View Full Version : Re-encoding all my movies, any tips?
I know this question has probably been beaten like a dead horse....but..
I'm in the process of building a sweet new quad-core rig so that I'll finally have the ability to encode some movies and not have it take all day.
I was wondering what format I should use?
I should I stick with .avi and xvid like I have in the past?
Or should I go with h.264 and .mkv?
I want superior quality and encoding time is not an issue at all.
Also what program do you guys reccommend. Previously I was using Gordian Knot, then AutoGK.
I've heard of AutoMKV but don't know a whole lot about it.
Any suggestions?
EDIT: h.264 and .mkv are supported on XBMC right?
As far as programs go, I have no idea. As far as formats go, definitely one of the 264 codecs (x264 for example.) for any HD content. Encoding a DVD in x264 is kindof a waste, XviD would probably work fine for that. I haven't encoded movies for years and all of that stuff has changed greatly since then.
MKV is (in my opinion) the best container that ever was. Tons of features, subtitles, audio tracks, video tracks, chapters. That container has everything.
Is it possible to put XviD/DivX in MKV? If it is I'd do it just for the sake of doing it better than AVI.
if size is not a concern, i would just use iso image of the actual mpeg2 dvd's.
harryzimm
2009-02-25, 02:04
if size is not a concern, i would just use iso image of the actual mpeg2 dvd's.
I agree.
Well when I say size isn't much of a concern I mean I'd like to keep the size under 2.5gb per standard movie.
Do you think that h.264 is overkill for dvd's? Currently I only have dvd's but plan on upgrading to a blu-ray drive in the near future. Think it be better to keep my encoded consistant and keep everything in .264 .mkv?
(sorry for the huge amount of questions, I just want to get this right the first time and I could use opinions. :-)
Go h.264 with mkv containers
If you're on Windows, you can use MeGui http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=96032
I like the x264 very high quality preset with either the original AC3 audio or pretty high quality mp3 encode (audio isn't as important to me, usually). I set my video bit rate to 1200Kbps and use 2 pass encoding which leaves me with files that are roughly 825MB per 90 minutes of video.
euphoric
2009-02-25, 04:16
Easy :)
Encode x264 anamorphic in .mkv...
Why use xvid when we have a much better alternative?
Oh, by the way, keep it L4.1 or lower for DXVA-support.
euphoric
2009-02-25, 04:18
Go h.264 with mkv containers
If you're on Windows, you can use MeGui http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=96032
I like the x264 very high quality preset with either the original AC3 audio or pretty high quality mp3 encode (audio isn't as important to me, usually). I set my video bit rate to 1200Kbps and use 2 pass encoding which leaves me with files that are roughly 825MB per 90 minutes of video.
2 pass is not recommended.
For best result, do a singlepass with constant quality instead. If you don't mind that the filesize may vary according to compressability that is.
Edit: megui IS recommended ;)
I thought the general rule of thumb was that a multipass encode generally yielded better results?
Is this not true of 264 codecs?
I thought the general rule of thumb was that a multipass encode generally yielded better results?
Is this not true of 264 codecs?
My thoughts to.... ??? interesting.
billyad2000
2009-02-25, 11:37
Multipass is only better when you need to output a file of a fixed size
With single pass, variable bitrate, the quality can be assured, but not the filesize.
I never can distinguish between the single and two pass encoding results. Two pass does save me as much as a GB or more on some movies, though, which I like.
So really, YMMV.
euphoric
2009-02-25, 17:20
I thought the general rule of thumb was that a multipass encode generally yielded better results?
Is this not true of 264 codecs?
As billy here said, 2 pass is only useful if you want to fit the movie to a specific filesize. This way the codec can determine which scenes need extra bits, and which scenes can be starved.
If you use one pass with constant quality, the entire encode will have the same perceived quality, which means that the codec use as much bitrate as needed for a given frame. The result is better overall quality and less chance for macroblocking etc. The encoding will also be faster.
The backside is that filesize may vary a lot depending on material. A movie with a lot of grain will have much higher bitrate than a soft movie.
The conclusion is, if filesize is of little importance, go 1 pass CQ!
For best result when encoding DVD, use anamorphic encode without resize.
ok sweet. Thanks alot for all of your helps guys :D
I suggest using Handbrake to do your encoding.
http://handbrake.fr
easy to use, supports xvid and h.264, has preset profiles, supports chapters and MKV, etc.
Is it possible to put XviD/DivX in MKV? If it is I'd do it just for the sake of doing it better than AVI.
Yes, it is possible to put pretty much anything in an MKV, which is why it's so awesome. I am doing all of my DVDs in xVid in MKV containers (so that I can put them on xboxes for the family)
Yeah I've looked at handbrake before, but I was wondering if with handbrake you can set any of the resizing filters (lanzco, spline, ect) because the last time I checked the GUI didn't have a spot for it, while autoMKV did?
Anyone know what I'm talking about?
if size is not a concern, i would just use iso image of the actual mpeg2 dvd's.
Exactly. I never understood why people will spend 12 hours reencoding a 90 minute movie they will only watch once in their lifetime. It makes no sense.
technojunkie
2009-02-26, 21:54
Exactly. I never understood why people will spend 12 hours reencoding a 90 minute movie they will only watch once in their lifetime. It makes no sense.
Fortunately for most of us, a respectable single core processor can transcode a movie in less time than it takes to watch it :)
(that and I have a personal policy of watching a movie before ripping that way I don't store a movie I hate :) )
As far as programs go, I have no idea. As far as formats go, definitely one of the 264 codecs (x264 for example.) for any HD content. Encoding a DVD in x264 is kindof a waste,I disagree. x264 is the way to go for SD content too, if you care about quality and wish to save some space.
Otherwise, you could leave stuff in MPEG2. But I wouldn't give up 30-40% space gains easily.
I backed up the whole Buffy and Angel series in h264 using Handbrake.
Yeah I've looked at handbrake before, but I was wondering if with handbrake you can set any of the resizing filters (lanzco, spline, ect) because the last time I checked the GUI didn't have a spot for it, while autoMKV did?
Anyone know what I'm talking about?
Handbrake has an "h.264" tab where you can add the command-line options you want.
Also, it has a "query editor" tab where you can manually edit the entire command-line query that is generated by the GUI.
All it is is a GUI that uses many of the same open source tools that autoMKV, autoGK, and others do. It just helps you generate the right command-line commands, that's all.
:)
Can any of the tools be used to upscale DVD content to 720p?
Bump?
I was wondering the same thing