial 
and error and I don't want to deal with that.  besides, that will 
only be a kludgy kind of solution, I would much rather just get the 
a/v sync on the original encode.

Has anyone worked this out?  does anyone have any ideas?  I have 
given up for now.  The dvd plays with mplayer just fine, great in 
fact.  I guess the constant framerate limitation of avi is the main 
problem?  I have also tried to use the libavcodec mp4 muxing with 
bad results, including the i_certify_no_b_frames_etc.  with 
bframes=0 on the encode.  I don't know if mp4 has that limitation 
or not.

Thanks to anyone who can help.  Even if it is impossible, it would 
help me to have that confirmed!  so that I can give up without 
reservation hahaha.