Deathbliss
21st February 2012, 02:03
Moderators
Please feel free to move this thread as needed!
About
This is a little guide detailing how to convert most m2ts and mkv movie files to mp4 for the Xbox 360. This is roughly the equivalent of using multiAVCHD to create an AVCHD playable file on the PS3. I mention this because there are many similarities. Both processes work well with standardized video inside the movie file. Both work quickly, giving you equivalent picture and sound to the source with little or no transcoding.
However there are differences... Namely that the resulting mp4 movie you create for the Xbox 360 may be a little buggy. If the sounds drops out, or the picture starts to fast forward or rewind, you need to stop and the resume playback.
So far however I am pleased with the results, having full 1080p or 720p movies files with 5.1 or higher sound playing on my Xbox 360 without spending a week transcoding everything, assuming I can even find a program that gives me the right options and that I can find what those right options are.
Requirements
You will need FFDshow and Haali Media Splitter installed to run HDConvertToX. There may be other programs it requires like AVI Synth, Xvid, and the free Nero AAC encoder.
Follow this guide before you install HDConvertToX:
http://adubvideo.net/how-to/setup-proper-playback-chain-windows
You also need a standardized m2ts or mkv file. I believe it's AVC video in either case, audio is typically AC3. This is hard to explain but what I mean by this is that it is a normal, average, AVC video file without a bunch of excessive settings.
You can download legal torrents of HD videos in mkv format from here:
http://vodo.net/
These should be good examples of standardized video, and you should be able to compare them to other videos with Media Info to determine any differences.
Finally you should have Media Info or your preference of an equivalent program:
http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en
Process
Let me apologize ahead of time for not providing pictures. I have no server to upload to and I'm not willing to spend the time making them just yet. I may update this with an attachment of pictures later, or a document such as doc or pdf.
1. Download and extract HDConvertToX, and its updates, from this forums:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=145577
2. Click on the "Open File" button, top left, and select your video file.
3. You must wait a few moments, always clicking "No" when it asks "Assume settings from previus file?" (the author of the program misspelled this :D) There should be some loading activity, a window pop up, and the program may shift in location slightly.
4. If you go to the "Save File" button next you run into a problem, so ignore that for now. Instead go to the "Crop & Resize" tab, which should already be open by default. Place a check in "No Resize & Crop" to keep the original resolution of your file.
5. Now click on the "Video" tab and in the "Encode Video" dropdown box select "x264 in MP4." In the "Encoding Mode" dropdown box just under it select "Copy Video." In the "Final MB Size" enter a rough size for your video. For example, if its just over a gig use "2000." In the Speed/Quality graph move the pointer all the way to Quality. Using Media Info or whatever equivalent program you prefer, enter a rough number for "Manually Set Bitrate." For example, if it's a 4240 bitrate file, use "5000." In the "Filters" section set "De-Noise Filters" to "Off." In the "Hardware Compatibility" section click on the empty radio button next to "Network Media Tank Compatibility" and place a check next to "Strict."
What HDConvertToX will do, as far as I have been able to infer, is it will try to copy the video over into the MP4 container for you, but if the video is not standardized it will not pass the Network Tank and Strict tests, so the process will fail. That means you would have to transcode the video stream, and that would require another tutorial. I have no idea how the functions of bitrate, speed/quality and size all work together.
6. Click on the "Audio" tab and under the "Encode Using" dropdown choose "Copy Audio."
7. Click on the "Audio & Subs Selection" tab and make sure the audio track and subs you want have a check next to them.
8. Click on the "Advanced Options" tab, the the "Utilities" subtab. In the bottom right corner under is the "Priority" dropdown box. Keep it at "idle", or speed things up to "belownormal." Unless you have a CIA supercomputer I don't recommend going higher than that.
9. Click on the "Muxing" subtab and again in the bottom right enter 4000 for "Split every MBytes." Remember that your 360 can only read Fat 32 drives, and Fat 32 can only handle files up to 4 gigs in size.
10. Click on the "Load & Save Settings" subtab and click on the "Save Settings" button. This will save these settings you have set as the defaults, although you should go over with each new file you add to be sure.
11. Now you can click on the "Save File" button. Leave the extension off! Just enter the name of your file, and HDConvertToX will add a .MP4 to it. Why it's upper-case I have no idea...
12. Want to add more files? Cool! Click on the "Add To Queue" button to save this file into the queue. Select another file, do not assume same properties (click on "No"), wait for the new file to be analyzed, reload it if it doesn't seem like it has been analyzed or click the "Analyze file" button. Once the file is loaded up and ready to go check your settings, add the proper video size and bitrate numbers, and if everything is ready click on "Add To Queue."
13. When you have all your files added to the queue click on "Start Queue." Dunno what "General Encode" is.
14. If you can contribute to this tutorial, making it better, more accurate, etc. within the realm of getting file that can be played directly on the Xbox 360, not streamed to it but played on it, then please by all means post! This tutorial especially needs a second transcoding part to cover either transcoding a non-standard AVC video stream or standardizing it, with the goal to have the same or better quality as the original m2ts or mkv file, in the same amount or less time it would take to play said file (this is the goal.)
