Desperate! Conversion from Quicktime to WMV

[Melissa67]

Hello -

I am quite the newbie here so please bear with me!

I have a client who would like for me to convert his quicktime film to Windows Media Player. The size is 1024 x 756. He wants it saved at a 16:9 ratio. I need to preserve the ratio and quality of the original. He wants it converted to PAL ( 720 x 756) or NTSC. So what software should I use?

Can anyone help me here? I don't normally deal with videos as I am a website designer! Of course, I mentioned this to my client but wants me to try anyways (guess he has faith in me!! )

Melissa

[Baldrick]

I would use quicktime pro or mpeg streamclip to convert to avi(dv-avi or uncompressed) and then convert to wmv with windows media encoder.

You could also try mediacoder, super, total video converter or tmpgenc xpress and convert directly from the mov to wmv.

[Soopafresh]

AutoMKV will do it. You need to install Avisynth before using AutoMKV

BTW, the dimensions are 1024x576 and 720x576

[Cornucopia]

And on the Mac, you could try QTPro with MPEG Streamclip (as well), or get the Flip4Mac WMV Encoder plugin(s) for QTPro and do it directly from QTPro.

Scott

[Melissa67]

Ok. Thanks!

I have just downloaded StreamClip. How do I save it as uncompressed. When I export as AVI, it comes up with options as to what to choose for the compression (eg. Apple JPG) is the default. There is no button to have it uncompressed. Do you know where I can do this?

Melissa

[Baldrick]

Try Apple DV/DVCPRO NTSC and then make AVI.

[Melissa67]

I have a PC so the APPLe software will not work on my computer, right?

Melissa

[Melissa67]

Ok. So I have downloaded most of the above mentioned software but I don't see where it says anything to do with PAL 16:9 etc.

How do I do this?

[Soopafresh]

Well, if the source file was 1024x576, then the proper downres of 16:9 should be 720x400

In case you run out of options with the above solutions, try this:

1) Download and install Avisynth 2.58

2) Download AutoMKV

3) Load your Quicktime and choose the following settings



4) Go to the "Advanced Settings" tab and choose your output dimensions:



5) Then finally, tab back to the main screen and click "Encode"

[Melissa67]

Ok. So I have downloaded most of the above mentioned software but I don't see where it says anything to do with PAL 16:9 etc.

How do I do this?

[Soopafresh]

PAL in this case only pertains if you're encoding to a DVD. But since he wants a WMV file (Windows Media), you have to keep the aspect ratio square, especially since his source is 1024x576. To downres to 720 width, the correct height would be 400.

Besides, you mentioned in your first post he was okay with NTSC as well. Neither PAL nor NTSC standards pertain in your setup.

Try it and see.

[Melissa67]

I'm converting it as I type this so I'm crossing my fingers! I hope this works for me. I'm really learning a lot tonight! So will the quality still be the same? He wants the quality to be the same. Thanks so much for being patient with me and stepping me through this!

Melissa

[Melissa67]

It says that the "Encoder failed to retrieve duration attribute from source plug-in."

I had downloaded everything. Why would it say this?

[Soopafresh]

Will the quality be the same.... hmm... that's probably the reason this site exists.

You'll prolly have to futz with it a few times to make the quality as good as possible. That's just how it goes. You can test out a few of the filters to sharpen the image. I'd suggest SeeSaw

[Soopafresh]

"Encoder failed to retrieve duration attribute from source plug-in."


That means the source quicktime file is potentially jacked. Not a big deal, it can be fixed. Which program told you this ?

[Melissa67]

How did you turn your Disk Settings off fom CD1?

[Melissa67]

It came up in a DOS window which listed a bunch of stuff.

[Melissa67]

I just tried it again and I received the same warning about the encoder failed...

[Melissa67]

It worked!!!!

I am so happy!

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!! The quality came out SUPER! The files size is huge (over 200MB) but that's what it wanted!

It ended up I didn't have the latest encoder downloaded for Avisynth.

Melissa

[Melissa67]

I had a question:

If the original size was 1024 x 576 wouldn't the reduced size be 720 x 480 and not 400?

[Soopafresh]

Excellent question and the answer is long. It has to do with square vs rectangular pixels and the codec you're using to encode your video. DVD Mpeg2 makes the whole matter a lot more convoluted.

http://www.3ivx.com/support/par.html

Using the aspect ratio calculator here: http://andrew.hedges.name/experiments/aspect_ratio/



16:9 Aspect ratio = 720x405, BUT you should never use an odd number in your actual encoder dimensions because the encoding app will complain. Always round to the nearest even number divisible by 8. So 720x408 would have been a good ratio as well.

[Melissa67]

So why choose WMV9_2_Pass_VBR.xml for the profile? I'm just trying to understand this more. What's the difference from WMV9_1_Pass_CBR.xml for example?

[Soopafresh]

2 pass provides smaller file sizes and better quality in areas which are more detailed.

Pass 1 analyzes and determines bit rate to allocate to scenes

Pass 2 encodes, using the information provided from Pass 1



Doing a 1 Pass CBR means the same bitrate allocated to the entire video - faster, but usually a much larger file size than the 2 pass method

[Melissa67]

My client tells me that eventually the video will be downloaded to be placed on a DVD to be shown (Europe) so does this mean I need to change it to PAL at 720 x 576? If so, how do I do this? You mentioned that this did not pertain in my case? Sorry for all of the questions!