TMPGEnc problem

[the_shyguy]

hiya... im trying to encode an avi file and when i try to open the video source in tmpgenc it some up with an error saying that it cannot open, or is unsopported...

why??

it just appears to be a normal avi file like any other i have encoded... it has a frame rate of 20fps, but i wouldnt have thought that would have stopped me from opening it in tmpgenc...

[teegee420]

Open the avi with G-spot and see which codec(4cc) it uses. It will also tell you if you have a compatible decoder installed.

[the_shyguy]

it says that it uses MP43 and it seems to have 3 compatible decoders...

[johns0]

Sounds like a file from shadowrealm,look for smr patch codecs on google.

[teegee420]

You might want to try installing FFDSHOW too.

[the_shyguy]

i already have ffdshow installed... i will have a look for this smr thing...

edit: i had a look for the smr thing and found it, but it said to only install it if you really need it... im pretty sure that this file is an smr one, but it still plays in windows media player etc. without any problems. i only have the standard divX codecs and a few others...

so is it going to make a difference if i install the smr codec patch, to me being able to open it in tmpgenc and encode??

[teegee420]

It's a hacked version of Microsoft's old mpeg-4 decoder, also known as Angelpotion. Get it here and see if it works.

[the_shyguy]

aiight... so hang on... which one do i need to install? the smr codec or the angelpotion? cos i also found the smr codec for downloading...

why would i beable to play the movie but i cant open it in tmpgenc?

[andyp1]

Get the avi 4cc code changer from HERE

Browse your file and it will look like this


Then change it to this


That should work

If for any reason it doesn't you can easily change it back.

But I strongly sugggest you try that first.

[the_shyguy]

aiight cool i will give that ago...

[the_shyguy]

okay... well i tried it and here is what happened..

changing the 4cc allowed me to open it in tmpgenc and it played fine as an avi still...

the avi has a frame rate of 20fps... so i opened the vcd pal template, then i opened the unlock file and then i just changed it to 20fps in the settings... the result of the encoded file wasnt right... it wasnt in sync with the audio and the picture had colored squares that kept flashing around on the screen, stuffing up the picture...

help please...

[jimmalenko]

the avi has a frame rate of 20fps... so i opened the vcd pal template, then i opened the unlock file and then i just changed it to 20fps in the settings... the result of the encoded file wasnt right... it wasnt in sync with the audio and the picture had colored squares that kept flashing around on the screen, stuffing up the picture...

You can't make a 20fps VCD that will play in anything other than your computer. PAL VCD is 25fps, no more, no less.

[the_shyguy]

hmmm... well isnt there any way to change it to 25fps?

[teegee420]

Have you tried loading the unlock template?

[jimmalenko]

hmmm... well isnt there any way to change it to 25fps?

Load the AVI. Then load the template.

[the_shyguy]

yeah... i did that thing with the unlock template.... and it ended up with the sound not in sync with the video... and the picture was stuffed up too... coloured squares kept flashing around the screen...

[jimmalenko]

OK. It will take a fair bit of work to get this AVI to VCD and have sync. You have to make the decision as to where you have the time, skills and dedication to make this work. You are also going to need a lot of Hard Drive space if you want to maximise the quality of the end result.

My method would be as follows:

We will need to demux the video and audio into separate streams. We then need to use VirtualDub to change the frame rate to 25fps.

1. Download and open VirtualDub. Go to File > Open and open the AVI. Go to Audio Menu > Full Processing. Go to Audio Menu > Compression. Confirm that <No Compression(PCM)> is selected on the left hand side - if not, select it. Go to File Menu > Save WAV. Specify a filename to save the audio to - if you wish to queue the job to run at a later time, tick the "Don't run this job now..." tickbox here. Be wary that uncompressed WAV is around 10MB per minute of your video and so you will need this space at the location which you wish to save to. Click save when you have the destination and filename as you would wish.

2. There are two ways to do the video - do not do both !

A. Go to Video Menu > Full Processing Mode. Go to Video > Frame Rate and select the radio button titled "Convert to fps" and put 25 in the text box next to it. Click OK. This will add frames to the existing footage so that the file duration stays the same. Go to Video > Compression and choose a suitable codec. I would recommend DivX configured to the highest bitrate you can put it to (AFAIK ~ 8000kbps).

OR

B. Go to Video Menu > Full Processing Mode. Go to Video > Frame Rate and select the radio button titled "Change to" and put 25 in the text box next to it. Click OK. This will use only the existing frames so the file duration will decrease. Go to Video > Compression and choose a suitable codec. I would recommend DivX configured to the highest bitrate you can put it to (AFAIK ~ 8000kbps). Should you choose this method, you will need to "timewarp" the audio so that the audio will be the same length as the video using something like goldwave.

3. Once all this is set up, go to File > Save AVI. Specify a filename to save the video to - if you wish to queue the job to run at a later time, tick the "Don't run this job now..." tickbox here. Be wary that DivX at 8000kbps is around 60 MB per minute of your video and so you will need this space at the location which you wish to save to. Click save when you have the destination and filename as you would wish.

4. If you have ticked the "Don't run this job now" boxes, Go to File > Job Control. Your two jobs should show up in here. Click the Start button and leave overnight/unattended to process. Once finished, cLick OK. CLose VirtualDub.

5. If you chose to do 2. B), you will need to timewarp your audio so it matches the new video duration. I choose to use goldwave.

6. Download and open TMPGEnc. Load the newly created AVI as your video source. It will automatically put the same value in the audio source box. Change this to the WAV file we created. Load the PAL/NTSC VCD template (whichever one is for your region), tweak whatever settings you like (remembering if you change the video bitrate you will need to change the Stream type to MPEG-1 Video CD (Non Standard) on the System Tab), designate an output file and press the start button. This will create a MPEG-1 file that you can author and burn with your favorite software. I use Nero for the few VCDs I do these days.

That is all there is to it.

[the_shyguy]

hey... cheers for all that

i have done what i think is the second option there already... the problem was that going to 25fps from 20fps and speeding up the audio makes the audio sound like a chipmunk...

so would the first alternative you showed be the way to go??