Mini Guide - AVCHD to Anything Using DGAVCdec

[Umbiwag]

Forgot - I think the problem bay be in the avisynth script which ffdshow is asking for. What method do you use to create the file.avs?

[poisondeathray]

Umbiwag - Sorry I'm not to familiar with batch files. I do everything manually. I'm guessing everything should be in the same folder, and that the batch file automates the script generation +/- encoding

I use AVSEdit, or AvsP to edit/create .avs files then feed the scripts into an encoder or editor

<...Paging Soopa...>

[Umbiwag]

Thanks poisondeathray. No more error just a useless AVI file. Is it possible to post one of your AVS scripts? Also, I have all the default settings for ffdshow - is there anything I need to do / check off / change to make this work? I have the H.264/AVC decoder set to libavcodec.

[poisondeathray]

I tested Soopa's recent directshowsource .bat file from page 9 - it works fine

You need the avchd convert package from page 1. Unzip the directshowsouce .bat file into the same folder. Place the .mts clip in the same folder

This will only generate an .avs file (it's just a script that frameserves into an encoder - it won't generate a final file. It's like a "dummy" file so that other applications can "read" the original .mts file)

You need avisynth, ffdshow (h264 enabled which sounds like you already have) and haali media splitter installed

You can use this script to feed into an encoder/editor (e.g. vdub if you wanted to edit, if you wanted to make a DVD put it into an MPEG2 encoder, if you wanted and XviD .avi you could do it in vdub...etc...)

If you wanted to preview it, open it up in AVSEdit and slide the preview bar. You can change the size, add filters, trim etc...

If you tell me what your final format goal is, I might be able to provide suggestions

[Umbiwag]

Thanks again! Absolutely everything is installed on my XP system.

My format goal is an AVI that I can import into Premier CS3. I am not certain what output to expect from ffdshow / makeAVIS. Should I expect an AVI file which is similar in size to the mts file? Does the ffdshow VFW configuration make a difference? What I am struggling with is why there is a 26k avi file created out of a 23MB mts file using makeAVIS?

[poisondeathray]

I'm not familiar with makeAVIS - i think it too makes a dummy file.

I think you can just use the Premiere AVS import plugin
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=105017

This will frameserve using the .avs into Premiere

You may want to change the .avs script for full resolution that was auto generated by the .bat file, because it is resized to (848,480). Just edit out that LanczosResize line in avsedit or avsp

[Umbiwag]

Just a quick thanks to poisondeathray and Soopafresh - very helpful and I now have a solution that works well. I finally got everything figured out. Now all I need a new quad core and a 1.5TB drive to handle the huge amounts of data.

[syrou]

Hello all,

I find these batch files particularly interesting. Are there any updates?

Thanks for the work!

[dererik]

Hi all

I found a solution for the Canon HG 10 with following problems:

Some mts files are fine to process, some give me messages like:

- Found NALU type 0, len 0 undefined, ignore NALU

- reserved picture_structure used (can´t determine NumClockTs)

This was disussed earlier here and it seems, that IDR keyframes are missing, so DGavcIndex and Libavcodec can't index it properly.

My solution:
the camera starts recording and writes any information into the .mts file. After a while, the video is split, that there is no part bigger then 2 GB. The last part is something less then 2 GB.

Trying to convert any other then the first part fails, so you need to combine the files to a big one, always starting like you did with the camera.

Copy /b 00001.mts+00002.mts+00003.mts output.mts

I try neuron2´s DGAVCIndexNV with a Nvidia 8400 GS and that is really really fast, worthwile the 15.

works for me
regards
erik

[Soopafresh]

Hello all,

I find these batch files particularly interesting. Are there any updates?

Thanks for the work!

What I'd recommend (as does erik above me) is the DGavcindexNV decoder. It's functionally equivalent to the free DGavcIndex, but does a better (and faster) job with AVCHD files (as long as you have an Nvidia 8 or 9 series video card). It also works with many AVCHD files that the free version has trouble with. The deinterlacer in particular is very good and quite fast. http://neuron2.net/dgavcdecnv/dgavcdecnv.html

My batch files would need minor modification to work, just a search and replace in notepad would do it.

