AutoQMatEnc - a new free MPEG2 encoder

[SAPSTAR]

AutoQMatEnc 0.28b - SAPSTAR - WWW.Doom9.org
MPEG2 (Video Only) Encoder

Characteristics :

- Use same ECL Files than CCE SP Trial
- Read any AVS script by using directly avisynth.dll
- Built-In advanced QMatOp technology - Activated by adding adjust_q_matrix=1 in ECL
or CCEAQM=1 in the REBUILDER.INI file for DVDRB users.
- MultiPass enabled - Above 4 passes is close from useless but can be performed
- Part of CCE Simple Settings (Animation/CG/Natural) taken into account
Recommended for Anime (Animation) and old movies (Natural)
- QMatOp phase not reprocessed but detected if encode cancelled once finished.
- Pass 1 not reprocessed if already done.
- MPEG2 Encoder using a part of avcodec.dll : libavcodec is released under the LPGP.
You can get a copy of the LGPL at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/lesser.txt
and download the source from the ffmpeg homepage http://ffmpeg.sourceforge.net/download.php.

Installation/Configuration :
Download it from : The web Site provided by BadServo : http://www.autoqmatenc.com/
Install it anywhere then use AutoQMatEnc.exe instead of CCE SP Trial.

DVDRB users : just make DVDRB point to it instead of CCE SP.

NON DVDRB users : To create your own ECL file you can use CCE SP Trial with ECLCCE.

Greetings :
- FishMan0919 for all his support, ideas, help in debugging, tests.
- BadServo for his tests, ideas, comparisons and file hosting.
- Axlemar for his very detailed tests on high speed animations.
- Carpo for his tests and ideas.
- Doom9 for his help in writing properly the licensing text.

Changes History:
0.28b - 2005/08/05
- Corrected a major bug in the credits "type" scenes
- Corrected the rate control, 2 passes are enough for 90% of the scenes,
3/4 passes for the rest.
- Improved the sizing - Should be ok now.
For DVDRB Users, the default target size for DVDRB is 4.27Gb,
I suggest CCETargetSectors=2260000 or 2280000 when using AQE.
- Recompiled avcodec, I'm now using the very last version of it...
(some overflows corrections were brought with it)
0.27b - 2005/07/20
- Added a low motion detector to tweak the rate control
- Improved the rate control
- Updated the averaging in QMatOp
- Corrected an error on very big files for the Nth path(N>2)
- Minor tweakings and errors.
0.26b - 2005/07/13
- Corrected the PATH variable, added a ; at the end.
- Corrected the rate control once again...a new approach was implemented.
- Corrected a bug when the rate control was totally wrong,
the Nth pass was ending asking for pressing a key.

[Rockas]

Great!
Will it do "one pass vbr" encodes?

[jptheripper]

just to make sure, is this a seperate encoder (i.e. dont need cce) that does the custom matrices of QMatOp internally? if so happy to check out with my nastiest source real soon.

[SAPSTAR]

@Rockas
Currently no...but could be a future dev. :)
@jptheripper
It's real encoder ... just using the same format than CCE for an easy integration with DVDRB

[Fishman0919]

just to make sure, is this a seperate encoder (i.e. dont need cce) that does the custom matrices of QMatOp internally? if so happy to check out with my nastiest source real soon.

Yes, just point to AutoQMatEnc instead of CCE SP (new) and put CCEAQM=1 in the REBUILDER.INI file under options

[Rockas]

Sorry... my first test... didn't work.
Rebuilder says

"ERROR: File V0100000(...) shpws completed, but no .m2v file exists. Aborted"

[Carpo]

must be using the cce 2.7 engine ;D

[Fishman0919]

Sorry... my first test... didn't work.
Rebuilder says

"ERROR: File V0100000(...) shpws completed, but no .m2v file exists. Aborted"


Yes Rockas, I get the erorr sometimes too... if you have CCE Sp 2.70 (or any CCE Sp 2.6#) point to it and start the encoding, then stop dvd-rb befrore cce finishes the segment... repoint to AQE and it should work.

I was just talking to SAPSTAR about this and we are tring to work it out... but this is a temp solution

[Hostile_Monk]

Cool that was finally released to the public; it has looked great on all of my sources, including animation!

[BadServo]

Hmmm...how odd. I never encountered this error. However, I haven't tried an encode with 0.20a yet. I expect it's s minor bug.

[Rockas]

I've done what Fishman0919 suggested and its working fine now :)

[SAPSTAR]

After testing and talking with FishMan...it may come from the length and/or the presence of spaces in the AQE path...try installing it in C:\AutoQMatEnc for ex....it seems to avoid the pb...I'll try to remove this stupid bug !

[jptheripper]

am i pointing to cce sp, cce sp (trial), or cce (2.5)

[SAPSTAR]

am i pointing to cce sp, cce sp (trial), or cce (2.5)
In setup you point to CCE SP(new), then you use CCE SP Trial mode in the CCE settings.

[jptheripper]

okay got it running, says
interlaced movie
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow
\
Done

is this okay?

[Fishman0919]

okay got it running, says
interlaced movie
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow
\
Done

is this okay?

Yes, the first frames always underflow and is corrected in the next pass

[jptheripper]

as a side note, i love the ratio size to expected size, although i wish maybe it would write this to a log file or something?

[jptheripper]

odd, i keep crashing on pass 6, gonna lower it to 4 pass

[Rockas]

@SAPSTAR
Man... you really got to make it faster :D

How long does it take (average) to encode a DVD? - I know, I know, it depends of a lot of things lol... but an answer like... the movie X took me Y hours and I have a pentium 166 (lol) and 8MB of memory (double lol).

[jptheripper]

oh another thing, can i use filters (i.e. undot and deen) with it

[Fishman0919]

@SAPSTAR
Man... you really got to make it faster :D

How long does it take (average) to encode a DVD? - I know, I know, it depends of a lot of things lol... but an answer like... the movie X took me Y hours and I have a pentium 166 (lol) and 8MB of memory (double lol).

ah, The Hulk movies only on an AMD 64 3700+ took 9 hrs with 4 passes and QMatOp on.... same movie without QMatOp took about 3 hrs with 4 passes

[BadServo]

Ah, your killing me Rockas. I deleted all my DVD-RB logs from when I ran the comparison encodes literally minutes before this post. However, after going back over logs of conversations with Sapstar, I did find one comment I made about speed.

