Simple Encoding tool question

[SnakEye]

Hey Guys, I am not sure this is the correct forum, if not fell free moving this post elsewhere.

I got a simple that I am sure most of you know.
many years ago I used to encode my Videos to AVI (XviD/DivX) with a simple tool called Vidomi. what I liked about this tool, I used to give it the Option for two pass encoding, the target file size and it would give me the best video quality it could get within the target file size I set.
unfortunately, Vidomi no longer works now days on Win7.

I am looking for a very simple tool like Vidomi , that I can tell it to Two pass my encoding (I guess to x264 those days) with a target size and it will yeild the best video quality for the target size I set.
I also need it to be simple enough that the output will be one big file when the input is number of files (combine also).

could you suggest one?

[hello_hello]

One of the more popular tools for Xvid encoding was/is AutoGK. It'll let you specify a file size and it'll adjust (if you leave everything in auto mode) the resolution, audio compression and resize filter etc to give you the best quality it can.

I don't know of any similar GUIs for x264 encoding, probably because encoding for a particular file size isn't the best way to go about it, and because x264 has a true, quality based, single pass encoding mode. These days it's probably more common to encode that way. The difference is you select the quality in advance, but the file size will be unknown, however most people no doubt eventually settle on a quality setting they're happy with which gives them a file size they're happy with..... on average. The file sizes will vary quite a bit, but if you do it the other way (select a file size) the quality will vary instead. Most x264 encoder GUI's will still do 2 pass encoding, but none that I know of make automatic adjustments to maximise quality as AutoGK does for Xvid encoding.

If I want to combine files I often do it by encoding them individually, then simply join the output files (MKV) with MKVMergeGUI. As long as the resolution and encoder settings etc. are the same that works fine. MeGUI, Handbrake and Vidcoder are popular encoder GUIs. I don't think any of them will combine multiple input files as a single encode (unless they're DVD vob files) but someone else may be able to suggest a program which does. It can be done using MeGUI but it requires a little knowledge of AVISynth to do so.

[SnakEye]

You convinced me.. I no longer want to go with file size as it is an old technology and x264 preset quality I think is the way to go.
I will stick with MP4/MKV and ditch XviD/DivX.
however I am having difficulties combining the files I encoded one by one (same aspect ration & same Settings to all in VidCoder) with Vidcoder as you suggested (BTW I am very happy with the quality results with the VidCoder, I am using Constant Quality set on 18).
I tried using BiolSoft Joiner and it claims one or two of the files are not the same as the rest of the bunch.
Also trying to use mkvmerge GUI the file showed only 03:40 min playable time, while it should have been around 50Min and it showed black screen and crashed in the middle (Media Player).
that is why I really looking for something as good as DivCoder, but will output me a one file in the end.

[Darksoul71]

Personally I like to use the Freemake Video Converter (which is "free" of charge but wants to install a lot of crap like deltasearch and things). You simply drop in your amount of source files, choose your target format (e.g. MP4 for Apple devices, MVK, and so on) and after configuring things like one- / two-pass everything works like a charm. Merging / joining files is possible as well as massive batch encoding.

[SnakEye]

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a shot.

EDIT: OK, I tried Freemake Video Converter and I wasn't happy with the quality as there is hardly any control on the x264 settings like the Vidcoder has.
:(

[therube]

For encoding to MP4/MKV, I like the relative simplicity of VidCoder (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/VidCoder).
Offers all the settings you need in a clean UI.
At the most basic, you choose an x264 preset, defaults to Very Fast, though I typically choose Medium, set the quality factor, make sure the audio looks right, & give it a go.

Check the output & make sure it's satisfactory.

If not, adjust the quality factor (crf=) & try again.


For combining, I call it joining, losslessly, I've come to really like Video to Video Converter (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Video-to-Video-Converter).
It's a little quirky at times, & needs some play, experimentation to get a decent feel for it, but once you've got that feel, it is quite easy & powerful. Tools | Join Video, select your files, OK, select your output type, Direct Stream Copy so that it does no encoding, only simple joining, & tell it to GO. In a few seconds, you should have your joined file.

Additionally makes it very easy to copy only the audio or video (separately) from a clip & then mux things back together, or change containers, all again, losslessly, quickly. Likewise with its splitting functions.

(About the only thing I do not use it for is encoding.)

[SnakEye]

For encoding to MP4/MKV, I like the relative simplicity of VidCoder (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/VidCoder).
Offers all the settings you need in a clean UI.


I tried VidCoder and I fell in love with it, quality is good (after fooling around with the CRF set to 18, I found it is the best quality with reasonable file size). Simple to use and you can save your own preset which I love.
however there is a big issue for me with Divcoder, it doesn't combine the files into one large file while encoding the clips.
even through the source clips are the same resolution (aspect ratio) and I used the same Preset profile for encoding in DivCoder (I basically dragged and dropped all the clips into the Divcoder window) when using external video combining tools like BiolSoft Video Joiner, it yells at me that one or more files are not the same, hence it needs to re-encode those , errrgghh.

