Baka Encoder v1.4.2 released

[VTT']

Baka Encoder is a self-contained x264, x265 and NeroAAC frontend dedicated for producing final encodings of video materials. Handles AviSynth scripts, video/audio without compression and video compressed with common intermediate codecs. Presets are defined via xml config with direct control over x264, x265 and NeroAAC command line parameters.

More info and downloads: http://vtt.to/baka%20encoder


changes in v1.4.2:

• switched from mp4box to l-smash muxer
• x265 build updated to revision 10671
• added container/muxing controlling items in configuration file
• added support for outputting raw encoded streams without muxing
• added workaround that makes it possible to process avisynth scripts containing relative file paths
• added warning when input frame rate is suspicious
• added support for loading configuration from an xml file provided among commandline arguments (before it was only loaded if placed as first argument)
• fixed incorrect handling of inputs that require resizing to make their width and/or height multiple by 2 when resizing method is not specified in the config
• added warning when user tries to encode .avs script but avisynth is not installed
• fixed presence of libav dlls in Baka Encoder folder causing AVProxy to fail
• fixed taskbar thumb button for [un]pause encoding not appearing sometimes
• fixed incorrect progress indication in taskbar after canceling active task while encoding is paused
• fixed flicker of the tasks list during removing of several tasks at once
• fixed duplication of start time in tooltips for failed and finished tasks
• fixed position of the context menu appearing in tasks lists when App key is pressed

[-Habanero-]

What does this have that Megui and others don't?

[VTT']

What does this have that Megui and others don't?

It's actually quite difficult to convince people to switch to some new tool when they are already used to something else. But I'll try anyway:

Baka Encoder requires less clicks to encode something. Just check the presets and drop .avi / .avs files and / or folders - it is made for batch encoding.

Baka Encoder offers a simpler way to tune presets. Just open your favorite text editor and stamp preset nodes in single XML configuration file.

<preset name="test1" suffix="_test1" on="1">
  <hint quality="12" compression="6" speed="4" streaming="0"/>
  <audio cmd=" -q 1.0"/>
  <video tool="x264" bit_depth="10" pass_count="1" max_width="0"
    max_height="0" resize_method="" base_bitrate="0" max_bitrate="0"
    cmd=" --crf 12 --preset slow--no-mbtree --deblock 0:-1"/>
  <muxing container="mp4" cmd=""/>
</preset>

If you ever tried to make a dozen of presets with MeGUI's pop-up dialogs or huge per-preset XMLs you'll feel the difference immediately.

Baka Encoder cares about colorspace conversion. Baka Encoder has built-in converter supporting 8 / 16 bit RGB and 8 / 10 bit YCbCr with 4:4:4, 4:2:2, 4:2:0 subsampling; bt601, bt709 conversion matrix; TV, PC range. So if you are encoding RGB48 with x264 "--colorprim bt709 --range pc --output-csp i422" Baka Encoder will convert everything properly. Actually even if you casually encode yv12 with tv range it will produce better results than conversion with avisynth, see Comparison of the colorspace conversion quality in Baka Encoder and Avisynth.
I wonder how many thousands videos are getting screwed every day because MeGUI blindly adds ConvertToYV12() at the end of the scripts...

Baka Encoder is Unicode-friendly. Encoding something like "☆ズ☆ß☆Д.avi" will not cause problems.

Baka Encoder is small and portable. It occupies less than 3 mb but contains 8/10 bit variants of x264 and x265, input codecs, muxer and is ready to encode.
In contrast MeGUI occupies about 200 mb and requires .NET framework.

[racer-x]

Yes I can see where this is more desirable than megui. It's small, effective and easy to create and edit presets.

However when encoding with x265, it gets incorrectly muxed at 25 fps when the source is 24 fps. This doesn't happen with the x264 encoder, only with the x265 encoder.

[VTT']

However when encoding with x265, it gets incorrectly muxed at 25 fps when the source is 24 fps. This doesn't happen with the x264 encoder, only with the x265 encoder.

Thank you for your reply.
This issue is fixed in the v1.4.3 that is already available for download.
Right after I've switched to l-smash from mp4box because of the problems with missing keyframe hints it turned out that l-smash is not perfect either. For some reason l-smash ignores fps specified in input video stream and uses 25/1 default value. Fortunately I've managed to find a proper workaround for this problem.

[racer-x]

Just tested the new version and all is well. This is a very good x264 /x265 GUI and I will recommend it without hesitation.

I don't have much use for it, because I usually export directly to x264 / x265 out of my video editor (Aviutl or Virtualdub), but this is a good tool for about 95% of users here.