Encoding a 2-hour peice of material took AQE 761 minutes, using QmatOp. This was using 6-pass mode. Machine speed is an Athlon XP 2400+ overclocked to a 142 Front Side Bus. I'd say it's equivelent to about a 2700+ PR Rating. The machine has 1GB or RAM.

I'll be running some more tests this week doing comparitive encodes, so I'll turn the FSB down to standard level and report the encoding times of each encoder (HC and AQE). Based on testing I've done in the past, I see absolutely no reason to waste my time with CCE any longer.

[Fishman0919]

oh another thing, can i use filters (i.e. undot and deen) with it
Sure, I was going to test undot and deen with it but didn't get a chance ...it should be OK... might not be need with QMatOp on :)

[Rockas]

I tested one segment... 2 passes, QMatOp On and the result seems pretty good... the segment I tested is not an easy one... I've taken it from "Magnolia" a three hours movie ;)

[Fishman0919]

odd, i keep crashing on pass 6, gonna lower it to 4 pass

Did 4 passes work for you???

[hutch1711]

...try installing it in C:\AutoQMatEnc for ex....it seems to avoid the pb...I'll try to remove this stupid bug !
Installed in the simplest manner possible C:\AutoQMatEnc.exe and still received the error. Did this workaround correct the error for anyone else? :confused:

[BadServo]

Personally, I have the files installed in C:\Program Files\AutoQatEnc\ and have never encountered this error. Very strange. I wonder if there's some other aspect we're missing.

[hutch1711]

Thanks Badservo. Strange indeed. I'll sit on the sideline until Sapstar solves the problem in his usual efficient manner. :)

[Fishman0919]

Installed in the simplest manner possible C:\AutoQMatEnc.exe and still received the error. Did this workaround correct the error for anyone else? :confused:

hutch1711 try installing it like SAPSTAR say... C:\AutoQMatEnc\AutoQMatEnc.exe... some of the files AutoQMatEnc uses are temp put in the root dir C:\ ..... that may be a conflict

Edit: I said it in an earlier post to Rockas

Yes Rockas, I get the erorr sometimes too... if you have CCE Sp 2.70 (or any CCE Sp 2.6#) point to it and start the encoding, then stop dvd-rb befrore cce finishes the segment... repoint to AQE and it should work.

I was just talking to SAPSTAR about this and we are tring to work it out... but this is a temp solution

[gilligan2]

Same error here also. Tried the work around and that didn't even help.

g:)

[BadServo]

I don't knwo if this could have anything to do with it, but is there plenty of available free space on the drive that AQE is being run from? I know that I had drastically underestimated the size of it's temp working files when initially using it and ran into problems as a result, though I don't recall this specifc error message.

In my expirience, using AQE requires several hundred megs of free space to make calculations and pic comparisons in the folder it's run from, even if the source and output folder are on other drives.

Just a thought.

[SAPSTAR]

@all : Sorry for not being there yesterday evening...one of my kid was sick. In order to debug the errors, I would need more info from you guys :
- DVDRB version
- Full Path where you installed AQE + D2VAVS Path
- Memory Config
- Windows version
Something you can do, which could be really useful : There should be an item.ecl file in the D2VAVS dir. copy it in the AQE dir, then open a dos windows in the AQE dir and type : autoqmatenc.exe -ecl iem.ecl
Give me the log if it doesn't work....

I'll work on it with FishMan0919, BadServo and hostile_monk the beta testers of the early hours......

[gilligan2]

Thanks guys and SAPSTAR for trying to help !!

OK,i have plenty of HD space (over 15 GB) on the C: Drive where i have AutoQmatEnc installed.

DVDRB Version = 93.2

Full Path of AQE-Have tried it both in just C:\AutoQmatEnc.exe and in the folder C:\AutoQmatEnc\AutoQmatEnc.exe and neither works

Full Path of D2VAVS path = D:\NEW\D2VAVS

memory 2 GB's

Windows XP SP-2

Have the Mode as CCE,Chose CCE SP Trial in CCE options.


I didn't get a log when i put the item.ecl in the same directory as AutoQmatEnc. I got an error message saying "Could not access item.ecl" then sometimes i get "Press Any key to continue" after it gives me the details on the program.

Hope this helps

G:)

Here is my item.ecl:

; CCE SP Trial Version -- Encoder Control List
; Created by DVD Rebuilder

[item]
title=V01000000001001
aud_out=0
vaf_file=D:\NEW\D2VAVS\V01000000001001.vaf
aud_file=D:\NEW\D2VAVS\V01000000001001.mpa
file_focused=0
packet_size=2048
width=720
height=480
frame_rate_idx=1
cbr_brate=6000
vbr_brate_avg=2818
vbr_brate_min=500
vbr_brate_max=9800
seq_endcode=0
dvd=0
half_width=0
half_height=0
lum_level=0
adjust_q_matrix=1
aspect_ratio=2
gop_m=3
gop_nm=5
gop_hdr=15
seq_hdr=1
all_closed_gop=0
fix_gop_length=0
samples_per_sec=44100
stereo=2
brate_idx=7
crc=1
progressive=0
alternate_scan=1
intra_dc_prec=2
intra_dc_precision_9_max=113
intra_dc_precision_10_max=113
aud_mode=0
tc_ref_frm=0
drop_frame=0
fix_vbv_delay=0
letter_box=0
pulldown_detect=0
offset_line=0
create_new_vaf=1
credits_tweak=0
credits_start=0x00000
credits_brate=1000
h_filter=0
h_filter_idx=8
dither=0
dither_max=8
quality_prec=19
timecode=0x0000000
q_char_f=19
tc_offset=0
v_filter=0
v_filter_val=6
pict_name=
pict_type=3
pict_level=255
video_type=16
vid_file0=D:\NEW\D2VAVS\V01000000001001.m2v
vid_file1=D:\NEW\D2VAVS\V01000000001001.m2v
vid_out=1
vaf_out=1
opv_q_factor=20
opv_brate_min=0
opv_brate_max=7800
vbr_bias=0
vbr_pass=2
use_filter=0
filter_val=6
non_linear=1
top_first=0
mpeg1=0
mpeg1_cps=1
qmat_idx=-1
q_scale_type=1
qmat=
08 16 19 22 26 27 29 34
16 16 22 24 27 29 34 37
19 22 26 27 29 34 34 38
22 22 26 27 29 34 37 40
22 26 27 29 32 35 40 48
26 27 29 32 35 40 48 58
26 27 29 34 38 46 56 69
27 29 35 38 46 56 69 83
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27
20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28
21 22 23 24 26 27 28 30
22 23 24 26 27 28 30 31
23 24 25 27 28 30 31 33

