GordianKnot not required?

[daniel]

I am using the following programs to make avi's of a DVD:
- SmartRipper
- DVD2avi
- BeSweet
- GordianKnot + decomb
- VirtualDub
- Nandub

But the only thing GordianKnot is needed for, is calculating the bitrate, smart crop and resizing; or: making an avisynth script.
My question: is there any good alternative for doing these things?
- Calculating the bitrate: I've tried other programs, but I never get the same value as in GKnot (and in GKnot I'm getting the best values)
- Smart crop and resizing: I didn't found any other program that can perform this smart crop function.

So the most important thing that I want is a program that also has a smart crop function like GKnot and finally having the same avs script.

[manono]

Hi-

I'm not sure I understand. You want a program that does what GKnot does, but isn't GKnot?

Of course it's not required-you could do these things yourself or with other programs. But since GKnot's the best at what it does, why not use it, at least for determining bitrate and cropping-resizing?

There are plenty of bitrate calcs out there. There are several other ways to crop-resize. There are even a couple of other .avs generators. But why use the others when it's all there in GKnot?

I think you answered your own question:

- Calculating the bitrate: I've tried other programs, but I never get the same value as in GKnot (and in GKnot I'm getting the best values)
- Smart crop and resizing: I didn't found any other program that can perform this smart crop function.

[daniel]

I guess you're right.

But isn't it a little bit strange that there's just one program that can do smart crop?
I was just a little bit curious because I like this smart crop function very much.

[Hanty]

Well, maybe there are no other programs on the scene with that ability because it's generally considered that Gknots is really good at just that and no one has found anything to improve on it?

[Nic]

Just a quick comment:
Ive been adding features like Smart Crop into DVD2AVI. TheWEF invented ideas like this & as im implementing them, im amazed at how well he has done it. They are not easy features to implement. His bitrate calculation is very accurate (ive been recreating the figures from the ones I see in GKnot) & he must have done loads of tests to get such accurate numbers.

So full kudos goes to TheWEF....& I hope my DVD2AVI will be able to do what you want Daniel. (it can be used just to do the audio & create the AVS & D2V file)

Cheers,
-Nic

[daniel]

that sounds realy good to me
but this new dvd2avi version: when do you think it's ready to use?