Utility to make Compressibility test with GKnot and DivX 5

[jonny]

Waiting for the next version of GKnot i'we written a little utility that allow you to make comp. test with DivX 5 Pro.


Tested with GKnot 0.23 beta



Homepage: http://jonny.leffe.dnsalias.com/


Note: v1.02 is the final version. I'm integrating a new compressibility test in DivX 5 Enc.


v1.02 Work with DivX 5.0.1 - DivX 5.0.1 + VirtualDub 1.4.10 -
- Option to disable fast recompress
- PE settings


v1.01 Work with XP - DivX 5.0 + VirtualDub 1.4.9 -


v1.00 First version - DivX 5.0 + VirtualDub 1.4.9 -


-----
jonny

[rui]

I will try it. Good work

Unfortunally, i will have to wait that my current encode job ends :(

[Ripe73]

HI!

Tested your tool got this error"Can't run"start/wait/min"D\:Divx Tools\VitualDub-1_4_9\VirtualDub.exe"/x/s"c:\comptest.vcf"" phuu


WinXp Pro

[jonny]

Can you try to run manually:

start /wait /min "where you have vdub" to see what happen?

(sorry i have no access to winxp :))

[Ripe73]

HI!

Sorry but i dont understand what you mean with try "start /wait /min "
manualy :)

[jonny]

In a dos-prompt (if exists in xp...) type start etc...

[Ripe73]

I did it nothing is happen,no errors so i dont know whats wrong.

[quake74]

Originally posted by Ripe73
HI!

Tested your tool got this error"Can't run"start/wait/min"D\:Divx Tools\VitualDub-1_4_9\VirtualDub.exe"/x/s"c:\comptest.vcf"" phuu


WinXp Pro


I have winxp pro too and I get the same error. Sunning the same command in a shell it looks like that winxp thinks that /s and /x are switches for start. I changed to
"start /wait /min "D\:Divx Tools\VitualDub-1_4_9\VirtualDub.exe /x/s c:\comptest.vcf"
and a new shell opens but nothing else....
Any help?

quake74

[jonny]

I'll try another way to run VDub... i'll post it as soon as possible

[TelemachusMH]

I think I know why the call isn't working correctly. You are using perl (probably the system() command) to make the call. The problem is that Windows is not POSIX compliant and therefore you can't use system(), exec(), or ``. I ran into this problem a while ago, and the only way I could find to do it (without copying the files or making sure that there are no spaces in the path) is to write it in't a *.bat files in the current directory, then run that file.

Windows is annoying in many respects, this is one of them.

TelemachusMH

[rui]

Jonny, just for the case you didn't saw it yet, I PM you.

[jonny]

This version work for WinXP too :)

http://www.angelfire.com/wizard/divx4pass3/comptest_1_01.zip

Thanks to rui & Ripe73 for testing it ;)
(@quake74: check your personal messages!!!)


@TelemachusMH:

The problem is system+start+winxp, system+start+win98 works
In this version i've used the Win32::Process :)

[jonny]

Attachment with the new version

[Beave]

Yes 1_01.zip is working fine under XP here. Thanks a lot!

[quake74]

Yes, it's working on XP here as well. Good job :)

quake74

[ChAoS Overlord]

excuse me, but I can't find any explanation about the why / what of a compressibility check in doom9's guide.

What exactly is a compressibility check, how do I use it & what should I use it for/interpret the results?

[quake74]

Originally posted by ChAoS Overlord
What exactly is a compressibility check, how do I use it & what should I use it for/interpret the results?

I'm kinda new but I think that the compressibility check tell you how much you can push the resolution up. When you choose the bitrate (say 1000kbs) the codec is gonna use that bitrate whethere you encode at 320x200 or 740x480. Obviously it's a LOT easier to compress at a lower resolution than at a higher one. The compressibility check tells you "how low can you go". The lower the ratio, the worse the quality. You have to find your balance. For me it's around 40-50% with DivX5 (the picture is kinda nice), so here's want I do:
1) choose bitrate to fill up a CD
2) do a compressibility test
3) cranck up (or down) the resolution until I get something around 50%.
It's esentially the same as the GKnot bits/(pixel*frame) but that is is given by a fixed formula and the comp check is a lot more accurate for the movie you're compressing.

quake74

[Gotenks420]

when i run it, i get an error that says cant open c:\comptest.log

[jonny]

Are you using DivX 5 Pro and VirtualDub 1.4.9?
Is Avisynth installed correctly?
Is GKnot installed correctly?
Is VirtualDub starting when you press go?
What is your op. system?
Are you using comptest 1.01 or 1.00?

It seems the 1-pass doesn't start, so the log file is not created... but you must tell me more... more... more...