[file]
name=D:\NEW\D2VAVS\V01000000001001.avs
frame_first=0
frame_last=3718
encode_first=0
encode_last=3718

And my rebuilder.ini file:

[Options]
CCEAQM=1
vts_min_size=1
CCETargetSectors=2256400
HCTargetSectors=2256400
Mode=1
OneClick=0
ReduceOpt=1
NoWarn=1
AdditionalOutput=0
LogFile=1
QuEncHQ=1
EncoderMinimized=1
RemoveDTS=1
Skin=Rockas Original
HC_Quality=3
HC_Matrix=1
SkinVersion=5
CCE=3
HalfD1=00
Convert_16_9=00
DisableInterlace=00
iDCT=3
MovieOnly=1
MainMatrix=MPEG Standard
AVSFilter01=
Completed=3
AudioDub=0
DCPrec=3
[Paths]

QuEnc=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\Encoders\QuEnc\QuEnc.exe
ReJig=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\Encoders\ReJig\ReJig.exe
HC=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\Encoders\HC Encoder\HCbatch.EXE
ProCoder=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\Encoders\EclPro\EclPro.exe
DECOMB=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\Filters\Decomb521.dll
MPEG2DEC=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\DGDecode.dll
Working=D:\NEW\
Output=D:\NEW\
CCENew=C:\AutoQMatEnc\AutoQMatEnc.exe
Source=K:\VIDEO_TS\
[Audio]
Selected=1
[Subpictures]
Selected=
[CCEOptions]
VBR_bias=0
Quality_prec=12
eclPasses=3

[Fishman0919]

Well, we found a temp fix for the error... DVD-RB seems to be calling AQE in the dvd-rb matrix dir... so by putting AutoQMatEnc.exe and dctune2.0.exe in the dvd-rb matrix dir... that should fix the problem for now

[SAPSTAR]

Well, we found a temp fix for the error... DVD-RB seems to be calling AQE in the dvd-rb matrix dir... so by putting AutoQMatEnc.exe and dctune2.0.exe in the dvd-rb matrix dir... that should fix the problem for now
FishMan0919 is absolutly right...after many tests he did for me, we found the issue....I'll release a new version correcting this bug soon...most probably tomorrow. I'll have also improved the speed of the "QMatOp" part.....
Thank you FishMan0919 for all your tests it was a tricky one...DVDRB sometimes calls the encoders from its own dir but not in the encoder dir itself ?!

[hutch1711]

Well, we found a temp fix for the error... DVD-RB seems to be calling AQE in the dvd-rb matrix dir... so by putting AutoQMatEnc.exe and dctune2.0.exe in the dvd-rb matrix dir... that should fix the problem for now
Thank you Fishman0919 the temp fix works like a charm :) :thanks:

[gilligan2]

Thanks guys,that did the trick. Its working now so thanks again !!

g:) :)

[Carpo]

SAPSTAR - as asked i will test your encoder - joss stone mind body and soul sessions - nice little dvd so i can use yours and cce on it doing batch encode over night :)

will let you know what i think in the morn :)

[Carpo]

could you make another standalone version with the advanced qmatop for those who like to use it alongside other encoders ?

just an idear

also as pointed out in the pm i now have another error msg

Warning, QMAT_SHIFT is larger then 21, overflows possible
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow

[Fishman0919]

also as pointed out in the pm i now have another error msg

Warning, QMAT_SHIFT is larger then 21, overflows possible
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow
/[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow

Yes they are normally.../[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow... should only be in the first pass and should be corrected in the 2nd pass

[Carpo]

ah ok - but i have to close the window for it to carry on which is a pain in the arse - cus i like to leave qmatop running while i have a little blast on the xbox

[SAPSTAR]

Yes they are normally.../[mpeg2video @ 00676E18]rc buffer underflow... should only be in the first pass and should be corrected in the 2nd pass
Exact !!! And about the message starting by "Warning"...as said this is a warning, saying that overflows could occur...it's not an error...
And no...for now, I don't plan to create the advanced QMatOp feature standalone.....I have no time to develop it...sorry...maybe once AQE will be more stable...

@all : I have now a very good new version, I'm still waiting for tests from the beta testers before releasing it, but my own tests were really good...I'm rather proud of the new rate control (better quality) + the new speed/quality of the qmatop phase... I'll release it really soon be patient !!!

[BadServo]

I'm running a series of quality comparisons on this new version as I write this. Although I'm still testing and will be for many hours yet to come (slow PC), I must say this is quite impressive. Our ol' buddy Sapstar is giving Hank's HC Encoder a run for it's money.

I'll have a page of comparison shots ready as soon as all the necessary encodes are completed.

[Carpo]

could u add an option for more verbose output either on screen or in log ?

and idealy how many passes should u use when doing a backup - i know hc only does 2 and with trial versions of cce sp trial u can do more

but it more really better or just a time wasting exercise ?

i have a few backups i would like to do and 5 passes takes too long if you have 2+ movies to do :( but i have always been told to do 5

[Fishman0919]

but it more really better or just a time wasting exercise ?

i have a few backups i would like to do and 5 passes takes too long if you have 2+ movies to do :( but i have always been told to do 5

5 passes with any encoder is a waste of time.... 2 or 3 is more..more then enough...

