Future Mac Video encoder

[fatespawn]

All,

I've been a long time user of ffmpegx (forum on this web site) but more recently, I've found myself migrating toward VisualHub for my encoding needs. ffmpegx seems to be CONSTANTLY on the verge of a "1.0 release" but it's been years in the making. As a matter of fact, I think ffmpegx has been in "beta" or "alpha" longer than Visualhub was even in existence!

VisualHub has a better GUI and more user friendly interface (thought more limited encoding options) but seems to be more toward my "liking" in that it automates some tasks like "adding to iTunes."

But, as VisualHub is no longer being developed or upgraded, I find myself frustrated for what comes next. So, what programs do you use out there to do the same things. Major, if you're reading, feel free to chime in on the development of ffmpegx. I like your program, but I am frustrated at it's development (and bummed the h264 encodes ALWAYS end up dark). Are you going to continue? Did development take a back seat to other projects?

What programs do the rest of you use? What are better alternatives? I'd like one stop shopping (editing, clipping, transcoding...), but I realize some tasks are better suited to stand alone programs. Suggestions?

-fate

[Baldrick]

Maybe avidemux and mpeg streamclip and handbrake.

[Kryton]

For x264 encodes I came across something a little while ago. It's called XDOT but doesn't seem to be publicly available (maybe a concept app or a private thing).

It was created by a member here (Tab) but when I brought the subject up in post here not long ago it didn't generate a response. It's possible he hasn't been back here since that post so I'm being patient with that one.

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic358408.html

http://mike.command-q.org/Xdot.html

EDIT: I just checked his pages again and it seems to have more live links. Looks promising:

http://xdot.command-q.org/Xdot.html

[terryj]

VisualHub continues on as FilmRedux, give it time and it will be mature enough to take VisualHub's place. In the meantime, keep using VisualHub.

[jpschuck]

The new version of Handbrake is no longer limited to DVD sources. It now accepts a wide range of file types.
http://handbrake.fr/

[Bladergroen]

Hello there,

I'm new to this forum, but not a real newbie, so one question in this forum, also because i own a mac .

A few days ago i got a divx coded movie from a colleague which contains AC3 surround sound.
After burning this using Toast, (just as a file on UDF format Disk, so no extra encoding) my home cinema system, which is MPEG4 compliant, wouldn't play the file: "File type not supported". From that moment on I did extensive research on the net, tested lots and lots of software programs to convert, encode, decode, demux, mux (like ffmpegX and others) but was not able to get the conversion that i wanted, namely a DivX compressed movie with surround sound, playable on a home system. Mostly because the conversion tools would convert the audio to stereo only. Also in most cases my Mac downsamples the sound to stereo, even when it is surround encoded (that might be because this is done on an older G4 w/o S/PDIF out). I tried conversions to MPEG2, MP4, VOB, MPEG-1, DivX, DivX3. The only formats my player did accept were VOB (surround) and MPG (stereo).
Can somebody please help me to get this right?

One other thing I would like to accomplish: stream surround sound from my (old) Mac G4 (no S/PDIF out) through Airport Express to my Home system. The only formats with which that works is AC3Wav and DTSWav, because these files have a sampling rate of 44.1kHz. All 48kHz formats do not work and give static sound on the home system.
So how can I resample my sound files (like AC3 files ripped from movies) to one of these formats, or to AAC surround?
I also tried this lots and lots of times, but only conversions that do work convert to stereo...

Please help?!

Thanks in advance,
Reno
Belgium

[Case]

Do you have any confirmation that your home cinema system can actually give you 5.1 surround sound from MPEG-4 movies? Many so-called MPEG4 compliant players only promise to playback DivX and XviD video, without detailing what audio capabilities they have for these files.

[Bladergroen]

Hello Case,

I need to read the manual for that again, but i can't remember that this is specifically mentioned. Can I test this?
DVD surround can be decoded normally, but i think it all depends on the firmware right? So do you have a suggestion for a DVD recorder that can read these formats in it's full glory ?

Thanks for your reply by the way.

Reno

[Frobozz]

If you can extract the AC3 audio track from the DivX file as a separate AC3 audio stream then you could use it in place of the audio track that Toast creates when it encoded your video DVD. I don't know how to extract the AC3 audio stream from a Divx video but someone here may know.

Assuming you can do that, the rest of the process is as follows:
1. Have Toast encode and author the video DVD (using Save as Disc Image) just as you already did.
2. Mount the disc image and use MPEG Streamclip to save the movie as separate .m2v and .ac3 streams. (As you know the AC3 stream in this case is two-channel stereo).
3. Replace the Toast-created .ac3 stream with the one extracted from the DivX movie.
4. Go back to the Toast Video window and add the .m2v video file. Toast automatically adds the matching .ac3 audio track presuming it is in the same folder and has the same name (except for the extension) as the .m2v video stream.
5. Proceed with having Toast make your new DVD with the original ac3 audio file.
6. I don't guarantee the audio will be in sync.

[jpschuck]

I read that you burn your file as UDF, your player may have trouble to recognize DiVX on an UDF disc (some player require PC ISO 9660).
What's the brand and model of your DVD/MPEG4 player ?

[Bladergroen]

Hello All,

The method Frobozz describes is exactly what i already have. That's the problem itself. I do have a DivX with AC3 surround. It can't be played on my home system though. But thanks anyway Frobozz . One personal note: I looooooooove Oregon!! I've been there for nine months in 1996 (internship) and that was almost the best period of my life!
So now to jpschuck: I'll try that, the ISO 9660 format. Thanks for the tip. My DVD recorder brand is a Yamada 8400x. It says DivX compatible.
Today i went to the store and there they said that almost only Panasonic can play DivX encoded with surround... so i might be trying something that is not common at all.

Greets, reno

[ffooky]

I've found the easiest (only ?) way to extract the audio/video from a DivX/Xvid file under OS X is to use avidemux.

[Frobozz]

Hello All,

The method Frobozz describes is exactly what i already have. That's the problem itself. I do have a DivX with AC3 surround. It can't be played on my home system though. But thanks anyway Frobozz . One personal note: I looooooooove Oregon!! I've been there for nine months in 1996 (internship) and that was almost the best period of my life!

Greets, reno

I'm a life-long Oregonian and glad to know you have such fond memories of this place.

What I was suggesting is creating a standard video DVD playable on any DVD player rather than keeping it as a DivX file. The trick is to swap out the 5.1 AC3 stream demuxed from the DivX file with the 2.0 AC3 stream created when Toast re-encodes the movie for the video DVD format. That way you have the Toast-encoded .m2v video muxed to the original 5.1 .ac3 audio on your video DVD. I've never had reason to attempt this but I do know Toast accepts 5.1 .ac3 streams without re-encoding when there is no need for Toast to re-encode the video (e.g. it is a DVD-compliant .m2v video).

[Bladergroen]

Hello Frobozz,

My english got a little rusty in those 11 years . Now I do understand what you mean, so I will try that.
Regularly skiing at Mt.Hood, this winter?

Grtz, Reno (no, not nevada )

[jpschuck]

Alas, the Yamada 8400x has not been tested on divxtest.com. Yet most Yamada players seems to be able to play AC3 surround within .avi files. I would say that the guy at the store told you bullsh*t, there are plenty of home DiVX players that can play .avi files with AC3 surround audio (low end brands often use the same decoding chip).