What happened to X?

[gr0x]

Xmpeg has been my DVD encoding tool of choice for some time. I can XviDify a DVD with about 30 seconds of effort using X, and create a final result that is undiscernable from the original DVD on TV-out. I'll stop talking about quality now, as I don't want to get into any heated arguments with SBC rippers. :P

Anyway, is it just me, or has X seriously gone downhill since 4.2a? For one, 4.3+ won't install properly over any previous X install, and that ICDT test is ridiculous IMHO- everyone I have recommended X to has ditched it since it seems to consistently crash at this point. Was this change necessary?

With 4.5, I have a huge beef- X no longer parses .ifo files. For anyone doing 2-pass, this is essential (this is where i get the #seconds with no effort)! That, and it doesn't contatenate .vobs on the fly. This is supposed to be Xmpeg, better than flask. X 4.5 is Flask 0.6 on steriods!

So if you use X, I recommend 4.2a, if you can find it. The new versions are just disastrous- why would anyone want to use X over, say, GKnot, with the direction the program is headed?

I'm interested in seeing any feedback- is there someone out there who thinks the new versions are better? Also, how can we help X get back on track, since it seems to rapidly going the way of the dodo?

~g

[EuGeNiLe]

i havent used the latest version (4.5) but i opened it up to see how it looks. the thing i noticed is that it didnt have a menu to select ifo.. i then extracted the files in my current 4.3 folder.. then it seems to open ifo files from the regular open menu in 4.5.. i havnt tried it out yet.. but when i do ill post results..

[gr0x]

I just read in another thread that you can make X 4.x parse .ifo files by importing the DVD.mism.Xmpeg file from version 4.2a. Still, why isn't this included in the bundle? Making things more difficult doesn't make any sense- things should be getting easier, not the other way round.

~g

[Selur]

Here's one guy who thinks the new Version is better than (e.g. 4.2a).

The DVD.msim thing is a bit confusing, but I think it's okay to have it as an addOn. Without it Xmpeg is a easy to use tool to convert mpegs to DivX, with it u can conver DVD to DivX (and concartenate .vobs). And since this thoughts were thought about Flaskmpeg before, it's okay at least for me. (there's a seperat download for it over at mp3guest)

the iDCT-Tests are buggy okay, maybe they should be optional, but hey tested it on 6 machines and no problem on any of them (testes some of thepre 4.5 versions as betatester). (For some people the iDCT Test seem to start each time when u start Xmpeg, for me it tested the iDCTs just one time.)

"... For anyone doing 2-pass, this is essential (this is where i get the #seconds with no effort)!"
Sorry, but why not use "compile whole file", did 9 encodes with version 4.5 and it seams to work fine for me,..

Cu Selur

[chipzoller]

I don't know guys.

I'm using Windows 2000 SP2 and I love Xmpeg 4.5

Yes, to be able to open IFO files and parse those .vob's you need to download DVD.mism.xmpeg. This allows the program to pull the vob's on the fly. Or you can get it from another version. I don't know why this wasn't included, maybe to get authorities off his back because with the ifo parser, it is so obvious that it is a DVD backup tool.

The iDCT test for me was fine. I ran it once and no more.

The Deinterlace features in this version are much better. I have only had 1 problem with any version of Xmpeg and that is the tiny-ist problem of video/audio re-synch.

I have spoken to the author about this and he says he will fix it but basically here is the problem if any of you encounter it.

First, after you have encoded your avi with the 2 pass parameters you MUST watch the video ALL the way through, usually uninterrupted.

You will notice maybe 2 spots in the movie where everything will be going along fine and then the video and audio skip about 1 tenth of a second. This is the video and audio re-synching. If you were to rewind your video, it won't do it again at that spot but it might happen again.

It isn't a serious matter but it could be anoying. And that is what separates my videos from perfect DVD quality.



Chip

[EuGeNiLe]

so everyone is talking about how 4.5 is better.. but by some of the few comments above.. about audio/video syncing.. how is this version any better? i havnt tried it out.. but if this new version has a/v synch problems. im gnna stick with 4.3a..

[Selur]

encoded now 10 movies, and no synch problem,... (here, I bet with you someone ele is having them :) )

Cu Selur

[chipzoller]

Are you sure?