The idea behind more then two passes, is in short, to take a little from here where it might not be needed and put it over here where it MIGHT look better. It's not a magic wheel that the more you turn it the better it gets, the enocoder can't magicaly pull bits out of nothing. CCE (or any encoder) gets ALL the info it need to encode the video in the first pass (.vaf pass) and applies it in the second pass.. it simple math (well maybe not real simple) ... the 1st pass gives the encoder the info it need and then distribute the bits to where they are needed on the 2nd pass,.... the 3rd, 4th, 5th pass and so on are really just 2nd and 3rd guesses and not every guess is going to be better... In some test I did 6 or 7 passes look worst then 2 or 3 and in 1 test 100 passes look worst then 2 passes.

Hey, you can do as many passes as you want but it not always the best... I do 2 passes on just about everything and for something long (like LOTR)... 3 passes wouldn't hurt

LOL 360 posts... does that mean I'm back where I started

[Carpo]

2 passes it is then :) - i have done tests in the past where u couldnt really tell the diff between a 2 pass encode and a 5 pass (old eyes u see :)) plus i have been impressed with HC and that only uses 2 passes

and seeing as im not that knowlegdeable on the subject i will take any help given :P


right time to start up sapstars encoder - just wish cce didnt have the stupid way u have to select the passes ;)

:stupid:

[SAPSTAR]

I finally chose to release it :

Things remain to be tweaked or improved...but I think a new version can be released :

Changes History:
0.22a - 2005/05/16 :
- Corrected a bug when DVDRB calls AQE from its own dir.
- Improved the QMatOp part - faster&better
- Corrected a bug when alternative scan block was set.
- Improved the rate control curve - Should correct some artifacts
(However the sizing could be less accurate to - I'm waiting for feedback on it)

I had amazing results on low bitrates encode, on the HalfD1 segs it beats anything I have seen before...even CCE SP.

[Carpo]

was fast didnt even get time to beta test it ;D

little edit : does the advanced qmatop still change the matrix u select or does it use what it thinks is best over writing the matrix u have choosen ?

also will teach me for being late :D

[gilligan2]

Same error problem again,except now it still gives the error even if i put the proggie in the Matrix folder like the work around before.

g:)

[Carpo]

no probs here and im running it from D:\

[SAPSTAR]

Same error problem again,except now it still gives the error even if i put the proggie in the Matrix folder like the work around before.

g:)
As I said before ...could you give more info !!! Just saying there is an error is not really helpful !!! What is printed in the DOS window for example?!?!?

[BadServo]

Well, I ran a series of tests to compare the quality of the current AQE with HC. Unfortunately, I used a bitrate too high for the source material, making visual comparisons very difficult, I intend to perform the tests again with a much lower bitrate, in effort to introduce more artifacts, making side by side comparison a bit easier.

However, in a effort to show users of tranditional transcoders the error of their ways, I'll post this one comparitive shot, in which DVDShrink butchers a relatively simple image.

Also included are a number of stats reguarding the processing time and output size. Check it out here. (http://badservo.com/external_links/AQESMHICOMP.htm)

[alfixdvd]

@BadServo

In your test : AQE-2 Pass w/QMatOp.

w/QMatOp it's with or it's without ?

[BadServo]

With QMatOp

[borgraf]

I'm looking forward to testing this encoder, and i'm all for people doing comparisons and showing them. It's always interesting to see what others come up with. I have a comment here though:
However, in a effort to show using of tranditional transcoders teh error of their waysSettings: ... DVDShrink-Deep w/No Adaptive CorrectionIn all fairness then portray "the user of the traditional transcoder DVDShrink" in a fair way and use AEC in your tests. It'd actually be interesting to see what difference it made :)

[BadServo]

Fair enough, and I didn't mean to sound derogatory towards those who choose traditional transcoders as their meathod of choice. Merely a cheeky joke on my part. Truth be told, I'm quite impressed with the relative quality that CloneDVD produces by default with such a high rate of speed.

As far as AEC goes, this is largely a metter of personal taste. Some perfer smoothness, some perfer sharpness, and each is used to better effect on different material. I chose to leave it disabled in my tests to give a more basline comparison. However, if your sincerely curious, I'll toss in a couple Shrink shots with AEC in my next comparison.

When I use Shrink, I generally go with Sharp. Any objection?

[SAPSTAR]

@BadServo

In your test : AQE-2 Pass w/QMatOp.

w/QMatOp it's with or it's without ?
Of course, we are talking about the included engine, not the standalone version !!!! CCEAQM=1 in REBUILDER.INI to enable it.....

[alfixdvd]

Of course, we are talking about the included engine, not the standalone version !!!! CCEAQM=1 in REBUILDER.INI to enable it.....

I agree.

In BadServo's test: Encoding Time: HC-230min, AQE-174min

HC is 0.14 ?

AQE is the last 0.22a or prior version ?

[gilligan2]

As I said before ...could you give more info !!! Just saying there is an error is not really helpful !!! What is printed in the DOS window for example?!?!?


As i said also,the same error as it was giving before which was

"ERROR: File V0100000(...) shows completed, but no .m2v file exists. Aborted"

Sorry if i wasn't clear.

I have it set up the same way that it worked with the work around of putting the proggie in the DVD Rebuilder matrix folder and it didn't work. I tried to put the new one in the same folder and it still didn't work like the old way did.
I also tried it just in its own folder first like normal and that didn't work either.

Thanks.

g:)

[SAPSTAR]

I agree.

In BadServo's test: Encoding Time: HC-230min, AQE-174min

HC is 0.14 ?

AQE is the last 0.22a or prior version ?
it's the 0.22a2 a prior version of the 0.22a....(for beta testers only), but the speed is the same than 0.22a.

[SAPSTAR]

As i said also,the same error as it was giving before which was

"ERROR: File V0100000(...) shows completed, but no .m2v file exists. Aborted"

Sorry if i wasn't clear.

