How do you do a 2 pass Xvid encoding in TMPGencXpress 4.7.x?

[Anonymous5394]

This one has bugged me for ages. I can do multipass Divx in TMPgencXpress no problem as it is built in options, but when I want to use Xvid from codecs list instead I cannot do a straightforward 2 pass.

I tried using the batch encoding tool, but unlike the straightforward VirtualDub 8) in which you can specify same named file when you save it as 1st pass and then 2nd pass, using this same name to ensure final avi completed file, TMPgenc does not allow it full stop. It only allows 2 separate batch files with a different name. Any help here would be hugely appreciated. Thankyou.

[jagabo]

So use a different filenames for the two passes. Then delete the first one when you're done.

[Anonymous5394]

Yes logically the thought did occur before, and I had tried this but got an unreadable file(as expected!) for hardware playback I always assumed that the first pass gathers the info and then the 2nd pass overwrites this 1st pass utilising the pre gathered info in the process to finalize your avi, so 2pass- second pass always needs this 2pass- 1pass if set up that way.

In essence wouldnt you then just have two possible unreadable files if done separately everytime using different file names? Certainly the second(finalised file?) did not play back via my DivX certified DVD player as it was merely just writing a 2pass second pass to the computer without using that 2pass 1st pass information, which just stayed there in the same directory unlike Virtualdub where only file left in the directory was the final one after 2 passes because it had used the same file name and therefore pathway. Thanks anyway.

[jagabo]

Xvid saves it multipass information in a text file called video.pass by default. There is nothing useful in the AVI file created by the first pass. It is nothing but black frames (unless you disable the "discard first pass " option, in which case it has a target quantizer 2 encoded version of the video).

If your second pass video doesn't play properly in your Divx/DVD player you had some setting wrong. The problem has nothing to do with the content of the first pass AVI file.

[oldfart13]

What I do:

1) Load original file and edit or set filters. Set options in Xvid setting...1st pass and "discard first pass" setting. Give it a file name (press "more" button) and use L5 as the setting as well. I use MP3 audio as well in the audio setting. Go to the encode section and set the place where you want the file to be stored. Typically, this produces a small size test file (for me, 9 - 30 Meg). Let it encode. On my slow as glue P4 2.6 GHz this means a couple hours for a 1 hour show. When this finishes go to the next section.

2) Go back and set the setting to 2nd pass. Use all the same settings except for the final output size. Go to the encode section again and set the output to a different folder or drive. The encoder will use the file produced by the first pass to generate the final encode.

I have used this for quite some time now and it works perfectly, getting a file size within a few Meg of my setting.

If you were thinking of doing this in 1 go a la AutoGK, as far as I know, that won't work. A failing of the program I know, but hardly a big one for my needs....

[Anonymous5394]

Jagabo tried your method again meticulously but using different file names for the 2 passes causes unreadable avi-everytime!

Oldfart13 your method works perfectly. I think the key was using a different folder with same settings. Many, many thanks here.

AutoGk is good but I noticed if you enable a few options in Xvid eg "begin with key frame" it is unticked after encoding with AutoGK- probably to do with the VAQ patch or something like its own settings manipulation of codec. I tried AutoMKV but had loads of trouble eg files too big or very undersized, but now use TMPGenc most of the time

By the way in VHQ mode if you enable "4.wide search" does that produce better quality than in default "1.mode decision?"

[jagabo]

Jagabo tried your method again meticulously but using different file names for the 2 passes causes unreadable avi-everytime!

Strange, it works for me in TMPGEnc Plus.

By the way in VHQ mode if you enable "4.wide search" does that produce better quality than in default "1.mode decision?"

The wider the search the better the compression. In bitrate modes you get higher quality, in quantizer mode you get smaller files. The differences usually aren't huge though. And of course, the wider the search the longer it takes.

[Anonymous5394]

It should work Jagabo, but not in my XP Media Center system. Annoyingly I still, do not know why? At least I have a workable solution with the other way.

Thanks guys for good, solid advice.