Auto Gordian Knot: current version 2.55

[Carraway]

I realize that I'm straddling that subtle line between annoying and really annoying right now, but I've got a kind of feature suggestion idea that I'd like to float.

I recall a while ago that there was talk that AutoGK was producing dark encodes. I'm grateful that you didn't add anything internally to AutoGK to brighten the encodes because that might've caused some problems, but here is my question:

I have several just generally dark sources -- Buffy [seasons 1-3], H.E.A.T., and any number of other things -- so how feasible (or infeasible!) would a .filters file be, in which you could add internal avisynth filters like tweak(bright=xx) or levels(1,1.x,255,0,255) that would then be appended to the end of the comptest and movie avs files? Would it be difficult? Impossible to support? Unlikely to ever be implemented? etc etc.

I'm in the process of archiving some Buffy at the moment, so I had to at least float the idea because otherwise it would torture my very being. Thanks for listening.

[therealjoeblow]

Originally posted by Carraway
-- so how feasible (or infeasible!) would a .filters file be, in which you could add internal avisynth filters like tweak(bright=xx) or levels(1,1.x,255,0,255) that would then be appended to the end of the comptest and movie avs files? Would it be difficult? Impossible to support? Unlikely to ever be implemented? etc etc.

I was just about to post a similar request for len0x to consider. I fully understand that he's already said over and over that AutoGK is not intended to be an expert tool to replace GK 100%, but support of additional filters would probably be the kicker that would allow it to be a 99% replacement. I've run into a few older films that AutoGK just can't do a good job of because they're too noisy, and need some additional denoise filters that can't be used ATM with current versions of AGK.

Any chance, len0x?

[len0x]

wait for config file support (which is at least 1 month away from next stable release date).

[Mtz]

len0x, please check the download links for the beta's. With 1.2.2 the only link which was good was the third, and now at the both 2 links there are 1.2.1 and 1.2.2.

[Taurus]

len0x, please check the download links for the beta's.

Downloads work like a charm.
Beta 1.23 is available at both servers.
So what are you talking about?
Just checked one minute ago...
From where did you download???

Cheers

Taurus

[len0x]

Originally posted by Mtz
len0x, please check the download links for the beta's. With 1.2.2 the only link which was good was the third, and now at the both 2 links there are 1.2.1 and 1.2.2.

both mirrors have 1.23, dunno what's your problem...

[Mtz]

Solved!
Your servers don't like my FlashGet. But was for the first time when FlashGet didn't work ok.

[jdion81]

Originally posted by jdion81
I know that AutoGK uses a lot of programs that are external to the main app. Is there any chance of seeing AutoGK on linux?

This must be a stupid question.

[QNX]

Originally posted by jdion81
This must be a stupid question.

well.. if user have enough linux experience he can try to run all AutoGK with sub application under Wine

len0x

i like AutoGK more and more :P

great job

[((( atom )))]

autogk under linux... actually we could develop a script that does the steps like autogk does them. i thought about it very often, just i am lazy and i saw what happens once you start.. for linux-users it would be really great, though, since everybody could modify it to fit their needs.

personally i would build a standalone-machine that starts encoding automatically one a dvd is inserted. no monitor, no keyboard needed! that would rock.

over at the linux-section one guy has kinda worked out a compressibility test under linux, wich is one of the most and so far missing thing for it to work.

@len0x:
in case anybody really starts such a script, would you share some of the methods autogk uses to make its decisions? you put a lot of work and thoughts into them and i think they work very well.

[evil ryu]

I tried to convert "21 Grams" in DivX. I set 1 CD (700 MB) as output size and I got 702 MB as result.
Is it a bug of AutoGK?
I encoded a lot of films with previous versions and results were always accurate.

[ydobon]

Hello all.

Thanks Len0x for adding the language comments. One less step to do manually

I've been using AutoGK quite intensivelly lately and it's almost perfect. I'm even writing a "tutorial" for friends so they stop asking how to do a dvd backup

There's one little thing (ain't always one ) that I've missed: an "All Subtitles" option in the subtitles dropdown menu. Sometimes, especially with movies with forced subtitles, I want to have 3 or 4 subtitle tracks. Right now I do it directly with VobSub (then doing the movies of 700-n MB, being n the size of the RARed subtitles), but it would be sweet to have it as an option.

@evil ryu:
In case of a few MB extra-size I usually solve it tweaking the audio/video interleaving in VDubMod.

Regards

[nightrhyme]

A few questions about the way AutoGK determines AR:

I just made a few encodings of Forrest Gump to try and get AR= 2.35:1.
AutoGK Video Info :PAL - 720x576 - 16:9 Anamorphic - 25fps - 2:16:17.000

First Try: Resolution Settings = Minimum Width 640. End Result resolution = 640 x 256

Second Try: Resolution Settings = Fixed Width 704. End Result = 704 x 288.

Third Try: Resolution Settings = Auto Width. End Result = 572 x 230 or something like that. Don't quite remember since I deleted it. Just remember AR was wrong again.

I can't seem to get AR = 2.35:1. Am I doing something wrong ?

Hope you can help this poor newbee

Thanx in advance guys

[manono]

Hi nightrhyme-

Do you still have the vobs and the .d2v? Can you try something? Open the .d2v in GKnot, and crop away the black, but not into the active video. Then have a look at the AR (the one below Smart Crop All). My guess is that it'll say something between 2.42-2.45. The point is that many so-called 2.35:1 movies aren't really 2.35:1. When you see that 2.42 or so, you'll also note that there's a large Aspect Error, and further cropping will be done to bring down that error.