I need a tool like VidCoder (that I can tweak my preset to a level of details like DivCoder has) but that will combine the files for me.
Any one has a suggestion?

BTW: I am encoding them to MKV (tried using Mkvmerge GUI, didn't work, see my previous post)

[therube]

Have you tried Video To Video to join your separate MKV encodes?

[SnakEye]

No, I'll give it a shot.
thanks.

[fantasmanegro]

staxrip can encode to xvid with 2pass

[Darksoul71]

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a shot.

EDIT: OK, I tried Freemake Video Converter and I wasn't happy with the quality as there is hardly any control on the x264 settings like the Vidcoder has.
:(

Interesting...the only big disadvantage (beside support for only one audio track) I can see for Freemake is that it is lacking CRF support.
You were asking for two pass mode and setting a target size which implies to me that lacking CRF mode is not a problem. Usually Freemake
produces nice quality if you choose a reasonable bitrate.

Also requesting more options for h264 seems strange to me since most people I know either like simple tools (= not many buttons & things
to click) or like full control over the process.

This being said Handbrake or one of the many Mencoder / ffmeg GUIs with preset come to my mind (e.g. WinFF).

[hello_hello]

however I am having difficulties combining the files I encoded one by one (same aspect ration & same Settings to all in VidCoder) with Vidcoder as you suggested (BTW I am very happy with the quality results with the VidCoder, I am using Constant Quality set on 18).
I tried using BiolSoft Joiner and it claims one or two of the files are not the same as the rest of the bunch.
Also trying to use mkvmerge GUI the file showed only 03:40 min playable time, while it should have been around 50Min and it showed black screen and crashed in the middle (Media Player).
that is why I really looking for something as good as DivCoder, but will output me a one file in the end.

When you try to combine the output MKVs with MKVMergeGUI does it offer a warning message?
I encode video and combine with MKVMerge very regularly without issue. As long as the same encoder settings are used each time it shouldn't be a problem, except.....
I kind of forgot there's an x264 option which ensures the encoded files can be joined. I just use it automatically most of the time so I didn't think about it. It only applies to more recent x264 versions (earlier versions didn't seem to need it). From this page:
https://mailman.videolan.org/pipermail/x264-devel/2013-July/010167.html
Add "--stitchable" option for segmented encoding
"Stops x264 from attempting to optimize global stream headers, ensuring that different segments of a video will have identical headers when used with identical encoding settings."

So as per the above, the option you'd add to the x264 command line is --stitchable.

Now that works as advertised for the command line version of x264 (I encode that way very regularly) but I don't know if it's implemented in the x264 version Vidcoder/Handbrake uses (or if it's actually needed). You might need to ask in the Vidcoder thread. If you do, while you're at it ask how to add it to the command line in Vidcoder if you're not sure, as I'm not either.

MeGUI has the stitchable option in it's x264 encoder configuration, if you want to try it instead. It's probably got more of a learning curve than Vidcoder though, but once you get to know it, it's also more versatile.

[hello_hello]

Thinking about it, FFCoder (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/FFCoder) has an option to combine files into a single encode, and it gives you access to x264's settings.

I'd probably try the latest beta version, as the current stable version is fairly old. Well I just did, because I've not used it in a while. I tried combining two files of completely different resolutions and it happily resized the lower resolution one to match the other according to the video preview, so it seems fairly clever. It doesn't need to be installed (it's portable) although it might require Avisynth to be installed if you want to use that (I don't think it required Avisynth though), but I'm going to have another play with FFCoder myself at some stage soon. I might end up using it a bit.

[SnakEye]

Interesting...the only big disadvantage (beside support for only one audio track) I can see for Freemake is that it is lacking CRF support.
You were asking for two pass mode and setting a target size which implies to me that lacking CRF mode is not a problem. Usually Freemake
produces nice quality if you choose a reasonable bitrate.

Also requesting more options for h264 seems strange to me since most people I know either like simple tools (= not many buttons & things
to click) or like full control over the process.

This being said Handbrake or one of the many Mencoder / ffmeg GUIs with preset come to my mind (e.g. WinFF).

Your assumption was 100% correct, I am the one that suddenly changed my Mind and ditched the two pass after reading that CRF is more the way to go those days.
the tool does what it claims. I just was not 100% sure if I am satisfied with the results compared to some tweaking i tried with DivCoder (shame it can't merge the files into one, that could have been a winner IMO), that maybe caused me to put the blame on the tool when the blame should have been maybe more on myself that I did not really know what I was looking for in the 1st place.
now i think I know, still getting there :)

When you try to combine the output MKVs with MKVMergeGUI does it offer a warning message?
I encode video and combine with MKVMerge very regularly without issue. As long as the same encoder settings are used each time it shouldn't be a problem, except.....


Found the issue, it was one of the clips that that did not have a sound track defined (even though all the clips are quiet) in it.
once I removed the sound encoding (there was no need as it was quiet anyway), they all merged fine.
thanks for the help.