can't get Windows Media Encoder 9 to work

[dlflannery]

I need to convert some mpeg2 videos to .wmv small format for a Zune device. (Zune says it takes MPEG4 and H264 but it really just converts them to .wmv during the "sync" process, which takes a lot of time.)

On the Zunely forum I found a link to a post telling how to do this using WME9 so I tried it.

Installed WME. Updated DirectX. Used Windows XP Codec Checkup to make sure a "good" codec was there and was preferred. Mpeg videos play fine in WMP10. I've tried the Cyberlink codecs that come with PowerDVD and the Elecard free Mpeg2 codec package. Both play the .mpg fine in WMP10.

I've mainly used a 5 minute .mpg video. I know it's a good file, have used it in many other tests. It's 352x480 at 2.7 Mbps bitrate. I've also tried it with 720x480, 4 Mbps files.

1. When I browse and enter the source file name, WME goes into massive CPU usage (with no message indicating what it's doing) and locks up its user interface. Finally (at least 2 minutes?) it comes back.

2. If I then hit the "apply" button it seems to repeat this same delay and CPU usage.

3. It will not let me browse for an output file. I can enter a file name manually but it doesn't really accept it -- if I go to the compression page it will not respond to the edit button and eventually if I try to set things there and apply them it just bounces back to the first tab where I entered the source file.

I can't believe how silent WME is -- I have no clue what the problem is. However I suspect it is not accepting my mpeg files, although after the first long freeze-up it does show the correct duration and resolution statistics for the file being loaded.

I was able to get it to convert a DivX file (made from the same .mpg). It did the same massive-cpu usage/UI-lockup thing every time I entered a source or output file name, or hit the apply button after entering a name. The DivX logo would pop up occasionally in the system tray during these delays -- obviously it is doing something with the codec. The output file was OK except the audio was poor -- the bass frequencies had been boosted to the point of clipping and sounded terrible.

My machine is a P4 at 3 Ghz hyperthreaded with 1 GB of memory. I have no problem doing other video work with it. Graphics adapter is NVIDIA GEForce FX5200, 128 MB, full hardware accel. I have .net 1.1 still -- don't think that would be the problem (?).

I'm trial testing a couple of $20 to $30 dollar Zune Video Converters that seem to do a pretty good job on both the DivX and the mpeg2 files but as a matter of principle (plus wanting to save a little money) I would like to understand why I can't process mpeg2 with WME9. I've done a lot of web searching both on this forum and other places and can't find anything that sounds helpful.

[jimmalenko]

I don't know why, but I also have experienced a multitude of issues with both WME and WMM when dealing with MPEG-2. Dunno why, but I have found ways to work around it and have never had any issues with MPEG-1, AVI (XviD, DivX and DV-AVI) or WMV when using WMM or WME via commandline.

[dlflannery]

I don't know why, but I also have experienced a multitude of issues with both WME and WMM when dealing with MPEG-2. Dunno why, but I have found ways to work around it and have never had any issues with MPEG-1, AVI (XviD, DivX and DV-AVI) or WMV when using WMM or WME via commandline.

Can you suggest a place to learn more about command line use of WME? Or could you tell me what the correct command line to encode a DivX (AVI) file produced at 624x480 resolution, 900 kbps bitrate to a .wmv at 320x240 and say 600 kbps ?

BTW, I've tried CuCuSoft Zune Converter (not the same as the CuCuSoft converter in the tools section here), MovieTaxi, and Xilisoft. So far the CuCuSoft is the clear winner. It's much faster than the other two (about 80 frames/sec from either mpeg2 or DivX input) and has not produced a bad output while the other two have in some cases.

Thanks

[jimmalenko]

Can you suggest a place to learn more about command line use of WME? Or could you tell me what the correct command line to encode a DivX (AVI) file produced at 624x480 resolution, 900 kbps bitrate to a .wmv at 320x240 and say 600 kbps ?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/howto/articles/AutomatingEncoding.aspx#link3 has some info.

Here is a zip file with a sample batch file, the WMCMD.VBS file and the output of running cscript wmcmd.vbs /? from a command line:

wme.zip

I have configured this to output 320 x 240 at 600kbps. Extract the files to the same directory and you should be on your way. Hopefully you should be able to wade your way through it and modify the command line as required.

[dlflannery]

ttp://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/howto/articles/AutomatingEncoding.aspx#link3 has some info.

Here is a zip file with a sample batch file, the WMCMD.VBS file and the output of running cscript wmcmd.vbs /? from a command line:

wme.zip

I have configured this to output 320 x 240 at 600kbps. Extract the files to the same directory and you should be on your way. Hopefully you should be able to wade your way through it and modify the command line as required.

Thank you !

Just got the zip and don't have time to do anything with it right now but I have a couple of immediate questions:
1. Which codec does this use? (VC1, WMV9, WMV9 Screen, etc.? or is this just selected automatically by default?)
2. Is the example for CBR?

Edit many hours later:
I've had a chance to look at what you sent (but not to try it yet). Anyway I've answered my own questions above (1 = Default codec, 2= 2-Pass CBR). You have really handed it to me on a platter - thanks again! What a thorough job you did!

[dlflannery]

Can you suggest a place to learn more about command line use of WME? Or could you tell me what the correct command line to encode a DivX (AVI) file produced at 624x480 resolution, 900 kbps bitrate to a .wmv at 320x240 and say 600 kbps ?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/howto/articles/AutomatingEncoding.aspx#link3 has some info.

