Encoding/Converting taking a toll on a computer?

[hiimbored]

Hey, I have a question that is more about the effects of converting from AVI to DVD. I have had many AVI files in the past couple months and I have been converting them to MPEG2 and then creating a DVD out of them. I have probably converted about 30 files to DVD in the past 2 months. The past few times I have converted them, I have noticed a decline in video quality. Is this possible or is it just my imagination? It seems to me that the recently converted videos have been much worse quality and more pixelated than when I first started converting them. Can anybody let me know if this is possible and, if it is, how I can fix it? Thanks!

[hiimbored]

Can anybody help me out with this?

[noki]

try reconverting one of your first ones (with the higher quality perceived output). use the same media blanks, same technique, same app to burn to DVD and see if the quality is less.

[deadrats]

Hey, I have a question that is more about the effects of converting from AVI to DVD. I have had many AVI files in the past couple months and I have been converting them to MPEG2 and then creating a DVD out of them. I have probably converted about 30 files to DVD in the past 2 months. The past few times I have converted them, I have noticed a decline in video quality. Is this possible or is it just my imagination? It seems to me that the recently converted videos have been much worse quality and more pixelated than when I first started converting them. Can anybody let me know if this is possible and, if it is, how I can fix it? Thanks!

you are not "wearing out your computer" by transcoding files and even if you could, the symptoms wouldn't include reduced image quality.

it's possible that your latest conversions don't have the same quality as the earlier ones, but the culprit is one of the following:

1) the source AVI's are of lower quality than the earlier ones.

2) the newer AVI's were made with a different codec than the earlier ones, a codec that masks the flaws in the source during normal playback.

3) you installed a different mpeg-2 decoder and/or you aren't using the same encoder settings as you used to.

4) you upgraded to a newer graphics driver that has different default video processing settings or doesn't provide the same quality as the older driver.

in a nutshell, you need to look closely at what the differences between you earlier AVI's and the current ones are.

[oldandinthe way]

Some other speculative thoughts

1. You have not been maintaining your system. Failure to defragment files, remove no longer used files that are cluttering directories, deleting overblown log files and other cleanup of data which slows your transfer of the movie, to and from the hard disk.

2. You have been bitten by O/S, spyware or antivirus updates. As updates are provided to correct security risks, many tasks performed in the background increase in the time and resources to completion. This may be complicated by the items in 1 above. History and log files make take longer to scan and update, interfering with your conversion.

[hiimbored]

Some other speculative thoughts

1. You have not been maintaining your system. Failure to defragment files, remove no longer used files that are cluttering directories, deleting overblown log files and other cleanup of data which slows your transfer of the movie, to and from the hard disk.

2. You have been bitten by O/S, spyware or antivirus updates. As updates are provided to correct security risks, many tasks performed in the background increase in the time and resources to completion. This may be complicated by the items in 1 above. History and log files make take longer to scan and update, interfering with your conversion.

Wow, thanks for your help everybody! But how should I go about deleting overblown log files and such? BTW, I use TMPGEnc, don't know if that matters. Thanks again!

[edDV]

I suspect you are developing the cursed video quality eye. The more you look at this stuff and listen to others, the more flaws you see.

The longer you wait for a render, the longer the next one seems.

Try some objective tests like suggested by deadrats

[hiimbored]

I suspect you are developing the cursed video quality eye. The more you look at this stuff and listen to others, the more flaws you see.

The longer you wait for a render, the longer the next one seems.

Try some objective tests like suggested by deadrats

No, I just compared, and the quality does seem to be worse. Thanks to everybody for all the suggestions, but I'm kind of lost. Can anybody explain to me exactly how to do these fixes? Sorry, I don't really understand how to do what you guys suggested. I haven't changed any of the settings on TMPGEnc, so I don't know what to do. Thanks...

[Don James]

I agree with oldandintheway, defrag your hard drive(s) and if you don't have antivirus software, you can get some free from AOL. Run Windows error-checking softare on your drives, esp your C drive. Open the explore file utility, right-click on a drive letter and select tools, then select error-checking. Check the two option boxes. It will tell you it can't right now but do you want to on reboot, say yes, then reboot. It takes a while to run but I've seen many a problem fixed by doing this.

[hiimbored]

I agree with oldandintheway, defrag your hard drive(s) and if you don't have antivirus software, you can get some free from AOL. Run Windows error-checking softare on your drives, esp your C drive. Open the explore file utility, right-click on a drive letter and select tools, then select error-checking. Check the two option boxes. It will tell you it can't right now but do you want to on reboot, say yes, then reboot. It takes a while to run but I've seen many a problem fixed by doing this.

Well, I ran anti-spyware software, anti-virus software, then I defragmented my hard drive, and then ran the Windows error-checking software. Then I encoded another file, and it still looks just as bad (maybe even worse for some reason). The picture is just extremely blocky. How do I delete log files and such? Any other suggestions? Thanks!