[Gotenks420]

gknot is installed correctly i am using vdub 1.4.9 when i press go vdub opens and it does all the encoding but when the encoding is done vdub closes and i get the error. i am using windows xp, comptest 1.01 and divx 5 pro.

[jonny]

@Gotenks420:

1) Check if comptest.log is actually created in c:\
2) After doing a comp. test, open VirtualDub, in Video>Compression select DivX 5 codec, press configure and post the options you have in Quick Config CLI
3) Have you installed both DivX 5 & DivX 4?
4) Is DivX 5 Pro registered or GAIN or cracked?
5) Is CompTest the only application running?
6) Can you post the .avs file you are using?
7) Can you try to do the comptest manually to see if it works?(http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19927)


Someone other had this problem?

[ulfschack]

Doesn't seem to work with "avisource" as reader in avisynth. I get some error that says "Output resolution not found in "C:\comp.avs"". The only thing G-knot does is generate that SelectRangeEvery line, right?

I tried it on a divx clip I have at work. Win98

cheers

[jonny]

@ulfschack:

>Output resolution not found in "C:\comp.avs"

I use "BilinearResize(x,y" or "BicubicResize(x,y" to get the output resolution from the .avs file.

If the .avs doesn't contain one of this two lines, i can't read the output res. and the error came out.

I can eliminate this check, but you must append manually the resolution in the output log file in this cases (example: renaming the final log file to something like "comp_avs_704x304.log" if the output res is 704x304).


New version will be posted ;)


Thanks :)

-----
jonny

[ulfschack]

Ciao Jonny

Quick response :)
Actually that was the first thing I did upon receiving the error. It didn't help ... same error
Here's my script (comp.avs)
---------------------
loadplugin("C:\mpeg2dec.dll")
avisource("c:\clip.avi")
SelectRangeEvery(260,13)
bilinearresize(512,208)
-------------------------
The clip is really 640x304 ... Anyways, I ran the encode manually, edited out the two lines from the .log (and ##3 to ##2), changed the name to refelct the resolution and loaded it into G-knot which worked well enough.

The problem is that I simply fail to envoke VD using your proggie.

[jonny]

The check is case sensitive :D

use "BilinearResize", NOT "bilinearresize"

[ulfschack]

Doh! *slap forehead* I would've NEVER thought of that :)

VD opens now, and it greets me with a core dump. I click through a couple of warnings about the program shutting ... and then it starts to encode!

A comptest.avi is created, but it's earased upon the message: "Can't open comptest.log"

I've tried erasing the mvinfo and divxpass files. Even changed name on the log file inside the codec to "comptest.log". But no ... I'm condemned to hard manual labor.

I think some other guy in this thread had the same probs. Wonder if he ever got to terms with it? :confused:

Anyways, thanks for the effort, Jonny

cheers

[ulfschack]

Home now, and your app works flawlessly on my XP machine.

Thanks

[jonny]

:)

If you have some time can you make the test i PM you in the machine where comptest doesn't work?

thanks

-----
jonny

[Beave]

I use your Program quite a lot. I reinstalled Win XP today and updated to DivX5.01. Now I have the Error Message:

Cannot start video compression:
The source image format is not acceptable.
(error code -2).

VDub starts and then this Error Dialog pops up. Tried to load the .avs in VDub and encoded it fine manually. What could that be? :(

[eddiani]

It seems that every utility that has to do with DivX 5 must be modified for 5.0.1, the informations storaged are different (and so I have to correct a program I finished just three days ago, after a week of hard work... :angry: )

[jonny]

I have not installed 5.01 yet.
I think this is the problem... i'll fix it in this weekend (i hope)

[jonny]

v1.02 Out!

v1.02 Work with DivX 5.0.1 - DivX 5.0.1 + VirtualDub 1.4.10 -
- Option to disable fast recompress
- PE settings

Homepage: http://jonny.leffe.dnsalias.com/

[JimmyBarnes]

Originally posted by jonny
Waiting for the next version of GKnot i'we written a little utility that allow you to make comp. test with DivX 5 Pro.

Tested with GKnot 0.23 beta

v1.00 First version - DivX 5.0 + VirtualDub 1.4.9 -
http://www.angelfire.com/wizard/divx4pass3/comptest_1_00.zip

-----
jonny

Jonny

I'm using the above with DivX Pro 5.0.

One thing I notice is:

I often use YUV->RGB TV scale (YUVRBG_Scale=0 in the D2V project file) rather than PC scale (YUVRBG_Scale=1) in order to increase resolution (I've a fetish for getting movies to fit on a single CD).

I find that your test (v1.00) gives the same compression test result (identical LOG files) whether TV scale or PC scale is used. Using NanDub 1.0rc2 and its 1st Pass Stats file , TV scale always results in a higher comp test result than PC scale, for a given resolution.