Here is a zip file with a sample batch file, the WMCMD.VBS file and the output of running cscript wmcmd.vbs /? from a command line:

wme.zip

I have configured this to output 320 x 240 at 600kbps. Extract the files to the same directory and you should be on your way. Hopefully you should be able to wade your way through it and modify the command line as required.

This works great! I experimented with different options. If you use WMV7 and single-pass CBR of 500 Kbps, you get a very fast encode (2.8x on my computer) and I really can't see any quality difference (on the 3" Zune screen) compared to encodes with WMV9, VBR, etc. that run at 0.5x or less.

I noticed you had a telecine option and wasn't sure why I needed it so took it out. Couldn't see any negative effect of this. I also increased the audio bitrate from 64Kbps to 128Kbps, although I didn't notice any problems at 64 Kbps. I also decreased the key frame interval from 30 sec to 10 sec.

Question:
I have a lot of mpeg2 files I would like to encode to Zune. I had previously tried the WME9 GUI program furnished by MS and could not get it to accept .mpg files and this command line script doesn't accept them either. I've read everything I can find on this and supposedly I should not be having this problem. WMP10 will play the .mpg's fine, which is supposed to indicate that WME will accept them, i.e., my codecs are OK. I have been able to process mpeg2's by using AVISynth to source them into the command line script, just using the .avs file as the input file. Do you know what codec(s) will get WME to accept mpeg2 directly? Once I have a good codec, do I need to assign it a high DirectShow merit value or give it preference with the Windows Media codec manager, or does WME even care about that? BTW, my mpeg2's are from TiVo recordings, usually processed through VideoReDo to clean them up and remove commercials, etc. (i.e., I'm not ripping DVD's). I've heard you don't have TiVo down under.

Thanks again for your help -- you've really saved me a lot of time. Even if I never find a way to get WME to accept mpeg2 directly, I think I can put together a batch file using dgIndex in command line mode to do automatic .mpg-to-zune conversions via the AVISynth source method.

[jimmalenko]

This works great! I experimented with different options. If you use WMV7 and single-pass CBR of 500 Kbps, you get a very fast encode (2.8x on my computer) and I really can't see any quality difference (on the 3" Zune screen) compared to encodes with WMV9, VBR, etc. that run at 0.5x or less.

I noticed you had a telecine option and wasn't sure why I needed it so took it out. Couldn't see any negative effect of this. I also increased the audio bitrate from 64Kbps to 128Kbps, although I didn't notice any problems at 64 Kbps. I also decreased the key frame interval from 30 sec to 10 sec.

Good stuff! I'm glad you were able to pick up from the starting point I provided pretty easily. I remember doing numerous googles and finding the proverbial SWEET FA when initially trying to get it going myself

Question:
I have a lot of mpeg2 files I would like to encode to Zune. I had previously tried the WME9 GUI program furnished by MS and could not get it to accept .mpg files and this command line script doesn't accept them either. I've read everything I can find on this and supposedly I should not be having this problem. WMP10 will play the .mpg's fine, which is supposed to indicate that WME will accept them, i.e., my codecs are OK. I have been able to process mpeg2's by using AVISynth to source them into the command line script, just using the .avs file as the input file. Do you know what codec(s) will get WME to accept mpeg2 directly? Once I have a good codec, do I need to assign it a high DirectShow merit value or give it preference with the Windows Media codec manager, or does WME even care about that? BTW, my mpeg2's are from TiVo recordings, usually processed through VideoReDo to clean them up and remove commercials, etc. (i.e., I'm not ripping DVD's). I've heard you don't have TiVo down under.

To be honest, if I knew the answer to that question I wouldn't be using commandline WME !

I have tried Stinky's MPEG-2 codec and the Cyberlink (PowerDVD) codec, but to no avail. However, for MPEG-2s I haven't been able to convert, I run them through AutoGK on 100% target quality and convert to xvid AVI. THEN they should convert fine using this method.

Thanks again for your help -- you've really saved me a lot of time. Even if I never find a way to get WME to accept mpeg2 directly, I think I can put together a batch file using dgIndex in command line mode to do automatic .mpg-to-zune conversions via the AVISynth source method.

Sounds good.

[jman98]

If Zune supports MPEG-4, is there REALLY a compelling reason to keep hitting your ahead against a wall in trying to make WME9 work instead of using Divx/Xvid? I messed around with WME (forgot what version - whatever is current) about 3 months ago or so and I just gave up. Too much headache, not worth the effort. It refused to work on some of my files and it wouldn't tell me why.

[dlflannery]

@jimmalenko:
Well at least I'm not alone in my mpeg2-into-WME problem.

I got a batch file running last night that uses DGindex and AVIsynth and WME to create a Zune WMV with just the mpeg2 file name as the input. Don't have enough mileage on it to know if if will be reliable but preliminary results are fine.

I've noticed if I repeat this process on the same input the output files are not identical. There are several different lengths and even the ones of the same length are not binary identical. (They all view identically.) I wonder what throws the random variation into this process? When the wme script begins it always says it can't determine the duration and then is trying alternative ways then if says it did determine the duration (which is always the same for the same input file). I assume this is something to do with sourcing via AVIsynth. The wme statistics are always identical except for the file size.

I also have a new DVD player, Philips 5960, which is Ultra DivX certified so I am making DivX videos for it. I've found that encoding to WMV (for Zune) from these DivX files (home theater profile) seems to work fine, which gives me an alternative to loading the mpegs into wme.

@jman98:
Only the Zune PC software player plays mp4. The Zune portable has to have WMV with certain characteristics. If you sync (transfer) a mp4 to the Zune, the PC software makes you wait while it re-encodes the mp4 to wmv, which takes a long time.