I have it set up the same way that it worked with the work around of putting the proggie in the DVD Rebuilder matrix folder and it didn't work. I tried to put the new one in the same folder and it still didn't work like the old way did.
I also tried it just in its own folder first like normal and that didn't work either.

Thanks.

g:)
Hi ! I meant the log in the AQE window.......with the log coming from DVDRB I can't do anything !

[gilligan2]

Their is no AQE log in the window because it never starts.

g:)

[borgraf]

When I use Shrink, I generally go with Sharp. Any objection?Nope. The default setting sounds like the right choice for this :)

[SAPSTAR]

Their is no AQE log in the window because it never starts.

g:)
If there is no window starting check your DVDRB settings !!! There is ALWAYS a dos window opening if DVDRB is pointing to the application....
[EDIT] Anyway, I'm to release a version with an auto-installer to get rid of this kind of issue....

[gilligan2]

OK,thanks for the help. I got it up and running !!


g:)

[SAPSTAR]

Given all errors reported about the dirs and install pb, I release ealier than expected the latest version :
0.23b - 2005/06/21 :
- Pass 1 auto restart in case of cancelation in the next passes.
- Setup program with the addition of the correct PATH for DCTune2.0 in the PATH variable
- Tweaked the rate control curve + new internal mode for ultra low bitrates (<1500)
(Not fully tested - waiting for results from BadServo on this part)
- Corrected a bug when the dirs contained spaces...stupid one this one !!!

Thanks to FishMan0919, BadServo, Carpo and danpos for all their tests !!!

[Carpo]

git - a new rls and after i started a 2 dvd batch encode ;D

[Carpo]

well after running Dr Who Vol 1 thru autoqmatenc - was really supprised with the results

total time 12 hours (ish) but.....

it was 133 mins in length (3 eps) with
UnDot().Deen() avisynth filters
passes 3 (it needed high compression (58%)) vaf + 2 passes
Jawor's 1CD Quantization Matrix (if there is better filter that i should be using feel free to post and suggest one)

Other Info:

- AVS Filters are enabled.
- "CCE Adaptive Quantizer Matrices" is enabled.
- "Movie and Menus Only" mode is enabled.
- VTS_02: 3,611,703 sectors.
-- Scanning and writing .D2V file
-- Processed 200,801 frames.
-- Building .AVS and .ECL files
- Reduction Level for DVD-5: 55.7%
- Overall Bitrate : 3,974Kbs
- Space for Video : 3,896,618KB

now in total the dvd was 4.32GB and the picture is really good - much better than i thought (sorry sapstar) although it is slower than most (which did put me off at first) the finished result is well worth the extra time.

Now im no expert on the subject but i would strongly advise giving this encoder a look over :)

[SAPSTAR]

....
UnDot().Deen() avisynth filters and
Jawor's 1CD Quantization Matrix (if there is better filter that i should be using feel free to post and suggest one)
...
About the filters...I'm using BlindPP(cpu2="xxxxxx") ....just a matter of taste I suppose...
About the speed, I'm trying to find a way to increase it...not so easy given the fact that in a 2 passes mode, there is a first pass just for QMatOp so 3 passes in fact.....I may try another strategy soon.....

[BadServo]

Now im no expert on the subject but i would strongly advise giving this encoder a look over :)

Good to hear you had such good results. I've found that with bitrates over 3000, quality is nearly identical to HC Encoder (which I think delivers generally better quality than CCE) and in some cases perhaps a bit better. At bitrates in the 2000-3000 range, it seems to be hit or miss between HC and AQE as to which is better. Depends largely on the source I would presume. On bitrates lower than 2000, HC seems to have an advantage, as more blocking appears in high-motion scenes with AQE. But this is something SAPSTAR is working tirelessly on.

Thus far, disc size has been very good. I've yet to have an oversized disc with AQE. However, occational undersizing may occur. It is interesting to note however, that in my personal tests, the undersized material produced by AQE was identical in perceptual quality to the HC results that utilize the entire disc.

I agree that SAPSTAR has made remarkable progress in a short time and has developed a VERY capable encoder. I strongly encourage anyone who hasn't tried it to do so. Them thar optimized Matrices sure help a might.

[SAPSTAR]

On bitrates lower than 2000, HC seems to have an advantage, as more blocking appears in high-motion scenes with AQE. But this is something SAPSTAR is working tirelessly on....
I would say between 1500-2000 :) under 1500 It has to be tested ! ;)
[EDIT] I ran some tests at 1000bps and on halfD1...up to now I would say hard to make a difference between HC and AQE...I would say maybe better with AQE...but I may be biased ! ;)

[MaDxCrEaM]

Is the download site down? I can't connect, tried both my computers with no luck.

[BadServo]

The site does appear to be down at the moment. However, I spoke with SAPSTAR today, and a new version with significant improvments is on the way. If we're lucky, it may be ready be tommarrow.

The only versions I have handy at the moment are the interim test versions, or I'd post it myself.

[MaDxCrEaM]

thnks for info BadServo

[Carpo]

latest on the site was 23b - i could post that if required

[archaeo]

Sapstar:
I decided to go ahead and give AQE a try on a challenging source, a 196 minute (older) film with an average bitrate of around 2280 and compression at 54%. Everything was set up properly, and AQE went ahead and went to work. However, about 30 minutes into the process, I noticed that the DOS progress window was hung up at this particular spot (see attached) and message was indicating a buffer underflow.

the log is below:

[21:07:49] One Click encoding activated...
-----------------
[21:07:49] Phase I, PREPARATION started.
- CCE SP 2.70.2.0 encoder selected.
- "CCE Adaptive Quantizer Matrices" is enabled.
- VTS_01: 3,729,964 sectors.
-- Scanning and writing .D2V file
-- Processed 301,198 frames.
-- Building .AVS and .ECL files
- Reduction Level for DVD-5: 54.1%
- Overall Bitrate : 2,281Kbs
- Space for Video : 3,497,256KB
- HIGH/LOW/TYPICAL Bitrates: 3,643/500/2,281 Kbs
[21:17:02] Phase I, PREPARATION completed in 10 minutes.
[21:17:02] Phase II ENCODING started
- Creating M2V for VTS_01 segment 0
- Creating M2V for VTS_01 segment 1
- Creating M2V for VTS_01 segment 2
-- Encoding resulted in no .M2V, retrying.
- Creating M2V for VTS_01 segment 2
Aborted.

