Converting Cartoons to Xvid

[CartoonManic]

Hello all,

My first post . Right I have a number of cartoons on DVD and would like to convert them to my PVP (GP2x). However I'm getting a rather annoying problem and that is what I like to call as "ghosting". Here is a typical example:



As you can see I'm trying to convert Futurama and other cartoons like it. For example The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Yes I'm currently using an unregistered version of AVS conversion tools but I'm not going to settle on a product purchase until I know that it suits my needs. Anyways notice how there are two images. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the first to have this issue. I've tried a number of different applications and tried to "tweak" my Xvid configuration (I have cartoon mode switch on) but as yet I'm getting the same issue with all of them. It's very fustrating.

I hope that you can help.

Thanks.

[redwudz]

Did you deinterlace the DVD video properly before encoding to Xvid? I could see that as a possible cause. Though interlacing artifacts usually show up with horizontal lines. More info about deinterlacing in case you are not aware of what it involves: http://www.100fps.com/ I'm not a video expert but I'm wondering if the fields are displaced if it's not a interlace problem. But try deinterlacing one and see how it looks.

And welcome to our forums.

[CartoonManic]

Thanks for the quick response. Okay I've read most of the infos on 100fps.com and now understand what is happening and why. However I've looked at the tutorials that are outlined and the various ways in which you can deinterlace video, but it doesn't say how to remove it before encoding. I downloaded the applications as instructed and installed. However when I tried to open the DVD from VirtualDub I noticed that neither VOB nor IFO files where supported. In addition it only seem to outline deinterlacing things like AVIs and whatnot. So my next question is: how do I deinterlace my cartoons prior to encoding?. If I've missed something please explain further.

Thanks.

BTW. Glad to be here

[yoda313]

You will need virtualdubmpeg2 or virtualdubmod in order to open a vob file. Be sure to get the latest build for best results. You can get them in the tools section.

[redwudz]

I'm not sure the newer versions of VD can open VOBs, even with the MPEG decoder plugin, haven't tried that. But VD may be more tool than you need, though I would certainly recommend you become familiar with it. It's sort of the 'Swiss Army Knife' for AVI type files. Well worth learning. I use VD Mod most times, though it is a bit outdated.

But if you are converting a DVD to Xvid/Divx, there are some good entry level tools. I like FairUse Wizard for simple. There is a freeware version you can try. If you want a bit more control, then the freeware AutoGK is worth looking into.

Most All-in-One converter programs should deinterlace for you, as most all AVI type formats want deinterlaced video. And they generally make good choices as to the type of deinterlace. You could try both FUW and AGK out at no cost and see if they will do what you want. Cartoons or Anime are somewhat a special type of video and may have different 'rules' compared to other video types.

alltoavi is another program worth mentioning as it can do batch conversionsnto AVI type formats, which may be handy if you have a lot of files to convert.

There are a lot of options available, and it's best to familiarize yourself with a few of them to enable you to make the best choices for what you want to do.

[DarrellS]

The new version of Virtualdub works just fine with the MPEG2 plugin. I would also install the AC3 plugin just in case you have problems with the audio.

It is best to rip the DVD to your hard drive as one VOB file. Less chance of getting sync problems this way.

[Ethlred]

It looks like a blended deinterlace. You may not be able to do anything about it. IF it's that way in the original DVD you are stuck. Simpsons is a US and therefor NTSC production. Not having fiddled around with it I can only guess but its likely that its 24 frame film progressive originally then interlaced with a pulldown to 30 fps for US broadcast. No telling what was done for the UK market though.

You will need to analyze the video frame by frame to start with. If you see it blended already there is nothing you can do. If its interlaced then you have a chance. The catch is that traditional TV animation in the US is drawn at 12 frames a second not 24 which will make it trickier to figure out what is going on since your source is likely 25 fps.

It may be that you will have to do this the hard way. But at least that way is free. Money free not time free.

You might want to download DGIndex and AviSynth.

I use Megui myself. It has a pretty good analyzer in it. Not perfect but it saves me time with some of the trickier sources. Maybe I should try it on my old DVD of Outland. That one I gave up on as it looked suspiciously like a bad conversion from Laser disk. Better to buy the re-release but that idea bugs me as I have already paid for it once on Laser disk and once on DVD. Thats enough.

[manono]

For us to be able to give any decent advice you'll have to make a small sample of the source available. 10 seconds will be fine. If I remember correctly, a lot of the PAL versions of the American TV shows are converted to PAL by field blending. If true (and I'm 99% sure it is), you'll have to unblend it and AviSynth is the only way to do it. Again though, a sample is needed. Open a Vob in DGIndex, use the [ and ] buttons to isolate a small section where there's movement, and then File->Save Project and Demux Video. Upload the resulting M2V to an upload site and give us the link.

If you want to analyze it yourself, separate the fields and go through them frame by frame. If you see blends/ghosts/double images, then you've got yourself some crap DVDs.

