AVS2x264 Encoder (Zones/Preview/Pause & Resume/Audio Encoding)

[defunkt]

http://www.ionwerks.net/defunkt/avs2x264/AVS2x264.jpg

http://www.ionwerks.net/defunkt/avs2x264/AVS2x264.gif

Input Script: AVI synth script to encode from. Project settings are also saved into this.

Script Editor: Opens loaded script in Notepad. Reloads script when Notepad exits.

View Source: Displays the source video.

Output File: Target for encoded stream, raw .264 or .mp4, latter is simply the former muxed at the end of encoding.

Target Size: Size you want the finished container file to be.

Track Overhead: Allows you to select additional tracks you want to allow for in the bitrate calculations. If your output file is an .mp4 you may instead choose to mux these tracks immediately yielding a more accurate bitrate calculation.

Manual Bitrate: Override bitrate calculations with an explicit setting.

Section Create: Divides the currently selected section at the point selected in the preview window.

Section Delete: Deletes a section if encoding hasn't already commenced.

Rate Increase: Increases bitrate allocated to the selected section.

Rate Decrease: Decreases bitrate allocated to the selected section.

Toggle Zones: Each section now supports up to 9 bitrate adjusted zones.

Queue Status: Sets where the encode queue will halt.

Section Rollback: Discards encoding for the selected section and all subsequent sections.

Encoder settings can be edited by clicking the "Options" button.

You'll see a button initially titled "Manage IDR Only", this increments each GOP ID across the whole project so that it always advances sequentially even across sections, resulting stream works fine in every player I've tried. You can also do the same for SPS/PPS ID's which in theory should allow different sections to have different settings, in practice it works for me in MPlayer but not using DirectShow. Incrementing SPS/PPS ID's is therefore not recommended but I've exposed it in the hope someone might figure out what's not working.

Download (2.9MB) (http://www.ionwerks.net/defunkt/avs2x264/AVS2x264.exe)

Backend is x264 compiled as a Windows dll (non-VFW) with exported API style functions as an interface. Source available here (http://www.ionwerks.net/defunkt/avs2x264/AVS2xDLL.zip), zero documentation as yet.

Frontend is written in VB6, key feature is support for multiple separately encoded 'sections'. Partial source (minus library code borrowed from a commercial project I work on) here (http://www.ionwerks.net/defunkt/avs2x264/AVS2xEXE.zip).

[guada 2]

Hello defunkt, :)

I didn't test it yet.
But I appreciate your gesture.
Continue…

NOTE: sorry for my translation

[Audionut]

Good app.

Works well, and provides good output.

[defunkt]

Originally posted by Audionut
Good app.

Works well, and provides good output.

Thanks. Undaunted by the fact that this thread sunk like a stone the app's improving quite quickly. Will post again when next version is up.

[bond]

can you explain a little bit more what your "section encoding" does exactly!? :)

[Soulhunter]

Looks like the "zones" option in XviD... :)

Maybe it encodes the sections separately !?!


Bye

[defunkt]

Basically it's equivalent to doing a separate credits encode and then copy /b. You can define multiple split points (rather than just credits) and each section is thus run as a separate job in a queue made up of all section passes.

Instead of creating multiple output files the result is spooled to a single raw AVC stream and finish points are tracked so you can rollback and reencode from the beginning of any section.

The GUI also allows you to weight or deprecate the bitrate applied to any section and calculates the altered bitrate for all (unencoded) sections against a specified target size. Target size vs. bitrate is recalculated as each section is encoded which helps iron out any RC fluctuations. If you end up over or under you can always rollback the last (credits) section and reencode it with an adjusted BR.

The workflow I use is to prepare an .mp4 with audio (& subtitles) already muxed and point AVS2x264 at this, it will then try and encode the video to the space remaining, experiments to date (with short clips) suggest that in this way I can get to within 1% of my overall target size.

There isn't anything mp4 specific about the app, given a suitable external muxer it can be configured to work for another container, mp4 just happens to be the default.

Pending improvements include the ability to mux tracks into the target container from within AVS2x264 and a preview window which can be used to select & insert section start points (at the moment you have to type the frame number).

Hope this helps.

[Soulhunter]

Woks fine here!

Just two small things...

- I cant activate this "shutdown" option

- Using mp4 output throws a error (http://img149.echo.cx/img149/6474/unbenannt0io.png) (though the file works)


Bye

[defunkt]

Automated shutdown requires some extra coding for NT/2K/XP which I haven't got to yet, so option is disabled on these systems. Will arrive eventually.

I think I've already resolved the muxing file access error, it's trying to rename the temporary file too soon, next version.

[Soulhunter]

If I use a high bitrate like 3000kbps, I get this (http://img50.echo.cx/img50/8462/snap0234cj.png) error !!!

But with lower bitrates like 1000kbps it works... :\


Bye

[Doom9]

@Soulhunter: I have a theory on that.. this tool is based on an x264 build where non curve convergence causes a fatal error.. in other words, if you chose a high bitrate and given your min/max quant settings x264 cannot achieve this bitrate, it will abort. Now I don't know how that abort is being handled here, but it may just cause this problem, seeing that is only happens when you increase the bitrate. You could verify that using x264.exe or mencoder.exe and the same settings.. in those tools you might get a warning but encoding would not abort anymore.

[Soulhunter]

Maybe I should mention that I get this error directly after entering the bitrate... :\


Bye

[guada 2]

Hello :)

Soulhunter
I would rather say between 1650 and 1700 kbps.

Doom9
A question:
Why the encoding continues its treatment in spite of the error, especially as the final file is the maximal bitrate authorized by the codec x264?

Thank you in advance.

[defunkt]

Quite a few changes, which I might have taken longer over testing but as the thread's been bumped anyway...

- Preview window.
- Pause & Resume of encoding.
- Dismiss to system tray when encoding (or paused).
- x264 Zones per Section.
- x264 8x8DCT (use Intra 8x8), ABR (use 1st Pass QP = 0).
- Auto-shutdown should work on NT/2K/XP now (not tested).
- Audio encoding. Includes LoggerSoft's AACEnc32 frontend for the Nero Burning ROM dll's, recent Nero update required. Can be configured to use other encoders, a look at the default INI file (http://www.ionwerks.net/defunkt/avs2x264/AVS2x264.ini) might hopefully suggest how.

@Soulhunter: Bitrate would have resulted in a target filesize > 2048MB. Thank you, I will trap this for now and look into increasing the variable size to accomodate at least 4GB files.

[wiak]

site down?

[bond]

moved

[Dark-Cracker]

the site is still down any news ?

Keep up the good work.
++

[killerhex]

any chance of making one for xvid i like to encode x264 to xvid if possible