Looking for answers/thots on conversion: most future-proof format/method

[yvonney]

Great to be here everyone!

UPDATE DISCOVERY: everyone is saying that H.264 is better than xvid. Sad if that's true. Isn't Xvid more open source.. Anyways: I did a test and the cutting off the last few seconds doesn't happen when I select H.264 instead of Xvid.]

1) So... I've got a bunch of .mpg's I created from video tapes and they're huge... GSpot says they are MPEG2 and the codecs not installed (play fine with VLC / mplayer of course]

I used the latest version of SUPER with XVID to try to get them down in size.. worked great though lost last few seconds of each one I did. What's happening??

2) I've got loose .VOB and also those bunch of .MPGs ... bascially a whole lot of file that I want to shrink down AND make future proof a bit. I don't wanna be reconverting after doing it once and deleting the originals do i ???!!!!


So, I love xvid.... though I'm thinking... what's that MP4 and H264 H263 all about??
(I know that that's gonna be a dumb question - though pushin' to get this figured due to hard drive space, and I really don't know about how good H264/3 is compared to whatever.. like is there an xvid h263? duh?)

UPDATE COMMENT: wow, VIDEOHelp.com is amazing...reading this now: H.264 FAQ & Basic Conversion Guide

Yet/So: Am I going to blow it and not easily be able to play these files on say a small MP4 player in months to come? And why does SUPER cut off the last few sceconds of my conversion attempt to AVI/xvid/mp3 from the .MPG's mpeg2's I created long ago...

Basically I'd like to become a BIT of a guru on conversion and I know from other areas that it'll take a ton of time and a lot of mistakes to get there..


Can a guru help me decide what's the best way to go...
I'm needing to shrink these beasts down in file size...
.avi (various codecs) mpg's vobs.... sheesh!

I love open source so it's gotta be sweet in that respect .. like xvid or whatever....

Hey, great to have found this cool place...

best wishes to everyone!

y

[guns1inger]

You really want to become a guru ? Then download programs and start encoding. Try a variety. Read a lot. Get your hand's dirty with some command line tools. That's how you really get to understand how it works. Knowing which settings to use is only a small part of the issue. Understanding why they work the way they do helps you fix problems that may arise (and they will) and helps you squeeze the very best out of an image.

No-one can teach you all these things. Read a lot, ask specific questions, and do. That is the most important step. It costs you nothing but your time, and it is the best investment you will ever make.

[Noahtuck]

guns1inger
It's been called for some time now....... the microwave generation for a reason 8)


Like this post.....
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic348882.html

So far every application I have seen takes nearly and hour per DVD.

[yvonney]

cool. good comments and link...thank you!
Thing is... I've now used handbrake, super and mediacoder and avidemux

it's not being able to go back after deleting original BIG vobs and avi's etc...

Should I really 'believe' in the future AND usability of H.264

First I really understood of it and how new...better? it is was today..

that why I wrote AND cause I wanna clear my drive

still thinking here... :))

y

[redwudz]

Open source and simple? Try AutoGK and the Xvid codec. Other converters here: https://www.videohelp.com/tools/sections/dvd-to-avi-divx-xvid Most are for DVD, but some will accept MPEG files directly.

Or if you want to learn a bit more, VirtualDub Mod (or the newer VD and the MPEG plugin} and the Xvid codec. It's more 'hands on'. But you will need to learn a bit about the codec and it's settings. The best advice is to read our guides. Most programs like VDM have guides listed at the bottom of their toolpage.

I wouldn't recommend SUPER for other than odd format conversions. JMO.

And welcome to our forums.

EDIT: If you want to try H.264, you have a bit of a uphill learning curve.

[edDV]

cool. good comments and link...thank you!
Thing is... I've now used handbrake, super and mediacoder and avidemux

it's not being able to go back after delting original BIG vobs and avi's etc...

Should I really 'believe' in the future AND usability of H.264

First I really understood of it and how new...better? it is was tosay..

that why I wrote AND cause I wanna clear my drive

still thinking here... )


Go back to 1990's and read comments about difficulty playing MPeg and this thing called MPeg2.

y

[yvonney]

BIG thanks...
So, everywhere I go they say that H.264 (x264) is the future. Needs a better processor than xvid encoded though quality and portability to other devices is greater.

So... and hmmmm.... do I convert all my vobs and mpeg2's with H.264 and which of the converter relaly does the smallest file size and the best quality... though I guess I'd have to see and decide..
So, maybe a good question is: what is an acceptable approximate setting for the rate... 500 or so... or 700 or so... or 1000 or so...


still studying...

thoughts appreciated, obviously :::---)

y

[guns1inger]

Small file and best quality ? Small is relative.