[Cauptain]

Very nice tool. Too easy and very simple and clean. 10!!

Downside: Not encode avi FICV (Mirillis Action!) direct input.

Version: 1.43



Claudio

[Shaorin]

How to add mkv video? it seems to only support avi only

[VTT']

It indeed does not support mkv directly, but it is possible to encode an mkv by writing avisynth scripts.

[tyee]

Want to try this app. It does not add anything to my computer to screw up the codecs does it?

What's a good free xml editor?

Update - Just tried this. Not having good luck, always hangs in 3 out of 4 tests. Tried a youtube video mp4, an mkv. When hung, I close the app and look at the log, the x264 encoding just stops in the log. What caused it, don't know? Strange. I have no problem with encoding on my own using x264.exe but I don't use l-smash at all or avproxy. It must be one of those that is my problem.

[VTT']

Is there any way (for me) to reproduce this?
Which files were you using? At which stage does it hang? Can I see generated logs?

[tyee]

Just tried to encode for you again, and the app worked with my first file. I then wanted to clear the window and I removed all by right clicking and it crashed. Then on the second encode, I aborted the encode by right clicking to remove all from the window and it crashed again. See log file included.

Here is my .avs file, I never get crashes on my pc when I use this MT mode.

SetMemoryMax(2000)
SetMTMode(3,8)

dss2("movie.mkv")

SetMTMode(2)

return last


Just tried another encode. Started good, hit pause, crashed again.
Here is the crash report

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: Baka Encoder 32.exe
Application Version: 1.4.5.0
Application Timestamp: 560917d5
Fault Module Name: Baka Encoder 32.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.4.5.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 560917d5
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0000842a
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 4105
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

[VTT']

Does it crash when you hit pause without adding any files for encoding? Or when you hit pause, add some files for encoding and then remove all (or some) of them?

[tyee]

Yes, it crashes when I hit pause without adding any files. I tried all 3 exe versions, 32 bit, 64 bit and 32/64 and the same happens.

[VTT']

Are you running it with administrative privileges? If so try running it normally.

[tyee]

Yes, running normally it seems to work fine (doesn't crash when pause hit or paused during encoding). I run all my apps from Total Commander file manager which has admin privileges. Can you make it so I can use it as admin or is there a reason you don't want to run it as admin?

[VTT']

It doesn't really make sense to allow encoder and it's tools work with elevated privileges.
But the issue with this crash is actually taskbar extensions (progress bar and pause button on thumb). When Baka Encoder works with elevated privileges it will not receive required notification from Explorer (which always acts as it runs without elevated privileges) and will not initialize these extensions properly and will eventually crash after trying to use uninitialized interface. I guess I should just silently ignore this case instead of relying on availability of extensions.

[tyee]

Does that mean you are going to make a change to the app?

[VTT']

Yes, I don't have any tolerance to crashes. It is time to update Baka Encoder anyway.

[tyee]

Great. Maybe a couple of suggestions. How come no start button? I might like to change the preset then hit a Start Button. Putting a small ... beside each preset so we can edit it right within the gui or our systems default editor for xml files. Just a couple of things to think about if you've got that desire to code again! Thanks for writing this app!

Oh, one other thing came to mind. A button to edit the avs file that is in the same folder as Baka Encoder. It doesn't have to be editable within Baka, just have it load into the systems default editor for avs files like the first suggestion above.

[VTT']

Alright, Baka Encoder v1.4.6 is out:

• x264 updated to revision 2638
• x265 updated to revision 11238
• updated taskbar thumb toolbar images (pause / resume)
• fixed broken taskbar extensions when Baka Encoder is launched with elevated privileges
• fixed tasks list tooltips not showing when "Always on top" mode is turned on for Baka Encoder window

@tyee
I've managed to find a workaround for taskbar extensions so from now on they should work properly even when Baka Encoder is launched with elevated privileges. Note that drag-n-dropping files from Explorer will still now work in this case (but no crashes).

There is no Start button because the only good click is an avoided click.

Editing presets on the fly is not supported because it may easily lead to confusion. Consider the situation when there are several completed tasks, one running, and several more pending. User edits configuration file and changes / removes presets used by those tasks. Should pending tasks use old or new presets? Should restarting completed task use old or new presets? Also when list of tasks grows enough it will be difficult to tell which preset was used where. etc.

I don't think that opening a single .avs file located in the same folder as Baka Encoder can be considered a common scenario. And what should happen when there are more than one .avs files there?

Planned features in Baka Encoder currently are: check for disc space availability before encoding / muxing, displaying path of the loaded configuration file, support for manual window resizing, support for muxing into mkv.

[tyee]

Great, thanks for the update!