[bayme]

What I'd recommend (as does erik above me) is the DGavcindexNV decoder. It's functionally equivalent to the free DGavcIndex, but does a better (and faster) job with AVCHD files (as long as you have an Nvidia 8 or 9 series video card).

That's a really good tip. I have a Gigabyte GeForce 9600 GT (i.e. Nvidia chips), so it should work on my system. Thanks!

[fishywishy]

avchd_convert_v7.zip

The __1920x1080_Same_As_Source.bat file will output the same settings as your input file.

ok im dumb. is there a .bat for 1440x1080 60i? all i want in uncompressed 1440x1080 that i can edit in virtualdub

i like voltaicHD but only the wmv works for me. but its hard to edit plus the quality drops a lot. the avi decoder squishes the file so its out of proportion so thats useless. plus id rather have free software

the cam is a sony hdr-cx7 and i have a quad core so i know my comp can handle it. ive tried multiple programs that can handle avchd and none can output raw 1440x1080

[Soopafresh]

Yes, the 1920x0180 Same as Source batch file will work for you

There's a lot of confusion about 1440x1080 output. 1440x1080 at 16:9 aspect ratio becomes 1920x1080 at 1:1 aspect ratio. During playback of your AVCHD file with your favorite media player, the image gets horizontally stretched to display 1920x1080 on your screen.

If you want more information, search on PAR vs DAR. This is a pretty good explanation: http://www.3ivx.com/support/par.html

[fishywishy]

Yes, the 1920x0180 Same as Source batch file will work for you

There's a lot of confusion about 1440x1080 output. 1440x1080 at 16:9 aspect ratio becomes 1920x1080 at 1:1 aspect ratio.

but it stretches it to 1980x1080. i want it at 1440x1080

[Soopafresh]

Okay, gimme a sec and I'll upload a file for you to do this.


Edit: download and unzip into the same folder as the other batch files.

__1440x1080_.zip

[syrou]

Thanks for the tips, I'll give DGavcindexNV decoder a try.

BTW, what I was talking about is there may be a v8 update with newer version of quality critical binaries such as x264 and yadif. Also, a combination of all these batch files are a valuable tool. It would be great if someone with scripting abilities could make some wizard, as I've realized there are some steps with A, B or C possible answers (like final resolution, deinterleazing, fps and so on). I totally beleive in x.264 project it's a perfect core for a transcoding tool.

It's a pity there are so many tools available for novices like me. It's kind of confusing Right now, have tested a lot of tools: AutoMKV, VirtualdubMod+CoreAVC, TMPGenc... None of those has given me optimal quality, and it's probably my fault. H.264 is soooo complex to understand and has so many parameters to touch, given a particular video (slow/fast motion, etc etc).

Next time I shot with my HF100, I'll have to choose between 50i and 25p. Have read somewhere that 25p in the Canon camcorder is some kind of trick (discarding frames) and that it is not true progressive scan. Should I trust yadif more?

Last but not least, as I suppose lots of people do, I make a postproduction phase with my videos with Pinnacle Studio. For speed and quality sake, should I better decompress and lagarith recompress source videos before editing them?

Thanks for reading!

[fishywishy]

Okay, gimme a sec and I'll upload a file for you to do this.


Edit: download and unzip into the same folder as the other batch files.

__1440x1080_.zip

perfect, exactly what i wanted. thanks a lot! i was about to give up and return the cam

[Soopafresh]

BTW, what I was talking about is there may be a v8 update with newer version of quality critical binaries such as x264 and yadif.

All of the batch files written are meant to be tweaked by the end user. The cake's been baked, you decide on the frosting

X264.exe comes out with a new revision every week. You're more than welcome to download the latest and greatest version. It should work, as long as they don't change the syntax between revisions.

Yadif.dll hasn't been updated by the author since Jul 2007. Doesn't really need to be. There are tons of different deinterlacers out there which you can experiment with. I like Yadif because it's a good compromise between speed and quality. I think the deinterlacer which is available through Nvidia's 8 and 9 series video cards is really good and fast. It can be accessed through DGavcIndexNV.


It would be great if someone with scripting abilities could make some wizard, as I've realized there are some steps with A, B or C possible answers (like final resolution, deinterleazing, fps and so on). I totally beleive in x.264 project it's a perfect core for a transcoding tool.

