Video Conversion Speed Update

[PowerFalcon]

Hi, I've been using AVANTI for my video conversion. Converting to XVid is extremely slow from MP4 or FLV using this program. Is there any program that can encode to 720x480 or higher, that is faster ?

[jagabo]

Conversion to Xvid/AVI is usually limited by the settings you use in Xvid. Use faster settings if you want faster encoding. Quality won't be quite as good if using bitrate based encoding. Or files will be a bit larger if using target quantizer encoding. Target quantizer encoding is twice as fast as bitrate based encoding since it only requires one pass.

[PowerFalcon]

What programs do Target quantizer encoding ?

[jagabo]

I just looked at the description of Avanti and it uses ffmpeg as the encoder. I don't know if it supports target quantizer mode. If so, it might be called quality based encoding or something like that.

I used to use VirtualDub for Xvid encoding. But that will require you learn a lot more about encoding and decoding video.

[PowerFalcon]

I'm limited to VirtualDub, there isn't other options ?

[jagabo]

There are lots of other option but I don't really use them so I can't make concrete recommendations. MeGUI, Xvid4PSP, XMediaRecode, AutoGK, etc.

[DarrellS]

I used to use VirtualDub for Xvid encoding. But that will require you learn a lot more about encoding and decoding video.

How's that? Just install the XviD codec and set to one pass, Target Quantizer 2.00 and off you go. Everyone says that Virtualdub is hard to learn but I don't remember it being that hard (it was over ten years ago when I learned it though). It really is worth the trouble of learning IMO. There is so much more that it can do these days.

Oh, I see what you mean when you say "used to use Virtualdub to encode XviD" because most of us don't encode to XviD anymore. I can't remember the last file I created but it was for someone else to play in their DivX player.

[PowerFalcon]

What is VirtualDub, the Ultimate conversion program ? You don't need anything else !

[jagabo]

What kind of encoding speeds are you seeing? Just as a quick reference I used VirtualDub and the Xvid codec to encode a 25 minute 720x480, 23.976 fps MPG 2 video (from DVD) on my Core i5 2500K:

preset,     encoding time, file size
Realtime:         164 sec, 362.7 MB
GeneralPurpose-:  264 sec, 257.8 MB
GeneralPurpose:   344 sec, 226.4 MB
GeneralPurpose+:  622 sec, 223.5 MB

GeneralPurpose- = General Purpose preset + Motion Search Precision "1 - Very Low".
GeneralPurpose+ = General Purpose preset + VHQ Mode "4 - Wide Search".

So, on this computer there's about a 4x difference in encoding speed between fast and slow settings. With Target Quantizer mode the more time Xvid takes the better the compression gets.

[PowerFalcon]

I'm using AVANTI, and it takes almost :40 minutes for 720x480 resolution for XVid.

[jagabo]

What CPU are you using? What length video are you talking about?

[PowerFalcon]

Intel Q6600.

[jagabo]

Your Q6600 will be a slower than my i5 2500K. But not by a factor of 4. How long is that video?

[PowerFalcon]

I know it would be slower. The video is roughly :40 minutes, sometimes an hour.

[DarrellS]

What is VirtualDub, the Ultimate conversion program ? You don't need anything else !

Exactly!

[Stears555]

What is VirtualDub, the Ultimate conversion program ? You don't need anything else !

Exactly!

As a transcoder the Xmediarecode is better than Virtualdub. You haven't enough detailed options for codecs in virtualdub, because it uses only the backward & silly VFW based codecs.

[DarrellS]

What is VirtualDub, the Ultimate conversion program ? You don't need anything else !

Exactly!

As a transcoder the Xmediarecode is better than Virtualdub. You haven't enough detailed options for codecs in virtualdub, because it uses only the backward & silly VFW based codecs.

Virtualdub > External Encoder feature > You can use almost any video or audio encoder that accepts Stdin through pipe.

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=18840&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=18789&

Opening non avi files in Virtualdub...

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=18798&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=19488&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=12664&

I haven't tried xmediarecode since Virtualdub is basically the only editing program I need.

[Stears555]

What is VirtualDub, the Ultimate conversion program ? You don't need anything else !

Exactly!

As a transcoder the Xmediarecode is better than Virtualdub. You haven't enough detailed options for codecs in virtualdub, because it uses only the backward & silly VFW based codecs.

Virtualdub > External Encoder feature > You can use almost any video or audio encoder that accepts Stdin through pipe.

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=18840&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=18789&

Opening non avi files in Virtualdub...

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=18798&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=19488&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=12664&

I haven't tried xmediarecode since Virtualdub is basically the only editing program I need.

Wrong. You can't use detailed codec settings. There are only very basic codec-options in the vfw codecs of virtualdub. The external encoder possibility doesn't change much.

