x264 development

[celtic_druid]

Not it at all. The reason it is recommended is because it is generally the most recent available. Most of the time there is nothing custom about it.

[peteag]

any ideas of a 1-pass cq mode in x264 or is it already comparable to 1-pass encoding?

[gaekwad2]

1-pass cq mode already exists:

Vfw: Single Pass - Quantizer
CLI: -q##

[Tommy Carrot]

Newbie question here...

How far has x264 come? I haven't checked on
its progress since ~r200, and browsing/searching
the forums hasn't helped me find the answer I
seek.

In terms of quality, how does it compare now to
Xvid, DivX, and the others (I remember it wasn't
as good at ~r200)?

Would it be a bad idea to start making backups
using x264 because it is still too early in the testing
stages?

js
Since rev. 200, x264 got many new features, like 8x8 dct, RDO, UMHex ME method, etc. These can significantly improve the quality.

IMO the mpeg4 ASP codecs cannot come close in quality, x264 is already better than them, sometimes the difference is huge.

I don't know if it's safe to use, but made the decision a few months ago, i exclusively use x264 for my encodings since then, and i've never experienced any problem with it.

[Inventive Software]

It could be that your path is too long, and its fecking up the software then.

Save your stats info to the root c: with a shorter filename as a test to see if that helps. You can always rename it afterwards if you need to.

Also, you may have to re-run the first pass if it turns out the filename was too long, as it may not have saved correctly.

If this is so, can longer statsfile names be implemented ASAP?

[bugsan]

hello

In vfw, the multipass/first-pass *seems* to be done with a constant bitrate (The standalone GUI writes a batch command with a --bitrate, for the 1st pass)

Maybe i'm wrong but i think it should be better with a quant constant.

[NuPogodi]

A bit stupid request, but... CLI applications usually allow to redirect stdout into text file. Could such a feature be implemented for CLI x264 (say, the command 'x264 -h > options.txt' has to create 'options.txt' with a full list of options)?

[MatMaul]

hello!
I have a problem(if it's a problem) : after encode with x264, I mux the video in the matroska container via mkvmerge.But when I look the framerate in the properties (with matroskaprop) I am a value like 24.994...fps for 25 fps for my input video. moreover, when I try to do a caption and go to a precisely frame with xvid and x264 I don't obtain the same frame : there are a shift of 2 or 3 frame.
for info, xvid has the good framerate (25.000fps) and I encode with cli version with avs input and mp4 output.

my command lines :

x264 --pass 1 --bitrate 800 --ref 1 --bframe 5 --direct temporal --weightb --b-pyramid --analyse none --me dia --subme 1 --progress -o NUL: "input.avs"

x264 --pass 2 --bitrate 800 --ref 5 --subme 6 --bframe 5 --direct temporal --weightb --b-pyramid --8x8dct --analyse all --progress -o "output.mp4" "input.avs"

[akupenguin]

In vfw, the multipass/first-pass *seems* to be done with a constant bitrate (The standalone GUI writes a batch command with a --bitrate, for the 1st pass) Average bitrate, not constant. CQP is fine if you pick the right quant, but ABR is better since you don't have to guess.

A bit stupid request, but... CLI applications usually allow to redirect stdout into text file. Could such a feature be implemented for CLI x264 (say, the command 'x264 -h > options.txt' has to create 'options.txt' with a full list of options)? Try 'x264 -h &> options.txt' (or '>&' depending on your shell).

[LigH]

Another way that works for me:

x264 -h 2> options.txt

Reason: You are allowed to use file handle numbers in front of redirectors.

0< = stdin (< = 0<)
1> = stdout (> = 1>)
2> = stderr

[ac-chan123]

@LigH:
under linux you can use tee to print on screen and write a copy into a file.

[LigH]

Probably. But are there Linux builds of the x264 CLI? If so - probably not from celtic-druid.

[Joe Fenton]

I build x264 on Fedora Core 3 for the AMD64. It works nice, but gpac doesn't compile as 64bit yet, so I don't get mp4 output. Also, AVI input isn't possible either. :(

[NuPogodi]

x264 -h 2> options.txt
Thanks a lot...

[peteag]

what about 1-pass cq at a specific bitrate like mpeg2?

[LigH]

For 1 pass: Either CQ, or average bitrate. But both is not possible for 1-pass. The reason is:

With only 1 pass, an encoder would not know which quality / quantizer it has to use to achieve a desired bitrate. This can only be calculated for a 2nd pass.