So the Auto-Crop cropped further to give low Aspect Error, and at 640x256 you wound up with a 2.50:1 movie, and at 704x288 you got a 2.44:1 movie (probably pretty close to what it really is). I think that with the latest 1.23b update it now crops the width to Mod 16, instead of Mod 32, so you can conceivably wind up with 656x272 (2.41:1). That probably won't satisfy you, but the only way around your problem is to do it in GKnot and crop heavily into the left and right sides to get the 2.35:1, 640x272 that you want.

AutoGK doesn't give you bad or wrong AR. It just sometimes doesn't give you the one you want or expect. When the Aspect Error is low, then the AR is OK.

But I could be wrong in my guess as to what Forrest Gump is. And for exactly how AutoGK determines how and what to crop, to achieve low Aspect Error, len0x will have to answer, if he feels like it.

[len0x]

Originally posted by manono
I think that with the latest 1.23b update it now crops the width to Mod 16, instead of Mod 32, so you can conceivably wind up with 656x272 (2.41:1).

not quite. mod 16 is for fixed width selection only. It doesn't apply to crop at all, but only to resize step. I wonder if I should make automatic resize mod 16 or leave it at mod as it is now

Originally posted by manono

But I could be wrong in my guess as to what Forrest Gump is. And for exactly how AutoGK determines how and what to crop, to achieve low Aspect Error, len0x will have to answer, if he feels like it.

AutoGK tries to maintain AR it's got after crop within mod32 width restriction and mod16 height restriction by cropping more pixels.

[len0x]

Originally posted by ((( atom )))
autogk under linux... actually we could develop a script that does the steps like autogk does them.

I'm not familiar with linux video processing tools, but AutoGK heavily relies on so many win32 applications which cannot be easily substituted, that I hardly can imagine doing so.

Originally posted by ((( atom )))

@len0x:
in case anybody really starts such a script, would you share some of the methods autogk uses to make its decisions? you put a lot of work and thoughts into them and i think they work very well.

I'm not really sure that I want to be involved in this (since a lot of info you can find by reading this forum already) and before anyone starts developing something based on AutoGK or its ideas I strongly suggest reading section 2 of license it comes with.

[Taurus]

Originally posted by len0x
I wonder if I should make automatic resize mod 16 or leave it at mod as it is now

Haven't got any disadvantages while using mod 16. I only use Xvid, so I cannot speak for Divx.
You gain much more freedom on resolution choices and the comp test should also profit from more usable selections (to hit more exactly desired comp test value).
But as it is now, I'm satisfied with you're chosen decisions.
It's just, if you can do more, you will use it.
Best regards

Taurus

[manono]

Hi-

not quite. mod 16 is for fixed width selection only. It doesn't apply to crop at all, but only to resize step.

Sorry, my mistake-I should have said that it resizes to Mod 16. But since you say, len0x, that it applies only to fixed width selection, then it wouldn't have helped nightrhyme much anyway, unless he had chosen 656*xxx to begin with.

I wonder if I should make automatic resize mod 16 or leave it at mod (32) as it is now

I've started paying more attention recently to what the AR is on the DVD after cropping the black away, and I'm finding more and more "2.35:1" movies that are really between 2.40-2.45:1. I agree with nightrhyme that 640x256 is too narrow, even if it has low Aspect Error, and when setting up an .avs in GKnot, I'll always make them 640x272 by using the Pixel Crop to crop more from the left and right. But with those cases, 656x272 would be closer to the AR of the DVD.

In addition, I'm seeing more and more 4:3 full screen classic movies, particularly Warner Home Video DVDs, with no black bars anywhere. Those are in the true Academy Ratio of 1.37:1, instead of 1.33:1. And although I've always made my movies with a Mod 32 width, with those, I'll often make them 528x384, instead of the more standard 512x384, to avoid cropping into the video. For example, you know that Marx Brothers Collection that we were discussing? I've just had a look at my R1 DVD of A Night At The Opera and there's not a black bar to be seen, and if you crop 8 pixels from each side to get, for example, 512x384, then you're losing quite a bit of the active video, whereas 528x384 works nicely.

So, I don't know what I'd recommend. I've always been a believer myself in Mod 32 widths, but under some circumstances I'll make it Mod 16. As Taurus says above, by allowing Mod 16 widths, you get more resolution choices, and under some circumstances you can end up closer to the DVD AR.

[((( atom )))]

Originally posted by len0x
I'm not familiar with linux video processing tools, but AutoGK heavily relies on so many win32 applications which cannot be easily substituted, that I hardly can imagine doing so.

under linux there is mplayer/mencoder that also functions as a front-end for e.g. xvid and lame. it can read dvd and so it can encode straight into xvid/lame or whatever format one chooses. it can crop, resize filter all in one app.
that is why it would actually make sense to set up a nice script that automates encoding totally.

Originally posted by len0x
I'm not really sure that I want to be involved in this (since a lot of info you can find by reading this forum already) and before anyone starts developing something based on AutoGK or its ideas I strongly suggest reading section 2 of license it comes with.

i am afraid you got me wrong here. most of the needed information can be found in the forum, you are right. there might only be some little details left that you could provide nice help with. for instance the decision chain on when to swith to what res. or when to drop b-frames are mede very nicely in autogk and it would make sense to use these as well. also a script like that would just be a script, fully open to everybody. i was not talking about an app with a gui and all. the commandline is linuxes charm
last things to say are that i don't actually plan writing such script, i was just thinking about it and if you felt uncomfortable with such script i would make sure to figure the needed stuff on my own of course.

[Stebs]

Hoooray! Finally Xvid 1.0 Final is out!
http://koepi.roeder.goe.net/xvid.shtml

Changelog:
- Minor fixes for trellis quantization
- Speedup for vhq>1 modes
- Fix for broken divx5 bitstreams
- Fix for fps=1 scenarios
- Fixed some tooltips in VfW GUI