What are your system specs?


Have you watched the movie all the way through uninterrupted???

And there isn't one single skip or fast forward anywhere???





chip

[Nazgul]

Personally, I've had no trouble with Xmpeg 4.5, it's been running great for me. From my own experience, it seems the "recontruct progressive frames" option works a bit better, there were a few movies where it gave me stuttering playback. I don't use the deinterlace options, if I want to deinterlace I frameserve into VirtualDub.

The .ifo parsing isn't a big deal for me, they had the dvd.mism file available on the homepage, so I pulled it down with 4.5.

As for audio-sync issues? I wouldn't know. With SVCD/DVD converting I always extract the audio to a .wav file and splice in the audio in VirtualDub. I do that because it gives me the most consistently good results, and it's not like I'm on a deadline with my encoding jobs. :)

I haven't seen Xmpeg re-run the iDCT tests unless I added a new one in, what problems are folks having with that?


Nazgul

[chipzoller]

I've tried to extract the audio in .wav and multiplex it with Virtual Dub, but you have to compress the audio in .mp3 first and it won't do it.

I just can't have uncompressed audio.

How else can I do this that is simple?




chip

[Nazgul]

Originally posted by chipzoller
I've tried to extract the audio in .wav and multiplex it with Virtual Dub, but you have to compress the audio in .mp3 first and it won't do it.

I just can't have uncompressed audio.

How else can I do this that is simple?




chip

Huh? I use Xmpeg to extract the audio to a .wav file. Then I go to VirtualDub and open up the .avi file I created in Xmpeg that has no audio track. I set the video option for Direct Stream Copy. I set the audio option to WAV Audio, and point it to the .wav file. Then I select Full Processing Mode for the audio, and choose what form of compression I want. I use the default Audio Interleaving options, and whatever offset I need in order sync things.(With Mpeg2 -> Divx5 in Xmpeg4.5 I sometimes find I need to offset the audio a little bit, which isn't a big deal to me). This process works for me every time, never had a problem with it. Is this what you're doing?

[chipzoller]

I dont' know. I really am not an expert with Virtual Dub and have never taken the time.

Perhaps you could walk me through?


I'm using DivX 4.12. Next time I'll try to set no audio and extract the audio to .wav


Tell me how to do it with Virtual Dub (i.e. all the compression stuff and synching etc.)



thanks,


chip

[Selur]

look at doom9s the Virtual Dub guide, it's all explained,.. ;)

@Chip:

"Have you watched the movie all the way through uninterrupted???"
Most of them, think I didn't watch two of them. (because I saw them to often from DVD)

"And there isn't one single skip or fast forward anywhere???"
At least I didn't see/hear one.

What are your system specs?
system specifications
of the system on which I encode:
Tyan Tiger MPX (S2466), 2* Athlon MP 1800+, 512 MB DDR RAM, Asus 6600, Win2K, DirectX8.1, Codec = Xvid
of the system i normally watch the movies:
ASUS A7V266-E, Athlon XP 2000+, 512 MB DDR RAM, Ausu 6800, Win2K, DirectX8.1, BsPlayer/PowerDivX4

Cu Selur

[gr0x]

I was finally able to "pass" the iDCT test after removing all previous versions of X, and ripping all previous information out of the registry. Adding the DVD.mism.Xmpeg module once again gave support for .ifo files. I'm doing a rip now to see how X4.5's results compare to previous versions.

I am also using "compile whole file" with 2-pass this time. I have always entered the number of seconds (got that from some guide somewhere. In what version did this change?) Guess by always doing things the same way, I've created more work for myself. Still, X is the easiest application to use for HQ encodes with almost no effort, IMHO.

As far as audio skip/FF and such regarding files made with X: I have never had such a problem on my system, and I have done at least 50 rips with different versions. However, on systems with low CPU "umph", my rips tend to do that. So I can only assume that this is not a problem with X, rather a problem with lack of CPU power. Just a thought...

Anyway, if this works out, looks like I was wrong and judged new versions of X too quickly.

Happy Ripping.
~g

[Nazgul]

Originally posted by gr0x
I am also using "compile whole file" with 2-pass this time. I have always entered the number of seconds (got that from some guide somewhere. In what version did this change?) Guess by always doing things the same way, I've created more work for myself. Still, X is the easiest application to use for HQ encodes with almost no effort, IMHO.

