DVD-RB and CCE

[VRYK]

I am about to contribute to DVD-RB Pro and wonder if there would be any sense purchasing CCE beforehand. That is, would there be any difference in the final output compared with the runtime version packaged with DVD-RB?

[HWK]

I would not recommend that you purchase CCE, mainly because new version is not compatible with DVD-RB.

If you want, you will need version 2 and it can include for example 2.XXX but not 3.

Also hc encoder which come with dvd-rb can produce quality similar to cce though it is slow, however it is free.

When it come to quality, that is subjective and therefore only advise I can give try and see.

If my memory serve me correctly cce had trial, though you may have hunt around to find one.

[steptoe]

Just use HCEnc, its 100% FREE and works just as well as CCE

http://www.videohelp.com/download/HC026_beta_16-06-2011.zip

Then, copy the file hcenc_026.exe to where you installed DVD-RB Pro to the 'encoders/HC Encoder' and rename the file to HCbatch.exe

This will give you the last release of HCEnc that fixed an issue with the 0.25 release, and make sure you change the setting in DVD-RB menu to use HCEnc

You can also set-up HCEnc to do it in one pass, but uses an average bitrate of a quick sample scan so isn't as accurate as 2-passes. But for things like cartoons/anime should be fine



You can also install the latest release of AVISynth 2.6.03 which so far has worked without any issues, and also means that if you use AviSynth filters you know it will work with some filters that NEED AviSynth 2.6 to work ..... as I've found out in the past



If you insist on CCE, even the creators of CCE say anything more than 3-passes is overkill for minimal gain but a massive increase in encode time .... but, some still insist on using CCE with 6-passes on films such as the Star Wars series to squeeze every last possible bit of quality out of the source

Each pass just scan the bitrate again, adjusting it a tiny bit more each time to balance the bitrate out against high motion scenes, 3 passes manages just as well. 1st pass gives a good estimate, 2nd pass is more accurate, 3rd pass encodes

[VRYK]

Many thanks for your clarifications. I seem to remember having read elsewhere that >3 passes is simply overkill (the more so with my poor eyesight!) – I presume this guideline applies to all encoders. Seems to be no point looking beyond HC.

[jdobbs]

Many thanks for your clarifications. I seem to remember having read elsewhere that >3 passes is simply overkill (the more so with my poor eyesight!) – I presume this guideline applies to all encoders. Seems to be no point looking beyond HC.
I always recommend HC now. In my opinion it is just as good as CCE now -- and it's a lot cheaper (free).

[varekai]

Question about AVIsynth 2.5.8 vs AVISynth 2.6.03

Can I have both versions installed or will there be a conflict for DVDRB and BDRB?
Will BDRB work with AVISynth 2.6.03?

Regards

[Ch3vr0n]

since they share the install folder, no u can't

[varekai]

since they share the install folder, no u can't
OK, thanks.

Regards

[steptoe]

You can use avisynth 2.6.3 with BD-RB, it just complains its an incorrect version

But, if you encounter any coding issues then try reinstalling avisynth that comes with BD-RB. Its recommended as its guaranteed to work with BD-RB other version 'may' work but some people report minor issues as its srill an alpha release so still has a few issues


Your best suggestion is to get everything working first, then install other versions one by one, running a project in-between. If something does go wrong, you then know what caused it


Also, if you are looking for it there is a 64-bit avisynth, which WILL expect ALL filters to be 64-bit and anything that calls avisynth WILL have to also be 64-bit, so its not an easy simple update and needs a bit of effort to get it to run correctly. Even then its still a bit hit and miss

[varekai]

@steptoe

Thanks for info, will do some testing. I can always roll back to AVIsynth 2.5.8 if needed.

Regards

[VRYK]

Following your instructions, I have set up HCEnc as the default encoder.

< You can also set-up HCEnc to do it in one pass>
Can I assume that 2-pass VBR is set by default ? In the HCgui I see under the Settings1 tab a provision for “One pass encoding using a Constant Quantizer”, but I can’t find a reference to 2-pass encoding.

[jdobbs]

Following your instructions, I have set up HCEnc as the default encoder.

< You can also set-up HCEnc to do it in one pass>
Can I assume that 2-pass VBR is set by default ? In the HCgui I see under the Settings1 tab a provision for “One pass encoding using a Constant Quantizer”, but I can’t find a reference to 2-pass encoding. 2 pass is the default. You can choose one pass with "SETTINGS/HC SETTINGS/ONE PASS CQ VBR".