How to view AVS files on external video monitor?

[KenJ57]

I have been using Adobe Premiere Elements for editing which gives me a wonderful benefit -- by using the option to direct the output to the Firewire port I can view my video via A/D converter on an external video monitor. I can see exactly what I'm going to get. Works very well!

Now I am trying to use AVISynth to make use of the great filters but I dearly miss using my external video monitor. If I frameserve to VirtualDubMod, I can't tell if the noise filters are doing anything at all. As you may know, some of the effects are subtle, but both displayed frames in VDub look the same to me. Also, I have my Viewsonic E771 monitor brightness/contrast cranked up as high as it will go but, of course, it is still not bright enough to see the subtle differences in the picture.

I tried playing the AVS files to Firewire using Video2DV, DVIO and WinDV but the AVS format is not supported. Even DScaler doesn't support it.

How can I view the output of AVISynth on my external video monitor?

[vhelp]

I'm not sure what sort of problem you are having with the
frameserving part ..but it seems that your problem is with the
frameserving AVIsynth scripts (and/or vdub *.vdr) to APE hmm..

I don't have APE, so I'm not familiar with it.., but how are you opening
your source files in APE ??

virtualDUB:
* Did you try and frameserve vdub to APE ??

If its still not working w/ vdub frameserve to it..

AVIsynth (*.avs) scripts:
* Did you try and frameserve AVIsynth (*.avs) scripts to it ??
..if you are having trouble with frameserving AVS scripts to APE,
.. maybe its the YUV format that APE is not accepting. I don't know
.. for sure what format it *would* accept. But, if this is the reason
.. APE is not accepting it, then its just a matter of trying the different
.. YUV convertToXXX() format filters there are. But, I'm not sure that
.. *this* is the problem here. I'm just throwing out ideas/suggestions

If its still not working w/ AVIsynth scripts frameserve to it..

MakeAVS fake (psuedo) avi files:
* Did you try and make a fake (psuedo) AVI source file and frameserve
that file to it APE ??
.. If you don't have MakeAVS, you can download it from the tools section
.. here on vcdhelp (or doom9 might have it too)
.. IMO, MakeAVS is a last ditch alternative. I've used it in some of these.

REFERENCE:
* APE - Adobe Premiere Elements
* How to use the Avisynth frameserver with Adobe Premiere?
* How to use Virtualdubs
* read this AVIsynth guide
* FAQ - for everything you want to know (almost)

-vhelp 3436

[Baldrick]

you can use vfapi reader also to make an fake avi from an avs.

makeavs is not in the tools list.

[KenJ57]

Thanks guys for the replys. I downloaded vfapi reader but it requires yet another file, readavs.dll, to work with AVS files. I have been chasing my tail all over the 'net from Google pointers but all references to the actual ZIP file containing it are dead! Can someone supply a fresh pointer to the readavs.dll?

I will try to simplify my request --
I can double-click on an AVS file and Windows Media Player v6.4 is configured to automatically play the file. If WMP 6.4 can play it why can't the afore-mentioned files play it?

<frustration>
What do you guys use to edit your video anyway? I can't see properly the tweaks on my video unless I see them on a proper video monitor! Some of you guys MUST have wanted this capability for AVISynth and VDub long before I got here.

1. Edit AVS file
2. Play AVS with DVIO (WinDV, Video2DV)
- loop until done -

Why is this not obvious? Why the heck is this so hard?
</frustration>

I certainly don't intend to abuse any of those in this forum who so generously strive to help others. I have enjoyed helping the noobs in the Adobe Premiere Elements forum. But as my understanding grows, I am trying to learn to use more sophisticated tools. Sometimes the concepts take awhile to get through this Norweigian granite!

[alsyed]

i have a version of the readavs.zip.

i'll try and see if i can get it up here

[vhelp]

Most people use either/and/or AVIsynth / VirtualDUB (vdub) in their video
editing requirements.

And, the route people use to view there editing tweaks are vdub by itself,
or they run their scripts into vdub (vdubMOD is better for this) and make
any quick changes to their fitering or scripting. vdubMOD has scripting
built-in (for instance, pressing F5 inside the script editor brings your
editing work into view. As you scan threw the video, you can see your
editing right there, and go back to the editor at any time. It's that
easy. It's not perfect, but its what a lot of users are using these days.

This is the emthod most users use instead of the method you use using
your software's export out to TV.

-vhelp 3445

[Wilbert]

makeavs is not in the tools list.

Look for makeAVIS (which comes with ffdshow).

[Nelson37]

If you open an avs script in Vdub, both screens will be identical. Vdub is making no changes to the file, these occor in the script.

The two vdub screens only show before and after when you are using Vdub filters.

[monzie]

Why not just open the AVIsynth script (.avs) (not the original .avi/video file) with ZOOMPLAYER or MPC (for example) and then view the script (its what I do....)..you can even pump it to a TV or secondary monitor.....makes short work of viewing filters etc.....

[vhelp]

>> How can I view the output of AVISynth on my external video monitor?

I realize you want to view your edits on a TV to get the *full* effect of
your filter attempts. But, the only way to output your source to a TV
set is (as you did in your previous APE, or) find a good graphics card
w/ TV-OUT feature (most do these days) and a good (cheaper/freeware) software
that will do what APE does.. output to your TV

--> then, do the following ...

If you want to get a closer effect of your "script filter" applications,
(I used to to this myself, w/ my Rage Fury Pro GC) then you could try and
set your GC and vdub (prefer vdubMOD w/ built-in scripting and preview 'F5')
and in your GC 's TV-OUT setup, set it to display 640 x 480 resolution (I
think they refer to it as, [x] change resolution or something)
Then, with a little practice, Size and Position vdubMOD 's window inside
the 640 x 480 screen. Tip - you can do this in TV-OUT first, by setting
your display resoution to 640 x 480 (But, [rule-of-thumb] I use a util to save
my desktop icon position, because this can screw your icon placement when
you change your resolution - at least under Win98x it does.., if you don't
already have this feature built-in to *your* OS)

Once you have the following setup:

* TV-OUT set for 640 x 480 resolution
* vdubMOD setup (size and position) on your (tested) 640 x 480 resolution
* software setup (ie, vdubMOD) ready with your AVIsynth script, Ctrl+E to open
.. your script

You should be able to now run your script inside vdubMOD and play what-if's
with your filtering. Just press F5 and pan through your video when you want
to see your video on your TV.

History / some explaining..

Now, the reason why I choose 640 x 480 resolution, is simple. IMO, it is
the closest match to your tipically-sized TV set, and the detail will (again,
IMO) be more closer or true 'er per your filter attempts.
.
When I tried higher resolution, [ie 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768] I got too much
fine detail that seem to leave me with missleading results. 640 x 480 gives
me closest resolution, IMO.

If you think it worth it, consider the above another alternative to your TV-OUT
video editing excercise.

-vhelp 3467

[Nelson37]

I didn't know you could do that, with the script editor.

I just open two copies of Vdub, the original file and the script, and resize them for a split-screen view. Then change the script and re-open the file, as needed.