[CartoonManic]

Okay I've been surfing around and looking at large number of applications (man, I really didn't think that this was going to be this difficult!). I've provided a sample file from Futurama Season 1 Episode 1 and used DGIndex to demux the VOB. I've not provided any sound in the sample as it isn't important.

http://www.mediafire.com/?dbpzsmbyviw

Looking forward to hearing your responses.

Thanks.

[manono]

As I suspected, it's field blended. MRestore did a decent job with it. If you've never used AviSynth before, you'd better learn some if you really want to clean these things up. Otherwise you'll be stuck encoding crummy looking blended videos.

I don't know what a PVP is, but here's an XviD called FuturamaSample.avi:

http://www.mediafire.com/?zlgst3emwj5

And here's the script I used:

LoadPlugin("D:\AviSynth Stuff\Dlls\DGDecode.dll")
LoadPlugin("D:\AviSynth Stuff\Dlls\MT_MaskTools.dll")
LoadCPlugin("D:\AviSynth Stuff\Dlls\Yadif.dll")
LoadPlugin("D:\AviSynth Stuff\Dlls\TIVTC.dll")
MPEG2Source("E:\Test\test.d2v")
Import("D:\AviSynth Stuff\plugins\MRestore.avs")
Yadif(Mode=1,Order=1)
MRestore(Numr=25,Denm=50)
Crop(8,0,-8,0)
LanczosResize(512,384)
Trim(6,0)

The Trim command was to get rid of the garbage at the beginning. Actually, the true framerate for these things is 24fps, but with all the duplicate frames animation has anyway I didn't bother removing one duplicate frame every second, although it's easy enough to do.

[45tripp]

yeah they're horrible little things.

there's a function at doom9 called animeivtc().
not used it yet,
but i know what went into it's testing.

here's a script for the clip

MPEG2Source("C:\sample.demuxed.d2v", cpu=0)
import("C:\path\vinverse.avs")
telecide(guide=1,vthresh=255)
AssumeTFF()
TFM(mode=1,order=1)
Decimate()
vinverse()

tripp

[lordsmurf]

There's nothing you can do, nothing at all. Those are probably not official DVD releases you're working with, but rather somebody's poorly-made homemade crap.

NTSC cartoons are converted to PAL by inserting an added frame.
Or by speeding up the video and offsetting the tone with a 3-4% shift to compensate for "chipmunk" voices.
Frame blurring is not an option.

[manono]

There's nothing you can do, nothing at all. Those are probably not official DVD releases you're working with, but rather somebody's poorly-made homemade crap.

NTSC cartoons are converted to PAL by inserting an added frame.
Or by speeding up the video and offsetting the tone with a 3-4% shift to compensate for "chipmunk" voices.
Frame blurring is not an option.

Why comment on things about which you know nothing? Did you check out his sample? The official PAL DVDs of many American cartoon series are not just speeded up, but go from 24 to 25fps by field blending. They are notorious for this and infuriate PAL people for their shoddy quality. "Frame blurring" is not only an option but is done with some frequency. Nothing has to be done to the audio as the videos remain the same length. Something can be done. I did it. Did you bother to check out the AVI I made of his sample? It's a heck of a lot better than the source, but not, of course, as good as the NTSC DVDs.

[CartoonManic]

There's nothing you can do, nothing at all. Those are probably not official DVD releases you're working with, but rather somebody's poorly-made homemade crap.

Nah there definitely official releases. Unless HMV has decided to start selling pirated DVDs.

Manono: PVP = Personal Video Player . Which is my GP2x. This plays AVI(Xvid) streams. But unfortunately it doesn't deinterlace my videos whilst playing hence my reason for going to all this trouble. Anyways, I've located all of the plugins required for the AVIsynth script but one. This is the Mrestore.avs file. I assume that this is another AVIsynth script?. Anyway I tried looking on this site and on google by can't find it anywhere. Any chance of some help?.

Once again thanks.

[manono]

Hehe, you did better than I thought you'd do to track down the needed filters. MRestore is part of the R_Pack and can be gotten from the link in the first post of the MRestore thread:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=95924

[CartoonManic]

Absolutely fanastic manono!. I've been working with some small samples and uploading them to my GP2x and I really can't complain about the quality of the output. The difference is unbelievable compared to what I previously had. I guess now the next step will be to get the audio correctly sync'ed in and then start converting full episodes. Can't thankyou enough, you've been really helpful. You've made somebody very happy today.

CartoonManic.

[lordsmurf]

Why comment on things about which you know nothing? Did you check out his sample? The official PAL DVDs of many American cartoon series are not just speeded up, but go from 24 to 25fps by field blending. .

I routinely buy DVDs from UK and Australia. Sounds like the producer of Simpsons for UK release is doing a shitty job. Consider an Australian import, if from another distributor. Or buy the USA releases and convert those.