ffdshow and AVStoDVD

[Hans L]

Hello:

I have installed ffdshow in order to use it with AVStoDVD. Two questions, if I may:

- Should I continue to use AviSynth Preferences = A2DSource?

- Do I need to make any changes to ffdshow other than setting Video Decoder Conf – Raw Video = all supported AND Audio Decoder Conf – Uncompressed = all supported?

I am asking the second question specifically because I noticed during install of ffdshow that mpeg-2 was not checked as a supported file type. Will AVStoDVD change necessary settings of ffdshow at runtime?

I hope that someone knows the answers to these questions.

Thank you in advance.

Hans L

[DB83]

Why ?

AFAIK avstoDVD does not use NOR need ffdshow. The installer includes all the tools needed. Mpeg2 encoding is performed by Henc.

[Hoser Rob]

The installer version does install ffdshow, and I'd want to use the version that avstodvd installed for compatibility reasons.

[DB83]

Well if the installer does install ffdshow it does install it other than in the folder structure of avstodvd. Odd that since all the other programs it uses are in the folder structure.

Logic states that if it installs it then it will set a program path to it as it does with everything else. Then it uses the version it installs. End of.

[Hans L]

Here is an excerpt from AVStoDVD FAQ – Video Encoding:

Q3.2 Source video is OK but output video is jerking/stuttering. What can I do to remove/lower the artifacts?

A: - Install a good directshow codecs suite (like ffdshow stable releases)

- Select 'DirectShowSource' instead of 'A2DSource' in 'Preferences'/'AviSynth'/'AVS Source Filter'

- If 'DirectShowSource' fails, select 'FFMpegSource' in 'Preferences'/'AviSynth'/'AVS Source Filter'

I think now, after an additional reading of the above, I see the three sentences as one procedure, not three different ones. So, one of my questions is answered.

In AVStoDVD Help, you can read this under "ffdshow":

Please check Video Decoder configuration: Raw Video must be set all supported

Please check Audio Decoder configuration: Uncompressed must be set all supported

(which I did already)

I did have jerky/flickering video after capturing, which is why I installed ffdshow. Would be interesting (maybe crucial) to know how AVStoDVD connects to ffdshow and not, for instance, to Microsoft's DirectShow (maybe they are not the same). And, still, does anything else in ffdshow have to be set?

Regards,

Hans

[_MrC_]

AVStoDVD, when DirectShowSource is invoked, uses the currently installed directshow codecs. If ffdshow is installed and has the priority, then AVStoDVD will use ffdshow. If other directshow codecs (M$, XviD, AC3Filter, etc) are installed, then AVStoDVD will use them. Period.

To know which directshow codec has the priority you can use GraphEdit and render the file to be decoded. You will get a filters tree by which you can understand what splitters/codecs are used.

About ffdshow settings, for best use with AVStoDVD, no other options need to be set other than Raw Video and Raw Audio to 'All supported'.

For the 1E10th time: AVStoDVD installer package DOES NOT contain ffdshow.

[Hans L]

AVStoDVD, when DirectShowSource is invoked, uses the currently installed directshow codecs. If ffdshow is installed and has the priority, then AVStoDVD will use ffdshow. If other directshow codecs (M$, XviD, AC3Filter, etc) are installed, then AVStoDVD will use them. Period.

To know which directshow codec has the priority you can use GraphEdit and render the file to be decoded. You will get a filters tree by which you can understand what splitters/codecs are used.

About ffdshow settings, for best use with AVStoDVD, no other options need to be set other than Raw Video and Raw Audio to 'All supported'.

For the 1E10th time: AVStoDVD installer package DOES NOT contain ffdshow.

Thank you, MrC. I have just downloaded GraphEdit, and will install it after I have sent this post.

Now, a minor issue: doesn't 1E10th mean 1 raised to the power of 10, which is equal to 1?

Hans L

[Hans L]

Aha, no installation of GraphEdit.

Now, and I am not being facecious, what does "render the file to be decoded" mean? (I have always had a problem with the word "render".)

Here is what Webster says:


1 a : to melt down <render suet>; also : to extract by melting <render lard> b : to treat so as to convert into industrial fats and oils or fertilizer

2 a : to transmit to another : deliver b : give up, yield c : to furnish for consideration, approval, or information: as (1) : to hand down (a legal judgment) (2) : to agree on and report (a verdict)
3 a : to give in return or retribution b (1) : give back, restore (2) : reflect, echo c : to give in acknowledgment of dependence or obligation : pay d : to do (a service) for another
4 a (1) : to cause to be or become : make <enough rainfall … to render irrigation unnecessary — P. E. James> <rendered him helpless> (2) : impart b (1) : to reproduce or represent by artistic or verbal means : depict (2) : to give a performance of (3) : to produce a copy or version of <the documents are rendered in the original French> (4) : to execute the motions of <render a salute> c : translate

5 : to direct the execution of : administer <render justice>

6 : to apply a coat of plaster or cement directly to

intransitive verb
: to give recompense

-----------------------------

Regards,

Hans L

[Hans L]

AVStoDVD, when DirectShowSource is invoked, uses the currently installed directshow codecs. If ffdshow is installed and has the priority, then AVStoDVD will use ffdshow. If other directshow codecs (M$, XviD, AC3Filter, etc) are installed, then AVStoDVD will use them. Period.

To know which directshow codec has the priority you can use GraphEdit and render the file to be decoded. You will get a filters tree by which you can understand what splitters/codecs are used.

About ffdshow settings, for best use with AVStoDVD, no other options need to be set other than Raw Video and Raw Audio to 'All supported'.

For the 1E10th time: AVStoDVD installer package DOES NOT contain ffdshow.

Okay, in GraphEdit, I clicked File – Render media file, and the media file was xxx.mgp, and the result was

- xxxx.mpg -> Video Input: Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder -> ffdshow Video Decoder -> Video Renderer

Looks good to me, but would you kindly confirm that, MrC. Thanks!

Hans L

[_MrC_]

Perfect, that means you are using Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder as mpeg2 decoder, then ffdshow for resulting raw video.

Picture should be fine, not jerking. Do you confirm?



Bye

[Hans L]

Have not had time to check, yet, but I certainly will. Have major garden work, major survey development and result compilations ... and I am *retired*!!!

Will travel tomorrow and Saturday, but back Sunday.

Regards,

Hans L

[Hans L]

Perfect, that means you are using Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder as mpeg2 decoder, then ffdshow for resulting raw video.

Picture should be fine, not jerking. Do you confirm?



Bye

I switched the physical player, and recaptured, and the jerkiness was not there. The new player has "Balancing" (I believe it was called), which shows up on the screen (a horizontal bar with a marker that moves back and forth, eventually finding the best picture ... I seem to remember that in the old days, there was something like that on the TV that you could set to get tapes to play without scrolling).

I have not transferred the mpg file to TSVIDEO yet.

Regards,

Hans L

[DB83]

So your 'jerkiness' was to do with the player and nothing to do with the software ?

The 'Balancing' you refer to is the tracking-control on the VCR. Every VCR from time emorial has had this. The more recent ones did it automatically but you could still make manual adjustments by pressing keys on the player or the remote. That would vary from player to player.

The control you refered to for the tv was probably the vertical hold. It would have to be a very, very old tv to be affected.

The 'jerkiness' could also be time-base errors. A better VCR could help with these.