CCE vs ConvertXtoDVD

[ranosb]

Using ConvertXtoDVD to convert a PAL dvd5/dvd9 to NTSC produces excellent results in an hour or 2, where as CCE takes 8hrs+ before even authoring the video & audio together...

Are the results from CCE that much better?
Thanks!

[guns1inger]

That is up to you to decide. Quality is in the eye of watcher. If you source is very high quality then CCE probably does produce better results. If your source is downloaded, over compressed video then the quality difference will be a lot less.

[ranosb]

Can CCE be used to convert MKV files to DVD5/DVD9 formats? These would be High Definition sources...

[johns0]

Install avisynth and make a avs script DirectShowSource("D:\video.mkv") and load that into cce.Takes me 90 minutes to do a 3pass encode of a 2 hour mkv 720p with cce.

[lordsmurf]

You know, as stupid as it sounds on the surface, ConvertXToDVD (consumer software) seems to outperform CinemaCraft (pro software) in terms of image cleanliness. CCE is really "old style" type MPEG encoding, in my opinion, with a higher tolerance for noise -- sometimes even adding its own. The VSO encoder, on the other hand, is a lot closer to the quality you find from MainConcept, something that still amazes me. My most recent encode job with Procoder 3 at another location was disappointing, and my first thought was "I wish they had MainConcept -- heck, I wish they had ConvertXToDVD!" .

[ranosb]

Thanks for the script, johns0... I will try it with CCE, is there anything else that should be added to it like the regular .avs script used for converting dvd's?

Amazing results from convertxtodvd from mkv as of now...
I set it for DVD5 or DVD9, whichever one gives me the "Excellent" conversion results, and "Video processing" all on "Automatic".

How does ConvertXtoDVD compare with MainConcept Reference?

[johns0]

Most of the encoder setting are set in cce such as 4:3,16:9,mulitipass and cbr settings so you would input what matches the mkv such as 4:3 or 16:19 and 23.976fps or 25fps,if the mkv isnt 1920x1028 or 1280x720 and is 1280x536 for example then you would put AddBorders(0,92,0,92) to the avs script.

[manono]

If he's starting with a Hi-Def source, then he also better resize for DVD in the script. I sure as hell wouldn't let CCE do the resizing.

[johns0]

You dont need to resize in the script for the newest cce,just addborders is required if the mkv isnt 720 or 1080,also you can resize in the settings if needed for resolutions such as 624x352.

[manono]

Do we know which CCE he's using? I'd still rather do it in the script. I hate giving up control to any program.

[lordsmurf]

Reference is better, but the VSO encoding is really nice, similar to HCEnc.

[Seeker47]

Amazing results from convertxtodvd from mkv as of now...
I set it for DVD5 or DVD9, whichever one gives me the "Excellent" conversion results, and "Video processing" all on "Automatic".

I'm probably one of the last people you'd want to ask, being not that far above the noob level. That said, most of the .mkv stuff that has come my way so far has been animation -- and not Disney or Pixar grade stuff either. It looks to be a lot less demanding than photography of real people, in terms of decent results. ConvertX does a fine job with it, in a relatively modest amount of disk space.

Is MKV more common out there than I've been noticing ? To me, it feels like something that has not really caught on in a big way, outside of the niche I mentioned.

[ranosb]

That said, most of the .mkv stuff that has come my way so far has been animation -- and not Disney or Pixar grade stuff either. It looks to be a lot less demanding than photography of real people, in terms of decent results.
Is MKV more common out there than I've been noticing ? To me, it feels like something that has not really caught on in a big way, outside of the niche I mentioned.

Mkv is the container used for HD Blueray now as Avi was/is used for Dvd5/Dvd9's...

[Eyedoctor2]

You guys really have me scratching my head. I recently bought convertxtodvd to convert my .mt2s Canon camcorder footage to dvd. I thought the conversion was HORRIBLE. It was pixelated with lots of motion artifact. Pretty much unwatchable in my opinion.

I used the best quality encoder setting. Any other tips? The software seems idiot proof but in my case it wasn't.

[guns1inger]

As much as I like ConvertXtoDVD, I never use it for anything other than what it was designed for - quick conversion of average quality material to DVD with minimal setup. For any material that is important to me, it is avisynth and HCEnc, or Vegas and Mainconcept.

