Great starting quality but crappy in the end

[Mithrandir.theIstari]

Hello guys.

I'm having some problems with a current encoding I'm doing now. The resulting file is around 1.03 GB and the production lenght is about 2h34.

The problem consists that the video starts with an excellent quality and keeps that way, but about 1h20 from one scene to other the quality goes terribly crappy (like a low quality mpeg2) with big blocks and no detail at all. And keeps that way up to the end of the video.

This is the first time this happens to me, so first I tought it could be due the matroska container I'm statring to use (used it for all my recent encodes); I reencoded a couple of times more and in the end even used a traditional AVI container... but the error stays there. :(

I can't realize what can be happening. I'm using Gordian Knot and Koepi's latest stable XVid codec (dec'05)

Any advice to this frustrated man?

[foxyshadis]

Perhaps you just need to use 2-pass instead? It sounds like the problems typically seen with one pass.

[Teegedeck]

Check whether you have set the zone for the credits to start too early.
If you're using one-pass see the comment by foxyshadis above.

This is the first time this happens to me, so first I tought it could be due the matroska container I'm statring to use (used it for all my recent encodes); I reencoded a couple of times more and in the end even used a traditional AVI container... but the error stays there. :( Well, that would have been technically impossible anyway; the container has nothing to do with how XviD distributes bits.

[Mithrandir.theIstari]

Hmmm, I always use two pass encoding. This time is no exception (after encoding I can see both pass settings files created).

I have no selected credits range since the video doesn't have them... I haven't selected a range any of the times I've repeated the encoding either.

[shon3i]

post your settings?

[jon.schaffer]

Verify if the .stat/.pass file created during the 1st pass is indeed the one used during the 2nd pass...

If the .stat file you use is from a previous and shorter encoding, the codec is lost as there is not information for the end of the movie (and the informations it used for the begining are related to another movie content)

[Mithrandir.theIstari]

Ok guys I own you an apology.

It was effectively the credits start range. It was saved from previous encondings and I haven't realized... I'll have to review the ending of my recent encodes :-\

Thanks

[Teegedeck]

It's just a very common accident, don't sweat it.

[Blue_MiSfit]

:D I've done that many times as well

[Didée]

Pssssst ... my favourite one is letting the 2nd-pass run at the same fixed quant as the 1st-pass ... don't tell that! :D

[movmasty]

save two vcf files, one with standard 1st pass setting
and one with standard 2nd pass setting

load them before doing 1st and 2nd pass, then adjust

this will avoid xvid to run with last encoding settings.