TMPGenc DVD Author 3 -- how to not reencode Divx video?

[kyleb2112]

I'm trying to re-author Divx video I've compressed with DVD Author 3 without compressing it twice. According to the manual the "Automatic--Smart Rendering" setting in the track setting says it will not recompress compliant video, but it still does. This is Divx video that was just outputted from the same program so it should be compliant. Has anyone found a combination of settings which allows the Divx video to be rewritten without recompressing? Thanks.

[ln108]

I'm having the same problem and the same question. TDA3 promises "smart rendering," but takes my files, already nicely encoded with DivX profiles, and spends a good deal of time re-encoding. Anyone with knowledge of this, please do help out!
:thanks:

[Zach]

Isn't "smart rendering" restricted to mpeg2 streams, though? Smart rendering always works as advertised with those, I know from years of experience. :p I never heard anywhere that it applied to DivX sources, and normally I would say "I could be wrong," but given your two responses, it doesn't seem so. :p

[ln108]

Maybe so, Zach, especially, as you say, given our experience. But this is what it says on the TMPG web site:

"TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX® Authoring is the only software that can create DivX® Ultra files with Smart Rendering technology to help render your project more efficiently."

http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda3_whyupgrade.html

And on the same page:

"The improved Smart Rendering technology of TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX® Authoring makes encoding faster, allowing you to edit and output your DivX® and DVD projects much quicker than other authoring software."

So I'm still confused.

[setarip_old]

Hi!edit and output your DivX® and DVD projects much quickerThe operative word is "and", not "to".

Any files that are not already DVD-compliant (MPEG-2 video of specific resolutions, 48KHz audio, etc.) obviously must be re-encoded if you want to create a compliant DVD...

[ln108]

Thanks, Setarip, but the point is that this software does not only do DVD authoring with compliant MPEG-2, but it is designed also for "DivX authoring," outputting DivX Ultra compliant *.divx files with menus, chapters, etc. I am trying to take *.avi files already encoded in Divx and organize them into chapters, etc., as a *.divx file. This has nothing to do, therefore, with re-encoding as MPEG-2 to create a standard DVD, but rather re-encoding as Divx files that are already Divx to create "DVD-like" output.

The more complete quote:

"DivX® Ultra authoring allows you to output DivX® files with advanced features such as DVD-like menus and navigation. Create chapter menus, title pages, note pages, and audio and subtitle pages complete with motion backgrounds and thumbnails, just as you would a normal DVD! TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX® Authoring is the only software that can create DivX® Ultra files with Smart Rendering technology to help render your project more efficiently. Play DivX® Ultra files on your computer with DivX® Player software, or play a DivX® Ultra DVD with any DivX® Ultra Certified DVD player in the comfort of your livingroom!"

http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com/en/product/tda3_whyupgrade.html

[Zach]

Maybe so, Zach, especially, as you say, given our experience. But this is what it says on the TMPG web site:

"TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX® Authoring is the only software that can create DivX® Ultra files with Smart Rendering technology to help render your project more efficiently."

It's hard to argue with that. :p


Well, in my brief foray with a DivX "Ultra" player (a Philips unit), I recall the only "guaranteed" playback was for an avi created using, specifically, the "Home Theater" profile. (You know that's just, essentially, legalese to cover their butt and it, in fact, will play most everything without a problem.)

Anyway, maybe Pegasus is being too strict in what they consider DivX Ultra compliant.

As a test, maybe you could try recreating your divx file (chapters and all) using specifically the "Home Theater" profile, and make sure the profile has been reset to its default settings.

[ln108]

OK, this is definitely a serious bug. You can smart render divx with TDA3 if there's only one track. But as soon as you load in two divx files, smart rendering gets turned off.

For example, I just converted two short mpeg files into DivX, using DivX Converter at the default Home Theater settings. Loading one of the converted (now fully compliant DivX avi) files into TDA3, I see the SR (smart rendering) icon. Loading the next one in, the SR icon on both changes to FR (full rendering).:confused:

Using smart rendering, I can render the single track in 3 minutes or so. But load in two tracks, even if they are fully compliant DivX avi files, and rendering takes about an hour. (One of the tracks was a 35MB DivX avi, the other 25MB.)

I have reported this to TMPEnc support, they have duplicated it, and say they are looking into it.

[Zach]

I have reported this to TMPEnc support, they have duplicated it, and say they are looking into it.
That's good to hear! Thumbs up to Pegasys!

I've been using both their MPEG Editor and XPress software for years now, and so far I've been very happy with their software. (Though, I do hate the monthly requirement to renew one's license. Too big brother if you ask me, and what if I don't have access to the internet for Pete's sake?!? *end rant*)

Anyway, it's good to hear they took you seriously and didn't try to point the finger back to you (as the problem) like most software companies do. :)

[ln108]

Here's the deal: Thanks to a tip someone gave me in Videohelp.com forum, I've realized that TDA3 will not smart render into a *.divx file two DivX avi files in the same track. As soon as you add the second file to the same track, the SR ("Smart rendering") Icon changes to FR ("Full rendering"). However--and this is the new information--if you load the two DivX avi files into TDA3 as *separate* tracks, it will smart render them. It processed two 200-300MB files as separate tracks in about 2.5 minutes, using smart rendering.

So it still seems like a bug, but there's a work-around: put the DivX videos in separate tracks.:)