Using MainConcept encoder with AviSynth. Is it possible?

[langland]

Hello everybody!

After a substantial time lurking this forum, I finally dare to show myself.

English isn’t my native language, so my spelling/use of words might be a bit off...

I have, for some time now, been trying to use MainConcept MPEG encoder (MC) together with AviSynth. The success rate has been unusually low and I here turn to the know-it-all crowd of this forum.

Searching around in posts past gives some clues, but not the whole picture ( at least for me).

I have tried MC1.2 and MC1.3.1 and AviSynth 2.08.

Using anything but the AVI import module result in a crash.

Using ME works as long as you have no sound (easy to accomplish) and you do not change anything from default. Try and open a drop down menu / advanced settings and #crash#.

Using XP might work once in a while. It works especially good the first time after an uninstall – install of the encoder. If you want to do encoding by the batch, you are smoked.

In my desperation I installed the encoder on my work-PC (W2k) and, like magic, it is actually working like a charm. Unfortunately, I can’t do my encoding work at work.

Ahh, but in XP you can change in what “mode” you start a program (w2k, w95, w98), so if it works in w2k, why not try the same thin on XP. No luck until I tried w95. It reads the .avs file, reports the correct length and encodes – a full-length episode of pure green. No video – just full screen green.

My questions to the people of this board are:
Have you done any successful encoding using MC encoder and AviSynth on a non-w2k system?
Do you have any tricks, tips or suggestions to me in my further quest for encoding .avs files? (Other than using w2k, using another encoder or using link2.)

Regards
/Thomas

[DKruskie]

Have you tried looking here? http://forum.mainconcept.com/



David

[digitalmaster]

Disable the DirectShowFilter in MainConcept. It will work without a problem then.

[liquid217]

there currently are several ways of "wrapping" an avs file so that encoders can use them, regardless of whether or not they were designed to accept avisynth scripts. The first, and oldest would be vfapi. Another, rather new project coming out is the makeavis designed by the maker of ffvfw. Another project (i really don't know much about this one) when installed will allow you to simply right click on the avs and it will create a "fake" avi that can be opened anywhere. you can find that here.

All 3 of these applications work similarly to the link2 app (meaning it will take your avs and "wrap" it into a fake avi.

[previn]

Mainconcept does seem to be a bit temperamental with avisynth but it does work , it also seems to vary from user to user.
You need to have avi import as higher priority than directshow to load avs file.
I have trouble with the audio, so put "false" after filename in script to disable audio and use the original avi file as the audio source. Strangely I seem to have to make the directshow the priority at this stage to get the audio loaded else it shows as wrong length?!
The green screen could be either that you haven't got upto date xvid codec or more likely you need to add the line "converttoyuy2" after the avisource line in the script as it is in the wrong colour format. You can use the preview mode which will save encoding whole movie.

[langland]

Hello again and thank you for all your help.

I managed to solve my problems but it took a bit of testing around to do so.

I already had the Direct Show filter at lower priority than the AVI import filter, but by DISABLING the Direct Show filter (thanks Digitalmaster) it works fine, once.

So all I have to do is enabling Direct Show, disabling Direct Show and I have a working environment until the encoding is done. If I try to do another one, I get the green mean screen. From now on I also have the preview screen up to save me from the aggravation of finding a 4-hour encoding being wasted (Good idea Previn).

Thanks
/Thomas