What's up w/MeGui? No more current support?

[dr_ml422]

I had to go look for sharktooth's x264 video profile presets as installing a newer version blew out the previous ones. I now have no audio profile presets except the basic scratchpad ones. I can't find anywhere to download them. some/most links are dead. So is it still pumping, MeGui that is? or just scratch it? If you can please provide/update the Megui Guide in the Main site to point to the current video and audio profile presets that would be great.

I see they came out w/a new MeGui 2070 build, though the download link still points to v.2050?

Happy Happy!

[admin]

The latest stable version is still 2050, but there has been a few "development" updates (ie. beta versions) since then, taking it up to build 2070. You can only get the development versions if you change the update server settings to the development server - I provide the instructions for changing update servers for every development update changelog, for examples:

MeGUI -> History & Old Downloads | Software - Digital Digest

I wouldn't normally recommend using the development version, unless you have a specific bug that one of the updates address.

If you're having profile problems, it might be just easier to uninstall and re-install the latest stable version.

[dr_ml422]

Ok so I'll do that, though uninstalling and installing blew out my video and audio profile presets before. How do I install everything so that the video and audio profiles are included? Thnx.

[admin]

After you uninstall, you should probably delete the MeGUI folder (or just rename it, if you have any important files in there), and the do a re-install - it should get all the profiles going again (just pay attention to the install process, there will be a point where it ask you to import profiles - right click and select "select all" to import all the profiles). You'll lose the custom profiles you've made though.

[dr_ml422]

Everything installed fine this time. There is no uninstaller for MeGui, or at least I didn't see any. It also doesn't show up in Control Panel Program Featurs. I just deleted the whole Megui folder and ran Ccleaner along w/Revo Uninstaller and TFC by OldTimer to remove all left-over junk files. The new install went through fine and all preset profiles were added/imported. Seems if one's connection is not good or you install w/out a internet connection the profiles won't show up to be imported. Only thing left was to point the new Nero AAC to the external program settings and that also updated it to 1.5.4.

I'm going to do a test-run w/some video file see how it goes. I'll manually insert the VOB files w/DGIndexer as this assures all are added. I'll post back w/the results.

[dr_ml422]

Admin again my video profile presets are gone! The only ones showing up are the Xvid presets and x264 scratchpad. I imported the other ones and actually saw them in MeGui and now the only choice I see in the encoding video options in the AviSynth window is scratchpad and the Xvid profiles. It might have to do w/the input file. Let me put another one in because this one was a ConvertXToDVD file that previously was a .mp4 so maybe MeGui is reading something that only gives me the option to convert to Xvid.

Nope! I just loaded a fresh video into MeGui and still no PS3 profile presets. Only Xvid and x264 scratchpad. I don't know what's going on.

Ok I looked at the DGindex file and it was a dvd2AVI file? So I'm not sure, though I think MeGui is creating a automatic script for Avi conversion somehow. I totally eradicated the whole MeGui folder and will install it again. Maybe I should download a fresh copy.

Ok I just extracted the compressed MeGui folder and there is no Video Presets folder, just a Xvid Presets Folder along w/some other zipped files. So MeGui is just using default x264 scratchpad for all x264 encodings now and none of the past profile presets like PS3 2 Pass etc...?

Ok here's what I'm getting now. A AviScript Error.

[admin]

So you saw the video profiles get imported, and shown in MeGUI, but now it's all gone? Did you delete/move the entire MeGUI folder before reinstalling?

To be honest, with the new x264 codec profile support, you no longer need the profiles that were in MeGUI before, as you can simply configure the x264 codec (scratchpad) and then choose a "target playback device" (you can then save this as a new profile, if you wish, so you won't have to select this every time).

[dr_ml422]

Ok I have 2 questions.

1.When using the Bitrate calculator and inputting say 1100 as the avg. bitrate I'll get a file size that supposedly is the total file size correct? Now the option to hit apply supposedly inserts this avg. bitrate into one's profile setting is that correct? I would do this though when hitting AutoEncode there would be no avg. bitrate listed and the file size is also not what the Bitrate calculator estimated. I would still have to either manually put in a bitrate, or the file size suggested by the calculator. So where am I lost here?

2. When selecting the MKV container I have everything already set up in the Video Encoding section and Audio per the MeGui/PS3 guide. I'll choose "target playback device" as PS3 and the audio will be Nero AAC: NDAAC-LC-MultiChannel-192Kbps. Now the resulting file will be a MKV w/AAC audio, though what I think I missed all this time was that to get 5.1 audio I would need a AAC Decoder. I don't and I never used the AC3 Method! So I been creating MKV Files w/AAC all along, though through mkv2vob they play albeit regularly since I have no 5.1 system and no AAC decoder. Does mkv2vob automatically convert these AAC tracks to AC3 5.1? Or do I have to from this point on use the AC3 Method for Audio provided in the MeGui/PS3 Guide? I just caught this!

