TMPGEnc Free MPEG4 issues

[Fuertisimo]

Hi there, I'm trying to open up some MPEG-4 files I got using protected softs Youtube 2 video converter. Is there something special I need to do to open MPEG-4's in TMPGEnc?

[redwudz]

What codec does the file use? MPEG-4 isn't enough information. Try opening one with MediaInfo to see what format it is.

What do you plan to do with the video? DVD? If so, try a different converter if TMPGEnc doesn't work.

And welcome to our forums.

[Fuertisimo]

I do plan on burning it to DVD, but I prefer TMPG because its a tool that I'm familiar with and it seems to encode a whole lot faster than other encoding tools (the built in transcoder with Final Burner, which I use to burn DVD's, takes *forever* to transcode files into something you can burn to DVD).

Heres what I got with Mediainfo:

General
Complete name : C:\Users\Stephen\Desktop\DVDtest.avi
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42
File size : 103 MiB
Duration : 6mn 57s
Overall bit rate : 2 079 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2009-11-14 02:20:09
Tagged date : UTC 2009-11-14 02:20:09
gsst : 0
gstd : 417726
gssd : BADC20888HH1284611489841720
gshh : v16.nonxt5.c.youtube.com
Video
ID : 2
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L3.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 3 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 6mn 57s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 943 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 2 937 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.070
Stream size : 96.6 MiB (93%)
Title : (C) 2007 Google Inc. v08.13.2007.
Encoded date : UTC 2009-11-14 02:20:09
Tagged date : UTC 2009-11-14 02:20:11
Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 6mn 57s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 132.3 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 151 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
Stream size : 6.63 MiB (6%)
Title : (C) 2007 Google Inc. v08.13.2007.
Encoded date : UTC 2009-11-14 02:20:09
Tagged date : UTC 2009-11-14 02:20:11

[Bonie81]

I do plan on burning it to DVD, but I prefer TMPG because its a tool that I'm familiar with...

TMPGEnc is one of the BEST tool available.
Try converting HD MP4 (1280x720 (720p) or 1920x1080 (1080p) HD) to SD AVI (640X360 AR 16;9) first with video bitrate approx 2000 kbps and audio 320 kbps 48000 Hz mp3. you may wish to use free tool HERE for conversion OF mp4-HD to avi-SD.

-or-

use any good video converter of your own choice!

[deadrats]

Try converting HD MP4 (1280x720 (720p) or 1920x1080 (1080p) HD) to SD AVI (640X360 AR 16;9) first with video bitrate approx 2000 kbps and audio 320 kbps 48000 Hz mp3. you may wish to use free tool HERE for conversion OF mp4-HD to avi-SD.

just curious, if he's planning on burning to dvd why would you advise him to convert a 1280x720p file avc to 640x360 at 2 mb/s and mp3 audio? non of that conforms to the dvd spec?

[Bonie81]

deadrats

for two reasons
1) to maintain proper aspect ratio, while mp3 leaves many choices open for audio encoders.
2) DVD-SD 720x480 will be automatically taken care by TMPGEnc.

[deadrats]

deadrats

for two reasons
1) to maintain proper aspect ratio, while mp3 leaves many choices open for audio encoders.
2) DVD-SD 720x480 will be automatically taken care by TMPGEnc.

but there are a number of things wrong with your line of reasoning:

1) the original audio is a vbr with an average of 132 kb/s and a max of 151 kb/s, encoding to mp3 at 320 kb/s isn't doing anything other than blowing up the file size, there is no additional audio information that can be added, likewise the sample rate of the source if only 44 khz, encoding to 48 khz doesn't improve quality at all since the data above 44 khz doesn't exist in the source.

2) the source is 1280x720 which means it's composed of 921600 pixels, 640x360 is composed of 230400 pixels, almost 1/4 less pixels, the quality of the file will be in the crapper, a better option would be 720x404 which likewise has an aspect ratio of 1.78 but is composed of 290880 pixels for better quality.

a better approach would be to simply feed the file into tmpg and simply choose the "dvd-compliant" profile which will do the appropriate resizing for him automatically.

to the OP:

if you're using tmpg express, then it should accept the mp4 input no problem, if you're using the original tmpg encoder you may have to create a dummy avi file or use an avisynth script to get it to accept the mp4 (though i have fed mp4's into the original tmpg with no problem).

you may also want to try an ffmpeg based tool and compare the outputted quality, try winff or avidemux, you may like them better (and they're free).

[Fuertisimo]

I'm not sure how to do the dummy AVI file thing or the AVIsynth script thing, but I'll give the winff and avidemux thing a shot. Can I convert the videos in those strait to a DVD compliant format?

[jagabo]

In TMPGEnc, try moving the DirectShow Media File reader to the top of the VFAPI plugin list. Then make sure you have a DirectShow MP4 files splitter (Haali) and h.264 and aac decoders installed (ffdshow should work). You may need to fix the filename extension -- it should be MP4, not AVI.

[Fuertisimo]

I tried moving the Directshow filter to the top and no dice. I also added .MP4 to the filenames and no dice there either. Oddly enough Windows 7 has .AVI on the icons for the files and also the properties tab lists it as an AVI file, even though Mediainfo lists it as an MP4. I'd really like to be able to use TMPEG to open this kind of file because the encoding speed is so superior, I don't feel like sitting around all night waiting for one of these DVD authoring tools to transcode the video files at a snails pace.

[jagabo]

I tried moving the Directshow filter to the top and no dice. I also added .MP4 to the filenames and no dice there either. Oddly enough Windows 7 has .AVI on the icons for the files and also the properties tab lists it as an AVI file, even though Mediainfo lists it as an MP4.

I don't think you changed the extension. Changing it probably won't help but... Windows 7 normally won't let you change extensions. You have to disable the "Hide extensions for known file types" option. Organize -> Folder and Search Options -> View tab -> Hide Extensions For Known File Types (remove the checkmark). After that you'll be able to see the extension and change it.

You can use AviSynth scripts with TMPEGEnc. Again, you'll need a Directshow MP4 file reader, an AVC decoder, and an AAC decoder. And you'll need to install AviSynth, of course. Then you use a simple script like:

DirectShowSource("filename.mp4")

Use a text editor (Notepad) to create the script and give it the extension AVS. Open the AVS file with TMPGEnc or any other encoder that accepts AVS scripts.

I'd really like to be able to use TMPEG to open this kind of file because the encoding speed is so superior, I don't feel like sitting around all night waiting for one of these DVD authoring tools to transcode the video files at a snails pace.

TMPGEnc Free is one of the slowest MPEG2 encoders around. CCE is one of the fastest. HcEnc is free and much faster the TMPGEnc.

[Fuertisimo]

Thanks for the tip maybe it is just fast compared to the built in ones with my DVD burning program.