WIndows Media Encoder Issues

[fatila]

I have started trying to convert some videos to wmv so that I can build up a sizeable library for my 360.

So far I have tried converting a divx3 with a52 audio @192kbps to wmv (in .avi container). I have had a peek at some guides, but basically used the default wizard settings, changing on occasion the video and audio bitrate but this makes no difference. Encoding always stops at some point with the error:
An unexpected error occurred with the audio codec.(0xC00D0BC3) Using Vista RC1.

[bond]

why do you want to reencode? divx3 = ms mpeg4, wmp should play it without a problem when muxed into wmv correctly

[fatila]

Bond, as the file itself is currently a divx, it will not play in windows media center (unless you do on the fly transcoding, which is not an option as the pc is far away from the console + I do not want to have to press transcode then run to watch the video in time).

So unless I am mistaken here, it needs to be a native wmv, I am not sure about this muxing business you speak of.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

What bond wants to say is, that all ".wmv" files are in fact ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) files that contain WMV-compressed video. Furthermore "DivX 3" (in contrast to newer DivX) is nothing but Microsoft's MPEG-4 codec, which is different from ISO MPEG-4 (DivX 4/5/6, XviD, etc). The ASF container can contain MS MPEG-4 streams as well as WMV streams. So what you can do is remux the video from the AVI file to an ASF file. This will copy the video stream 1:1 without re-encoding. After remuxing it will just be inside an ASF instead of an AVI file. Then you can rename the resulting ASF file to ".wmv" and hope that it will play. However I'm not sure if this will work for you...

If you still want to convert your DivX AVI to WMV, then I'd use AviSynth *plus* Nic's WMEnc.
Or you get the "Windows Media Video 9 VCM" codec and do the encoding in VirtualDub.
But note that VirtualDub will put the WMV stream into AVI container (not ASF), so Nic's WMEnc might be prefered!

[fatila]

Thanks for going into that detail, looks like this will be a bit more involved than I had thought. Just used Gordian Knot before, any handy tutorials around for this sort of job? (bearing in mind xvid/divx > wmv). I am not sure if it actually matters what the container is in wmc, I'll have to experiment.

Since this job I have tried a few xvid files and the encoder goes crazy saying there is corruption, I get the feeling it isn't quite up to the task.

[benwaggoner]

An unexpected error occurred with the audio codec.(0xC00D0BC3) Using Vista RC1.
I've seen that error when using AC3Filter for decode when doing 2-pass encoding. Apparently there is a random number used for the dither, which results in the first and second passes not having the same CRC, hence that failure.

Try encoding the audio 1-pass, or decoding to PCM before encoding. Hopefully that'll fix it.

[foxyshadis]

If it can play mp4 (presmably with the haali or gabest splitter), you can just use this + YAMB to get a proper mp4 out of divx3: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85229

Unless mp4box has been upgraded to natively handle it, which I don't think is the case.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

any handy tutorials around for this sort of job?

If you still want to do it the "Nic's WMEnc" way, then first get those programs:

1. Nic's WMEnc (http://nic.dnsalias.com/wm9enc.html)
2. AviSynth (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=57023) (needed to feed to source into Nic's WMEnc)
3. Windows Media Player 11 Beta (http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Windows_Media_Player.htm) (to get the latest WMV9 codec)

Then make an AviSynth script, a simple Text file with ".avs" extension.
All you need to put in the script is the source command. So this should be enough:
AVISource("C:\Some Folder\My DivX Video.avi")
Then open the script with Nic's WMEnc and do the encoding.
You will end up with a "true" WMV file.

[fatila]

Right, well that tool worked fine. But as it does not include the audio, it would take too much time to mux it back in and then proceed to do that to x number of videos.

Ben: I can not see a way to set it to one pass in any options on the encoder. oes not mention anything in the help file either.

Lord: Thanks, I'll try that asap.

[fatila]

Ok, it encoded a short video that says "No compatible ACM codec to decode 0x2000 audio stream to PCM"

[LoRd_MuldeR]

@fatila
Then you have no compatible ACM codec for a52/ac3 installed.
AVISource needs ACM codecs. DirectShow filters, as used for playback by Media Player, are not suitable!
Try to install the AC-3 ACM codec by fccHandler: http://fcchandler.home.comcast.net/AC3ACM/index.html

If it still doesn't work, then try "DirectShowSource" instead of "AVISource"...

[fatila]

Great stuff LoRd_MuldeR. The encodes now work fine, and I have a few more final questions:

1) I wish for the wmv to be the exact same quality as the source, currently I am noticing artifacts in the picture. What can be done to maximise the quality?

2) Can I batch process files using this method?

[LoRd_MuldeR]

1) Well, recompressing the video will always make the quality worse. But you can of course try a higher bitrate, if this doesn't make the file too big. I don't know that much about how to configure the WMV encoder, since I never used it. Except for some tests.

2) Doesn't seem like Nic's WMEnc has any batch processing features...

[tchaikovsky]

sorry for my poor english :)
I made a tool that encode wmv files in batch. hope it helps you
http://galaxies3000.blogspot.com

[LoRd_MuldeR]

sorry for my poor english :)
I made a tool that encode wmv files in batch. hope it helps you
http://galaxies3000.blogspot.com

When I start your program or when I click any of the menu buttons, then this happens:

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/2916/wmeeh8.th.gif (http://img107.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wmeeh8.gif)

:(

[tchaikovsky]

:D Sorry about that
I'll check it.Thank you for your image

[tchaikovsky]

OK, I made some changes. it seems work with avs well on my virtual pc and real XP.

Thanks for any comment:)

http://mozart3000.googlepages.com/vpcRun-s.jpg (http://mozart3000.googlepages.com/vpcRun.jpg)

[LoRd_MuldeR]

DL for fixed version?

[tchaikovsky]

already on my blog :)

[LoRd_MuldeR]

already on my blog :)

File Missing

The file you requested has been removed, and is no longer being shared by this user.

:(

[tchaikovsky]

:D you know , when i remove that older version file....oh! my god! but it already gone...

give me a second :)

[tchaikovsky]

OK, the link checked:)

[LoRd_MuldeR]

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/6980/wmeks1.th.png (http://img119.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wmeks1.png)

:(

[tchaikovsky]

You use vista or vista style on XP? What OS do you use? :)

This tool can work with win2k, winxp.

ENU, SCH languages supported.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

You use vista or vista style on XP? What OS do you use? :)

This tool can work with win2k, winxp.

ENU, SCH languages supported.

It's WinXP with SP-2. The Vista-like look is just a theme.
Error message appears right after starting your app and each time I try to click one of the menu buttons.

[tchaikovsky]

It seems I must update my virtual xp to sp2 :)

[tchaikovsky]

:)
I made my virtual WinXP update to SP2. But....It works.
So, I think there are something wrong in your system.

http://mozart2008.googlepages.com/sp2Run-s.jpg (http://mozart2008.googlepages.com/sp2Run.jpg)