Do I HAVE to convert to AVI if I use VirtualDub?

[joeAgain------]

I cap in Mpeg and would like to use some of VirtualDub's great filters. I find them MUCH better than TMPGenc's alone before burning to disk.

But if I run a 600Mb(Mpeg)file thru it I only see the choice of compressing the output AVI file so much that it adds an incredable amount of distortion....or letting it output it cleanly as a HUGE avi file of about 36Gig!.

Which would take about 6 months to encode back to Mpeg format with TMPGenc for final burn.

Is there something else free that has good filters(especially edge sharpening) that doesn't make you convert to, and "OUTPUT" in an AVI file format(that is either distorted because of compression or HUGE)????

[DJRumpy]

Virtual dub will open AVI, and MPEG-1 directly.

[joeAgain------]

Yes, it will open both, but it will only OUTPUT in Avi, Right?

[DJRumpy]

It can output AVI, WAV, and frame serve directly to another application, like TMPGenc.

[joeAgain------]

I always need to encode back to Mpeg with TMPGenc anyway.

What is better about having it frameserve in AVI to TMPGenc instead of me doing it myself.

The point is that the video still HAS to come out of VirtualDub in AVI form(again, it is either distorted with artifacts caused from using a big compression ratio, or in a HUGE file size that takes **forever** for TMPGenc to encode back to Mpeg)

that is no help, DJRumpy.

Again, is there another encoder like VirtualDub with great sharpening functions, but DOESN'T change it Out of Mgeg format, or HUGE in size???

[DJRumpy]

Frameserving lets you skip the whole AVI --> AVI step. It serves each frame directly to TMPGenc for processing.

You'll save a few hours encoding time using that method. Someone should be able to tell you how to set it up (I've never served to TMPGenc, but I'm fairly sure it supports it).

Can someone provide the setup for this?

[pijetro]

If I may, let's pick apart what you're doing. First, you capture in MPEG. Not the preffered choice, but fine, let's live with that. You should know, whatever you do, you're gonna loose quality, because you're compressing and uncompressing again for what you're doing. You say you're gonna have a 36 gig file if you switch to AVI.

This is where you're going down the wrong path. Let it be known that you can capture in AVI with different compression codecs (huffy preferrably), or at least later on compress to your desired 600mb filesize like (like Divx) with filters engaged. From there, you can simply load the AVI into Tmpgenc, and you're off to the races. Either way, you have to compress and decompress, but what the heck, I only work with Mpeg as a final output. Mpeg shouldn't be edited or tampered with unless it's absolutely necessary (let's not start a fight about that one.).

Let's just say, if you could preferrably capture in AVI (with the proper codec) you can add filters and frameserve to Tmpgenc. If filesize is an issue capture in PicVideo (it's an Mjpeg), although, you have to pay for that one. If you insist on capping in Mpeg, then the only alternative I could see, is if you load it into software like Adobe premiere or Ulead Video Studioor, then rerender the whole file again with other filters. About this I'm not certain that there are filters out there, but you say you want Vdub filters, and Vdub is the ultimate free AVI editor, thus back to what I say. Try to capture in compressed AVI.

good luck!!!!

[joeAgain------]

Pijetro,
I only have a Dazzle capture card and therefor can Only cap in VCD, SVCD and DVD....all Mpeg-1 and Mpeg-2 formats.

I have no choice.

[DJRumpy]

Are your captures blurry? If you already have the MPEG format, your just losing image quality by converting it back to AVI.

You did know that TMPGenc does include a 'Sharpen Edge' filter under the advanced tab?

[joeAgain------]

Yes,
I know that and use it. But it is generally not strong enough for the effect that I need. And running the files thru TMPGenc 3 times to get the sharpness I want loses quality in other features.

I've written TMPGenc about making that feature adjustable(like VirtualDub's slider) with more effect possible.

They are considering it, but it may take a year to happen.

I need something as effective as VirtualDub's sharpening filter now(but can't live with the 60 times larger the DVD mpeg-2 files get OUTPUTTED by the AVI conversion process.

Again.....is there another program that is REALLY effective for sharpening, etc filters that does Not convert it out of Mpeg format to do it???

(OR maybe converts it into AVI to filter it, and then back into it's original format internally as part of it's internal processing?, maybe??)

[joeAgain------]

Again, I'd like to ask: Is there another program that is REALLY effective for edge sharpening, etc filters that does Not convert it out of Mpeg format to do it???

(OR maybe converts it into AVI to filter it, and then back into it's original format internally as part of it's internal processing?, maybe??)

Does anybody know of one?

[DJRumpy]

If size is really that much of an issue, and you must work with the Virtual Dub filters, then pick a newer codec, like DIVX, for xVID. They will save the file in AVI format, and the image quality is excellent. It's not lossless, like the Huffman codec (meaning you will lose some image quality), but your resulting AVI filesize will be about the same size as an MPEG-2, while retaining the AVI format.

Optionally, try some of the other codecs MJPeg, mpeg-4, etc.

[mats.hogberg]

Joe - I think problem is that you're not frameserving. Open the MPEG with VDub, add the filters U want and start frameserving. Open this frameserved "file" with TMPGEnc using the settings you want. On my 1.7 GHz this process takes about 1.25 - 1.50 times "real time". It doesn't matter that VDub is outputting raw AVI, since it's going straight to TMPGEnc for encoding.

/Mats

[DJRumpy]

To do that he will have to capture to MPEG-1. VirtualDub won't open MPEG-2, but the method will work. FrameServing doesnt' actually create an AVI as output. It creates somethig like a temporary file consisting of the frame that TMPGenc would currently be working on.

I've never frame served from vdub (200+Gigs), but I'd be curious to try it. Can you frameserve to CCE?

[offline]

VirtualDub won't open MPEG-2,

You can if you frameserve it with DVD2AVI. On one weird project
I had 3 frameservers going at once and the time penalty was
almost insiginificant.

[DJRumpy]

:P
I never would have thought of that. Frameserving to another program, that's frameserving to another program, that's encoding...

That's one way to get around VDub's import limit's...