VidCoder: Alternative HandBrake GUI for Windows

[RandomEngy]

They're stored in %appdata%\VidCoder\VidCoder.sqlite . It's a SQLite database. They used to be in .xml files but there was a problem that your presets would disappear if the program crashed during an update. You can get them back into XML files to look at manually by exporting them.

[mike20021969]

@RandomEngy
Thanks for that :)

[Przemek_Sperling]

Something about AMD Catalyst 11.8. They should not be used with VidCoder (I checked 0.9.3 and 1.0.0) because the windows of the program show big ugly black spaces. Something is definitely wrong with the drivers because it happens not only with VidCoder and has been reported by quite many users. Catalyst 11.5 drivers work without any problems (checked by myself).

[thewonderer]

Would like to request a feature or 2...

A overwrite warning would be good and some settings to either, overwrite without warning, warn before overwrite, or rename the file and continue.

Would also appreciate a easier way to rename the output file before encoding, maybe even batch naming...

thanks

[RandomEngy]

Customizing the behavior on overwrites sounds like a good idea to me. I'll put it on the backlog.

As for renaming the output file before encoding, you can just click on the output path and type in the new name. It's not terribly obvious that you can click there and I plan to fix that in my next release.

And for batch naming, there's already an auto-naming system in place: you could use that to name multiple files.

[flebber]

You bumped up vidocer ro 1.0 but your thread title stil shows 0.9.3

[RandomEngy]

Right, thanks for pointing that out. There's like 7 things I do after every release and that slipped my mind this time around.

[RandomEngy]

Released VidCoder 1.0.1 (http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/72528):

* Added the ability to bring back a queued item for editing (Right click -> Edit).
* Added an option to minimize to the system notification area rather than the task bar.
* Added Android encoding presets.
* Added context menu options to queue items to move them to the top or bottom of the queue.
* Changed encode destination box to look more like an editable text box.
* Support for subme=11 in the advanced options GUI.

* Fixed a problem where a deblock filter could get added to the encode when deblock was disabled. This should fix issues with normal encodes only using 1 CPU core.

[Hobbe]

Thanks for new version! But I have a problem since v1.0.. I always get these error in the log: ERROR: Invalid byte for codeset in input, discard byte
# Encode failed. Error(s) were reported during the encode.
And this is when I import a srt file in the encode. The resulting file get the subtitle but it is missing some characters..

[mike20021969]

@RandomEngy

I have a request aswell. It's more of a little irritant than anything else.

I realise there are a couple of ways to close VidCoder, but I am so use to doing File>Exit with other programs, it would be nice to see this in VidCoder.

If not, thanks for reading. The program is excellent.

[RandomEngy]

Hobbe: Hmm, does the encoding you chose on the SRT file in VidCoder match up with the encoding of the actual SRT file?

mike: Sure, I'll add it.

[Frozen-Figo]

I tried to update vidcoder, but had this

System.IO.IOException: The directory is not empty.

at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.Directory.DeleteHelper(String fullPath, String userPath, Boolean recursive)
at System.IO.Directory.Delete(String fullPath, String userPath, Boolean recursive)
at VidCoder.Services.Updater.HandlePendingUpdate() in D:\docs\projects\VidCoder\VidCoder\Services\Updater.cs:line 144
at VidCoder.App.OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e) in D:\docs\projects\VidCoder\VidCoder\App.xaml.cs:line 44
at System.Windows.Application.<.ctor>b__1(Object unused)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Int32 numArgs)
at MS.Internal.Threading.ExceptionFilterHelper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate method, Object args, Int32 numArgs, Delegate catchHandler)

[RandomEngy]

Go to Start -> Run -> %appdata%\VidCoder

Then delete the directory with the update installer in it, and try running again. I'll fix this in the next version.

[DJ-1]

Hi, I'm on the lastest Video. Coder v1.something
I used the old version to convert DVDs to. Mp4 for playback on PS3. They work fine.
Using the latest version I'm using 2 aac audio tracks in the output file...+ .mp4. Container with h264 inside.
The PS3 now plays the 1St audio track slightly out of sync, but the file is fine.
Anything I can do to to stop the 2nd audio fouling things up?

Cheers

[meshaun]

How to use the Megui DXVA Extra Quality preset with Vidcoder?
Or the cmds for the Options String?

[DJ-1]

Hi, I'm on the lastest Video. Coder v1.something
I used the old version to convert DVDs to. Mp4 for playback on PS3. They work fine.
Using the latest version I'm using 2 aac audio tracks in the output file...+ .mp4. Container with h264 inside.
The PS3 now plays the 1St audio track slightly out of sync, but the file is fine.
Anything I can do to to stop the 2nd audio fouling things up?

Cheers

Erm ok, I just tried a .M2ts source file using same settings...all OK on PS3 video player.
Does the app handle .m2ts files differently from.Vob's?

[RandomEngy]

VidCoder doesn't add any special logic for VOB vs M2TS. I think the difference in handling would be in HandBrake.

