recompressing a movie file

[subferno]

I have a Xvid compressed file at 720 mb file size. I am trying to compress it down to 700 for CD.

I used Dr. Divx (Divx 5.1.1) to compress it down but the video seems a little poor and I was wondering if using VirtualDub to compress with Xvid will have better results.

Current version of VirtualDub would complain about the movie file when I load it so I used NanDub and VDub MP3 instead. I couldnt find the compression option in NanDub. As for VDub, it gave me an error "statsfile not found, unable to load compression".

What are your recommendations?

THanks

[teegee420]

I used NanDub and VDub MP3 instead. I couldnt find the compression option in NanDub. As for VDub, it gave me an error "statsfile not found, unable to load compression".

What are your recommendations?

THanks

Looks like you tried running the second pass first. You need to do the first pass to create the stats file that the second pass needs to read.

[subferno]

Thanks

But if I want to recompress it with XVid, do I use NanDub or VDub? I couldnt find a compression setting for NanDub, but I found the 1st and 2nd pass option. In VDub, I can found the XVid compression option but not the 1st pass or 2nd pass option like in NanDub.

[teegee420]

I would use Virtualdub. Install the latest xvid codec too. You can find the xvid settings in Vdub by going to Video>Compression>XVID MPEG-4 Codec>Configure. It will look like this:

[subferno]

I was using VirtualDub but it gave a warning message when I loaded up the movie file. It says "VBR audio stream detected: VirtualDub has detected improper VBR audio encoding in source AVI file and will rewrite audio header with CBR values during processing...may introduce skew...and so on".

I read the tutorials from DVDRHelp and it told me to use NanDub or VDub if I get such messages. But then how do I compress files using XVid with those mods?

[Josef K]

I have a Xvid compressed file at 720 mb file size. I am trying to compress it down to 700 for CD.

Solution 1:

Your .AVI will fit on a standard 80min/700MB CD - and with tons of space to spare. You just need to know the steps to do that.

Open it in VirtualDubMod -> Save as Matroska.

Download Mode2 CD Maker and UbiK's GUI and make an XCD.

Burn the .BIN/.CUE with burner app of your choice.

Play with media player of your choice after installing Matroska Pack.

Solution 2:

You probably have a film with a few minutes of scrolling credits on a black background at the end.

Load it into VirtualDub -> Mark in at the very beginning.

Mark out after the film but before much of the credits have played (after the credits on black background appear).

Choose Video -> Direct Stream Copy.

Choose Audio -> Direct Stream Copy.

Choose File -> Save As AVI.

Hopefully, you should have removed enough of the credits to reduce the file to an acceptable size.


In my opinion, I would choose solution 1. This allows you the flexibility to include the Matroska Pack (should you need it in the future after, say, an OS reinstall) and quite a few MB of .PAR2 in case of scratches on your disc later on. If you get a huge scratch somewhere, you can use the .PAR2s to rescue your .AVI and reburn to a fresh disc.

EDIT:

For automatic tool link fooking up my own links.

[teegee420]

I have a Xvid compressed file at 720 mb file size. I am trying to compress it down to 700 for CD.

Solution 1:

Your .AVI will fit on a standard 80min/700MB CD - and with tons of space to spare. You just need to know the steps to do that.

Open it in VirtualDubMod -> Save as Matroska.

Download Mode2 CD Maker and UbiK's GUI and make an XCD.

If it were me, I'd just make an XCD too. However there's no need to save as Matroska in Vdubmod. The mode 2 headers can be applied to the avi "as is".

I was using VirtualDub but it gave a warning message when I loaded up the movie file. It says "VBR audio stream detected: VirtualDub has detected improper VBR audio encoding in source AVI file and will rewrite audio header with CBR values during processing...may introduce skew...and so on".

I read the tutorials from DVDRHelp and it told me to use NanDub or VDub if I get such messages. But then how do I compress files using XVid with those mods?

You can still use Virtualdub, but you will have to create a PCM wav first. Open the avi with Vdub, go to the audio menu and select 'full processing mode", then go to the file menu and select "save wav". Close Vdub and restart it.

At this point you can set up your second xvid pass and once you do that, go to the audio menu and select "wav audio" and browse for the wav file you previously created. Make sure "full processing mode" is selected too. You also need to select an audio compression type(audio>compression). Go with mp3 and select a bitrate about equal to, but not greater than the bitrate of the original file. Once you have both the video and audio compression settings set up you're ready to save.

[Josef K]

If it were me, I'd just make an XCD too. However there's no need to save as Matroska in Vdubmod. The mode 2 headers can be applied to the avi "as is".

Granted, you needn't save as .MKV. However, it's not a bad idea to keep in mind (and promote) emerging flexible standards that allow such things as subtitles and separate audio streams within one container. Supposing one might want to add subtitles to an .AVI; All you would need to do is add the subtitle stream and then save as .MKV. A simple solution to an otherwise tricky problem.

[teegee420]

Aw, I see what you were getting at now. Adding a subtitle stream would be a fine candidate for .mikv, or .ogm for that matter.