[admin]

AutoEncode overrides any bitrate settings you've made in the profile (manually or via the calculator). If you want the bitrate settings in the profile to be used, you need to manually at the job to the queue.

The PS3 wouldn't support anything other than 2.0 channel AAC though, at least not if you want the 5.1 audio (the PS3 just down-converts the 5.1 to stereo, which is why people have to use the workaround of creating MKVs with AC3s, and then running them through mkv2vob). But 5.1 audio is only really important if you have a 5.1 set up, although it's probably good for archival purposes to keep the 5.1 track in the file if the source had it too. In this case, I would recommend using the AC3 method, since AC3 5.1 will be much more readily supported than AAC 5.1.

[dr_ml422]

Ok so now it's clear. MP4 will put out a AAC 5.1 track though unless you have the receiver/decoder you'll get only 2.0 AAC on the PS3, and the 360 has no support for 5.1 w/or w/o a receiver/decoder correct?

Now w/the MKV using the AC3 Method it'll produce a mkv2vob file that'll put out 5.1 audio w/out a decoder correct?

Now as far as the AutoEncode, why does one still have to set a output file size and/or Bitrate if it automatically overrides any settings? The only file size automatically there is always 1CD @700mb. My question therefore is what actually is the AutoEncode function doing? Thnx.


MeGui does fine as you said w/out the Video profile presets. Matter of fact the zip file doesn't even contain any video profile presets except for Xvid.

Otn, I have a question regarding the suggested output file size. For H.264 you suggested that 80% of a Avi file would produce desired good results, and that a HD file should be matched if possible. For DVD you suggested it can be put on 1CD or 700mb, though 1000mbs to play it safe correct? I'm talking lets say a 2hr. movie or so.

Now my question is somewhat related. What is your best suggested target size when converting from HD,Avi, etc... to DVD? I mean if the source file is already hi-def and very good can we get away w/the same target size more or less as the source file? Read up and too many differing ideas because there's lots of variables like codecs used, encoders, etc... on source file. One thing though is that the higher quality source should factor into the target file size and not by much. Common sense in a way. Thnx.

[admin]

The Xbox 360, I think, will simply not play the AAC 5.1 track (it won't down-convert). Neither of the consoles support AC3 via MP4, so that's why people have to resort to using MKV (and mkv2vob).

The MKV you produce using MeGUI will work on your computer without any problems, but for it to work on your PS3, you need mkv2vob, and the mpg file it produces will support AC3 audio and that would output correct to your decoder (or be decoded by your PS3).

In AutoEncode, you can set your any custom file size you wish (use the drop down menu select thing), you can also check an option at the bottom and add in your own audio/subtitle tracks (useful if you don't want to re-encode an existing audio track - for example, if your source was a DVD and it had an AC3 track, you won't need to re-encode it if you can extract the AC3 track and add it in via AutoEncode, although you would have to adjust the audio delay). Basically, AutoEncode makes it easier to create jobs, as one click, and all the jobs needed to create the video is added to the queue. Doing it the other way, you have to set the video options/profile, add the job, set the audio option/profiles, add the job, and then add a third job to multiplex the encoded video and audio into the final container format you want.

[dr_ml422]

Ok. Now as far as adding in a AC3 track for example, you mean after the video is all done I can just add it via AutoEncode? I thought it needed to be included in the Encoding section where you load the AviSynth Script along with the video part so MeGui can then put everything together in the Queue? Isn't the Audio option there to zip in the audio file? I'm confused because I thought the whole thing needed to be encoded together, and so where does the re-encode come into play?

I tried playing some mkv2vob files via a USB stick and copying it to the PS3 HDD, and it doesn't play well. Audio out of sync and it pauses/stutters. Is this where TVersity comes in? Prolly because all my other files streamed through TVersity play back fine. There's nothing wrong w/the file because they play back on the PC, and also in both the original MKV file and mkv2vob.

[admin]

When you load in the audio file on the main section (the place where you select the encoding profile), that audio actually gets re-encoded when you add it all to the job queue. In order to not force the audio to re-encode, you need to add the audio and create the jobs via AutoEncode.

Basically, AutoEncode automates the creation of jobs and also adding in *existing* audio/subtitle streams.

[dr_ml422]

All of the jobs have to be created before AutoEncode is hit through the AviSynth Script though correct? Isn't that what's needed to load in the jobs and tell the queue which to work with? You can't skip that step and go straight to AutoEncode, unless you mean just adding the Video Encoding section, and adding the Audio after you hit AutoEncode. Once it's in the job queue doesn't it all get processed anyway? You mean that there's a manual way of adding all the independent jobs needed for MeGui to encode the source files?

[admin]

AviSynch Script creator simple creates the .avs file, all the jobs (audio encoding, video encoding, audio/video muxing) are actually created by AutoEncode.

Or you can do it manually using the "queue" buttons for video/audio, and then using one of the muxer options under Tools.