1 cd XviD Stuttery/Slow playback - Newbie encoding tips pls?

[marcusmac]

Hi
This might sound daft but I wonder if anyone can offer me some Xvid encoding advice please? Ive read the guides and thought Id start with a hardcore 1 Cd rip of Matrix Revolutions using Gordian Knot and the latest V1.0 build of XviD. Perhaps a bit silly, but its my first Xvid ripping exercise cum mistake learning session..

As suspected it didnt go perfectly due to my ignorance probably, the encode took 7 hours on maximum settings, but the rip's playback is a bit slow and stuttery on WMP Classic v6, the video isnt that sharp what can I do to tweak this please? Is it a straight bitrate thing? My PC is quite powerful: P4 2.5gb, 1 gb RAM, Radeon 9000 128Mb SVGA, SATA Samsung Spinpoint 150Gb drive, I dont think its the hardware..

I encoded at only 716kBits Average Bitrate, the encode took 7 hours at a resolution of 608 x 240, at 0.196 Bits per pixel with 44.7% load of 0.439 Compressibilty test. I used H263 on 1st pass and HVS_Best matrix on 2nd pass with AQ with Motion Search at 6 VHQ on 1 at first then 4 on 2nd pass, and enabled Chroma Motion, Trellis with the default min and max I frames, Packed Bitstream, GMC, QPEL. Audio was MP3 @ 128Kbits.

Before I go to 2 CDs, is there anything I can do to tweak these settings.. I havent used any custom Avisynth scripts becos I still cant get them to work properly - thats the next hurdle!!

Heres my settings.. Any advice/tips Gurus out there???

Cheers
Marcus


SETTINGS 1st pass

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\XviD]
"mode"=dword:00000001
"bitrate"=dword:000002bc
"desired_size"=dword:0008b290
"use_2pass_bitrate"=dword:00000000
"desired_quant"=dword:00000190
"quant_type"=dword:00000000
"lum_masking"=dword:00000001
"interlacing"=dword:00000000
"qpel"=dword:00000001
"gmc"=dword:00000001
"reduced_resolution"=dword:00000000
"use_bvop"=dword:00000001
"max_bframes"=dword:00000002
"bquant_ratio"=dword:00000096
"bquant_offset"=dword:00000064
"packed"=dword:00000001
"closed_gov"=dword:00000001
"ar_mode"=dword:00000000
"aspect_ratio"=dword:00000003
"par_x"=dword:00000001
"par_y"=dword:00000001
"ar_x"=dword:00000004
"ar_y"=dword:00000003
"num_zones"=dword:00000002
"rc_reaction_delay_factor"=dword:00000010
"rc_averaging_period"=dword:00000064
"rc_buffer"=dword:00000064
"discard1pass"=dword:00000001
"full1pass"=dword:00000000
"keyframe_boost"=dword:0000000a
"kfreduction"=dword:00000014
"kfthreshold"=dword:00000001
"curve_compression_high"=dword:00000000
"curve_compression_low"=dword:00000000
"overflow_control_strength"=dword:00000005
"twopass_max_overflow_improvement"=dword:00000005
"twopass_max_overflow_degradation"=dword:00000005
"container_type"=dword:00000001
"target_size"=dword:000a2800
"subtitle_size"=dword:00000000
"hours"=dword:00000001
"minutes"=dword:0000001e
"seconds"=dword:00000000
"fps"=dword:00000002
"audio_mode"=dword:00000000
"audio_type"=dword:00000000
"audio_rate"=dword:00000080
"audio_size"=dword:00000000
"motion_search"=dword:00000006
"vhq_mode"=dword:00000001
"chromame"=dword:00000001
"cartoon_mode"=dword:00000000
"turbo"=dword:00000000
"max_key_interval"=dword:000000fa
"frame_drop_ratio"=dword:00000000
"min_iquant"=dword:00000001
"max_iquant"=dword:0000001f
"min_pquant"=dword:00000001
"max_pquant"=dword:0000001f
"min_bquant"=dword:00000001
"max_bquant"=dword:0000001f
"trellis_quant"=dword:00000001
"fourcc_used"=dword:00000000
"debug"=dword:00000000
"vop_debug"=dword:00000000
"display_status"=dword:00000001
"Deblock_Y"=dword:00000000
"Deblock_UV"=dword:00000000
"Dering"=dword:00000000
"FilmEffect"=dword:00000001
"profile"="AS @ L5"
"stats"="Z:\\DVD\\FULLCOPY\\THE_MATRIX_REVOLUTIONS_D1\\MATRIX3 2ND NEW ATTEMPT_1.stats"
"qmatrix_intra"=hex:08,11,12,13,15,17,19,1b,11,12,13,15,17,19,1b,1c,14,15,16,\
17,18,1a,1c,1e,15,16,17,18,1a,1c,1e,20,16,17,18,1a,1c,1e,20,23,17,18,1a,1c,\
1e,20,23,26,19,1a,1c,1e,20,23,26,29,1b,1c,1e,20,23,26,29,2d
"qmatrix_inter"=hex:10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,12,13,14,\
15,16,17,18,19,13,14,15,16,17,18,1a,1b,14,15,16,17,19,1a,1b,1c,15,16,17,18,\
1a,1b,1c,1e,16,17,18,1a,1b,1c,1e,1f,17,18,19,1b,1c,1e,1f,21
"zone0_frame"=dword:00000000
"zone0_mode"=dword:00000000
"zone0_weight"=dword:00000064
"zone0_quant"=dword:000001f4
"zone0_type"=dword:00000000
"zone0_greyscale"=dword:00000000
"zone0_chroma_opt"=dword:00000001
"zone0_bvop_threshold"=dword:00000000
"Supported_4CC"=dword:00000007
"credits_end"=dword:00000000
"credits_start"=dword:00000000
"zone1_frame"=dword:0002a482
"zone1_mode"=dword:00000001
"zone1_weight"=dword:00000064
"zone1_quant"=dword:000007d0
"zone1_type"=dword:00000000
"zone1_greyscale"=dword:00000000
"zone1_chroma_opt"=dword:00000001
"zone1_bvop_threshold"=dword:00000000
"credits_begin"=dword:00000000

