Xvid4PSP and MKV -> MP4

[Fixet]

Hi!

What kind of settings do I have to use in Xvid4PSP to convert a 7,8 GB 720p MKV file to MP4 (to filezise 4050 MB)? I've used 4050 MB final filesize (2-pass encoding), because that way I can watch those Mp4's with PS3. And I have already managed to convert a 4,37 GB MKV to MP4 with subtitles and the picture quality was great with PS3. But I have a problem with that 7,8 GB MKV file. When I tried to convert it with same settings, the procedure took only 3 hours (with 4,37 GB MKV, it took 9 hours), and the picture quality was terrible. What I'm only trying, is to lower the filesize so I can watch it with PS3. I would like to stick with Xvid4PSP since I've learnt quite well how to use it, but not well enough it seems. And yes, I know there are tsmuxer, media server programs etc. etc. but now it's really about Xvid4PSP! So if someone can help me with those right settings, I would appreciate it, thanks!

[usta]

Doesn't Xvid4PSP have a PS3 preset? Have you used it?
From there you can play with the settings, like lower bitrate or a different constant qulity mode, etc...

[Fixet]

I have used the main MP4 output option, but I remember trying the PS3 preset one once, but the file didn't work. It may be, because the filesize then was over 4 GB and I didn't know about the MP4 filesize limit PS3 has with those files. I may try it again and see what happens. But to my understanding, the same settings should work with this larger file also, I don't know why the outcome file was so small and terrible looking

[guns1inger]

There are many different settings, and they will produce differing results. Using Turbo presets will be much faster than using Ultra or Extreme presets, the but image quality will be a lot less. The same goes for the Q number. Lower means higher quality, but also usually bigger files.

Try starting with the PS3 preset, and x264 Q18 Ultra. Click on the E next to Video and change the encoding Mode to Two Pass Bitrate, and enter whatever bitrate is required to meet your file size (use a bitrate calculator to work this out). It will probably take a few hours to re-encode.

These settings work on my PS3 quite happily.

[Fixet]

OK, I went and put it encoding using PS3 preset, and x264 Q21 Ultra. atleast it's taking about 12 hours now so the outcome should look better than the last one.

I noticed a very strange thing. I have ffdshow installed, and with it I configure external srt subtitles to look a bit larger. I have a movie file which has embedded subtitles in it, but if I disable those subs via ffdshow, the movie file won't open in xvid4psp, instead it gives a black screen and red color text descriping some sort of error, don't remember the error code anymore, but it's strange nonetheless. I wouldn't have this problem with movie file without embedded subtitles included.

[guns1inger]

Whatever you are doing in FFDShow is changing the way the movie is presented to Xvid4PSP - probably changing the colourspace - which is why you get the error message. Under the video menu is an option to change the way Xvid4PSP reads certain files. You may have to choose a different option in this section to read the files with subs turned off.

[Fixet]

I tried different options under Video->Decoding menu. If I disable the embedded subs, and try to open the movie file with different video read setting, it won't open ffdshow. This is a bit shame, because it's so easy to use it to change the size of the font. If I enable embedded subs, Xvid4psp tries to use these subs when it starts to encode the video, not the external ones no matter how hard I click the srt file. It shows the srt subs at first, but if I click video preview option to have it updated, the embedde subs are there again. I don't know what to do.

[guns1inger]

Use mkvextractgui (and mkvtoolnix) to extract the just the video and audio streams, then mkvmerge (part of mkvtoolnix) to create a new mkv file with no subs.

[Fixet]

Thanks, I'll try those programs. Does it take long to create a new mkv file with no subs, I mean does the process take long for the computer?

[guns1inger]

A few minutes. You are not encoding anything, just re-packaging it.

Another option might be to use Xvid4PSP to repackage the video and audio into the mp4 container, then convert from that.

[Fixet]

Ok, I'll try to repackage the movie to MKV with Xvid4PSP. I tried to use MP4 output first, but the file has DTS sound, and it's incompatible with MP4 container, according to Xvid4PSP. Thanks for your help so far, you've been very helpful!

[guns1inger]

You will have to convert it then. Unfortunately, Xvid4PSP hasn't kept up with the times. AC3 is now supported in the MP4 container, but you cannot even do that with Xvid4PSP

[Fixet]

Just thought to let you guys know something I discovered. I was wondering about the black borders which appeared to the video up and down every time I added subtitles using ffdshow to xvid4psp. When I disabled to subs, the borders went away. I then noticed the option "Letterbox [4:3]" which was checked at the subtitles section in ffdshow, I unchecked it and got rid of the borders. This goes to those who are having same problem about the black borders. Might be basic knowledge to some, but to me, I basically just found the cure by trying this option.