[PuzZLeR]

I agree with Guns1inger on ConvertXtoDvD - excellent tool, but I would only use it when I have non-DvD stuff that I want converted quick to DvD for a one-time-view, like for a friend's house. ConvertXtoDvD will do a more than adequate job and deliver it hassle-free and quick - which is what you want at that moment. No headaches.

I will not however use it for my "Grade A Stuff". This I use CCE for (with an AviSynth script after my editor's done).

Yes, I've read some comments here and I can appreciate them, but CCE has delivered some quality stuff for me since I've bought it summer 2008. And I do like the "noise" - to me that's like film grain. Real sharp. And looks good on the big screen.

[lordsmurf]

You guys really have me scratching my head. I recently bought convertxtodvd to convert my .mt2s Canon camcorder footage to dvd. I thought the conversion was HORRIBLE. It was pixelated with lots of motion artifact. Pretty much unwatchable in my opinion.
I used the best quality encoder setting. Any other tips? The software seems idiot proof but in my case it wasn't.

This sounds more like an issue of putting too much on one disc to me.

In this exact scenario, I'd have edited in Premiere CS3 and encoded out with MainConcept.

[Delta2]

CCE gives to me complete control over my encodings

I can make multi-pass VBR, select the best matrices, the bitrates I want, the resizer I want, the tweaks I want, the audio I want

VSO is just click-and-go, no fun, no suspense, just peace and calm

[Marvingj]

I've found that CCE is to slow even with a little more individual control. ConvertXtoDvD - excellent tool and it is faster and cleaner.

[Delta2]

I've found that CCE is to slow even with a little more individual control. ConvertXtoDvD - excellent tool and it is faster and cleaner.

I don't think CCE is too slow, it all depends on your scripts

For example, I know that everybody says that should be used YUY2 with CCE, I rather use YV12 because it is 20% or 30% faster, far too much to be ignored

I have a notebook dual core, basic hardware, and it takes +/- 30 or 40 minutes for each passages, so in single pass it is fast

In fact VSO is just the best, but for me it is for girls

[Seeker47]

I've found that CCE is to slow even with a little more individual control. ConvertXtoDvD - excellent tool and it is faster and cleaner.

I don't think CCE is too slow, it all depends on your scripts

For example, I know that everybody says that should be used YUY2 with CCE, I rather use YV12 because it is 20% or 30% faster, far too much to be ignored

Unless there are some good canned scripts one can pick up, I'd say the appeal of this is going to be limited. I knew more than 10 years ago that there were a lot of computer things I was never going to learn, or even investigate: not enough time, not much interest on my part. Writing code in C, Java, Perl, or whathaveyou is high on that list. Writing scripts (like in Avisynth, or for an encoder) may be a lot easier (?), but wouldn't rank far behind.

[PuzZLeR]

I really don't understand where this "CCE is slow" stuff is coming from. If it's slow, it's the script, which would make virtually any other encoder slower too (porportionally or shifted).

Otherwise, for example, just using raw DV source "as is" - boy is it ever FAAAAAAAAAAAST.

[FulciLives]

The last time I used ConvertXtoDVD (which I admit was a long time ago) I was very disappointed with the quality.

In short it never seemed to respect bitrates at all always giving me something way undersized and looking like ass.

I wrote it off a LONG time ago but I wonder ... have they changed the encoding engine or something?

I thought it used some version of ffmpeg which if I'm not mistaken is notorious for not respecting bitrates and always undersizing. No?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I pretty much use HCenc for MPEG-2 encoding unless for some reason I want CBR encoding then I use CCE instead.

[DereX888]

CCE is slow? LOL
I'm sure it works as fast as your machine allow it.
Don't forget CCE is just encoder. What and most importantly HOW you feed it (meaning: script and what you set there) is what makes it fly or crawl.

Sure ConvertX sometimes can produce excellent results too, I'm not saying.
Take a low-motion "romance genre" short 80-min flick, use ConvertX and it HAS TO look good and not worse than encoded with CCE or MainConcept (as a matter of fact almost any type of converter or encoder should produce good results in this case).
But take some 3hrs-long action-packed high-motion flick, do it with ConvertX and do it with CCE and compare them, I am sure even a blind man will notice the difference in quality


Smurf, you were kidding with this "I wish I had ConvertX" BS, weren't you?


lol