Not sure what did this, but I aborted..Was this an error based on what you see in the DOS screen?

any ideas on how to solve this? The program looks promising.

[BadServo]

Buffer Overflow messages in the DOS box are not uncommon and are nothing to worry about. As for why M2V creation failed, I'm not sure. Thus far, I've only have this occur once, and it ended up being some things I had changed in RB-Opt that caused the problems. Perhaps your doing some extra pre-processing that's conflicting.

I'm sure Sapstar can shed some more light on this.

[Carpo]

i have had this twice with dr who vol 1 and vol 2 now, first time was cus of dir name (that seemed to be the case) other poss reason was that it was pal and interlaced - or it could have been becuase i had remove ifo structure protection turned on in dvd-rb

altho i have backed up true lies (ntsc interlaced) with no issues :mad: - so im at a loss to figure this one out

[Axlemar]

I didn't see it mentioned in this thread, but the program is now hosted at http://www.badservo.com/autoqmatenc/

Also, when I use the program I get a message about qmat_shift being larger than 21 and that possible buffer overflows can occur and then I get messages about buffer underflows being @ specific locations. Is that normal? Also how would you go about using the animation switch like in qmatop or change the tolerance or time (if you still want people messing with those settings).

[Carpo]

Also, when I use the program I get a message about qmat_shift being larger than 21 and that possible buffer overflows can occur and then I get messages about buffer underflows being @ specific locations. Is that normal?

yes they are normal and are ok as fishman has posted to me - as i asked the same question they are fixed in the 2nd pass

[Axlemar]

I finished an encode with the program (which took 14 hours) on an animated series I owned. The results came out jumbled with no indication of the original picture, just green and multi-color lines. The source was interlaced and the program detected alternate lines. I used 64-bit idct, 4 passes, and I am pretty sure I set it up properly. I am using the dgdecode that comes with rebuilder and the newest avisynth as well as the newest pro rebuilder.

[Fishman0919]

I used 64-bit idct.

IEEE 64-bit does have a known error in it and 64-bit Floating Point doesn't but that is not the problem.

and the newest avisynth.

Avisynth 2.5.6 Beta3 [050505] ???, if so bad idea... try 2.55

4 passes.

3 passes will give you the same quality as 4 passes and takes less time... the only benny to 4 passes might be better sizing on hard to encode stuff

As for the Green and Multi-Color lines....dunno... never had that happen with AQE

[Carpo]

what you dont want are buffer under runs which i have been getting and sapstar is looking into it :)

[Axlemar]

It was avisynth. I was using the newest version instead of the stable and for some reason it works with CCE SP and not AutoQMatEnc.

[danpos]

At Others MPEG1/2 Encoder forum (http://forum.doom9.org/showpost.php?p=678139&postcount=66)

CYA!

[archaeo]

Just wanted to update my last post where I hit a 'buffer underflow' notice on the DOS screen- apparently I aborted the encode w/out having to. When I ran the source again and let it alone, it went through that segment after some time. So it was not hung up as I suspected, but was just busy processing.

[Fishman0919]

Just wanted to update my last post where I hit a 'buffer underflow' notice on the DOS screen- apparently I aborted the encode w/out having to. When I ran the source again and let it alone, it went through that segment after some time. So it was not hung up as I suspected, but was just busy processing.

Sorry archaeo I didn't see your post earlier, yes if 'buffer underflow' error comes up the encoder continues ... sometimes it does look like the encoder is hanging... If I was paying more to what I was reading I would have told you this sooner..... Sorry :o

[archaeo]

no problem. thanks for the help :)

[Axlemar]

I think I have noticed something interesting. On the same animated series I backed up (now this I got it working due to originally having the wrong avisynth for this program) I got undersized results by ~250 megs doing 4 passes. During the encoding I noticed that after the buffer overflow messages that there were sometimes buffer underflow message that listed specific section of the video. The underflow didn't always happen, but when it did the expected file size was quite a bit higher than the actual file size. Also, has anybody else had a good sized encode with an animated disc using an idct other than the default? Also, using the newest beta avisynth gave me messed up video results and a long encode time, but the size was right on.

[SAPSTAR]

OK...As I said, I just wanted to share a bit of work of mine...that's becoming too complicated, and the intentions of certain persons not so clear (I'm not to make any money with my encoder nor anybody else). So I choose to stop everything here !!! I'm fed up with that licensing issue http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=678489#post678489 , it was supposed to be fun, it's not....so I'll keep my encoder and future mods for myself only. For info, I was to release the OPV compliant version.....

[Carpo]

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Krizzz989]

Why don't you just do it xvid style, by releasing the source code (as proof-of-concept?), and we can compile it ourselves?

[buzzqw]

please SAPSTAR

don't be sad/angry

continue your work, it's a good program and many of us will benefit from using it on our backup

:)

best regards

BHH

[SAPSTAR]

please SAPSTAR

don't be sad/angry

continue your work, it's a good program and many of us will benefit from using it on our backup

:)

best regards

BHH
Don't worry I'm thinking about a way to come back "legally"...most probably by using a libavcodec.dll instead of linking ot it directly, the only sad stuff is I won't be able to modify the motion estimation procedure as I was planning to do in order to increase the speed...but the rest should be the same, as I used up to now a regular libavacodec but I overrided the rate control through the rc_override feature.....

[winny]

I hope you can work this out to everyone's satisfaction, it sounds like a worthwhile project.

Best wishes.

[danpos]

Don't worry I'm thinking about a way to come back "legally"...most probably by using a libavcodec.dll instead of linking ot it directly

Cool, man !! :cool:

:thanks:

[Carpo]

should the beta testers be on standby then :sly: :D

[Axlemar]

The quality of this encoder was really good and it takes a lot of the guess work out of finding optimal settings. Please don't let anyone discourage your brillant idea for an encoding process.