Check out RipBot264. If I recall, it will work with AVCHD source files.

Next time I shot with my HF100, I'll have to choose between 50i and 25p. Have read somewhere that 25p in the Canon camcorder is some kind of trick (discarding frames) and that it is not true progressive scan. Should I trust yadif more?

I find the fluidity of movement better when shooting in progressive mode rather than yadif in post. Deinterlacing HD res material is very time consuming.

[fishywishy]

unbelievable. every single source i read says the cx7 shoots 1440x1080, every player says thats its size, voltaicHD converts it to that size in wmv, yet when i extract it with that .bat you made me and save it once thru virtualdub it gets stretched vertically. when i extarct it with 1920x1080 with virtual dub it looks fine and converts fine

[Soopafresh]

unbelievable. every single source i read says the cx7 shoots 1440x1080, every player says thats its size, voltaicHD converts it to that size in wmv, yet when i extract it with that .bat you made me and save it once thru virtualdub it gets stretched vertically. when i extarct it with 1920x1080 with virtual dub it looks fine and converts fine

That's why I wrote the 1920x1080 batch file

Read up on PAR vs DAR . 16x9 aspect ratio vs 1:1 aspect ratio vs PAR vs DAR

[fishywishy]

That's why I wrote the 1920x1080 batch file

what happened when i 1st used the 1920x1080 bat was i was using a clip with a 2x tele extender in full wide to tell if the image was at the right size. what i didnt take into account is that the cam would capture the sides of the "tunnel vision" but not the top and bottom like you would normally see with standard def. thats why i insisted on having a 1440x1080 bat

[brunori]

Hi Everybody,

First, thx Soopafresh for the free "solution".
I using the directshow script with laczos 720x480 to generate DivX 6.8 HT profile files to play in my OPPO 971 DVD/DivX player on a Philips 42PF7321 plasma. My MTS files comes from my Canon HF-100 camcorder and are 1080/60i.
The results are just ok, but not as good as I expected. The DivX file (and I tried Xvid too, but with no beter results and a much biger file!) has somes "artifacts" (not sure this is the right word). See the video anexed. Look at the white and blue blocks of the building. They seam to be shaking!
Does It make any sense to talk about the quality of the ffdshow decoder (or any other decoder)? I think no, as decode seams to me a operations that always give the same result, regardless of wich decoder are in use. I´m I wrong?
Any sugestions?
Thx in advance.

-- Brunori


teste%20divx%20720x480%20ana%20directshow.00.avi

[Soopafresh]

I could be wrong, but I think you haven't deinterlaced before resizing to 720x480. If you did, then you're seeing shimmering due to your deinterlacer. All common problems with interlaced footage. Set your camera to 30p or 24p and see if you like the results better.

[brunori]

I could be wrong, but I think you haven't deinterlaced before resizing to 720x480. If you did, then you're seeing shimmering due to your deinterlacer. All common problems with interlaced footage. Set your camera to 30p or 24p and see if you like the results better.

Here is my script:

load_stdcall_plugin("yadif.dll")
DirectShowSource("teste.mts").normalize()
yadif()
fadein(15).fadeout(15)
Lanczos4Resize(720,480)

I think yadif() does the deinterlace, does not? Is it the problem?
I will test with 30p, but as I pretend to shoot action sports (surf), I´ll be actualy using 60i, so a need a good deintelacer.

-- Brunori

[poisondeathray]

This may (or may not) apply but :

1) Maybe that your field order is reversed. If you just use yadif() default, I think avisynth assumes BFF usually, but most AVC is TFF, so try yadif(order=1)

2) Since you are using DirectShowSource() , ensure that your DirectShow subsystem is clear of other contaminating filters (e.g. ffdshow postprocessing might already have a deinterlacer enabled so you would be double deinterlacing), and that your AVC decoder for the source is up to date. As an example, you can see on page 9 an example of corruption also shot with HF100, when using an older ffdshow tryouts version. Another example - If you are using CoreAVC to decode the .mts, deinterlacing might be enabled and yadif() would double deinterlace this as well.

[Soopafresh]

I liked the results of this deinterlacing method by vampiredom at Doom9. Look towards the bottom of the script for output options. You might want to try the blended deinterlacing if you're going to be shooting a lot of action.

