Getting the best quality out of DivX Encoding

[a.wright]

Aspect ratio issues aside (see my other recent thread) I have generally found DivX Converter (part of the DivX create bundle) to produce files of very good quality. There is not a great deal of control over codec settings other than choosing the profile and bit-rate but it seems to work well and the results are superb.

I have been trying to recreate the same quality using VirtualDub and thereby accessing the detailed settings in the DivX6.1 codec but no matter what I do, I just can't get the output to look as good as it does with Converter.

The reason I am using VirtualDub is so that I can use the Aud-X codec to get 5.1 surround sound in the encoded files but seeing as Converter obviously uses the same DivX6.1 codec, I should be able to match the quality.

I know there won't be a magic formula for this but if anyone is an expert on using the DivX codec, I'd be grateful for some pointers on which elements make the most different. I am encoding from/to PAL 720x576 at a bit-rate of circa 1300 for video and 128 for audio (which is the same as Converter is doing).

Thanks

Andrew

[Krispy Kritter]

Try checking the files that you like with a program such as gspot. Then duplicate all of the settings within VirtualDub.

You may also want to take a look at AutoGK.

[3dsnar]

Alternatively,
you can use any video encoder (in any software, e.g. DivX Converter),
and leave the AC3 sound in the movie.

In the next step you may open the generated AVI file in VirtualDubMod (Aud-X enabled),
and chose 'direct stream copy' for video (i.e. no compression will be used),
and chose Aud-X for transcoding the AC3 stream to mp3 5.1.
I hope this works.