What programs/codecs/methods are the best?

[bungernut]

So to start out learning the process to divixitfy my DVD collection and reading many articles on how two it seams that no one agrees on the best way to encode a DVD. First of im running WinXP so i had mp3 (i use Radium now) codec problems right from tha bat. Xmpeg wont use the new codecs so its either uncompressed audio or 56kbps which wont work. Flask works ok but im not impressed by the quality. Im trying Divx 4.12 and Divx 5-pro-ad on two machines, 1 and 2 pass (MV file or no MV file), large frame size and small frame size (720-->480 width), a few iDEC's, and ive all but given up on the trial and error scene( ). If anyone who knows the secret to great Divx rips please tell me the best way to aproach this. How big should the frame be? Divx 4,5, or Xvid? What is an iDEC and whos is good? Which Program is good? Ive entirley read the DVD to Divx conversion guide on this website and its gotten me this far, but it leaves a lot open. Any help (with a little explination) would be greatley apprecieated.

[Fluffy]

Use Gordian Knot and divx 5 pro. Its a bit daunting to deal with at first but once you figure it out its quite easy to use and makes amazing rips. check out UncasMS's wonderfull howto on how to use Gknot. you can find it here

http://www.atlandide.net/~uncasms/en/index.php

[UncasMS]

@ fluffy

thanx



@ bungernut

my guide was written for PAL material. if you deal with ntsc, you might want to check out the guides at doom9.org

[Fluffy]

Uncas i've found no issues with using your guide with NTSC materials. The 2 relative settings will change themselves to NTSC, and if they dont, the settings that need to be changed ((in the resolution page)) are quite visible. I've used your guide to make 3 perfect divx rips for my boss (Zoids vol1, Recess:the movie, and Disneys Dinosaur.) My ongoing battle with Key has nothing to do with your guide

[bungernut]

Tnanks to you both, but i have to ask now, wha? Im trying a NTFS FLM 23.976fps. am i gonna have any problems with this method?

[Fluffy]

You shouldnt. Wherever his guide says to select PAL, just select NTSC instead.

[hacker_on_fire]

if u do have any problems just post a reply, i'll be glad 2 help.

[UncasMS]

thanx fluffy, but take a look at this doom9 dvd2avi part


i did some ntsc titles so far (e.g. hellraiser 1+2; tin-box) and they worked flawlessly but in case you will have to deal with ivtc you wont be able to manage those titles sticking to my guide.

since i cannot get hold of much ntsc material to properly test this all by myself, i will not add an ntsc part to my guide, as i dont not like guides, that are not based on proper personal experience.

[bungernut]

So im trying this Gknot program out version .26 beta and in the guide im at the compressibility check but it finnishes without giving me the results. I figure that they are getting lost or whatever so i go on and so after everything is said and done the files that it made were all like 3mb and look like its just key frames cuz it's skipping around crazy like. I was attempting a single cd size with Divx5proad. I think my problem is that this is NTFS FILM 23.976fps. So then i tried in DVD2AVI to use the Forced FILM option b4 saving the project with no luck.

The log file says as follows bout the compression check:
+Unknown Error: Compressibility Check Failed.
+Compressibility Check: DivX 4.
as if that will help?

The guide (@doom9) says and i quote:
"If DVD2AVI showed your source as NTSC FILM below 95% you enable Inverse Telecine here. In all other cases set feild Operations to none."
DVD2AVI does show it to be film but whats the crack about 95%?

Thanks again to all you smart people who help us less fortunite types, cuz DAMN this is hard stuff.

[bungernut]

I get the bit about the 95% now other than what it means in legistics. So in my stupidity i kinda fixed the problem with Forced FILM. The Compressibility check is a dozie though, any help would be greatley apprecieated

[UncasMS]

having finished your comp.-check the bits/(pixel*frame) values can be found at the bottom of GK



to change the seetings (i.e. going for more ideal values) you simply use the slider in the resolution tab to increase or decrease your resolution.

you could as well skip/ignore the comp.-check
i hardly ever use it, but since it is a feature of GK i felt i had to deal with it in my guide.

for a 1 cd conversion use BILINEAR rather than sharp bicubic as this resizer let the codec compress better.

moreover, dont go above 640 x XXX rather go a little below this resolution: 608 x XXX.

in case you dont mind a little additional time you might even think about using the LITTLE NOISE (+ put noise filter before resizing) as this will make your material more compressible.

[Mac Sidewinder]

I believe the problem with the compressability check is that you don't have a divx codec installed. Divx 5.02 doesn't come with the gnot package. The latest gordianknot program only works with divx 3 and 5. Download divx 5.02, install it and try again and I bet it will work.

Mac

[bungernut]

I did install Divx 5 long b4 i tried learning to encode, ill give it a whirl to uninstall and reinstall. I realize that the compressibility check results are found at the bottom of the screen, the results are just flat out not there.

Quick question, doing 2 pass encoding with gKnot isent happening right? can it?

Doing 2 pas, i can use an old pass and change the bitrate and audio settings for the second pass right?

Thanks again to all you who help us!!!!!!

[bungernut]

Mac was right on, in a way. I had a Divx 4.11 Codec installed as well as 5.02, removing both and reinstalling was the answer.

So im doing this NTFS FILM 23.976fps dvd right, and it needs to be "Force FILM"'d in dvd2avi but does it also need Inverse Telecine in gKnot? The help blirps dont suggest that it does, it recomends to just ForceFILM but the guide says nothing about ForceFILM and to Inverse Telecine? I ask beacuse im getting files about 1/2 the size they ought to be.

[Fluffy]

Personaly, i use field Deinterlace. in the movies ive made so far. ive had no issues with it. Anyways, you can preview video before you encode. make sure to check that. (its in the save and encode menu, just before you select codec stuff.)