Please reccommend a x264 that wont try to forcibly distort my footage!

[ExperimentalAnimations]

Both staxrip and handbrake try to resize or crop my footage. Its uncompressed 720x540, plain old 1.33. There's no reason it shouldnt accept a simple resolution. It does this with almost everything i try to encode, no resolution is acceptable no matter how standard. Is there an x264 gui out there that can just take what i give it and not put up a fight?

[hello_hello]

I don't use either of those programs but I'd imagine there's no reason why any video has to be cropped or resized when encoding. You can't disable auto-cropping or resizing? It may be because 540 isn't an exact multiple of 16 and by default the programs are trying to use mod16 dimensions.

Try MeGUI. When you open a video from the File/Open menu it should open an indexing job to add to the job queue (I'm not referring to using the one click encoder as I don't use it so I don't know how it works). Once you run the indexing job the AVI Script Creator window will open along with a preview window. By default, there won't be any cropping or resizing. All you should need to do is set up any required deinterlacing under the filters tab and then select Save to save the script. Back in the main program window you set up the encoder options and use the Queue button(s). There's separate queue buttons for adding video and audio encoding jobs to the job queue individually, or you can use the AutoEncode button to add a job to the job queue which includes both.

[Atak_Snajpera]

ripbot?

[manolito]

You can't disable auto-cropping or resizing? It may be because 540 isn't an exact multiple of 16 and by default the programs are trying to use mod16 dimensions.

Exactly. And the options to turn off autocropping and resizing are not that hard to find, neither in Handbrake nor in StaxRip...


Cheers
manolito

[ExperimentalAnimations]

No, i cant disable autocropping or resizing, even if i deselect them it will always try to use like 702x540 or 720x536 or something, even when i change the multiple from 16 to 2. I tried meGUI but it just gave me some error when i loaded my video in the script creator and wouldnt let me do anything past that. A functioning encoder, anyone?

[ExperimentalAnimations]

I saw ripbot was mentioned, tried it, simple, straightfoward, and didnt rape my footage! What a marvel there is at least one programmer out there that actually knows what he's doing.

[manolito]

No, i cant disable autocropping or resizing, even if i deselect them it will always try to use like 702x540 or 720x536 or something, even when i change the multiple from 16 to 2. I tried meGUI but it just gave me some error when i loaded my video in the script creator and wouldnt let me do anything past that.

Not true at all. Let's see HandBrake first:


You have to turn off Anamorphic and for cropping enter values of 0. I did check the output file, it really has a frame size of 720X540.




StaxRip is a little less easy...

For some reason most source filters contain the line
Crop(0,0, -Width % 8,-Height % 8)
(Only mpeg2source and DGSource do not contain this line)

This is what you have to do if you do not care for cropping:
1. Load your template
2. Under "Options -> Output Mod" select a value of 2.
3. Change your source filter from "Automatic" to the one you really need (AviSource in my case)
4. Doubleclick on this filter and remove the line with the cropping.






Cheers
manolito

[ExperimentalAnimations]

Thanks for the explanation, but it only furthers my point, users shouldnt have to know what all that means or guess at why their footage isnt turning out right. Its when lazy programmers don't want to put in the necessary measures to detect and configure all settings according to the input without any user involvement beyond basic wrapper/bitrate settings that problems like these occur. All information an encoder will ever need to know is in the video file itself and unless otherwise configured by the user input should always equal output (image-wise); it looks like only the ripbot developers managed to figure out and successfully implement this simple design 101 concept.

[smok3]

classic gui will almost always add some sort of (more or less) annoying abstraction layer, however there are some win-based launchers to be found on this forum which i suppose is what you are looking for?

p.s. i haven't actually tested any of those, just guessing.

[hello_hello]

Originally Posted by ExperimentalAnimations

Thanks for the explanation, but it only furthers my point, users shouldnt have to know what all that means or guess at why their footage isnt turning out right. Its when lazy programmers don't want to put in the necessary measures to detect and configure all settings according to the input without any user involvement beyond basic wrapper/bitrate settings that problems like these occur.

Personally, I think you've got it backwards.
One of the goals of encoder GUIs is often to make things easier for the user, especially novice users. That's why they do things like auto-crop and resize etc, but there's no way something "one size fits all" is going to get it perfect for everyone. It's when lazy users don't want to put in the necessary effort to detect and configure all the settings that problems like these occur.

Program A might leave everything untouched by default while program B might not, but for every person wanting to encode a 720x540 video without altering the source in any way there's going to be a few million users encoding DVD or Bluray files etc, many who'll then post in forums complaining the black bars haven't been cropped or the aspect ratio is wrong because they don't understand how to do it manually.

Admittedly StaxRip's autocropping line was something I could never get my head around, so I didn't use that program myself for long, but changing a few settings in HandBrake if need be to ensure it doesn't do any cropping, resizing, or video raping should be child's-play.

[StainlessS]

@ExperimentalAnimations
If in doubt, RTFM, If only computers could read minds (perhaps one day, BUT not today).

[ExperimentalAnimations]

Originally Posted by hello_hello

It's when lazy programmers don't want to put in the necessary effort to detect and configure all the settings and choose to instead blame errors on their users that problems like these occur.

There, fixed that for you.

[manolito]

@ ExperimentalAnimations

I think it's you who needs some fixing...

Maybe you should read up on the benefits of cropping / resizing in mod4/mod8/mod16 before you feel fit to insult the developers of Handbrake and StaxRip by suggesting that "they don't know what they're doing".

Get some attitude adjustment...

Added you to my ignore list...


Cheers
manolito

[hello_hello]

Originally Posted by ExperimentalAnimations

There, fixed that for you.

Doesn't even make sense. It's the user who detects and configures options in the software they use. The problem is, for you, they're not all configured to behave the same way by default.

If the software doesn't have the settings you need that might be a different story, otherwise the old adage "a poor workman blames his tools" still seems to have just as much relevance in the digital age.

[ExperimentalAnimations]

Originally Posted by manolito

For some reason most source filters contain the line
Crop(0,0, -Width % 8,-Height % 8)

otherwise the old adage "a poor workman blames his tools" still seems to have just as much relevance in the digital age.

I dont know, seems like its the tools fault.

[hello_hello]

Originally Posted by ExperimentalAnimations

I dont know, seems like its the tools fault.

It probably would if you didn't take the time to learn how to use it.

[RanmaCanada]

you could always use minicoder. But I am not sure if the files it creates are anything more than stereo. It was abandoned a while ago, but is still functioning.

[Lighto]

Originally Posted by ExperimentalAnimations

I dont know, seems like its the tools fault.

So you are in the position to judge the tools because you are an ignorant user?
Did I get that right?

[djmasturbeat]

you could also add black borders to make it mod4/etc.
that may also prevent auto-cropping/resizing and also have it a proper AR, which is considered a good thing.
I am of the camp that I prefer black borders/windowboxing to cropping picture, though I think this is generally frowned upon, especially for SD material.

on the off-topic thread, I do agree that you should read the manual rather than be so negative about programmers sharing their tools for free.