[Nelson37]

The defragging and other file usage could cause a performance problem, and possibly issues such as dropped frames, but should not result in a loss of video quality.

It is likely something has changed on your system with respect to codecs or version used. Your explanation of your latest comparison was not clear enough.

Have you taken an AVI, which had previously encoded with "good" quality, and encoded the SAME file on your machine now, and careful comparison of the "good" encoded file with the newest encoded file, using the exact same storage and playback methodology, reveals that the video quality is now worse? It would be ideal to view both videos on the computer itself so that burner and media are removed from the test as possible variables.

Typical source and final encode types and any changes in these would also be useful.

[KBeee]

<deleted>
Nelson37 beat me to it almost word for word

[hiimbored]

The defragging and other file usage could cause a performance problem, and possibly issues such as dropped frames, but should not result in a loss of video quality.

It is likely something has changed on your system with respect to codecs or version used. Your explanation of your latest comparison was not clear enough.

Have you taken an AVI, which had previously encoded with "good" quality, and encoded the SAME file on your machine now, and careful comparison of the "good" encoded file with the newest encoded file, using the exact same storage and playback methodology, reveals that the video quality is now worse? It would be ideal to view both videos on the computer itself so that burner and media are removed from the test as possible variables.

Typical source and final encode types and any changes in these would also be useful.

I have not encoded the same file yet, because I don't feel like I have to. The videos that I have been encoding all have the same intro on every one. This is where I first notice the decreasing quality. I went back and looked at all the past videos I have converted on my computer with this intro and they all look to be great quality, but the last 5 or so look horrible. It seems like it might be something with the program (TMPGEnc). This is because when I used to convert a video, it would say that the resulting file would be about 70% or so of a DVD, but now it always says it will be 100% of DVD capacity. Also, the encoding time used to take 3-4 hours, and now it only takes 1.5-2 hours. I have no idea why this is, because I have used the same settings the whole time and have not changed anything. I even uninstalled and reinstalled TMPGEnc and reset the settings as I first set them using the exact same tutorial. I have no idea what the problem could be, and its really frustrating me.

[Soopafresh]

Sounds like you're doing 1-pass encodes, when before you were doing 2-pass. Something has changed, and 90% for sure it is your Tmpegenc settings.

[SCDVD]

Video encoding will definately fragment your hard drive very quickly especially if your input, output and working temp files are all on the same drive. It's important to defragment frequently. If you are doing quite a bit of encoding, once a week is not too often.

[hiimbored]

Video encoding will definately fragment your hard drive very quickly especially if your input, output and working temp files are all on the same drive. It's important to defragment frequently. If you are doing quite a bit of encoding, once a week is not too often.

No, that's not it. The Rate Control Mode is set on 2-Pass VBR just like it always has been. Also, I defragmented my hard drive last night, but it didn't seem to do much. The before and after graphs looked almost exactly the same. Did I do something wrong? I right clicked on my C drive, went to Properties, went to Tools, and then Defragment Now. It took about an hour or so, but it didn't do much.

[Soopafresh]

Upload a 10 sec clip of a new file and an old file somewhere.

[SCDVD]

Video encoding will definately fragment your hard drive very quickly especially if your input, output and working temp files are all on the same drive. It's important to defragment frequently. If you are doing quite a bit of encoding, once a week is not too often.

No, that's not it. The Rate Control Mode is set on 2-Pass VBR just like it always has been. Also, I defragmented my hard drive last night, but it didn't seem to do much. The before and after graphs looked almost exactly the same. Did I do something wrong? I right clicked on my C drive, went to Properties, went to Tools, and then Defragment Now. It took about an hour or so, but it didn't do much.

You did it right. By the way, I'm not assuming that fragmention is causing the problem that you are having. I'm just suggesting that defragmenting your hard drive is a good routine thing to do. Not doing so can definately cause probelms even if it isn't the problem that you are having now.

[jagabo]

Check the Motion Search Precision in TMPGEnc.

[hiimbored]

Check the Motion Search Precision in TMPGEnc.

It's set on "Motion Estimate Search (fast)" just like I have always had it.