[beanbrain]

Please don't let anyone discourage your brillant idea for an encoding process.

It's not about discouraging, but all about encouraging respect for the license of the software his own encoder uses.

Xvid, Qenc, libavcodec, Linux, etc., and all the projects forked from them probably wouldn't be here if the people involved in those projects just wanted to have "fun", but didn't respect the license and release the code they developed because it was “too complicated”.

The GPL, LGPL, etc. is the glue that holds the open source community together. Without it, the likes of Microsoft and others would be free to profit off all the hard work put into the great number of open source projects without having to give back a single cent. This would collapse the community. There’s a reason Microsoft called the license a virus – it’s because it meant “hands off” to them, and they didn’t like it.

If Sapstar doesn’t like the GPL/LGPL that’s his own choice – but he still can’t use GPLd code in his own project without following the license agreement, or getting permission otherwise from the copyright holder of the code he’s using.

Even though Sapstar released his work for free, and I’m sure it never entered his mind that he was doing anything wrong, he still needs to respect the wishes of those that freely gave him access to their code via the GPL.

That aside, it's a great project and I hope he continues -- but this time with more reverence for the other authors of the code he's using.

[winny]

A cursory glance through the other forums shows your point has been made clear and hammered home in several threads already.

I hope everyone gets behind him (and any other developers for that matter) to make the implementations as successful as possible.

Hopefully everyone will benefit in the end. :)

[Fishman0919]

It's not about discouraging, but all about encouraging respect for the license of the software his own encoder uses.

Xvid, Qenc, libavcodec, Linux, etc., and all the projects forked from them probably wouldn't be here if the people involved in those projects just wanted to have "fun", but didn't respect the license and release the code they developed because it was “too complicated”.

The GPL, LGPL, etc. is the glue that holds the open source community together. Without it, the likes of Microsoft and others would be free to profit off all the hard work put into the great number of open source projects without having to give back a single cent. This would collapse the community. There’s a reason Microsoft called the license a virus – it’s because it meant “hands off” to them, and they didn’t like it.

If Sapstar doesn’t like the GPL/LGPL that’s his own choice – but he still can’t use GPLd code in his own project without following the license agreement, or getting permission otherwise from the copyright holder of the code he’s using.

Even though Sapstar released his work for free, and I’m sure it never entered his mind that he was doing anything wrong, he still needs to respect the wishes of those that freely gave him access to their code via the GPL.

That aside, it's a great project and I hope he continues -- but this time with more reverence for the other authors of the code he's using.

beanbrain, :D , thats right, sure is fitting....LOL

[Hostile_Monk]

And what a great first post, so encouraging. To use your same argument against you, I'm sure everytime there was a little problem with a licence agreement, I'm sure the authors of the software you mentioned didn't sit around and whine about it for days on end either. Nothing gets accomplished. How about adding to the scene and being a bit more productive?

[hutch1711]

And what a great first post......
This BEANBRAIN joins the Doom9's forum on June 22 and his first post is to try an escalate the verbal attack that has been waged against SAPSTAR in another, now closed, thread! Interesting, because the most obstinate individual taking potshots at SAPSTAR in the now closed thread was also not a regular contributor. I certainly question their motives.

[beanbrain]

taking potshots at SAPSTAR

It was by no means a "potshot" at Sapstar, but instead a counter-point to those that seem to be under the impression that making sure GPLd software is used within its license is somehow "discouraging" an author from further development - followed by an explanation of why respecting the GPL is important, for those that seemed to still have trouble grasping it.

In no way were the remarks meant as inflammatory (nor did it appear that any of those that pointed out the potential violation in the beginning meant, or caused, any disrespect to Sapstar).

"Inflammatory" would be the insults that have been directed at me and any response I could have to them - something I have no intention of doing.

And again, I certainly hope Sapstar continues the project.

[hutch1711]

The quality of this encoder was really good and it takes a lot of the guess work out of finding optimal settings. Please don't let anyone discourage your brillant idea for an encoding process.
I see nothing in Axlemar's post that mentions anything about encouraging SAPSTAR to circumvent GPLd code. He offered encouragement to SAPSTAR not to be discouraged and continue with the project. You on the other hand post a reply as if somehow this is what he in fact was implying. SAPSTAR doesn't need another lecture from some self proclaimed GLP licence crusaider. SAPSTAR has acknowledged he made a mistake and has learned from it. This issue doesn't require rehashing here. Or is there an agenda here? SAPSTAR, I'm beginning to think you may have to impale yourself on a sword before some people are satisfied.

[beanbrain]

I see nothing in Axlemar's post that mentions anything about encouraging SAPSTAR to circumvent GPLd code.

No, but it does imply that those who encouraged Sapstar to abide by the license were discouraging him from continuing his project. This is what I responded to.

SAPSTAR doesn't need another lecture from some self proclaimed GLP licence crusaider.

My post was not directed at Sapstar.

Having released code under the GPL myself, yes, I'm probably too sensitive to disregard of the license - but I would never proclaim myself a "GPL license crusader". That's the job of the FSF and other organizations.

[Axlemar]

You know what, how about we either stop right here with the "who did what" or we open a new thread just to have a formal debate about who was in the wrong, why they were wrong, etc. I say it has gone on for too long and it isn't helping anyone. Sapstar has ended the gpl version of the program and MAY release a different one not bound by it. That pretty much sums up the last dozen post on this thread and I think we should just forget about the removed gpl version. It's gone. The end.

[Carpo]

there might be a new version out sooner than you think ;)

[SAPSTAR]

New thread :

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=679821#post679821

Thank you for all your support....you gave me the taste to find a way to get rid of those "licensing" issues....

Special thanks to :
FishMan0919, BadServo, Carpo, Axlemar, Danpos, Hutch1711, MaDxCrEaM, junkyardogg, Doom9, and all others who supported my efforts.