2nd pass SETTINGS

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\GNU\XviD]
"mode"=dword:00000002
"bitrate"=dword:00000397
"desired_size"=dword:000a5f57
"use_2pass_bitrate"=dword:00000000
"desired_quant"=dword:00000190
"quant_type"=dword:00000002
"lum_masking"=dword:00000001
"interlacing"=dword:00000000
"qpel"=dword:00000001
"gmc"=dword:00000001
"reduced_resolution"=dword:00000000
"use_bvop"=dword:00000001
"max_bframes"=dword:00000002
"bquant_ratio"=dword:00000096
"bquant_offset"=dword:00000064
"packed"=dword:00000001
"closed_gov"=dword:00000001
"ar_mode"=dword:00000000
"aspect_ratio"=dword:00000003
"par_x"=dword:00000001
"par_y"=dword:00000001
"ar_x"=dword:00000004
"ar_y"=dword:00000003
"num_zones"=dword:00000002
"rc_reaction_delay_factor"=dword:00000010
"rc_averaging_period"=dword:00000064
"rc_buffer"=dword:00000064
"discard1pass"=dword:00000001
"full1pass"=dword:00000000
"keyframe_boost"=dword:0000000a
"kfreduction"=dword:00000014
"kfthreshold"=dword:00000001
"curve_compression_high"=dword:00000000
"curve_compression_low"=dword:00000000
"overflow_control_strength"=dword:00000005
"twopass_max_overflow_improvement"=dword:00000005
"twopass_max_overflow_degradation"=dword:00000005
"container_type"=dword:00000001
"target_size"=dword:000af000
"subtitle_size"=dword:00000000
"hours"=dword:00000001
"minutes"=dword:0000001e
"seconds"=dword:00000000
"fps"=dword:00000002
"audio_mode"=dword:00000000
"audio_type"=dword:00000001
"audio_rate"=dword:000000a0
"audio_size"=dword:00000000
"motion_search"=dword:00000006
"vhq_mode"=dword:00000004
"chromame"=dword:00000001
"cartoon_mode"=dword:00000000
"turbo"=dword:00000000
"max_key_interval"=dword:000000fa
"frame_drop_ratio"=dword:00000000
"min_iquant"=dword:00000001
"max_iquant"=dword:0000001f
"min_pquant"=dword:00000001
"max_pquant"=dword:0000001f
"min_bquant"=dword:00000001
"max_bquant"=dword:0000001f
"trellis_quant"=dword:00000001
"fourcc_used"=dword:00000000
"debug"=dword:00000000
"vop_debug"=dword:00000000
"display_status"=dword:00000001
"Deblock_Y"=dword:00000000
"Deblock_UV"=dword:00000000
"Dering"=dword:00000000
"FilmEffect"=dword:00000000
"profile"="AS @ L5"
"stats"="Z:\\DVD\\FULLCOPY\\THE_MATRIX_REVOLUTIONS_D1\\MATRIX3 2ND NEW ATTEMPT_1.stats"
"qmatrix_intra"=hex:08,10,10,10,11,12,15,18,10,10,10,10,11,13,16,19,10,10,11,\
12,14,16,19,1d,10,10,12,15,18,1b,1f,24,11,11,14,18,1e,23,29,2f,12,13,16,1b,\
23,2c,36,41,15,16,19,1f,29,36,46,58,18,19,1d,24,2f,41,58,73
"qmatrix_inter"=hex:12,12,12,12,13,15,17,1b,12,12,12,12,13,15,18,1d,12,12,13,\
14,16,18,1c,20,12,12,14,18,1b,1e,23,28,13,13,16,1b,21,27,2e,35,15,15,18,1e,\
27,32,3d,49,17,18,1c,23,2e,3d,4f,62,1b,1d,20,28,35,49,62,81
"zone0_frame"=dword:00000000
"zone0_mode"=dword:00000000
"zone0_weight"=dword:00000064
"zone0_quant"=dword:000001f4
"zone0_type"=dword:00000000
"zone0_greyscale"=dword:00000000
"zone0_chroma_opt"=dword:00000001
"zone0_bvop_threshold"=dword:00000000
"Supported_4CC"=dword:00000007
"credits_end"=dword:00000000
"credits_start"=dword:00000000
"zone1_frame"=dword:0002a482
"zone1_mode"=dword:00000001
"zone1_weight"=dword:00000064
"zone1_quant"=dword:000007d0
"zone1_type"=dword:00000000
"zone1_greyscale"=dword:00000000
"zone1_chroma_opt"=dword:00000001
"zone1_bvop_threshold"=dword:00000000
"credits_begin"=dword:00000000