[meshaun]

DXVA settings?

[RandomEngy]

I don't know of any. You would have to look in the MeGui preset and translate the x264 options string to the HandBrake/VidCoder format.

[DJ-1]

VidCoder doesn't add any special logic for VOB vs M2TS. I think the difference in handling would be in HandBrake.

OK, just went to HdConvertTox GUI for a comparison on the same. Vob input files...
Again, plays fine on pc (as does the vidcoder output), but it definitley did something different with the file with playback on ps3 XMB video player, playback is flawless..... I just can't stand the interface of hdconvertTox

Are you the developers of this vidcoder?, or do they watch this thread?

Cheers.

[RandomEngy]

I develop VidCoder UI but I call into the HandBrake core to do the actual encoding. So I usually have no control over issues like these. I would check and see if it has the same problem when you use the official HandBrake GUI. If it works fine with HandBrake the problem might be with VidCoder incorrectly passing parameters or something. In that case send me an encode log, and if possible the video clip you're trying to convert and an exported preset of the settings you're using.

[DJ-1]

Yeah, handbrake does same thing, it's why I jumped from handbrake to vidcoder, also I Preffer vidcoder as it save All settings per preset, rather the than just the main one's like handbrake does

I'll get a log up shortly,

[DJ-1]

ok, Here I`m linking a Source (.vob), Vidcoder output, HDConverTox output + Logs
Source file
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GMNUT6L8
Vidcoder Output .mp4
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VQ9SM7LU
LOGs: attached + Preset....(preset use was "Normal`modified`")



For Comparsons:


HDConverTox output
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=70ZTRLYJ

I`ll just repeat, when played back via VLC media player theyre all ok, when played back on PS3 (Have not tried other standalones) the HDConverTox output file plays with with proper A/V Sync on the main audio track

Cheers.

P.S. if the logs dont show up look here:http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1524598#post1524598 POST 3724, i stupidly put this reply in the wrong thread initially :(

[RandomEngy]

Oh sorry what I meant was that if the official HandBrake GUI was having the same issue you should bring it to them. It's their job to do the actual encoder; I just write the GUI and pass options in to it.

[DJ-1]

ok, well can you see anything by looking through the Logs ?

[RandomEngy]

All the attachments are still pending approval.

[DJ-1]

I've posed it all in the handbrake forums bug section now also anyways....

[Hobbe]

[QUOTE=RandomEngy;1522963]Hobbe: Hmm, does the encoding you chose on the SRT file in VidCoder match up with the encoding of the actual SRT file?

Yes.. I have always used UTF-8..
Our "swedish unique" characters are missing from the sub... Tried severals encodes now. And I always use mkv as output if that matters.

[RandomEngy]

Don't know what's wrong with that offhand. Maybe upload a sample .srt file and I'll take a crack at it.

[buffalofloyd]

Thank you for this tool, I am really beginning to like it! I think having the ability to see a short clip of the actual encoded files is very very nice and convenient. Also being able to pause an encoding is very helpful. I've had several .flv files that I couldn't encode properly with other tools but VidCoder did the trick. One improvement I would suggest is to allow the ability to import different types of subtitle files. Seems now you can only import .srt files unless the subtitle files is already muxed in the video file. Is that correct?

[RandomEngy]

That's right. Subtitles are functionality that HandBrake implements and I just wrap. When HandBrake adds support for more types I will do so as well.

Hobbe: I checked out the SRT you sent and confirmed the problem. Notepad2 says the .srt file was ANSI but none of the ANSI encoding choices worked (in either VidCoder or HandBrake). However I was able to get it to work by re-saving the .srt file with UTF-8 encoding. You can do that with a program like Notepad2 (File -> Encoding -> UTF-8).

[Hobbe]

Thank you for finding this! I use that as a workaround then.
Do you know when you will release a new version of vidcoder? with a newer handbrake... and how do you know which version of ffmpeg handbrake uses.
And was it possible to show the input audio bitrate on the audio tab?

[RandomEngy]

Released VidCoder 1.0.2 (http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/73303):

* Added option to put encoded files in their source directory.
* Added options for how to resolve file conflicts: Overwrite, automatically rename or prompt.
* Added leading zeros to time output when auto-naming files to let them sort correctly.
* Added File->Exit .
* Added inline warning for DTS audio in MP4 container.

* Fixed problem where the first click on another UI element while editing the destination would not register.
* Fixed problem where entered text in the destination field might get clobbered when a scan finishes.
* Fixed problem where blu-ray folders wouldn't get the right {source} for auto-naming.
* Fixed File -> Open options being available when scanning.
* Fixed crash on batch encoding videos with no audio track.
* Fixed problem where numbers could get copied from one preset to another when switching between them.

[RandomEngy]

Hobbe: You can keep track of what's in HandBrake here: https://trac.handbrake.fr/timeline

There hasn't been much development on the HandBrake core lately since j45 is off on vacation. I haven't been updating it since there's not much to update.

