MeGUI & XviD4PSP crash/hang, SUPER works... why?

[sionpriory]

I've got several high-res (720p, 1080p), high-bitrate trailers, clips, and such in x264/mkv format. I want to convert them to XviD/AVI for playback on my xbmc-xbox.

I've used MEgui a lot to convert my DVD collection to x264/mkv for my xbox. This is the first time I tried using it to convert x264/mkv files to XviD/AVI.

The problem is that MeGUI hangs or crashes at various points during the setup process... I never have been able to actually get to the encoding stage. I tried XviD4PSP also, and it had similar problems. I then tried SUPER, and it worked. SUPER is okay, but I'd prefer to use MeGUI or XviD4PSP.

Does anyone have any idea why these two programs are failing? I'm thinking it's something about the avisynth script, since both these programs use avisynth. I have no idea if SUPER does too or not, but last night it successfully re-encoded one of these files, and it played fine for me (had a bit of audio delay with the ac3 pass through track, but oh well... xbmc has an easy timing adjustment).

Anyway, I'd like to figure out how to get meGUI or Xvid4PSP (preferably both) working for these files. Any help/tips/pointers/ etc. Greatly appreciated!

[Baldrick]

Can you play the mkvs with windows movie player?
Is it just megui and xvid4psp that crashes on your system? Do they crash after you opened the mkv?
Tried reinstall latest avisynth? You also probably need ffdshow and haal media splitter to be able decode it correctly.

Or use Handbrake, it does a good job converting mkv to avi xvid.

[sionpriory]

Can you play the mkvs with windows movie player?

I can play them in VLC no problem... didn't actually try Windows Media Player, since I dislike it for movies.

Is it just megui and xvid4psp that crashes on your system? Do they crash after you opened the mkv?

Yes, that's when it freezes, when I open the mkv. Sometimes the mkv will open, and the program will freeze later, for example after doing the crop/re-size step in MeGUI.

Tried reinstall latest avisynth?

I have not tried that. I get confused as to what's the latest of all these different components, since so many programs share the same parts, e.g. codec packs. I *just* installed XviD4PSP a few days ago, so I would assume that it would update all it's necessary parts when it installs, no?

You also probably need ffdshow and haal media splitter to be able decode it correctly.

What do you mean in order to *decode* it? I can play these mkv's just fine on my machine using VLC. Hmm... it just dawned on me that you might be asking me to use Windows Media Player because VLC uses it's own included codec pack, whereas WMP relies on codecs installed in the system, just like MeGUI and XviD4PSP. Okay, I'll try WMP, but it may be tomorrow because my machine is in the middle of a DVD re-encode & will be for another 10 hours or so.

Or use Handbrake, it does a good job converting mkv to avi xvid.

I have handbrake, but don't use it much... Would it really be any different than SUPER?

Thanks for the help & ideas...

[sionpriory]

Just checked a few of these videos, and they all play fine on WMP11 and/or VLC (v. 0.9.9), and mediaplayerclassic (v. 6.4.9.0)

[sionpriory]

Any other ideas? Anyone?

[gonwk]

Hi Sion,

Why are you dead set on using MeGUI or Xvid4PSP ... is there any Benefit to using these two programs!?!? Like Better Output Quality!?!?

Thanks,

G!