Xmedia Recode video output resolution destroyed

[hibbs]

I am trying to recode x264 video in MKV to Xvid in MP4 for a stand alone Daenyx DV2001 player. From what I can find it should support Xvid in MP4.
No matter which Profile & Level option I set in Xmedia Recode the resulting video is coarsely tessellated. The original video resolution is completely destroyed.
Am I missing a setting. Can someone explain please.

MediaInfo follows.

Original MKV file:

Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4
File size : 318 MiB
Duration : 56 min 5 s
Overall bit rate : 794 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2016-11-08 00:28:30
Writing application : mkvmerge v8.3.0 ('Over the Horizon') 64bit
Writing library : libebml v1.3.1 + libmatroska v1.4.2

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4
Format settings : CABAC / 8 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference : 8 frames
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 56 min 5 s
Bit rate : 695 kb/s
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 640 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.000
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.034
Stream size : 279 MiB (88%)
Writing library : x264 core 146 r2538 121396c
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=8 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=9 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=24 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-4 / threads=6 / lookahead_threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / stitchable=1 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=5 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=60 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=19.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=2:1.00
Default : Yes
Forced : No


Xmedia Recode video output - Profile & Level - Unrestricted

Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom (isom/iso2/mp41)
File size : 259 MiB
Duration : 56 min 5 s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 645 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2016-11-08 00:28:30
Tagged date : UTC 2016-11-08 00:28:30
Writing application : Lavf59.30.100

Video
ID : 1
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format settings : BVOP / QPel
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, QPel : Yes
Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Default (H.263)
Codec ID : mp4v-20
Duration : 56 min 5 s
Duration_FirstFrame : 80 ms
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 509 kb/s
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 640 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.000
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.025
Stream size : 204 MiB (79%)
Writing library : XviD 69
Encoded date : UTC 2016-11-08 00:28:30
Tagged date : UTC 2016-11-08 00:28:30

[davexnet]

Bitrate too low.

Set "rate control mode" to "constant quantizer" and set Quality = 2

[zing269]

You will need to use a much higher bit rate with xvid to come close to the same quality as x264. Try using a bit rate of around 2400 for the xvid encode or set q=2 instead of using a constant bit rate.

[hibbs]

Thanks for your replies.
As you can see I am no too well versed in this stuff.
Attached are images of the setting I used and the results
Pretty clearly I am doing something wrong.

[zing269]

Change the Quantizer setting to 2 instead of 2500.

I'm surprised that it looks that good with those settings.

[davexnet]

Which version of XMR is that?

[hibbs]

It is 3.5.6.6 64 bit.

[davexnet]

Set it up like this. The fourCC can be Divx or xvid, whatever works on your device

EDIT most of the DVD/mpeg-4 (xvid/divx) players from 15 years ago could only play files with a maximum width
of 720 (with height adjusted to maintain the aspect ratio)

[hibbs]

Here are the results of setting Quantizer to 2 with Xmedia Recode v 3.5.6.6 64 bit.
Further when Xvid codec is chosen the only FourCC available is mp4v.

[davexnet]

You didn't set the settings as I advised. I didn't draw red arrows in my image for nothing

Perhaps upload a two or three minute clip from your source and I'll see if there is anything else involved

[hibbs]

Thanks, sorry I didn't catch the codec change. Here are the available settings that are presented in version 3.5.6.6 64bit when MPEG-4 is selected.
Seems to me we are looking at different versions.

[davexnet]

When you choose codec mpeg-4 can you not also select ""rate control mode" and "quantizer" as shown
In my previous image?
I have the same version installed

[hibbs]

When MPEG-4 is chosen I have Language instead of FourCC as in your menu.

[Gramps]

Looks like Davexnet has the format set to AVI on the Format tab, whereas Hibbs has it set to MP4. Depending on the format chosen, the dropdowns on the Video tab show the different options.

[davexnet]

Yes maybe a bad assumption on my part as 99% of these players used xvid in avi.
To be fair to the OP it's mentioned in the first post. I've never heard of
anybody putting xvid/divx in an mp4
This program can be hard to troubleshoot especially when not all the tabs are
shown and others are cropped so that some info is missing

Perhaps switch to Avidemux. Easy to use and configure. You'll need an older version, 2.76
https://www.videohelp.com/download/avidemux_2.7.6_win32.exe

It's supports xvid in mp4 (if that's really what your device needs. Do you have the manual?)

[ProWo]

You can also use clever Ffmpeg-GUI

[hibbs]

Been busy. Thanks Davexnet your comments illuminated a dull light. From a picture and googling the Daenyx DV 2001 I mistakenly thought the container should be Mpeg-4. Once changed to avi and the Mpeg-4 codec I was able to make the settings you originally suggested and the result was as expected. The file size has grown by 3.6 times for what appears to be very similar picture quality. I would happily trade some quality for a smaller file. I assume this is done by changing the bit rate. Bit rates are x264 695 and Divx 2720. What do I change to obtain something like standard definition TV or worse?

[davexnet]

Divx and xvid would be bigger, the compression wasn't as good
for perceived quality. Do everything the same, instead of quality=2, choose
3 or 4 (4 being the smallest file, worst quality, 3 in the middle)
I wouldn't go beyond 4, it will degrade pretty quick

[hibbs]

Thank you for all your help Davexnet. I shall experiment.

[Porkenhimer]

I have totally solved your problem. I was having the same problem, so I literally tried efvery single setting, and nothing worked. I thought it had to do with the filters, so I tried every single different filter, and none of them fixed it. I thi nk the people here were not understanding your problem, but I did because the same was happening to me. For example, if I had the format set to MP4, and the codec set to xvid, the encoded video with be super pixelated, and the encoded file would be very small. It seemed like it only happened if MPEG4/MP4 and XVID/DIVX were involved.

Here is the fix. Look up at post #8, you see over to the left of the picture where it says 'quantizers'? Click on quantizers. Then you should see something that says min and max in the first 4 spaces, and there should be the numbers 2, 31, 2 and 31. Change all 4 numbers to 1, and it solves the problem.

First I tried changing them to zero, and it did nothing, so I changed all 4 numbers to 1, and encoded my small clip, and it was crystal clear.