Problems with Dr. DivX!

[castellanos]

Hi there! I am tring to create an avi file from a DVD with Dr. DivX and also attach permanent subtitles into it using VobSub.
I've created a "kind of" avi file (VAPIConv) as a source for the encoding, just to be able to attach the subtitles (srt, same name as the avi).
I've made a test of a 17 min. movie (The first VOB file) in the same conditions as before, and it worked very good. Now I'm tring to encode the entire movie, but the Dr. DivX start to encode and stops after 10 seconds and nothing else, it just stays there doing nothing.
Can somebody help me with this?
Thanks!

[SeeMoreDigital]

What DVD ripper did you use... are you sure you've stripped the encryption completely out of the .vob stream?


Cheers

[castellanos]

Of course, the film was already ripped... this is not the problem. But I've just notice that this problem only happen when I choose the option in Dr. DivX to split the avi in two (example: 2 files of 690MB)then stops and does it.
But if a create only one avi file, it does not happen and it works perfectly.
Well, now, if there is not a solution for this (or may be yes), at least, I would like to know a program to split avi files... please NOT VirtualDub! I've already tried it and it is kind of complicated!

[SeeMoreDigital]

I see!

You could use an application like DVDdecrypter and rip the movie into 2 parts first. Then encode each half of the movie to DivX!


Cheers

[castellanos]

Really? There are no programs to split avi files besides VirtualDub?

[jimmy basushi]

most muxing programs can split files. but what problems are you having with vdubmod (make sure you use virtualdubmod) ?

follow this proceedure: click "file" / "open video file" and open up your avi. goto "file" / "save as" and click "segment video file". put in 700 meg or whatever you want in the box you can type in. after that, make sure you select "direct stream copy" under "video mode" which is at the bottom of the screen. before you click save, make sure "dont run this job now, add it to job control so i can use batch mode" isnt selected.

then let vdubmod run, and its done.

ive never done it with subs, but that would work wouldnt it?

edit - unfinished sentence was fixed

[manono]

Hi-

ive never done it with subs, but that would work wouldnt it?

Yes jimmy, that'll work, since he's burning the subs into the video. Thanks for giving him the "how to". But won't he have to go down to Job Control to actually start the splitting. I don't do it quite the way you do, so I may be wrong.

castellanos, you're doing things a very old and slow way by using a VFAPI to frameserve. You should definitely be doing it with AviSynth, if for no other reason than you'll get something like 30% faster encoding speeds.

And I might recommend you give AutoGK a try. It'll burn the subs into the video easily, and split the .avi when done automatically as well. However, it won't take SRT format subs as input, but only the VobSubs from the DVD. If you want to try using AviSynth, like through GKnot, or even Dr. Divx, you just have to add a couple of lines to your .avs. You first have to load the VSFilter (included with VobSub), and also create a line using TextSub (also included with VobSub, but not by default-you do a custom install). So at the top with all the other LoadPlugins, you do something like this:

LoadPlugin("C:\Path\To\VSFilter.dll")

And then further down you add this to the .avs:

TextSub("C:\Path\To\Movie.srt")

The regular GKnot makes this fairly easy, as you just have to uncomment the VSFilter line, and add the TextSub line when editing the .avs it creates. I've never used Dr. Divx, so I'm not real sure what's involved there.

[castellanos]

Yes, I know that is an old way to encode, and very slow too, but may be it is just a caprice, I don't want to use AutoGK because it is not only one program, it just uses many others together... and I don't like so much because of that (That's the same reason I don't use DVD2SVCD).
Anyway, after a few tests, Dr. Divx has problems to split the avi file generated by VAPI, it can only encoded into one... this problem, does not happen when I try to encode directly from the original VOBs... but then, I can not insert the subtitles :( .
Whatever, I think a program like "AVI & MPEG Splitter" is easier than VirtualDub splitting the avi files.

[daldrum]

To Castelanos:
Give AutoGknot or Gknot try, really the best option for divx/xvid encoding, so far. I have Dr.Divx but stopped using it, it is just too unreliable, maybe the next version will be better.
I also noticed that there is a great difference between the DR.Divx forum at Divx.com and Forum for AutoGknot and Gknot here. There are much more experienced AutoGknot and GKnot users who give great feedback to the creators. Better feedback means better software. The same holds for Xvid.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by daldrum
... Give AutoGknot or Gknot try, really the best option for divx/xvid encoding, so far. I have Dr.Divx but stopped using it, it is just too unreliable, maybe the next version will be better.
I also noticed that there is a great difference between the DR.Divx forum at Divx.com and Forum for AutoGknot and Gknot here. There are much more experienced AutoGknot and GKnot users who give great feedback to the creators. Better feedback means better software. The same holds for Xvid. Absolutely!

I too have tested some versions of DrDivX and have experienced crashes for no good reason. Maybe it's an RAM memory thing!

I must admit I would be interested to know just how many basic 'encoding only' applications there are now. As you know I use MPEGmediator (which is no longer available/supported) and DVD2AVI (with it's many variations).

Maybe it's time to find and list all these basic 'encoding only' applications before anymore of them disappear?


