I don't love any of them.

[weaver4]

I have used avi.net, autogk, fairuse, MeGui, AutoMKV, Dr1, Dr2 and dozens more. I don't love any of them. (But I do like avi.net and AutoGK)

Why is it not more like this?

Select Input File ____________________
Select Output File ____________________

Select Encoder
-- XviD
-- XviD (SAP compatible)
-- X264
-- VC-1

Select Output Constraint
-- 1 CD
-- 2 CDs
-- 1/4 DVD
-- 1/3 DVD
-- 1/2 DVD
-- Custom Size
-- Fair Quality (Don't Care about size)
-- Good Quality (Don't Care about size)
-- Very Good Quality (Don't Care about size)
-- Excellent Quality (Don't Care about size)

Audio
-- Original (Big)
-- VeryGood
-- Good

Container
-- AVI
-- MP4
-- MKV
-- WMV

<<Save Settings>> <<Load Settings>>
<<GO>>

===========================

All this stuff about filters, profiles, Quantizer are just to much for most people.

I have been using MeGui for months I still don't know what:
-- XviD '>58% comp. check' (fast): MSP=6, VHQ=1, VHQ for b-frames, Qpel, SixOfNine, curve-compr. H15, L5, quantizer-restrictions min. 3, max. 5 (4 for I-frames)

Really means, or does.

Look Gang, we have 7 threads for MeGui and they are full of questions.

Reminds me of the ".header" days of WordStar.

OK ---- Hit Me.

[experttech]

From your list, Options to add filter, Deinterlace, Resize, Crop are equally important.

But I agree that the GUI can be more organized than what it is now.

However I really appreciate the work done by the MeGUI authors. Remember it takes a lot of time and effort to do write a GUI.

[berrinam]

I have used avi.net, autogk, fairuse, MeGui, AutoMKV, Dr1, Dr2 and dozens more. I don't love any of them. (But I do like avi.net and AutoGK) Obviously, many people want such a simple approach, and I tried to make the one click encoder simple enough to use for beginners, yet configurable enough for the advanced users. Distributing profiles also makes it simpler for the beginner, if the profiles are simply named. The main limitation is the lack of one click profiles being distributed.

We could distribute One Click profiles for the different settings (in particular, the filesize, and maybe to specify hardware compatibility) and store all the settings in the profiles. This could probably be quite useful for the user; it would mean the required configuration is:

Select the input file
Choose the group of settings you are using (the One Click profile)
Modify the target filesize if desired (but I don't think it would be recommended)

Perhaps this is the right thing to do, and there are no real technical hurdles for that.

All this stuff about filters, profiles, Quantizer are just to much for most people.

I have been using MeGui for months I still don't know what:
-- XviD '>58% comp. check' (fast): MSP=6, VHQ=1, VHQ for b-frames, Qpel, SixOfNine, curve-compr. H15, L5, quantizer-restrictions min. 3, max. 5 (4 for I-frames)

Really means, or does.Let's face it: to get the best quality encodes, you'll HAVE to know what you're doing. If you are happy with lower quality, then by all means go for AutoGK or avi.net -- I've used AutoGK, and it seems about as simple as you can get, so I don't know why you are complaining.

The problem with simplifying the configuration is that not everyone agrees on what you should have control over. I looked at your list and was surprised that there was no way to control encoding time, audio codec, or target hardware, and I was also surprised that you thought container format was a choice that beginners should make, since I thought that most people don't even know the difference between MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV (???why WMV???). I guess other people will have yet different thoughts on what should be provided, so a compromise has to be reached. While that's not a bad thing, it's not immediately obvious what a good compromise is, and the fact that you aren't satisfied with AutoGK very much surprises me, since I thought it reached the compromise very well.

[buzzqw]

well automkv just miss some preset about uncontraint quality and audio... but is near like your request...

while simplicity is usually the best thing,more often is needed some tuning and both megui and automkv can offer the adeguate "touch"

i think, and i developed automkv in this way, that DEFALUT value should be "best" for all.