[DarrellS]

What is VirtualDub, the Ultimate conversion program ? You don't need anything else !

Exactly!

As a transcoder the Xmediarecode is better than Virtualdub. You haven't enough detailed options for codecs in virtualdub, because it uses only the backward & silly VFW based codecs.

Virtualdub > External Encoder feature > You can use almost any video or audio encoder that accepts Stdin through pipe.

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=18840&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=18789&

Opening non avi files in Virtualdub...

http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=18798&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=19488&
http://forums.virtualdub.org/index.php?act=ST&f=7&t=12664&

I haven't tried xmediarecode since Virtualdub is basically the only editing program I need.

Wrong. You can't use detailed codec settings. There are only very basic codec-options in the vfw codecs of virtualdub. The external encoder possibility doesn't change much.

With the external encoder feature, you're not using VFW codecs, you're using command lind encoders. You can use whatever settings those command line encoders allow.

[Hoser Rob]

I think the OP is looking for something a little easier ... as in not quite so meant for serious video geeks ... than virtualdub.

Maybe avanti doesn't have good multicore support. Frankly it just looks like yet another half assed ffmpeg front end to me.

My suggestion would be avidemux, which I find strikes a good balance between ease and power. Just go into configure, set quality factor to 3 or 4 generally, and max out the parameters in the first two tabs of the configure section.

PLus avidemux has very good online docs (vdub's are pathetic) and there are scads of tutorials out there. Google is your friend.

[Stears555]

There are not enough options for codecs in virtualdub avidemux and avanti.

Xmediarecode has a lot of options.

[DarrellS]

PowerFalcon, if you're still around, what kind of encode speeds are you getting from a 720x480 XviD encode? I've got the Q6600 CPU also. I didn't remember just how slow the XviD encoder was ((I was using a 3.2Ghz P4 back then). I usually used the DivX Pro encoder because it was a little bit faster. Doing an encode with the XviD codec in Virtualdub with a Target Quantizer of 2, I got a hair over 20fps.

I was up all night trying to find a xvid_encraw command line encoder. I found one from 2005 on doom9 that I couldn't get to work. I could not find a download for the newest one which is 1.3.1 and the only other one I could find was in the latest version of MeGui from June I think and it was from 2007. Not the 1.3.1 version that I had hoped for. I did get it working in the Virtualdub External Encoder though and after tinkering with settings that I found that worked, was able to get right at 60fps. That doesn't sound very fast when I can get twice that much out of an X264 encode but it's a lot faster than 20fps.

Let me know if you're interested in learning how to use it.

[El Heggunte]

.........
I was up all night trying to find a xvid_encraw command line encoder. I found one from 2005 on doom9 that I couldn't get to work. I could not find a download for the newest one which is 1.3.1 and the only other one I could find was in the latest version of MeGui from June I think and it was from 2007. Not the 1.3.1 version that I had hoped for. I did get it working in the Virtualdub External Encoder though and after tinkering with settings that I found that worked, was able to get right at 60fps. That doesn't sound very fast when I can get twice that much out of an X264 encode but it's a lot faster than 20fps.

AFAIK, the latest STABLE release of Xvid is 1.3.2

Anyway, here is an archive containing two builds of the CLI Xvid encoder,

xvid_encraw.exe copied from an installer by Jawor, and
xvid-encraw.exe modified and compiled by me ( so it supports up to 1024 zones )

[DarrellS]

.........
I was up all night trying to find a xvid_encraw command line encoder. I found one from 2005 on doom9 that I couldn't get to work. I could not find a download for the newest one which is 1.3.1 and the only other one I could find was in the latest version of MeGui from June I think and it was from 2007. Not the 1.3.1 version that I had hoped for. I did get it working in the Virtualdub External Encoder though and after tinkering with settings that I found that worked, was able to get right at 60fps. That doesn't sound very fast when I can get twice that much out of an X264 encode but it's a lot faster than 20fps.

AFAIK, the latest STABLE release of Xvid is 1.3.2

Anyway, here is an archive containing two builds of the CLI Xvid encoder,

xvid_encraw.exe copied from an installer by Jawor, and
xvid-encraw.exe modified and compiled by me ( so it supports up to 1024 zones )

Thank you very much. I started to ask you last night in the X265 thread but didn't feel it was the right place. I'll check them both out. Any ideas to get it faster or will just using the newer encoder do the trick? I found four setting to try but I could only use two. The other two crashed the encoder.

Here is my encoder set...