A CQ tester is not really an exception: I would call that a "1.5 pass mode"... ;)

[yokem55]

but gpac doesn't compile as 64bit yetI have x264 built with gpac support on my 64-bit gentoo box here. To get gpac to build proberly I had to checkout a recent cvs version of gpac and add "-fPIC" to the cflags. As for inputing data into the x264cli, I setup mencoder to frame serve into a fifo that x264 then reads. Mencoder has to be run like this:mencoder somevideo.vob -of rawvideo -ovc raw -vf swapuv -nosound -o myrawvideo.fifo

[LigH]

Just realised that width and height still have to be MOD 16. Do you plan to implement a workaround to circumvent this limitation, e.g. in a similar way as e.g. in XviD?

(AFAIR, often some kind of "mirroring" is used to extend the video area to the next multiple, if necessary.)

[CREXbzh]

Just realised that width and height still have to be MOD 16. Do you plan to implement a workaround to circumvent this limitation, e.g. in a similar way as e.g. in XviD?

(AFAIR, often some kind of "mirroring" is used to extend the video area to the next multiple, if necessary.)
That just a very bad idea not to scale at MOD 16. Please read this to get convinced: http://mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/menc-feat-dvd-mpeg4.html#menc-feat-dvd-mpeg4-constraints
:)

[Joe Fenton]

I have x264 built with gpac support on my 64-bit gentoo box here. To get gpac to build proberly I had to checkout a recent cvs version of gpac and add "-fPIC" to the cflags. As for inputing data into the x264cli, I setup mencoder to frame serve into a fifo that x264 then reads. Mencoder has to be run like this:mencoder somevideo.vob -of rawvideo -ovc raw -vf swapuv -nosound -o myrawvideo.fifo

Thanks! Just the info I was looking for.

[Manao]

CREXbzh : in fact, it's not a bad idea. It's better to crop to eliminate black borders without being mod 16 than having black borders and being mod16.

[LigH]

I don't need to be convinced, I know the advantages of videos being sized at multiples of macroblock sizes pretty well. But there are situations where you cannot serve optimal video sources. And there are better ideas of virtually filling up, than adding black borders, which are easy to achieve inside the encoder, but not so easy outside of it.

[yokem55]

Thanks! Just the info I was looking for.
A couple of other notes on useing mencoder as a frame server. If you use a telecine filter, you might get some lost frames that will cause nasty audio sync problems. Also, using -noskip on the mencoder command line is needed to get all the frames into x264.

[Joe Fenton]

Right... good idea.

[JasonFly]

Is there any mean to change the fourcc in the cli encoder? I know this command is present in the VFW version(the debug tab) but I cannot find any command in the CLI help (to change fourcc from h264 to avc1 for instance)

[dimzon]

just a little suggestion:
please add "target file size" mode (like in XviD) as -bitrare alternative
Thanx!

[bond]

Is there any mean to change the fourcc in the cli encoder? I know this command is present in the VFW version(the debug tab) but I cannot find any command in the CLI help (to change fourcc from h264 to avc1 for instance)
the cli doesnt output to avi so there is also no need to mess around with fourccs

[JasonFly]

I though mp4 also had fourcc in its header. Shame on me.
I should have read the MP4 FAQ more carefully. I'll read it ten more times as punishement.

So AVC content is only discribed by his private track ID in the MP4 file? Does Ateme/Nero AVC and x264 have the same private track ID?

[bond]

for ensuring interoperability between different encoders the mpeg-4 standard defines clearly how to place avc in mp4 and all encoders claiming to be mpeg-4 compliant have to use that way and x264 and ateme/nero do it therefore too

[guada 2]

Hello, :)

The last version (x267) is not supported by player NERO.
Why? and where come the problem?

Indeed, it is impressive.

[bond]

Hello, :)

The last version (x267) is not supported by player NERO.
Why? and where come the problem?

Indeed, it is impressive.no problem here with as good as all settings enabled..

lossless doesnt work with nero as mentioned already

[guada 2]

it is strange whereas the other versions perfectly functioned.

And the other versions? What it was?

[bond]

post your exact settings used for encoding and a sample clip showing that problem

[LigH]

I love people who post their complete command line used for encoding, in case of playback problems. Or even their whole encoding report. Really. ;)

[guada 2]

I suppose that it is not accepted by MP4BOX?

[bond]

troll?

