1st Annual VirtualDub and TMPGEnc Filter Challenge Contest

[Stinky]

I was thinking of this last night when I was adding my 5th filter in VirtualDub to fix a so-so CAM DivX that I was converting it.

Would anyone be interested in a contest where you would get three 30 second DivX files that are so-so at best (all with different problems) and then you get to use VirtualDub (and any filters you wish to use) and TMPGEnc (using it's built in filters) to try and fix/improve the quality. Maybe Bladrick and Michael and Sefy could judge.

It would be just for fun but it would also help us all learn what filter combination works best for CAMS, Telesynchs and Fuzzy/Blocky files. I have some pretty cool filters I've collected over time that I'd love to use as my secret weapons (and then at the end of the contest we would all post links to these filters to help us all out)

Let me know if anyone is interested and I'll draw up some simple rules and heck I have some music CD's I could give out to the winners (I'm a recording artist and have a ton of promo CD's that I could use as prizes - that is if you like dark-techno)

Well the idea is out there - post a follow up to this message to keep it in the top of the topics list but also send me an email so I can add you to the list. stinky@dosrules.com

I think it could be fun! :-)

[Stinky]

*bump*

no one is interrested? we can all learn from it and it would be fun!

If I'm the only one who is interrested I won't bump this message to the top again.

[Bigswaffo]

Hey Stinky,
I'm interested and I can almost guarantee you that VirtualDub is better. Anyway, it would also be interesting to find out different people's filterchains. :P

[Stinky]

@Bigswaffo: send me an email so I can add you to the list - and so I can contact you when it's going to start

also I might have not made myself clear - you will get a DivX with imperfections and then you can frameserve into TMPGEnc and use any filter combination you want - you can and should use both programs to do filtering - for example TMPGEnc is awesome for gama correction while the VirtualDub noise filters are way better - so you would use both.

for example I just fixed an ugly CAM, I ran 4 filters running in VirtualDub - VirtualDub did most of the noise editing but then I used a filter in TMPGEnc to correct the gama

the purpose of this contest, other than being a fun challenge, is to collectively find out the best filter combinations for taking DivX files (CAM's, Telesync's and blocky encodes) and find out who has the best method to improve on the quality of the files when converting to VCD - the results could become a guide or comparison table - a guide about what the best filters and settings to use depending on how your DivX looks, is much needed!

[revjake]

Y'know, I use VD's filters a good bit m'self. Though I'm *far* from a programming type, I surely would like to benefit from the labors of others...

Hey guys, how'sabout a guide on using VD and TMPGenc to make the best-looking divx-to(s)VCD conversions? I and many others would be very, very grateful.

[Stinky]

@revjake: thats the point of the contest - it should benefit everyone. You don't need to be a programmer - find all the VirtualDub filters you can loa them up and do a lot of trial and error.

This post is getting looked at a lot but very few are signing up - am I making it seem more complex than it is? Anyone from a beginner up to an advanced user can join - we all have an equal shot at winning and 100% chance to learn new methods.

If your reading this post and the idea of frameserving is keeping you from joining in - then please by all means send me an email and I'll explain how to frameserve and how to load filters and anything else that might seem 'too hard to figure out' for this contest

bottom line again - it's a contest - but we all win because we learn new techniques and how best to setup and stack the filters

I will create a summary of the results and a guide to the best methods in the end.

If you want to sign up - send me an email so I can add you to my list. I will then send you the rules (when they are written), show you were to download the DivX files and let you know when we are starting.

[Sefy]

Although I can't help around with this contest, as I don't do any DivX encoding, and i'm not familiar with the filters, as I never use them, but I do believe that it's a great idea for those who do use it, and as Stinky said, all those who use it will benefit.

So I wish you all luck!

[Musty_Hustla]

what were the results of this contest and could you let us newbies know what filters work best?

[Big_Jit]

Is the Contest Still Going on... I'd like to try myself

[Neoze]

I'm interested.
My vhs-c camcorder give me noisy picture and I need to filter.
So i will be happy to make a try and compare our different method, but don't forget the time.
5 or 6 filter should be time consuming