Cheers

[jimmy basushi]

manono i shouldnt write first thing in the morning, thanks for pointing out my error.

[thekid]

yes its a bug in the file splitting function of the Dr.

for some reason sometimes splitting files causes it to hang

thats the bad news


good news is we have compeletely re-written how we split files and its working much better now and will be released in the next version

thekid...

[SeeMoreDigital]

Thanks for that info thekid,

Any chance you could add AAC audio, anamorphic signalling and the MP4 container please :D

We could then have a serious contender to Nero Recode2.... Well I had to ask!


Cheers

[gatormac]

So there you go castellanos....just wait several more months, pay another $49.99 and you'll be able to split files.

Sorry theKid, I just couldn't help myself. Why wouldn't you just add a patch for the good paying customers of DrDivx?

[thekid]

who said anything about paying another 49.99?

next version is a free upgrade

and sorry, we don't have a patch available for this fix. its tightly integrated into the AVI writing and too much to do in a patch

thekid...

and as far as your requests

aac, maybe
anamorphic, yes
MP4, probably not now

more to come...

[bond]

maybe aac, but propably not mp4? are you going to store aac in avi with yet another hack?

why not simply using mp4? it allows things like subtitles and chapters and is hack and license-free and 100% mpeg-4 compliant too ;)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Agreed!

I can't see much point in having AAC in AVI. If I want this, there are other tools I can use.

>thekid
That said, I also can't understand, why after you've worked so hard to promote Mpeg4 you don't go the whole nine yards and offer DivX users the choice of either DivX/Mp3 in AVI, DivX/AAC or even DivX/Mp3 in MP4.

DrDivX gives you the perfect platform to do this... Not forgetting that the customers you are targeting now have Nero's Recode2 as an option. Which, because it's able to encode directly into MP4 also offers multichannel AAC, chapters and subtitles.

Thinking as a prospective customer you have to ask your self: "Why should I use DrDivX, when potentially Recode2 can offer so much more"!

In a few months time we'll see the launch of the new Sigma chipset within Kiss stand-alone players. This chipset will offer support for MP4 (including subs and chapters). Therefore MP4 will become a very important competitor to AVI. Which also means the competition between Nero's Recode2 and DrDivX will become much stronger.

Now I have to ask, because I'm pretty nervous regarding certain rumours that DXN might abandon Mpeg4 altogether...

...Are you able to reassure all those people who have already invested in a standalone player (due to the heavy promotion of the DivX codec) that you will continue to support them?

Hence my continued suggestion that you offer both AVI and MP4 container support!


Best regards

[castellanos]

Easy guys! I've made the back up succesfully, of course the split option of Dr.DivX didn't work, but I've made only one avi, and then I splitted with "AVI & MPEG Splitter".
The encoding time is ok, I mean, 2:30 Hs for a 98 Minutes film... is that right?
Anyway, who is interested on a standalone player who can read almost anything, specially for the people who live in Germany:
I've seen a "Yakumo" DVD player that can read almost anything, and only 79 €!
May be you know already?

[thekid]

the main reason... is hardware support

it is very expensive to support MP4 in hardware due to memory requirements. CE guys don't want to/can't do this.

we want to offer full support of all things DivX any and everywhere we can to make the experience as good as possible. This is why we currently can't offer things like AAC and such as our hardware doesn't support it.

as far as MP4 and all its functions... you will see some very cool things come out in hardware very soon.

as far as sigma and kiss coming out with MP4 support, i'm trying to validate that with my CE guys

thekid...

[SeeMoreDigital]

Many thanks for your response thekid,

Originally posted by thekid
the main reason... is hardware support

it is very expensive to support MP4 in hardware due to memory requirements. CE guys don't want to/can't do this. If you are referring to file overhead memory requirements, I think I'm right in stating that it can be less in MP4 than with AVI.

I have generated plenty of files in MP4 and play them back in hardware via my Sigma Xcard with no negative effects. In fact if I view my PC's preferments stats while playing an MP4 file, it less than with the equivalent AVI!

That given, I fail to see why you would require greater memory requirements!

Originally posted by thekid
we want to offer full support of all things DivX any and everywhere we can to make the experience as good as possible. This is why we currently can't offer things like AAC and such as our hardware doesn't support it.You mean you don't have an Sigma Xcard... But what about offering your customers a choice?

Originally posted by thekid
as far as MP4 and all its functions... you will see some very cool things come out in hardware very soon.If you are talking about H.264 (AVC) - then yes!

One of your immediate competitors (Ahead/Nero) has already announced their intensions with this regard!

Originally posted by thekid
as far as sigma and kiss coming out with MP4 support, i'm trying to validate that with my CE guys.What exactly do you need validating. The Sigma chipset (http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/em8610series.htm) Kiss is using is certainly capable of providing MP4 as well as many other features - with memory to spare, it would seem.