[guada 2]

I apologize Bond, all is of my mistake.
I was mistaken since the beginning of AVS file.

You are right, I don't have anything say.

a question:
what means " TROLL"? please

[Rash]

Humm, I don't know if it was already posted here somewhere (big topic :)) but I would like to suggest something. And I don't know if it is easy to code and if it is a feature people would use either.

But what if x264 cli encoder took the configurations from a file? Stuff like, b-frames, matrices (now supported), the Macroblock Option, etc? So you would only type

$>x264 --conf configuration.xml -o file.mp4 file.avs
for example. That would be nice to test different videos with the same configuration. ;) Anyway, just a thought, please don't kill me. :)

[guada 2]

Hello Bond :)

You have say this:
"lossless doesnt work with nero as mentioned already"

I have make a small test of lossless with NERO SHOW TIME.
I notice that it accepted the HUFFYUV file?

What is your verdict? strange or luck ??????

[Ariakis]

Hello Bond :)
You have say this:
"lossless doesnt work with nero as mentioned already"

I have make a small test of lossless with NERO SHOW TIME.
I notice that it accepted the HUFFYUV file?


He meant Lossless AVC (as in x264 with qp=0), not HuffYUV

[guada 2]

Other thing:

Concerning the properties of a file encoded with the codec x264:
It would be useful to find a name of for the option " compression video ".

No.. :)

[guada 2]

Ariakis,

I understood it well, not of concern.
it was just to add a report.

NO PROBLEMO.. :)

[LigH]

@ guada 2:

Please, do yourself a big favour:

If you have a technical problem, try to describe it as detailed as possible, especially always post your complete command line, or even the whole application output. Try to read and understand given answers. I'm not sure if you ever read about the infamous "TUVOK" - a former member of many boards, who always asks and asks and asks, but never learns from given answers...

If you instead have a personal problem with another member, discuss it privately (e.g. send a "Private Message" via the small menu that pops up when you click on his user name), but don't mess an important thread.

[Luminaria]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but are there plans to include a directshow decoder in x264 in the future?

[Manao]

No. In fact, there isn't any working decoder in x264 at the moment, because the 'official' decoder is ffmpeg. So the 'official' directshow decoder is FFDShow.

[guada 2]

Hello,

LiGH

I don't understand your reasoning.
Where do you seen a problem?

It is me that have make a mistake in my applications.
BOND didn't understand my problem.
He thought that I had found a error on the codec.

It is FALSE.

I understood its thought.
I even have make a small parenthesis without consequence.

But where is the problem?

On the other hand I didn't understand the word that he used, and I don't always know the translation / "TROLL".
If you believe that I have make something, don't hesitate to tell it to me.

That is sure, when I have a problem I say it honestly and in direct; And there doesn't have a problem ( I think that you understand me LIGH ).
If my mistake caused twists , I apologize but if it is not the case I would like to understand.

I don't tempt to destabilize the progression of the codec.
Indeed, I approve the work that is accomplished. and I thank all those that participate in to create a reliable and effective codec.

For all problem, I would not hesitate to follow your advice.
Thank you for your sense of the dialogue and your understanding.

Mario.

[LigH]

Mario - you too?! :D
__

"Troll" is also a mystic figure in the old german mythology, can have a dwarvic or giantic size, but usually does no good... (try to search for "define: troll" with Google)

We probably suspected you "trolling" because we asked again and again for more details, but you didn't deliver any facts. For this reason, I just recommended you to be a little more careful how your posts look aand sound like. But I did not want to say that I personally would dislike you! ;)

Let's stop any open discussions about misunderstandings. Let's keep the thread clear for technical facts, please. :)

[guada 2]

Ligh,

I appreciate your spontaneity. :)
Thank you very much.

Mario

[Joe Fenton]

"Troll" is also a mystic figure in the old german mythology, can have a dwarvic or giantic size, but usually does no good... (try to search for "define: troll" with Google)

The usual meaning of the term troll in forums is derived from:
To fish for by trailing a baited line from behind a slowly moving boat.

The baited line is the trollish reply and is often referred to as 'flamebait'. The 'fish' are incensed people who reply angrily to the post. The troll is trying to stir up trouble by posting replies he knows will get others on the board angry.

[Chaos Creator]

Hello,

I've just endode a video file, once with threads set to 1 and once with threads set to 2! I used the exact same options! I use the vfw codec! Here is the problem:

1 Thread = 936 KB

2 Threads = 947 KB

Why this difference???