Here's the output from the blended deinterlacing vs the "regular" deinterlacing options. The blended one isn't as crisp, but the movement in the scene is smoother and more natural.

reg_deint.avi

blended_deint.avi


Requires the following plugins:

YadifMOD http://web.missouri.edu/~kes25c/yadifmod_v1.zip
TomsMoComp http://www6.impacthosting.com/trbarry/TomsMoComp.zip
ColorMatrix http://avisynth.org/warpenterprises/files/colormatrix_20070828.zip


DirectShowSource("yourfile.mts")

AssumeTFF()
(isRGB()) ? ConvertToYUY2() : ColorMatrix(mode="Rec.709->Rec.601")

#########################
# DEINTERLACING (Bobbing)
#########################

# padding for mod16 width and height
w16 = ceil(float(width()) / 16.0) * 16
h16 = ceil(float(height()) / 16.0) * 16
bL = (w16 - width()) / 2
bR = (bL % 2 != 0) ? bL - 1 : bL
bL = (bL % 2 != 0) ? bL + 1 : bL
bT = (h16 - height()) / 2
bB = (bT % 2 != 0) ? bT - 1 : bT
bT = (bT % 2 != 0) ? bT + 1 : bT

(bL > 0 || bR > 0 || bT > 0 || bB > 0) ? AddBorders(bL, bT, bR, bB) : last

yadifmod(mode=1, edeint=Interleave(TomsMoComp(-1, 0, 0), DoubleWeave().SelectOdd().TomsMoComp(-1, 0, 0)))

(bL > 0 || bR > 0 || bT > 0 || bB > 0) ? Crop(bL, bT, bR * -1, bB * -1) : last

#########################
# CROP / RESIZE
#########################

# crop a little from the top and bottom to allow fullscreen with accurate PAR (assuming 1080i source)
Crop(0,14,0,-14)

Spline36Resize(720, 480).sharpen(0.2)

######################
# OUTPUT OPTIONS
######################

# Uncomment only one of the lines below

# This produces interlaced YV12 output
#AssumeTFF().SeparateFields().SelectEvery(4,0,3).W eave().AssumeTFF().ConvertToYV12(interlaced=true)

# This produces progressive YV12 output, with blending
# Merge(SelectEven(), SelectOdd(), weight=0.5).ConvertToYV12(interlaced=false)

# This produces progressive YV12 output, without blending
SelectEven().ConvertToYV12(interlaced=false)

Limiter(16, 235, 16, 240)

[dererik]

Hello Soopafresh et al

I know you answered these question, but I really do not understand:

I use DGAVIndexNV and it tells me:

Frame Size 1440x1080
SAR 4:3
Display Size 1920x1080
Frame Rate 25 fps



later I switch to VirtualDub, here is the *.avs:

LoadPlugin("C:\tools\video\_dgavdecnv\DGAVCDecodeN V.dll")
AVCSource("00002.dga").BilinearResize(720,520)

with or without ".BilinearResize(720,520)" the resulting avi looks strange, bulked or compressed in the horizontal view.

Any ideas?

regards
erik

[poisondeathray]

@dererik

Your original source has a DAR of 16:9 or 1.7778, even though the frame size is 1440x1080 (4:3).

Avisynth assumes square pixels (1:1), as does vdub, so a resize to (720,520) will end up with an aspect ratio of 1.385 (because 720/520 = 1.385)

You can either :

1) Resize to something close that gives a DAR of 1.7778 (e.g. 720x400) when using square pixels

2) When encoding, enter the stream information by changing the pixel aspect ratio (PAR) (or this is sample aspect ratio --sar if you are using x264). i.e. Non-square pixels

3) Adjust the container flags to display the original 16/9 aspect ratio. e.g. use mkvmerge to set the flags.

The solution that works for all players, formats and containers is #1. Most will, but not all players will honor or display properly if #2 or #3 is done.

[Soopafresh]

@dererik

What poisondeathray said.

BilinearResize also isn't a very sharp resizer. Use Spline36Resize(720,400)

[dererik]

thanks poisondeathray and Soopafresh,

1 works for me at the moment

regards
erik