I presume your test always assumes that PC scale has been used, and I'm wondering if it can be modified to allow for the use of TV scale?

thanx
JB

[ChAoS Overlord]

what exactly is the difference between tv & pc scale?

[jonny]

I'm assuming nothing... what is the difference from TV scale and PC scale?

[JimmyBarnes]

Originally posted by jonny
I'm assuming nothing... what is the difference from TV scale and PC scale?

Umm... I'm no technical expert but this explanation from
http://www.vcdhelp.com/tmpgencexplained.htm seems relevant

IV. "Under the Quantize Matrix"

Output YUV Data as basic YCbCr not CCIR601:
This changes the colour scale from 8-235 to 0-255.

If the source comes from DVD2AVI this box should be ticked and the colours should be set to TV scale in DVD2AVI. By doing it this way, any detail above 235 and below 8 will be kept. It is VERY important to do this when encoding test patterns for setting brightness and contrast levels.

Alternatively, the box can be unticked, and the color set to PC scale in DVD2AVI. With it set this way, detail below 8 and above 235 is lost forever.

I'll explain it in terms of black and white:

TVs are set so that 8 is the darkest black and 235 is the brightest white. When a standalone DVD player plays a DVD, the color
scale it outputs is 0-255, but the TV's brightness (black level) and contrast (white level) are adjusted so that any colour below 8 is seen as darkest black and any colour above 235 is the brightest white.
Realistically, most people set their TVs with a slightly greater range than this so that the picture has more detail.

PCs use 0 as the darkest black and 255 as the brightest white.
Some PC video cards do the same thing as a TV. They expand the 8-235 part of the scale to 0-255, killing anything below 8 and above 235. I know the GeForce 2 does this, but the i740 doesn't. The video cards are set like this so that black looks black and white looks white instead of them looking some shade of grey. But there are many DVDs that have picture information below 8 and above 235.

So i hope i've explained that ticking the "Output YUV Data as basic YCbCr not CCIR601" is better than not ticking it, but the source should also have the 0-255 colour range. DVDs and other MPEG2 can be decoded in DVD2AVI using the TV scale. - mikk

All I know is that TV scale results in a 1st Pass AVI size typically 10 % lower than does PC scale, and thus allows one to use a higher resolution at the same bitrate for borderline cases where the resolution gets too small (I like to rip to a single CD except in extreme cases).

Actually the quoted explanation puts a different slant on the one given by someone in a Doom9 forum a few months ago, and clearly argues in favour of using TV scale rather than PC scale - the explanation given then suggested that PC scale should always be used in preference to TV scale. Up to now I have always though the TV scale got a lower 1st Pass AVI size because it used fewer colours than PC scale.

If the tmpgence article is correct - TV scale retains more info than PC scale AND allows one to use a higher res for the same bitrate - one would think TV scale should always be used rather than PC scale (a good seed for another thread)

Visually there is no clear difference between the two. Skin tones look natural (as natural as they do on the source DVD anyway) and black is OK (depends heavily on your brightness/contrast settings).

I hope this helps
JB

[dragoman]

Hi,

I thought the comp test used only a percentage of the frames in order to save time. My prog whenever I start it starts a first pass of the whole movie....

Using Vdub 1.4.10, DivX 5.01 Pro

dragoman

[dragoman]

Hi,

Don't even bother....saw what I did wrong....gotta save two avs files, one with the comp check enabled...

dragoman

[dragoman]

Hi,

Must say thanks for this great utility......makes the pain of awaiting the next Gknot that much easier...

Good work!

dragoman

[jonny]

Thanks! :)

[iamsparticuz]

Originally posted by Beave
I use your Program quite a lot. I reinstalled Win XP today and updated to DivX5.01. Now I have the Error Message:

Cannot start video compression:
The source image format is not acceptable.
(error code -2).

VDub starts and then this Error Dialog pops up. Tried to load the .avs in VDub and encoded it fine manually. What could that be? :(

Im getting this same error and i dont know why

[Acaila]

@iamsparticuz:

Stop asking that same question in 3 threads! Stick with your own thread!

[KillerZero]

Jonny

I'm using the above with DivX Pro 5.0.

One thing I notice is:

I often use YUV->RGB TV scale (YUVRBG_Scale=0 in the D2V project file) rather than PC scale (YUVRBG_Scale=1) in order to increase resolution (I've a fetish for getting movies to fit on a single CD).

I know this is old thread, but I think that I should react, because some people still use it.
It is STUPID! Divx (xvid, mencoder...) expects PC scale RGB. If you convert to TV scale RGB it converts it to 32..215 scale YV12, which is completely wrong and results in gray instead of black. Best solution of course is not convert to RGB and pass YV12 directly to encoder.