In automkv just don't touch buttons/setting you don't know what's mean. The same on megui

BHH

[weaver4]

Problem with MeGui is that you need to know so much before you can set up the Easy to use One-Click Profile.

berrinam: I absolutely agree with the one-click profiles. Ship some with the product. Make it so that you can launch megui or megui-express that will take you directly to the once-click profile. Let someone set a default, so it always comes up with the one they like. (BTW: I have no idea where to get any one-click profiles; and I have looked).

berrinam: I have a few minor complaints with AutoGK.
1) It does not support x264
2) Target quality in percentage is a "no correlate" to the average consumer. How would anyone know that 60% is poor, 67% is good, 75% is very good and 80% is as good as it gets. (Pretty trivial, I know).
3) Same thing with audio bit rate; (VBR?, CBR?...what rate is good?).

berrinam: I would use the mp3 codec except for WMV. If someone wanted to change the default and knew what they were doing then let them change it; with some effort. And yes you can get rid of WMV, I know that buzzqw thought it was important so I added it. The only reason I added containers is that I think AVI is awful and people should have some choice, also most people know what extensions their video player will play, but if I was going to leave one off the list that would be it. I would make it avi's for XviD and mkv's for x264.

experttech: You select the filters based on their choices, Deinterlace is automatic. Crop to get rid of borders (like autogk), Resize is original(or 720) if Excellent is picked otherwise it is 640.

buzzqw: You are close, but look at some of my comments for autogk.

I personally can use any of the tools, But I been a developer in the Consumer Electronics world for over 25 years (yes I am old); so I have a real knack at looking at something from a newbie's perspective.

And to you that have been working on these tools...thanks so much. I appreciate your efforts.

[sillKotscha]

All this stuff about filters, profiles, Quantizer are just to much for most people.

well, than doom9 is not the right place for you ;) ... 'cause this is what it is about video EDITING and conversion...

it is not the problem of ANY dev that you don't have a clue (I'm not saying that I understand every talk here but then I stay calm and read/ listen for a while and try to understand what it is all about... at least to understand the most of it without knowing every bit)

and about the list of GUI's you have enumerated...

these tools were/ are developed from scratch bit by bit and are the top notch of encoding solutions you can get nowadays to make lazy people like you happy... people that won't read and won't accept diggin' in the dirt is essential but nonetheless get a surprising output/ result...

most - if not 100% of all other [commercial] tools - a rip offs. Every tool you have mentioned was/ is developed here at doom9 forum and you should respect that fact and not demotivate the devs by saying such blunt disrespectful words...

making a well done bug report (if any) will help much more than just saying that you aren't happy with the situation...

last option for you would be to start programming and making your own gui and you will see how difficult it is...

just my 0,02 €

[weaver4]

I make lots of bug reports, made two tonight.

When the model T came out every owner had to have a mechanic ride along with them. The model T was not ready for the masses. Do you remember how hard it was a few years ago to make Web pages, you did it with notepad; developing web pages were not for the masses; now, thanks to new tools, they are.

The forum that I made my comment is was the MPEG-4 Enoding GUIs forum, not the video-editing forum.

I am not lazy, I have done a few utilities that have been used in the part by the freeware community. And I spend many hours helping those with questions not only in doom9 but also in the DivX forums. Take for example this little help I wrote yesterday over in the DivX forums on how to fix audio sync issues with movies that had multiple angles....very nice of me. http://forums.divx.com/forum/viewTopic.php?id=2747

You said I did not have a "clue"; wrong again. I am very experienced at video coding; can do it from a command line.

My intent was not to unmotivated, but to motivate people to make tools that are more suitable for the masses. My words were certainly not intended to be disrespectful.

Doom9 is the perfect place for me, but not for most people.

[experttech]

experttech: You select the filters based on their choices, Deinterlace is automatic. Crop to get rid of borders (like autogk), Resize is original(or 720) if Excellent is picked otherwise it is 640.

sounds good

[neuron2]

My intent was not to unmotivated, but to motivate people to make tools that are more suitable for the masses. My words were certainly not intended to be disrespectful.

Doom9 is the perfect place for me, but not for most people. I don't want to make tools for the masses. I don't care if Joe Six-Pack has a problem. Why do you presume that I should? If you want to cater to the masses, go make your own tools and stop ragging on developers who have their own interests and motivations.