Does this work now? Can you have it run the second pass even with the "compile whole file" option checked?

[gr0x]

Thats what Selur said above! I guess we'll find out for sure in a few hours though won't we :P

Selur, you better be right! hehe

~g

[Selur]

like I said works for me think (since 4.21beta_3 or something like that) without a problem. HAd some problems with earlier build and the second pass option, but with 4.5 all problems regarding this are gone,.. :D

Cu Selur

[gr0x]

You are right! It went all the way through. Thanks for the tip. That was the good part.

The bad part- my film is screwed. Very, very screwed.

There is a diagonal green artifact about 20 pixels wide that runs from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. It is also evident in the bottom right corner. The rest of the image is "shifted" to accomodate for the green bar. I will post a screenshot if anyone can recommend an app that can take a screen of an overlay.

I used the XviD codec. I have used it often before with both X and frameserving into VD, and have never seen this before. I can only assume it is a problem with X.

~g

[Nazgul]

Originally posted by gr0x
You are right! It went all the way through. Thanks for the tip. That was the good part.

~g

So you're saying I can leave Xmpeg 4.5 set to encode the whole thing, and just enable the 2nd pass down at the bottom? Do I need to check that other multi-pass option in the middle of that properties page?

[gr0x]

Nuzgul- yep. Set it up exactly as you have done 2-passes before, except you can leave it as "compile whole file".

Wish we would have known that a few versions ago, huh.

~g

[gr0x]

I re-encoded the same file using X4.5, and got a worse result than the first time. I am pretty disappointed. I even switched a few things up this time, in case I had stumbled upon a buggy setting that was throwing things off. I even updated to a new build of the XviD codec in case it was at fault. Looks like it wasn't.

Here is a screenshot. Please note this is even worse than the first time I encoded the film.

Caddyshack (http://gr0x0r.dnsq.org/fubarx.jpg).

Back to X4.2 for me. I will post in this thread whether of not it yields the result I am accustomed to.

~g

[Selur]

eh,.. looks like your resolution is not dividable by 16 (which it needs if u encode with Xvid atm)

Cu Selur

[gr0x]

X4.2 had no problem with the above film. Unless I miss my guess, X doesn't let you go to another tab unless you specify a resolution divisible by 16 in the video tab does it? Not sure about 4.5 tho. ;) I'm encoding another one now, before the queue builds up again. So many DVDs, so little time...

Anyway, just so you believe me, I did another screenshot. Same film, same frame[?], same settings, but this done with X4.2.

Caddyshack (http://gr0x0r.dnsq.org/notfubarx.jpg).

Anyway, 4.2 is working beautifully, as it always has. My verdict on X4.5: Booo-urns!!

~g

[Selur]

I ment a resotlution that is divadable by 16 AFTER cropping and 4.3+ at least all only check div4. (so maybe it's the resolution)

But anyway, happy that at least 4.2 works fine for you.

Cu Selur

[chipzoller]

I don't see why the newer versions of Xmpeg want a crop by a multiple of 4 because 4.2a didn't ask that and I'm using the same codec.



I don't know.



anyone????



chip

[Selur]

If i remember right (don't have 4.2a anymore) 4.2a automaticly fored you to crop at least div 8,...

Newer Version want at least div 4 because most codec don'T support less then div4. (even the people at DivX.com recommen to use div 16)

Cu Selur

[chipzoller]

I don't know about 4.2a letting you only crop by 8. I used autocrop to crop the black lines out of a widescreen version. I didn't check the actual values but the crop box autocropped it fine.

I heard it has to do with the codec, but I had the same codec when I was using Xmpeg 4.2a. It didn't happen then...so I don't know whats up



chip

[gr0x]

Crop by.. ah, screw it. Me, I'm not gonna get into the details. I'm just gonna keep using x4.2, since it does a stellar job, and I have never had it fail me on any film. :) To quote Battletoads from back in the Snes days "Where intelligence fails, brute force prevails!" ... or something like that.

Selur, I owe ya for the compile whole file tip. You have cut my preprocessing time in half, easily. Thanks dude. :D

~g