Proper Way To Encode Movies?

[bigtrouble77]

Here's how I'm encoding my DVDs for the GP2x...

Program: AutoGKnot

width: 320 (variable height)
Always set file size to 450mb (for a 2-3 hour movie)
Video Codec: Xvid (2 pass)
Audio Codec: MP3 128vbr

These movies play perfectly smooth on my Treo650. On my gp2x they feel like they're playing at 15fps. The video quality is also 100x better on the Treo, but the screen is much smaller. Movies on the gp2x look soooo washed out- it makes artifacting much worse than it should be. Games look better on the gp2x mostly because they are easier to see and most only use 256 colors.

Does anyone actually feel like they are getting 30fps? If so I'd like to know your encoding techniques. Honestly, I don't know how anyone can watch a movie on this thing. I really hope it's me this time.

I should also note that audio sync is perfect on the gp2x and it does not suffer from slow down or dropped frame glitches. So I think i'm seeing things as they should be, unfortunately.

 

[Vimacs]

never had any movie not beeing fullspeed for me.

 

[pipa]

I have been using PocketDivxEncoder to re-encode movies/TV shows already in AVI format down to the GP2X's screen size (just to save space). They come out at about 3 megs a minute and look and play great. They look and play great before encoding too. You must be doing something wrong.

As a test, you should download a few AVIs off the net and try playing them on the GP2x to see what it can do.

Brian

 

[PokeParadox]

Here's how I do it:

Stuff you need(Download and install these...)

1. Gordian Knot Rip Pack - http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/gordian....2.exe?download
2. Gordian Knot Codec Pack - http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/gordian...up.exe?download
3. DVD Decrypter - http://www.doom9.org/Soft21/Rippers/SetupD...ter_3.5.4.0.exe

All links above are from http://www.doom9.org
Also they have an encoding tutorial which most probably is better than mine!

Part 1 - Ripping the DVD
Firstly, I suggest you create a new folder on a drive where you have lots of space free, to output the ripped files. (e.g. d:\TempDVD)

• Startup DVDDecrpter, and choose the drive with the DVD you want to rip. Make sure the Mode > IFO is selected. And also choose the directory where you want to save the ripped files.
  Press the big button when ready (This process can take quite a while - go do something).
• Now start Gordian Knot and click on the ripping tab. Now click on the button in the bottom have of the screen, next to where it says "prepare the VOBs", DGIndex will open up.
  We need to open all the VOB files ripped from our DVD.
  Now make sure Audio -> Output Method is set to Demux All Tracks
  Now Save your project, into the TempDVD folder.
• Back in Gordian Knot, Click on the open button on the bottom left, and load the d2g file we just created (A preview window will popup). Now click to the bitrate tab... And set the following options:
  Container - AVI
  Codec - Xvid
  Mode - Calculate Average Bitrate
  AudioA > Bitrate > 96 (you can set higher if you wish but for GP2X speakers it won't make much difference...)
  Total filesize - This depends on the length of film. For now we only need to guesstimate a size.
  Movie length 1h30m Filesize 250 to 300 MB
  Interleaving & AVI Overhead > tick the box, Calculate frame overhead and set Audio1 to VBR MP3
• Now click to the resolution tab and set the following:
  Input resolution > set it to PAL if the DVD is PAL and NTSC if it's NTSC ... funnily enough.
  Input Aspect Ratio > Anamorphic if Widescreen, and Non-Anamorphic if it's standard TV aspect. (If you have no clue just set it to 1:1
  Crop (Before Resize!) > 1st click AutoCrop and then hit Smart Crop All)
  W-modul > 32
  H-modul > 16
  and click on the up or down arrows until the resolution is 320 by (another number less than 240)
• Next we should click on the preview window. If the credits for the film are the standard, upwards scrolling white text, we can encode them in a lower bitrate, to make our actual movie look better
  Move the slide bar to the end of the film.
  Now carefully slide it back and forth until you are near where the credits start playing.
  Click the >> button, until the exact frame where the credits start.
  Now click << ONCE! then click Set Credits Start
  And then "Save and Encode."
• Set up the options as applicable Field Deinterlace is good for interlaced sources for instance.
  Look at the bottom right of this window, Compressibility Check.
  Click use and then click now. (This performs a quick encode to see how compressible the source is, this is how we know the perfect bitrate for the film to still look nice!)
  Once the Comp test is finished, if you look at the bottom middle of the main Gordian Knot window, you can see xx% of 0.xxx Compressibility Test. We generally want this value to be between 40 and 60%.
  If the compressibility value is lower than 40%, you should do one or all of the following
  Decrease the resolution (not recommended)
  Increase the bitrate(recommended if you have space)
  Use Bilinear filtering(Adds a slight blur, also removes a bit of "noise" from the source - can be useful)
  