Video Encoder : XviD

C:\Tools\MeGUI_2356_x86\tools\xvid_encraw\xvid_enc raw.exe

-i stdin -single -cq 2,0 -max_bframes 2 -bvhq -quality 6 -vhqmode 2 -qtype 0 -noclosed_gop -lumimasking -smoother 100 -bquant_ratio 150 -bquant_offset 100 -max_key_interval 150 -imin 1 -imax 31 -pmin 1 -pmax 31 -bmin 1 -bmax 31 -threads 4 -turbo -w %(width) -h %(height) -framerate %(fps) -o "%(tempvideofile)"

%(outputname).avi

Audio Encoder : AC3 Passthrough

C:\ffmpeg.exe

-i - -acodec copy "%(tempaudiofile)"

%(outputname).ac3

Multiplexor : ffmpeg-avi-muxer

C:\ffmpeg.exe

-i "%(tempvideofile)" -i "%(tempaudiofile)" -vcodec copy -acodec copy -f avi -y "%(outputname)"

[Stears555]

Do people exist who use such backward prehistoric codecs like the xvid & divx?

[PowerFalcon]

PowerFalcon, if you're still around, what kind of encode speeds are you getting from a 720x480 XviD encode? I've got the Q6600 CPU also. I didn't remember just how slow the XviD encoder was ((I was using a 3.2Ghz P4 back then). I usually used the DivX Pro encoder because it was a little bit faster. Doing an encode with the XviD codec in Virtualdub with a Target Quantizer of 2, I got a hair over 20fps.

I was up all night trying to find a xvid_encraw command line encoder. I found one from 2005 on doom9 that I couldn't get to work. I could not find a download for the newest one which is 1.3.1 and the only other one I could find was in the latest version of MeGui from June I think and it was from 2007. Not the 1.3.1 version that I had hoped for. I did get it working in the Virtualdub External Encoder though and after tinkering with settings that I found that worked, was able to get right at 60fps. That doesn't sound very fast when I can get twice that much out of an X264 encode but it's a lot faster than 20fps.

Let me know if you're interested in learning how to use it.

Hi, thank you. I am interested in learning how to use it

[PowerFalcon]

Do people exist who use such backward prehistoric codecs like the xvid & divx?

Not all hardware can play, everything.

[jagabo]

I've got the Q6600 CPU also. I didn't remember just how slow the XviD encoder was ((I was using a 3.2Ghz P4 back then)... Doing an encode with the XviD codec in Virtualdub with a Target Quantizer of 2, I got a hair over 20fps.

That's awfully slow. On my Q6600 running VirtualDub and the most recent Xvid (had to install Xvid) I get about 50 fps with the "Load Defaults" setting. Adding the "Turbo" option gets it up to about 60 fps. CPU usage in the high 30's.

This was compressing a 720x480, 23.976 fps, progressive, DVD VOB of about 25 minutes, via AviSynth with Mpeg2Source(). The same source as in post #9 above.

[PowerFalcon]

I've been using AVANTI to encode to MPEG-4, which was faster then Xvid or DivX. From my knowledge, Xvid or DivX is a little more better quality, I may be wrong on that !

[DarrellS]

.........
I was up all night trying to find a xvid_encraw command line encoder. I found one from 2005 on doom9 that I couldn't get to work. I could not find a download for the newest one which is 1.3.1 and the only other one I could find was in the latest version of MeGui from June I think and it was from 2007. Not the 1.3.1 version that I had hoped for. I did get it working in the Virtualdub External Encoder though and after tinkering with settings that I found that worked, was able to get right at 60fps. That doesn't sound very fast when I can get twice that much out of an X264 encode but it's a lot faster than 20fps.

AFAIK, the latest STABLE release of Xvid is 1.3.2

Anyway, here is an archive containing two builds of the CLI Xvid encoder,

xvid_encraw.exe copied from an installer by Jawor, and
xvid-encraw.exe modified and compiled by me ( so it supports up to 1024 zones )

I can't get either of those encoders to work in the external encoder. I had the same problem last night with another encraw encoder. VideoEnc: Error opening input stdin. They all say they support stdin but like so many other encoders, they don't. The one in MeGui is the only one that does.


EDIT: It took me a while to find a command that gave me this error "not compiled with avi output support". What? I thought DivX/XviD was made for the AVI container.

Error reporting is terrible in this encoder. Most of the time it doesn't give an error at all so you don't have a clue what to change to make it work. Setting everything to what is recommended still fails without any error.

Same stdin input error. Seems these builds were only made to accept an avs script as input or the actual path to the video. From one thread on the 1.3 builds at doom9, they're a disaster without backwards compatibility with GUIs and no open DML support, using different command lines than earlier builds. The reason that MeGUI refuses to use it in their program still today. I guess X264 got popular just at the right time when XviD sent to crap.

Maybe if you install an older build of XviD on your machine you'll get faster encodes. The 1.3 thread that I found said that it was 30% slower than 1.2 with no proof of quality increase. That is a huge drop in speed. DivX was already 15% faster than XviD so I would recommend just using the DivX encoder if you need to encode mpeg4. At least you know it'll play in a DivX certified player.