MPEG4 for Google Video from .AVI - best codec?

[Tom Wood]

I did search the archives but I didn't see this particular flavor of question.

BOXX 3D workstation
WinXP Pro
2G RAM

Software in my DVD creation workflow:
LightWave>Mirage>VT4>TMPGEnc>DVD Workshop

I'm creating 3D animation content that ends up in VT4 (Video Toaster) from which I usually render out an uncompressed DV Video Type 2 (PCM Audio) .avi file, among other formats.

Using that, I get great results with Windows Media Encoder 9, but poor results with Quicktime 7 Pro H.264. Over a certain file size QT crashes anyway. (buffer overrun, or something)

I want to submit material to Google Video, and it appears that it's best to stick close to their desired format if you want it posted quickly:

MPEG4 with MP3 audio
MPEG4 with MP4 audio
MPEG2 with MP3 audio
MPEG2 with MP4 audio

What would be a good codec to use to convert my files?

What is also confusing me, is the fact that a single file is expected to be uploaded, so the audio and video are contained in one file. Yet they imply two files in that list, so the codec would need to have those choices available, output to a single file.

Thanks, and hope y'all don't mind if I hang around.

TW

[celtic_druid]

One file. mp4 container.
MPEG4 with MP4 audio is confusing though. Should probably be MPEG-4 Part 2with aac audio.

H.264 aka AVC is MPEG-4 Part 10. I doubt that is what they meant by MPEG4.

The best (subject to different opinions) MPEG-4 Part 2 codec is XviD. Any specifics on whether it needs to be SP or anything like that? Also the audio. lc aac only or is he aac ok?

[sg211]

google video mpeg 4

you say xvid is the best codec

but isnt that only possible in an .avi container
i need it in an .mp4 container

i use nero recode and this program http://www.alfanet.it/squared5/mpegstreamclip.html
to encode my mpeg 4 vids
they work excelent

but is there any better compression/quality mpeg 4 programs/codecs/encoders out there?

oh yea and for submitting files in HD i use Divx 6.1...is that the best codec to use?

[paglamon]

but isnt that only possible in an .avi container
i need it in an .mp4 container

I think .mp4 IS the official container for Xvid.Celtic knows better.

[anonymez]

mp4 is the official container for mpeg-4. xvid is better than divx (IMO), including HD res

[bond_d9]

in the mpeg-4 standard there are two video formats:
- mpeg-4.2, aka mpeg-4 asp (divx, xvid...)
- mpeg-4.10, aka mpeg-4 avc, aka h.264 (x264...)

also there is one audio format:
- aac

and there is one container format:
- mp4

now obviously all these streams can be stored in .mp4
for converting a xvid .avi to a .mp4 losslessly you best use the mp4box tool (yamb is a good gui for it)