[deadrats]

I have not encoded the same file yet, because I don't feel like I have to. The videos that I have been encoding all have the same intro on every one. This is where I first notice the decreasing quality. I went back and looked at all the past videos I have converted on my computer with this intro and they all look to be great quality, but the last 5 or so look horrible. It seems like it might be something with the program (TMPGEnc). This is because when I used to convert a video, it would say that the resulting file would be about 70% or so of a DVD, but now it always says it will be 100% of DVD capacity. Also, the encoding time used to take 3-4 hours, and now it only takes 1.5-2 hours. I have no idea why this is, because I have used the same settings the whole time and have not changed anything. I even uninstalled and reinstalled TMPGEnc and reset the settings as I first set them using the exact same tutorial. I have no idea what the problem could be, and its really frustrating me.

now we're getting somewhere. something has changed within TMPGEnc, some setting, maybe within the profile itself, that is resulting in a different encode. are you using a custom profile or one of the built in ones? did you modify the profile in any way (it must have been modified)?

consider this: you take an avi of a given size and set it to convert to a dvd compliant mpeg-2. previously, tmpg would estimate the output size as 70% of 4.7gigs (what is that, about 3.4 gigs?), now it's estimating the output at 100% of 4.7 gigs. assuming both source avi's are of equal size, that means that tmpg is now using more bitrate for the encode.

but now for the weird part: while it would appear that tmpg used to encode in 3-4 hours, it now takes half the time. that tells me that it's now doing a single pass encode whereas previously it was probably doing a 2 pass encode (one analysis and the actual encode).

this points to a definate change in the settings somewhere, so the question becomes, are you using the same version of tmpg you were using before or have you switched to a different version number?

redownload tmpg and swap the profiles from your existing tmpg folder with those from the fresh download as see if that fixes your problem.

[hiimbored]

I have not encoded the same file yet, because I don't feel like I have to. The videos that I have been encoding all have the same intro on every one. This is where I first notice the decreasing quality. I went back and looked at all the past videos I have converted on my computer with this intro and they all look to be great quality, but the last 5 or so look horrible. It seems like it might be something with the program (TMPGEnc). This is because when I used to convert a video, it would say that the resulting file would be about 70% or so of a DVD, but now it always says it will be 100% of DVD capacity. Also, the encoding time used to take 3-4 hours, and now it only takes 1.5-2 hours. I have no idea why this is, because I have used the same settings the whole time and have not changed anything. I even uninstalled and reinstalled TMPGEnc and reset the settings as I first set them using the exact same tutorial. I have no idea what the problem could be, and its really frustrating me.

now we're getting somewhere. something has changed within TMPGEnc, some setting, maybe within the profile itself, that is resulting in a different encode. are you using a custom profile or one of the built in ones? did you modify the profile in any way (it must have been modified)?

consider this: you take an avi of a given size and set it to convert to a dvd compliant mpeg-2. previously, tmpg would estimate the output size as 70% of 4.7gigs (what is that, about 3.4 gigs?), now it's estimating the output at 100% of 4.7 gigs. assuming both source avi's are of equal size, that means that tmpg is now using more bitrate for the encode.

but now for the weird part: while it would appear that tmpg used to encode in 3-4 hours, it now takes half the time. that tells me that it's now doing a single pass encode whereas previously it was probably doing a 2 pass encode (one analysis and the actual encode).

this points to a definate change in the settings somewhere, so the question becomes, are you using the same version of tmpg you were using before or have you switched to a different version number?

redownload tmpg and swap the profiles from your existing tmpg folder with those from the fresh download as see if that fixes your problem.

I'm using the same version of tmpgenc that I always have been, and I'm using the exact same settings. Also, it still does the analysis that you were talking about, then when it gets to 50%, it starts the encoding (just as it always has). Does that mean it is still doing 2-pass vbr?

[deadrats]

I'm using the same version of tmpgenc that I always have been, and I'm using the exact same settings. Also, it still does the analysis that you were talking about, then when it gets to 50%, it starts the encoding (just as it always has). Does that mean it is still doing 2-pass vbr?

yes.

[dazza555]

I'm not so sure the estimated file size has much to do with it, when i encode 3 350mb sized avi files with TMPGEnc it always says it will be 100% of the disc but after encoding the total file sizes are only about 3.7-4.2gb never more, and if they are less usually something has gone wrong.

Just a suggession also as I don't pretend to be an expert, but perhaps updating all your codecs could help. I found I had a similar problem but with poor audio quality after encoding, upgraded to K-lite mega codec pack and problem solved.

[Nelson37]

There are only two things I can absolutely guarantee for you.

1. If you use different input files, you will get different output.

2. If you use the SAME input file twice, and get two different results, something on your system has changed. Carefully note the "SAME", this is not similar, but identical.

Basic quality and encoding methods of downloaded AVI files is highly variable. Different output qualities are absolutely to be expected with such files. If you wish to take the time to correctly diagnose your problem as has been outlined, a solution can be arrived at. Otherwise there are too many variables, you will need to determine the answer thru random chance.

[PuzZLeR]

I read this thread, and although I don't have a direct answer, I can recommend the following.

Whenever my PC, or its software, starts doing different things, especially when it's worse, such as more frequent crashes, slower times, more out-of-sync video, crappier performance, etc, I take it as a signal to backup all my stuff and just re-format and start fresh.

If this encoding is important to you, and you did have better results in the past, maybe it's time to nuke it all and start all over again. You may eliminate what is bothering the process currently and get your old results back.

As well, keep some files around to compare if this solved the problem.