I hope you find the tutorial helpful! I intend to update this as I learn more -
- Deathbliss
Please feel free to move this thread as needed!
About
This is a little guide detailing how to convert most m2ts and mkv movie files to mp4 for the Xbox 360. This is roughly the equivalent of using multiAVCHD to create an AVCHD playable file on the PS3. I mention this because there are many similarities. Both processes work well with standardized video inside the movie file. Both work quickly, giving you equivalent picture and sound to the source with little or no transcoding.
However there are differences... Namely that the resulting mp4 movie you create for the Xbox 360 may be a little buggy. If the sounds drops out, or the picture starts to fast forward or rewind, you need to stop and the resume playback.
So far however I am pleased with the results, having full 1080p or 720p movies files with 5.1 or higher sound playing on my Xbox 360 without spending a week transcoding everything, assuming I can even find a program that gives me the right options and that I can find what those right options are.
Requirements
You will need FFDshow and Haali Media Splitter installed to run HDConvertToX. There may be other programs it requires like AVI Synth, Xvid, and the free Nero AAC encoder.
Follow this guide before you install HDConvertToX:
http://adubvideo.net/how-to/setup-proper-playback-chain-windows
You also need a standardized m2ts or mkv file. I believe it's AVC video in either case, audio is typically AC3. This is hard to explain but what I mean by this is that it is a normal, average, AVC video file without a bunch of excessive settings.
You can download legal torrents of HD videos in mkv format from here:
http://vodo.net/
These should be good examples of standardized video, and you should be able to compare them to other videos with Media Info to determine any differences.
Finally you should have Media Info or your preference of an equivalent program:
http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en
Process
Let me apologize ahead of time for not providing pictures. I have no server to upload to and I'm not willing to spend the time making them just yet. I may update this with an attachment of pictures later, or a document such as doc or pdf.
1. Download and extract HDConvertToX, and its updates, from this forums:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=145577
2. Click on the "Open File" button, top left, and select your video file.
3. You must wait a few moments, always clicking "No" when it asks "Assume settings from previus file?" (the author of the program misspelled this :D) There should be some loading activity, a window pop up, and the program may shift in location slightly.
4. If you go to the "Save File" button next you run into a problem, so ignore that for now. Instead go to the "Crop & Resize" tab, which should already be open by default. Place a check in "No Resize & Crop" to keep the original resolution of your file.
5. Now click on the "Video" tab and in the "Encode Video" dropdown box select "x264 in MP4." In the "Encoding Mode" dropdown box just under it select "Copy Video." In the "Final MB Size" enter a rough size for your video. For example, if its just over a gig use "2000." In the Speed/Quality graph move the pointer all the way to Quality. Using Media Info or whatever equivalent program you prefer, enter a rough number for "Manually Set Bitrate." For example, if it's a 4240 bitrate file, use "5000." In the "Filters" section set "De-Noise Filters" to "Off." In the "Hardware Compatibility" section click on the empty radio button next to "Network Media Tank Compatibility" and place a check next to "Strict."
What HDConvertToX will do, as far as I have been able to infer, is it will try to copy the video over into the MP4 container for you, but if the video is not standardized it will not pass the Network Tank and Strict tests, so the process will fail. That means you would have to transcode the video stream, and that would require another tutorial. I have no idea how the functions of bitrate, speed/quality and size all work together.
6. Click on the "Audio" tab and under the "Encode Using" dropdown choose "Copy Audio."
7. Click on the "Audio & Subs Selection" tab and make sure the audio track and subs you want have a check next to them.
8. Click on the "Advanced Options" tab, the the "Utilities" subtab. In the bottom right corner under is the "Priority" dropdown box. Keep it at "idle", or speed things up to "belownormal." Unless you have a CIA supercomputer I don't recommend going higher than that.
9. Click on the "Muxing" subtab and again in the bottom right enter 4000 for "Split every MBytes." Remember that your 360 can only read Fat 32 drives, and Fat 32 can only handle files up to 4 gigs in size.
10. Click on the "Load & Save Settings" subtab and click on the "Save Settings" button. This will save these settings you have set as the defaults, although you should go over with each new file you add to be sure.
11. Now you can click on the "Save File" button. Leave the extension off! Just enter the name of your file, and HDConvertToX will add a .MP4 to it. Why it's upper-case I have no idea...
12. Want to add more files? Cool! Click on the "Add To Queue" button to save this file into the queue. Select another file, do not assume same properties (click on "No"), wait for the new file to be analyzed, reload it if it doesn't seem like it has been analyzed or click the "Analyze file" button. Once the file is loaded up and ready to go check your settings, add the proper video size and bitrate numbers, and if everything is ready click on "Add To Queue."
13. When you have all your files added to the queue click on "Start Queue." Dunno what "General Encode" is.
14. If you can contribute to this tutorial, making it better, more accurate, etc. within the realm of getting file that can be played directly on the Xbox 360, not streamed to it but played on it, then please by all means post! This tutorial especially needs a second transcoding part to cover either transcoding a non-standard AVC video stream or standardizing it, with the goal to have the same or better quality as the original m2ts or mkv file, in the same amount or less time it would take to play said file (this is the goal.)
I hope you find the tutorial helpful! I intend to update this as I learn more -
- Deathbliss