[Koepi]

Which decoder gets used when you playback the file?

Make sure it's no old ffdshow build. Fetch a new one here: http://athos.leffe.dnsalias.com/ - ffdshow/libavcodec had a bug in older builds which made the playback jerky when using packed bitstream and more than 1 consecutive bframe in xvid.

If that helps your problem it's a known issue, but please report back on success/failure anyways.

Regards
Koepi

[manono]

Hi-

Since you say you've read the guides, then perhaps you remember having read this in Crusty's excellent XviD FAQ (http://www.vslcatena.nl/~ronald/docs/xvidfaq.html#C3k):
-'Packed Bitstream' is an option that can deliver mixed results during playback, depending on what you use for playback. It's meant to solve frame-order issues when encoding to container formats like avi that can't cope with out-of-order frames. And while it's meant to solve playback issues that occur without it, lots of people have reported playback issues with it. That goes for playing back with ffdshow, DivX 5 decoder, and several standalone (hardware) players.
Unless you know precisely what you're doing, it's best to keep it turned off until further notice. If you encounter problems with choppy playback, try turning this feature on and see if it helps.
Note: If you only play your files with the XviD codec, you never ever have to use packed bitstream.


Packed Bitstream causes more problems than it's worth, in my opinion, since most standalones can't cope with it, either.

[Koepi]

manono:

that's not true anymore for the recent xvid builds, where syskin bumped up the "feature number" in the bitstream from 000 to 999 - after that "hack" divx itself plays the files back correctly, so what you are talking about is a buggy firmware.

Regards
Koepi

[marcusmac]

@Koepi
Firstly thanks for the latest build of Xvid, what you and the XviD team has achieved with the codec is no less than awesome, and fascinating!!

You were right, I installed the latest ffdshow build and the problem has gone! I must have been using the version included with the latest Gordian Knot or DVD2SVCD..

A few questions on quality if I may? Ive noticed that the edges of objects in the resulting encode arent that sharp. Is that a result of the resizer used? (Lancos) Or the low bitrate ? Would using a different matrix yield better results or make no difference at this bitrate? Would adding a noise filter via Gordian Knot help?

@manono
Thanks for your advice. I couldnt access this website before, so hadnt read the information, it had difficulty resolving my domain name for some reason.. Works now tho.

Thanks!!

Marcus

[shutdown]

@ marcusmac

Lanczos resize @ ~ 700 Kbit/s? definitely not a good choice. It's better for bitrates above 1000.

Try using bicubic (natural), for your bitrate it's much better.