MPG to DivX help!!

[SnapCount]

Hi, I am completely new to video editing and encoding and I would like to ask if you guys can help me .

I've been recording TV shows and doco's via my digital TV card http://www.fusionhdtv.co.kr/eng/Products/DVBT.aspx which captures in native 16x9 (780 x 576).mpg format.

Now the problem is that it takes a hell of a lot of space on my hard drive (close to 2 gig for a 50min doco) and I would like to convert it to Divx or Xvid. I use Vegas 6.0 to edit the file then use either codec to encode (new resolution is 624x480), but the sucker never works and I cant chose a higher bit rate for the audio as well with the mp3 codec. I can hear sound but no video, and sometimes crashes windows when I double click the new file.

So can anyone help me with good settings for Divx, what audio codec I should use and what program to edit and encode, because I think that vegas does not like divx

[anonymez]

download & install 'gordian knot', and use it with the xvid codec. works just fine for aussie specs

guides at http://www.doom9.org and http://www.divx-digest.com

the guides at those sites are for dvd-->xvid, but the process is exactly the same, just instead of opening dvd vob files, open the mpg

regarding audio, mp3 should be fine, but i myself go with ac3

btw, i recommend you use the free mpeg2 cutter 'cuttermaran' to remove ads

[SnapCount]

Ok thx for that I'll give them a go

[anonymez]

you're welcome!

[SnapCount]

Is there a way to render the video faster? Im using dvix 5.05 or what ever it is atm. And it takes around 80 min to render a 50min file!! When i use 1 pass it only takes around 40 min to do it, but the quality isnt all that great, so im stuck doing multi pass encoding.

Also selecting the "first pass" encoding option, i get no video and audio, or if i do get audio i get no video

[anonymez]

use XVID instead, its faster and better quality than divx. not only that, its completely free too

the first pass just analyzes each frame of the video, detecting things like motion, luminance, colour, etc. and outputs to a stats file. it will not output a playable file

the SECOND pass uses that stats file to make better choices about where in the movie to apply higher bitrates, and you end up with a playable file.

to just do a single pass is definitely NOT recommended. the quality sucks, its not worth it. your encoding speed is not a problem. infact, 80 minutes for a 50min file is quite good. it can take up to say 3 hours (or much more) depending on resolution, motion search, PC specs, etc

[SnapCount]

Ok i will use Xvid next time. Your help is very much appreciated

[anonymez]

no problem, let us know how it goes

btw, a little advice all newbies should take: stay away from channel 7's "HD". its crap (not dvd compliant & at 50fps, jerkier movement when trying to convert), even its SD looks better.

[SnapCount]

Finally after many attempts, it is done!! A 52min, 360mb at 576x320 and 1h20mins later ahhhh...... Everything went right - video is good, audio is good and no lip-sinc problems very happy. Thankyou very much anonymez
<o> </o>
I still have questions tho, for future encoding, should I let xvid automatically change the bit rate while its analysing? Or should I remove that tic box and force it to use the bitrate that gordian knot calculated?


Also do you use a edited 1st and 2nd pass settings? I just used the default values

[anonymez]

i recommend you tick the box 're-calculate bitrate if necessary'. regarding xvid, for best quality, you should go







but you should definitely check out the guides at http://www.doom9.org and http://www.divx-digest.com for explanations & other settings you might want to use

[SnapCount]

anonymez, you told me to try and use cuttermaran to edit out the commercials, the only problem is that I cant load the dam video file into it, it wont recognise the mpg file any ideas on why??

[anonymez]

forgot to tell you, you need to dumux (split) the audio and video, THEN open the video in cuttermaran. you can use tmpgenc's 'mpeg tools' to demux them. once you cut the streams, use tmpgenc again to mux (join) them.

the process shouldn't take long, depending on your PC's specs

i myself don't use cuttermaran anymore, as i purchased 'videoredo'

see here on what videoredo can do, and my thoughts on it http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=57627

[SnapCount]

Ok thx for the info. Just got videoredo and its fantastic!!

BTW i tried the settings you showed me, and on the second pass it took for ever!!! like 2h for a 50 min vid gerrr.. Whole thing took around 3h15!!
I guess its because of the VHQ mode set to wide search and not Mode Decision.

Anyway thx for all the help. Oh and if your wondering what ive been converting, its been top gear on sbs

[anonymez]

its supposed to take long, if you want great quality

i don't watch top gear, but i think i know the host. he's the same guy on that sorry excuse for a show 'braniac', isn't he? total (attempt at a)ripoff of mythbusters!!

glad i could help

[SnapCount]

i don't watch top gear, but i think i know the host. he's the same guy on that sorry excuse for a show 'braniac', isn't he? total (attempt at a)ripoff of mythbusters!!

glad i could help

Yeah his one of the hosts, more like a reviewer than a host. And its not an attempt - it is a ripoff of mythbusters!!! ahh mythbusters