Also about the input bitrate: sometimes it's accurate but other times it's wildly incorrect. And there's no real good way to tell when it's wrong. If the bitrate that HandBrake exposes ever becomes reliable I'd gladly do so.

[buffalofloyd]

Thank you for the updated version RandomEnergy. Am I correct in my assumption that it is not possible to add an external audio file to a encode? I see an option for "add audio encoding" but it seems there is no way to select a separate audio file. Does this mean you can only select the audio file that's already muxed in with the video file and multiple encodes of that? For example...

If I have a TrueHD track... two of my options could be to encode to AC3 6 channel discrete @ 640kbps (btw, if I select this option is it just extracting the AC3 core or actually re-encoding the whole audio track? Forgive me if this is a noob question but I haven't been doing this very long and some parts are new to me :D)

and/or

Encode the TrueHD track to 192kbps stereo.

There is no option to select like a second separate audio track like commentary for example. I know there are other tools that can be use to get around this but I'm just trying to see if I'm missing something or if it's a limitation of the HandBrake software.

Thanks for your time.

[RandomEngy]

Yeah you can only take audio from the video file. You can't bring in outside audio. You could have a commentary track if both were in the original source.

Also if you want to keep the source the same you have to choose Passthrough. If it's anything other than Passthrough it will be re-encoding it.

[mike20021969]

Released VidCoder 1.0.2 (http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/73303):

* Added File->Exit
Thanks for the update and the added exit option :cool:
:thanks:

[buffalofloyd]

Yeah you can only take audio from the video file. You can't bring in outside audio. You could have a commentary track if both were in the original source.

Also if you want to keep the source the same you have to choose Passthrough. If it's anything other than Passthrough it will be re-encoding it.

Thank you for your response. I suppose I could mux everything I need into a file and then use vidcoder to then use all those files. Basically the only extra files you can import are .srt files.

[star5]

VidCoder 1.0.2!
Thank you!
:thanks:

[RandomEngy]

Released VidCoder 1.0.3 (http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/73475):

* Fixed preview button on encoding window not working.
* Fixed output to source directory not working for batch encodes.
* Fixed startup crash on restoring queued items. (introduced last version)

Fixing a few regressions from some major refactoring in 1.0.2.

[RandomEngy]

Released VidCoder 1.0.4 (http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/73728):

* Fixed Queue Multiple Titles menu choice not appearing when applicable.
* Added a cleanup option when a corrupt user.config file is encountered.
* Added an option to delete user settings/presets on uninstall. This should make recovering from corrupted data a bit more straightforward.

[buffalofloyd]

Released VidCoder 1.0.4 (http://vidcoder.codeplex.com/releases/view/73728):

* Fixed Queue Multiple Titles menu choice not appearing when applicable.
* Added a cleanup option when a corrupt user.config file is encountered.
* Added an option to delete user settings/presets on uninstall. This should make recovering from corrupted data a bit more straightforward.

Thank you very much!

[DJ-1]

@RandomEnergy
after encoding a few bit and peices i noticed I was using the FPS option: `Same as Source`, when infact any video (from a 25FPS PAL Source ) was being encoded at 24.987fps, 24.9xxfps (varies slightly from 1 encode to another, same source.)

after seeing this i now manually select 25FPS (rather than auto) and it seems to have sorted the audio issue i posed last week, just had a look at the sample i posted here, it is 24.987fps

[Hobbe]

Tanks for new version!.. But when you upgrade.. my own preset lose some settings.. like deblock, Psychovisual Trellis, Adaptive Quantization mm.. known bug?

[RandomEngy]

No I have not heard of that happening. I just tried to reproduce your problem but the Deblock and Psychovisual Trellis aren't affected after an upgrade for me. That seems kind of odd since I don't touch the presets during an upgrade.

[Hobbe]

Strange... It has happed me several times... I'll check if I can reproduce it :).
Feature req: Is it possible to have x264 preset/tunes setting in a dropdown box or someting like that on the advanced tab?

[RandomEngy]

I don't think I'll be adding that unless HandBrake gets better native support for it. There's no place I can just pass in a preset or tune to x264.

[DJ-1]

I don't think I'll be adding that unless HandBrake gets better native support for it. There's no place I can just pass in a preset or tune to x264.

Hi, did you see my reply I put up yesterday?

Also it'd be nice if CUDA was supported, do you know if they're putting it into handbrake?

[RandomEngy]

Yeah I saw it. Glad you were able to resolve your problem. I don't think the HandBrake team has any immediate plans for supporting CUDA.

[DJ-1]

Yeah I saw it. Glad you were able to resolve your problem. I don't think the HandBrake team has any immediate plans for supporting CUDA.

Yeah so there is still a problem, with the same as source option not doing as it says.....

Also, what aac audio encoder does handbrake/vidcoder use, same settings, I get better audio from another GUI, using Nero aac. ...

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