Cheers

[bond]

Originally posted by thekid
it is very expensive to support MP4 in hardware due to memory requirements. CE guys don't want to/can't do this.hm this sounds like you guys always stated that qpel will never find its way to hardware :D
if what the guys from ahead, 3ivx and sigma say is true, there is no problem with supporting the mp4 container on hardware, and the new kiss will support it (including subs and chapters)
i assume ahead is behind all this mp4 container support :D

This is why we currently can't offer things like AAC and such as our hardware doesn't support it.so simply because some first generation hardware players dont support it, you dont want to keep up with what is possible in mpeg-4?
look at qpel for example, it helps sharpness a lot and is a must imo when encoding. coming to the hardware side, we now have two chipsets which dont support it and two which support it
now if you always look at what the worst chip supports (like your home theater profile enforces) you will never be able to get the most out of mpeg-4 and your codec (when comparing to competitors like xvid, nero or even m$)
the same goes for the mp4 container imo (chapters, subtitles and even menus would be possible), also note that its perfectly possible to use mp3 audio in mp4 (aac is not a must)

what about giving the people the possibility to choose?
- mp4 container (with subs and chapters), multichannel aac and full advanced simple profile video (including qpel and gmc) - all supported by the new sigma chip
- avi with htp video and mp3 for the ones owning "outdated" hardware players

of course i am only seeing this from the consumer side ;)

as far as MP4 and all its functions... you will see some very cool things come out in hardware very soon.are you talking about the mp4 container or mpeg-4 altogether?
can you be little bit more specific plz what you mean here? divx5.2?

[SeeMoreDigital]

Oh, and I nearly forgot...

Can you please confirm the following: - Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
...Are you able to reassure all those people who have already invested in a standalone player (due to the heavy promotion of the DivX codec) that you will continue to support them?

Hence my continued suggestion that you offer both AVI and MP4 container support!
Many thanks

[thekid]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital

[/b]What exactly do you need validating. The Sigma chipset (http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/em8610series.htm) Kiss is using is certainly capable of providing MP4 as well as many other features - with memory to spare, it would seem.


Cheers [/B]

i'm still not sure where you are getting this assumption from this chipset. Where do you see that i can do MP4 file formats?

thekid...

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by thekid
i'm still not sure where you are getting this assumption from this chipset. Where do you see that i can do MP4 file formats?

thekid... Because I have an Sigma Xcard (hardware card) with an EM8475 chipset (http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/em8400series.htm) in it, which does play Mpeg4/AAC in MP4 and has done so since it's launch approx two years ago!

Besides, it's most likely that the AAC audio streams need to be muxed into some form of container!

Also, what would be the point of not supporting the MP4 container, that would be a giant leap backwards for Sigma's development... MP4 is after all the generic container for Mpeg4 video and AAC audio!


Cheers

EDIT: Also have a look at these links: -

http://www.audiomap.de/forum/index.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=4171&mesg_id=4171 Refer to point #34

http://www.mpeg-playcenter.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=95 Refer to point #34

http://www.audiomap.de/forum/index.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=3857&mesg_id=3857

[bond]

Originally posted by thekid
Where do you see that i can do MP4 file formats?because representatives from ahead and kiss already said that it does

and smd's assumption that a chip, which is able to play aac, will most likely also support .mp4, as aac is as good as always placed in .mp4, is also very valid imho

btw it seems that the tevion DVD-4000 will also support .mp4 soon, according to this firmware beta-test thread (http://www.dvdboard.de/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=70877&perpage=30&pagenumber=1) (its german)

[bond]

Originally posted by thekid
i'm still not sure where you are getting this assumption from this chipset. Where do you see that i can do MP4 file formats?
http://www.ahead.de/en/632219481658784.html

[castellanos]

Yeah! Nice all the suggestions... but I must say that Dr. DivX seems to have bugs without limits!
First was the file splitting, now I've tried to encode a movie (no splitting) using the same method as before (DVD2AVI - VFAPI - AVI - Subtitles) and Dr. DivX was freezed after the encoding.
Thank God, the avi was already done... it was a very long movie.
I think it is necesary to make a update inmediately for Dr. DivX!
Greetings! :D

[SeeMoreDigital]

Yes, Dr DivX can crash.

I must admit, while it's going through the encoding process I dare not let the PC perform any other functions... not even log onto Doom9 :(


Cheers

[Phobos]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
[B]Because I have an Sigma Xcard (hardware card) with an EM8475 chipset (http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/em8400series.htm) in it, which does play Mpeg4/AAC in MP4 and has done so since it's launch approx two years ago![QUOTE]

that chipset would be perfect if it would support he-aac or even he-aac+ps... but i dont see why theres not a standalone that supports all those features, shame

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by Phobos
...that chipset would be perfect if it would support he-aac or even he-aac+ps... but i dont see why theres not a standalone that supports all those features, shame Even for an old chip-set it seems to be able to play AAC-HE with no problems. Everything 'audio wise' seems to be in there. You don't hear the differences like you do with mp3 and mp3pro.

I've pumped AAC LC and HE audio stream into different types of high-end amps and speaker set-ups (ie: not PC based set-ups) and there's virtually no difference between the two at 96kbps!

I guess people will have to draw their own conclusions about this.


Cheers

[bond]

sbr (he-aac) and ps is backwards compatible! you can play them on any aac player, but not with the full quality spectrum

for example an aac stream using ps will be played as a mono stream on an aac player not understanding ps