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View Full Version : Playing encoded MKV files look worse in Windows 7


smeghead2
15th November 2009, 00:16
Hi,

I've not long installed Windows 7 and got around to installing Staxrip 1.1.1.9 beta recently to encode my avi files to MKV, but I've come across a problem.

I usually don't do anything much to the videos, all I want is to do a good 2 pass encode at the same resolution as the original avi so as to shrink the file size down a bit to fit on my hard drive. I don't alter anything else unless I need to deinterlace.

Now since moving over to Windows 7, I've noticed all my encodes look a lot worse. I use Media Player Classic to play my files and although the files I've encoded on my old computer (XP) look fine, the ones I've done since then (using the new Staxrip version and Windows 7) look a lot blockier. There isn't any sharpness to them anymore.

I've read that Windows 7 uses its own codecs for h.264/mkv and I've changed the settings in Media Player Classic to use Bilinear resizing so that the old video files look better (i.e - less jaggies), however the encodes I've done on Staxrip since moving to Windows 7 still look blocky.

I tried an experiment to see if it was WIndows 7 itself causing the problem by encoding a file on my old XP computer and then playing it back on the Windows 7 one, but it still looked as bad.

I'm assuming that it's therefore not Windows 7, but something either to do with Staxrip, or one of its apps. I tried doing a 1-pass encode at maximum quality too, but it's the same problem. I think it's something to do with the resizing, but I don't resize them when I encode.

Can anybody help me? Thank you!!

Dark Shikari
15th November 2009, 00:24
Hi,

I've not long installed Windows 7 and got around to installing Staxrip 1.1.1.9 beta recently to encode my avi files to MKV, but I've come across a problem.

I usually don't do anything much to the videos, all I want is to do a good 2 pass encode at the same resolution as the original avi so as to shrink the file size down a bit to fit on my hard drive. I don't alter anything else unless I need to deinterlace.

Now since moving over to Windows 7, I've noticed all my encodes look a lot worse. I use Media Player Classic to play my files and although the files I've encoded on my old computer (XP) look fine, the ones I've done since then (using the new Staxrip version and Windows 7) look a lot blockier. There isn't any sharpness to them anymore.

I've read that Windows 7 uses its own codecs for h.264/mkv and I've changed the settings in Media Player Classic to use Bilinear resizing so that the old video files look better (i.e - less jaggies), however the encodes I've done on Staxrip since moving to Windows 7 still look blocky.

I tried an experiment to see if it was WIndows 7 itself causing the problem by encoding a file on my old XP computer and then playing it back on the Windows 7 one, but it still looked as bad.

I'm assuming that it's therefore not Windows 7Er, how is it not Windows 7 then? If XP plays it back correctly and Windows 7 does not, what else would you think the problem is?

Atak_Snajpera
15th November 2009, 00:30
Everything works ok on my Windows 7. You better show some screenshots.

Inspector.Gadget
15th November 2009, 00:34
You probably have some sort of undesirable postprocessing (well, preprocessing when you're encoding) set up in whatever decoder is called by AviSource().

smeghead2
15th November 2009, 01:12
Er, how is it not Windows 7 then? If XP plays it back correctly and Windows 7 does not, what else would you think the problem is?

No, XP doesn't play it back correctly, so I can't assume it is Windows 7. It must be something I'm doing with Staxrip.

I'm trying the trial version of TMPGenc to see if that makes any difference.

If not, I'll get some screenshots up after I've had a bit more of an investigation.

CpT
15th November 2009, 03:37
Try this nightly version of vlc http://nightlies.videolan.org/build/win32/trunk-20091019-1828/

I know ur using Media Player Classic but out of curiosity see if it looks correct in this version vlc. I had the same issue with vlc and a few other progs via win 7, this fixed it for me.

You may be able to turn on or mod the settings for Enhanced video render EVR in media player classic home cinema Options/Playback/Output -> EVR custom preset If its not that by default already.

stax76
18th November 2009, 15:02
It's a well known Win 7 issue, AFAIK happens only with certain ATI drivers, VLC has announced a workaround, EVR and custom presenters work, only old renderers don't.

all I want is to do a good 2 pass encode at the same resolution as the original avi so as to shrink the file size down a bit to fit on my hard drive.

If you choose encoding mode in the x264 dialog in StaxRip it shows descriptions for each mode, it says quality mode is ideal for hard drive storage, 2pass usually don't make sense here.

CpT
18th November 2009, 22:27
It's a well known Win 7 issue, AFAIK happens only with certain ATI drivers, VLC has announced a workaround, EVR and custom presenters work, only old renderers don't.

I'm on a gtx280...

burfadel
19th November 2009, 06:13
Well it does say certain ATI drivers, not all of them! Another solution could be to update to the latest (which is 9.11 currently).