[hutch1711]

Great news!!! :)

[Carpo]

there might be a new version out sooner than you think ;)


damn im good :cool:

[Krizzz989]

[Paths]
DECOMB=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\Filters\Decomb521.dll
MPEG2DEC=C:\Program Files\DVD-RB PRO\DGDecode.dll
Working=C:\DVD-RB\
Output=C:\DVD-RB\
CCENEW=C:\Program Files\AutoQMatEnc\AutoQMatEnc.exe
Source=C:\FELLOWSHIP_EXT_D1\VIDEO_TS\
[Options]
CCEAQM=1
CCETargetSectors=2252800
SkinVersion=7
HC_Quality=1
AVSFilter01=#JDL_UnfoldFieldsVertical
AVSFilter02=#Convolution3d("movielq")
AVSFilter03=#TemporalCleaner(2,5)
AVSFilter04=#JDL_FoldFieldsVertical
OneClick=0
EncoderMinimized=1
Backcolor=14215660
CCE=3
HalfD1=00
Convert_16_9=00
DisableInterlace=00
Completed=8
AdditionalOutput=0
Mode=1
iDCT=0
ReduceOpt=0
Skin=Rebuilder Default
DVD_Label=FELLOWSHIP_EXT_D1
DVD_Name=FELLOWSHIP_EXT_D1.ISO
[Audio]
Selected=1
[Subpictures]
Selected=1
[Setup]
Languages=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
sLanguages=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
[CCEOptions]
VBR_bias=25
Quality_prec=16
eclPasses=2
http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9017/cceaqm5jf.th.png (http://img134.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cceaqm5jf.png)

Am I doing something wrong? Thanks in advance for any help.

[SAPSTAR]

@Krizzz989

CCEAQM=1 is only supported by pro versions of DVDRB, if you are not using it, then you have to change it manually in the REBUILDER.ECL file (adjust_q_matrix=0 to be replaced by adjust_q_matrix=1).

[Krizzz989]

I'm using the pro version

[SAPSTAR]

0.25b - 2005/07/07
- Improved the rate control.
- Replaced the turning cross by a percentage indicator
- Log file creation : <AVSFILE>.log
- The rate control automatically detects, if it has any chance to improve the movie in the next pass if not it skips it.

The rate control is better , it may correct many undersizing issues..some may still be there. I implemented a logfile generation in order to help me in the debugging. Thanks to Carpo for this idea....

[Carpo]

you could have given me some time to test it first - whats the use of being a beta tester if you rleases it a few hours after i get it :D :devil:

[hutch1711]

The :devil: made him do it. :D

[SAPSTAR]

Sorry I just discovered that the setup for 0.25b still contains the 0.24b version...I'll correct that as soons as possible....really sorry...
[EDIT] The package should be OK now.....I added a last minute correction I hope it will be good....

[Carpo]

that will teach u :sly: :devil:

qual seems better and i havent had any underflows (yet) but speed should be high on the piroity list now, but no need to sacrifice qual over speed tho :) - just would be nice if it was bit faster :p

[SAPSTAR]

Hi all,

Just to inform you I discovered a major flaw in the rate control, for bitrates higher than 2500-3000 kps, there is a good chance for your vid to be undersized, especially for animations or dark movies.
Expect a new release during the weekend.....

[Carpo]

there is a good chance for your vid to be undersized, especially for animations or dark movies.


and oversized for you pron films ;D

[SAPSTAR]

Finally I release 0.26b...the rate control is not yet as perfect as I would like, but is definitely better. I release it because I'm not sure if I will be able to work on it the 2 or 3 following weeks because I will be in vacation....

0.26b - 2005/07/13
- Corrected the PATH variable, added a ; at the end.
- Corrected the rate control once again...a new approach was implemented.
- Corrected a bug when the rate control was totally wrong,
the Nth pass was ending asking for pressing a key.
[EDIT] May be faster too...not 100% sure yet !

[SAPSTAR]

Hi there,

This is most probably my last release for the next 2 weeks....
0.27b - 2005/07/20
- Added a low motion detector to tweak the rate control
- Improved the rate control
- Updated the averaging in QMatOp
- Corrected an error on very big files for the Nth path(N>2)
- Minor tweakings and errors.

There are still issues with the high bitrates animations, outside this type of movie it should be ok....Good Encode !!!
Special thanks to Axlemar and Carpo for their tests of this last week....
Last minute info : The 1webspace.org web site died...my primary web site will be now the one provided by badservo : www.badservo.com/autoqmatenc

[Carpo]

u have another option :) - the space is still there if you want it :D

[BadServo]

You can now also access the official site at http://www.autoqmatenc.com

[SAPSTAR]

0.28b - 2005/08/05
- Corrected a major bug in the credits "type" scenes
- Corrected the rate control, 2 passes are enough for 90% of the scenes,
3/4 passes for the rest.
- Improved the sizing - Should be ok now.
For DVDRB Users, the default target size for DVDRB is [EDIT]4.27Gb
but CCE/HC tend to oversize,
I suggest CCETargetSectors=2260000 or 2280000 when using AQE.
- Recompiled avcodec, I'm now using the very last version of it...
(some overflows corrections were brought with it)

Good encodes :p ....and let me know your results....

Special thanks to Badservo for the free hosting :thanks: and Axlemar for the many detailed tests he ran... :thanks:

FYI : I lost my HDD during my vacations due to a storm, so I had to restart from the 0.24b version sources....I hope everything is back to normal now.

[Carpo]

you had chance to look at the processor pack for vs6 yet ?

CCETargetSectors=2260000 - what is the size of the dvd that puts out ?

[SAPSTAR]

you had chance to look at the processor pack for vs6 yet ?

CCETargetSectors=2260000 - what is the size of the dvd that puts out ?
Formula : Size in Gb = (CCETargetSectors*2)/1048576
2260000 = 4.31Gb
2280000 = 4.35Gb
[EDIT] I didn't yet look at the processor pack....becuz of my HD failure, I had no time for it !

[SAPSTAR]

Hi there,

The new official board is : http://www.vmesquita.com/forum/index.php?board=41.0

You can check there...you'll see that's is much much more active for AQE.

See you there !!!