Anyone encode relatively fast?

[CMD27]

Hey i was just wondering if anyone can claim to have a fast encoding time, like from avi to mpeg-2? Anyone have almost real time encoding? what do you use and what are your computer specs?
i have a dell 2100 so i have crappy speeds using tmpgenc, so i use xilisoft to encode to a .vob file (takes anywhere from 2-4 hrs.) then de mux using tmpgenc(takes about 20 min). thanks to all who post!

[bazooka]

It depends on your computer setup.

[jimmalenko]

If doing a quick n dirty AVI to MPEG-2 with no filters or anything, I get roughly realtime using TMPGEnc Plus. Hover over my Computer Details button to see my machine specs.

[tekkieman]

Same as jim using my work rig (P4 3G HT 1G ram, TMPGEnc). Pretty much realtime. Not so lucky at home (specs in profile).

[rkr1958]

P4 2.6-GHz
w/TMPGEnc Plus & CBR >> near-real time
w/TMPGEnc Plus & CQ >> 30 to 40 % Slower than real time
w/TMPGEnc Plus & 2-Pass VBR >> 3x to 4x Slower Than Real Time

However, I just purchase CCE Basic,
w/CCE Basic & 2-Pass VBR >> near-real time

see: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=251289&highlight=

[jimmalenko]

Rumour has it that CCE is much faster than TMPGEnc too. FWIW, TMPGEnc is said to be one of if not THE slowest of all the MPEG encoders AFAIK.

[tekkieman]

However, I just purchase CCE Basic,
w/CCE Basic & 2-Pass VBR >> near-real time

Ok, I'm impressed! 8)

I might need to look into this.

[jimmalenko]

@tekkie:
I was thinking the same, but I don't know whether the learning curve of CCE is worth it - ATM I'm quite happy with TMPGEnc, so I see no dire need to change encoders just yet, as the time taken isn't that important to me, whereas the end results are, and I know I get what I want from TMPGEnc.

[Gurm]

If I'm just doing quick-n-dirty I use Mainconcept... for example for TV shows. I download the XVID, which is usually 640x352. I resize to 480x361 (to maintain aspect ratio) and use the standard SVCD template... and it does a 40-minute show in about 25 minutes.

If coding up to DVD, it's still CLOSE to realtime for MUCH better than I'd get from Nero or anything like that.

Now, if I start going to multipass VBR to make a good "keeper" quality disc, it jumps up a lot, but nowhere NEAR as much as TMPGEnc.

[reboot]

Mainconcept mpeg encoder, about 1.3x realtime.
VSO Divx to DVD is about 1.5x.
(both are faster than realtime).

[Soopafresh]

Using VSO DivxToDVD , I can go AVI to VOB at 65FPS .

[adam]

I get about 3.6X real time in CCE. I think that puts me in the lead....until BJ_M posts.

But all of these numbers are probably pretty inconsistent. "AVI" can mean so many things. It takes more CPU cycles to decode some codecs versus others, and that can have a huge effect on your encoding time.

[edDV]

Cheapest way to the Mainconcept realtime MPeg2 (DVD 8,000Kbps) encode is Ulead Video Studio 8 (I paid $20 after rebates). I feed my cable box through a Canopus ADVC-100 for a IEEE-1394 DV stream and transfer to a cheapo 2.4 GHz Celeron (VIA - P4PB-IEEE-1394 Mobo) with 512MB RAM. It will keep up at 8,000 Kbps encode but looses it if compression is increased to 6,000 Kbps. I paid $89 for the Celeron processor and Via mobo at a fry's sale.

Today, I would go for a top end Celeron* or AMD maybe 2.8 to >3GHz to have some safety margin or to compress more.

* The ULead low end version of the MainConcept encoder doesn't seem to support Hyperthreading like the higher end standalone version or the ones in Premiere or Vegas which do benefit from hyperthreading in the P4.

If > realtime speed is the goal, then its all about CPU speed with Hyperthreading** giving the P4 a boost at a given CPU speed.