• Now we are ready to do the real compressing!
  Go back to the preview window, and again hit "Save and Encode"
  Now hit save and encode again.
  Save the AVS file to your TempDVD dir.
  The Audio1 tab should popup, so hit select, and choose the top file (The first is usually the English soundtrack!)
  Now set MP3 Custom Parameters(Expert) then:
  Azid: -L -3db -s stereo -c normal
  Lame: --alt-preset 96
  Now click on the Xvide tab and make sure "Recalculate Bitrate if needed" is checked
  Click on first pass and set
  
  Profile @ Level to L5 then click on more and DISABLE the following:
  Quarter Pixel
  Global Motion Compensation
  
  ENABLE the following:
  B VOPs
  Packed Bitstream
  Closed GOV
  hit ok
  
  Set Encoding Method to Twopass - 1st pass.
  Now hit Advance options and set the following:
  Motion Search Precision - Ultra High
  VHQ Mode - Mode Descision
  Use Chroma Motion
  Turbo
  Cartoon Mode (You should use this with cartoons or anime!)
  
  OK out of all that back to the Xvid tab and click on the Second Pass button.
  You need to configure this with the same settings you used for the first pass! The only difference being
  Set Encoding Method to Twopass - 2nd pass.
  
  OK out of all that than Add Job to Encoding Queue!!! It should ask if we want to start encoding straight away.
  
  You can queue up several videos at a time if you like... and if you are encoding a series... it safe to use the exact same settings for each episode!
  
  That's it we are done, we just have to wait for the encoding to finsih.

 

[bigtrouble77]

Poke,
That's essentially the same process I'm currently doing. I'll try with the lower quality settings that you're using and see if it makes a difference. Thanks!


-BT

 

[hclatwr]

Make sure you're not viewing movies with the SAVE mode (witch saves on the battery and runs at 100mhz).
Try using NORMAL (166mhz) or FULL (200mhz), you can ajust the speed in the menu BEFORE loading your movie by pressing the "Y" button.
Look at the top right corner you should see if its at SAVE, NORMAL or FULL ... then you can select your movie and Enjoy

 

[H4k3r4r34l]

If its of any help at all i use this GUIDE someone else posted this site a while back on another topic and i thank them i use it everytime

 

[Phil]

I've started using this. http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net

It's a bit tricky but crazy good.

 

[TelcoLou]

I was going to move this to the audio/video section ... but that would be rude, as it's very barren and lonely there :lol:

Anywho, here's my little contribution to this thread:

SUPER© ... I've only used it to convert to Xvid, but it's worked flawlessly for me and is super easy (unintentional pun) to use.

 

[Shikaku]

I was going to move this to the audio/video section ... but that would be rude, as it's very barren and lonely there :lol:

Anywho, here's my little contribution to this thread:

SUPER© ... I've only used it to convert to Xvid, but it's worked flawlessly for me and is super easy (unintentional pun) to use.

I like it too... but I have RMVB file that is 60 FPS and I can't change the FPS to that, and I don't want to half the framerate =(