1500 - 2000 kbps video bitrate at a resolution of 640 x nnn will give you pretty good quality from a DVD source, with the file coming in at between 1.5 - 2 GB, depending on audio bitrate and running time. This is certainly smaller than a DVD.

If you want a small file - e.g. 350 - 700 MB per movie then forget quality. You simply cannot have both, unless your idea of quality is a lot lower than mine.

Simple answer is - encode some and see. Every video is different, so there is no single answer. Every disc will require it's own bitrates and finessing.

[yvonney]

nice. yes. as most of my large files are different from each other I guess I should just decide what's important and what's not... then take more time and test with the important one.

So, it actually looks like mediacoder (latest) will do what I need... there's certainyl gonna be some other apps that would be more well, hardcore... I'm gonna give SUPEr a miss I think.. and handbrake needs titles my first play with it seems to suggest.
And autoGK does'nt seem to be able from my look at it, to do mpeg to MP4 AVC H264 ...
BIG question is:

1) should I go with H.264 or stick with xvid.. figuring I'll wanna get small file sizes of stuff I'm only interested in just having a basic look at (not film nor film quality needed)

and

2) what's about the lowest approximate that's watchable bitrate for H264..though I can test that out so that's cool.

3) is mediacoder as good as anything else considering it's me using the app and I'm not expert enough.

thanks fr the cool stuff to study ans think about everyone!

y

[redwudz]

If you were just doing DVD rips to h.264, I would give FairUse Wizard a try. It has a freeware version that works well for H.264 and is very easy to use. The downside is it only works on DVDs or a ISO of a DVD. I tried several other converters and it was the only one that didn't give me errors or problems.

EDIT: Your other questions:

1. You want to realize H.264 takes a bit more computer power both to encode and play back. Xvid or Divx will be a much faster encode, but a larger filesize.

2. I used 1100Kbps for a two hour DVD movie. It came out very well, about 1GB in size. I've went as low as 570kbps for a 700MB CD converted from DVD and it still looks much better than Xvid or Divx at those rates.

3. You'll just have to try a few programs to determine their ease of use.

[yvonney]

thanks. trying FUwiz now...

do a LOT of people now use H.264 ..?? first I'd heard/understood of it was today.... it's blowing away xVid for faster machines....??

Also: I really would like to get into the best hardcore apps and all the parameter I like that...... as like someone said... they're mostly GUIs for what's really working underneath... kinda need to get started clearing this drive though... and I'm concerned that I'll do H.264 and dump the originals and it''ll be wrong or something.... whatever of course.... not that big a thing...

Though I am guessing that it's a yes to going H.264 for files I want small, decent for seeing without a ton of loss...
I'm not taking any normal dvd player dvds it's more a whole bunch of various large-ish files like 600 meggers that I want WAY down in size.... they are mostly already encoded AVI or MPEG2 containers....

then there's lot of VOBs ...for example I got a couple of tutorial dvds as a gift..... ALL i want is the video stuff off them.. they're like 4.3 gig and the video are about 3/4's of that....

here's a question too if that's ok on another subject sorta:

ON the DVD images I've made so I don't need to put in the DVD's is it possible to somehow make a really SMALL rip of the files and still have any kind of ability to read the contents of the dvd that's in the title page..

I wasn't clear enough I bet... ALL I really want is the VOBs any old way SHRUNK WAY down and still watchable...
Though there's some info that tells me what's on each vob.... can I get this.
OR better yet...

IS it possible to rip individual video chapters off a DVD image??!!!


Sorry for the lousy post here..


getting tired I think...
this has been very helpful so thanks again...!

[redwudz]

IS it possible to rip individual video chapters off a DVD image??!!!

Sure. You can do some of that when you rip the DVD to the hard drive. DVD HD FAB Decrypter or the older DVD Decrypter should work for that. Or after you get them on the hard drive, you can break them down further and separate the parts.

On the other hand, most compacted formats don't have any type of menu like a DVD does. Divx Ultra comes the closest with some menu/chapter information.

For size, you should be able to reduce a DVD by maybe 75% and still have decent quality most times with H.264.

[yvonney]

Great....
so I'm getting educated here and at wikipedia about H.264.... definitely cool I'd say... H.264 is everywhere and has a lot of things opening up for it it appears..

so yeah, I plunk along and will certainly be using what I learned here today.. i'm really looking forward to those big files I don't need that much to be shrunk...!

WOW, great time here...
talk soon

y