** depending on codec support

[CMD27]

Wow thanks for all the posts guys, i will definately check out cucuesoft! I am only using the trial version of tmpgenc and i keep rolling back the time on my computer clcok to keep using it, how sad is that. What is the difference with Tmpgenc Plus? I am actually pretty happy with my 1.1 ghz , but i do want to get a new computer. because it would be nice to get to realtime encoding

You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
/ Moderator vitualis

[jimmalenko]

CCE is CinemaCraft Encoder, not cucusoft

[tekkieman]

I am only using the trial version of tmpgenc and i keep rolling back the time on my computer clcok to keep using it, how sad is that.

Very sad indeed. Especially since it is against the forum rules to discuss such issues.

If you really like it that much, pay the people who wrote it!

[edDV]

I forgot to mention in the post above re: using Mainconcept ( ULead Video Studio 8 version) for realtime DVD MPeg2 encoding with a Celeron 2.4 GHz. , that I must also set audio to LPCM mode. I convert this to AC-3 stereo during authoring using the Sony DVD Architect 2 package. The video can be multiplexed as is or compressed further.

The Celeron won't keep up with simultaneous Mpeg realtime audio encoding.

[ktnwin]

For high speed AVI to DVD conversion, I use neoDVD Plus. ON my 1.2GHz Athlon PC, the conversion is near real-time !!!
I plan to upgrade my PC to 2.8GHz, expect conversion time to be 50% or less.

[guns1inger]

I get around 1.2 x realtime from CCE per pass, so a two hour movie comes in at around 5 hours on 3 passes. The old Athlon 1800+ is getting a bit long in the tooth, but I have plenty of ram and always have the source and targets on seperate physical disks (seperate partitions is the same as being in the same directory).

[edDV]

Does CCE respond to more RAM? Does it speed up encoding?

More RAM than 256MB seems to have no effect with MainConcept. I've tried 512, 768 and 1GB. Encode speed and CPU utilization seems the same ~ 85-90% for realtime encode.

[mats.hogberg]

In principle, only CPU speed affects encoding speed (and follows GHz almost linear). That goes for all software encoders, be it CCE or MainConcept or...

/Mats

[edDV]

That is what I thought but many claim RAM amount makes a difference for certain encoders. Every benchmark I've seen shows no difference.

[jimmalenko]

A different RAM config made a huge change for me with TMPGEnc Plus - I had one 512MB stick, and then added another 512MB stick into slot 2. I then stumbled across the correct DDR configs, so I moved the 2nd stick from slot 2 to slot 3, and gained approximately 20% faster speeds in a jiffy, in comparison to just having one 512MB stick.

[edDV]

Mileage varies by algorithm I suppose.

[Fandim]

Today, I would go for a top end Celeron* or AMD maybe 2.8 to >3GHz to have some safety margin or to compress more.

When you get your hands on a 3.0ghz AMD, please let me know. heh heh. Dont see this happening for quite some time.

[guns1inger]

AMD left 3Ghz behind sometime ago (as far as Pentium speed equivilency is concerned).

[johns0]

I get speeds with cce of 3-4.5 x encoding avi to mpg2 at 352x480.

[Fandim]

Guns1inger - I know this. The new 2.8GHZ Fx 64 chip would be roughly the equivalent of a Pentium 4 4.7GHZ chip, as far as actual speed is concerned.

And to stay on-topic... It takes me roughly real time, maybe a little more, to use TMPG 3.0 Xpress, with 10bit, high search precision video.
Like 80min = 90min or so ratio.

Seth

[edDV]

MPeg encoding is one area where the P4 holds up very well, especially when Hyperthreading is supported by the encoder (see Mainconcept MPeg2 encoder writeup in this link) http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/intelamdcpuroundupvideo/

The Cinema Craft likes the P4 better as well.

[bazooka]

AMD left 3Ghz behind sometime ago (as far as Pentium speed equivilency is concerned).

very true