"Newbie" H.264 questions

[valnar]

I've been around for awhile, but only now want to start working with x264. (I've been using DVD/MPEG2/XVID tools for years.) I guess this puts me back in the "n00b" category once again.

Couple questions:

1) Is there any reason to use XVID over a H.264 codec if playback from a PC is most important?

2) What are the easier tools to use for converting DVD's straight to an x264/MKV container? In past years, I used tools like (non-auto) Gordian Knot in the DivX/Xvid days.

3) While this may border on breaking a rule, but -- Why is it I see many DVD rips available for torrent download in Xvid format? Yet all HD/BR rips are in x264 format? What would be the reason to not use x264 instead for DVD? (Talking even new movies, not ones floating around for years).

Thanks,
Robert

[Dark Shikari]

1. Xvid has lower CPU usage on playback, though CoreAVC is a fast enough H.264 decoder that Xvid's lead is much less when using it for a comparison. But overall Xvid is considerably less complex than H.264.

2. Ripbot264, Staxrip, MeGUI, Handbrake... there are many more.

3. Not really breaking a rule, borderline though.

There are many reasons for this.

a) Inertia. Old Xvid rippers are going to keep ripping with Xvid.
b) Xvid rips are generally formatted so as to be playable on standalones. Almost no standalones support DivX HD, so there is no benefit, hardware-support wise, to using Xvid for an HD rip.
c) With DVD rips, people accepted mediocre quality in the form of 700MB Xvid rips, but with HD rips, people seem to expect more--they expect basically flawless quality in a DVD9 for 1080p, or a DVD5 for 720p. Xvid really can't do this.

There is no good reason not to use x264 for a DVD rip though--the ones I've seen are vastly better than equivalent-size Xvid rips. 700MB really isn't that much for Xvid to do with for a full-length film.

[Wishbringer]

1) if you only play vids on pc AND pc is powerfull enough to decode x264 (should be nowadays), use x264
= smaller files at same quality

2) to convert DVDs use RipBot264, AutoMKV or XVID4PSP for example
MeGUI is highend too, but you need more knowledge than for the other tools.

3) maybe to be compatible to standalone players (most of them support DivX/XviD) ?!

[valnar]

I downloaded RipBot264 and AutoMKV. I'll see how they fare.

Two more questions.

1) Gordian Knot had a Bits/(Pixel*Frame) value feature that gave you an idea of how good a particular compression would be. So whether you wanted to target 1CD or 2CD's, you had a ballpark idea of how the quality would be based on that objective value. Now with x264, I'm starting from scratch again, so I have no idea of what a good file size is for a 1.5 hour DVD, 2 hour, etc. I figure I would just let use max quality because I'm not concerned too much about HDD space, but it would be nice to know if there was a tool that did that.

2) Is there an updated version of GSpot or a command in x264 that can identify what parameters or values were used in a particular x264 encode?

3) Is there a particular x264 gui that can keep and mark chapters and subtitles in a Mastroka container from a DVD?

Robert

[Dark Shikari]

I downloaded RipBot264 and AutoMKV. I'll see how they fare.

Two more questions.

1) Gordian Knot had a Bits/(Pixel*Frame) value feature that gave you an idea of how good a particular compression would be. So whether you wanted to target 1CD or 2CD's, you had a ballpark idea of how the quality would be based on that objective value. Now with x264, I'm starting from scratch again, so I have no idea of what a good file size is for a 1.5 hour DVD, 2 hour, etc. I figure I would just let use max quality because I'm not concerned too much about HDD space, but it would be nice to know if there was a tool that did that.Bits/pixel is a pretty meaningless measure because every source is different.

2) Is there an updated version of GSpot or a command in x264 that can identify what parameters or values were used in a particular x264 encode?Quite simple: simply go to the console and run "strings" on any x264 encode, in any container; it'll detect the H.264 header, which contains all encoding options. Note strings is a Unix commandline tool, and so doesn't come by default with Windows.

[saint-francis]

I downloaded RipBot264 and AutoMKV. I'll see how they fare.

Two more questions.
2) Is there an updated version of GSpot or a command in x264 that can identify what parameters or values were used in a particular x264 encode?

3) Is there a particular x264 gui that can keep and mark chapters and subtitles in a Mastroka container from a DVD?

Robert

2) AVInaptic Gives h.264 details.


3) MeGUI Gives the options to keep all of the subtitles from a DVD and you can easily mux the chapter file created by DVDDecrypter with it. That is if you have DVDD set up to print a chapter file, and you use DVDD of course.

[valnar]

2) AVInaptic Gives h.264 details.


3) MeGUI Gives the options to keep all of the subtitles from a DVD and you can easily mux the chapter file created by DVDDecrypter with it. That is if you have DVDD set up to print a chapter file, and you use DVDD of course.

I found AVInaptic earlier today and I do like the options available in AutoMKV. I think I found my gui!

Thanks,
Robert