How to Convert old MPEG files to KVCD?
 

Hello,

I have a couple of older mpegs and would like to put them into the KVCD format.

Is it better to extract the audio (wave) & video (using Huffy codec) seperately using a program like VirtualDubMod, and then encode with an AviSource script?

or

go right into using DirectShowSource script and run the mpeg through, skipping the extraction?

My dilemma is just this: I've read elsewhere that using DirectShowSource on an existing mpeg results in further degredation of the original mpeg. Any thoughts on this. I've become very confused on this issue as I've read too many contradicting comments through search engines.

Any help from the experts here would be awesome!!!

Thanks

nighthawk

Re: Need help with an approach to KVCD
 

Any work on an existing video is a degradation. Whatever the method you use.

You can go with either one of the solution you provide, I used both, they work.

Thanks for the input Dialhot

Either I'm overthinking this or I am still confused a little.

Wouldn't extracting the video to an AVI format be better and then re-compress in the KVCD mpeg format? I'm stymied thinking that mpeg's are already a fairly compressed format, and recompressing them into a different mpeg format (kvcd), would degrade it more.

However if he results are equal then I would rather use the DirectShowSource script to save a couple of steps, and time as my machine is not as fast as I would like it to be.

nighthawk

p.s. when using a DirectShowSource script on an mpeg is it necessary to use "killaudio" on the video? doesn't the KVCD template already kill the audio?

just run tmpgenc
 

all you have to do is put the disc in the drive load tmpgenc
browes for the disc "all files" mpgv folder it sould be a dat file asq or something like that and open and run it though

I'm having great difficulty in getting tmpgenc to open DirectShowSource script files. It takes tmpgenc forever to open them and then sometimes it locks up completly. Never happened with AviSource scripts.

any suggetions here?

Update your avisynth version and KILL THE AUDIO !

Hi Dialhot,

I am using the latest avisynth version, and I also tried using (killaudio) on the mpeg. it does work eventually but takes forever for tmpgenc to open the file.

I'm using DirectShowSource with your latest Avi script since that's a great script.

I'll try to post the a picture of my tmpgenc settings to see if you think there is anything that needs to be set differently there.

I couldn't figure out how to upload a screen print of the tmpgenc settings. I've seen that done here before how can I do that?

I don't understand : you are opening the avs under tmpgenc or other source ?

If it's the avs, remenber to uncheck direct show support for VFAPI tab of tmpgenc settings to be sure that you handle the file with readAVS.dll and nothing else.

Normally there is no problem with directshow since 2.5.4.

Dialhot,

I don't show a readAVS.dll in my temgenc settings?

Wouldn't that have been installed with the latest avisynth?

Can you point me in the right direction here?

I am using the version 2.54 Avisynth & here are my settings from tmpgenc:

VFAPI plug-in settings from Tmpgenc


.................................................. .................................................. .
AVI2(OpenDML) File Reader 0
BMP/PPM/TGA/JPG File Reader 0
CyberLink MPEG-2 Decoder 0
Microsoft MPEG-1 Decoder 0
Wave File Reader 0
DVD2AVI Project File Reader 1.77.3 DVD2AVI.vfp 0
TMPGEnc Project File Reader 2.521 TMPGEnc.vfp 0
DirectShow Multimedia File Reader -1
AVE VFW compatibiity Reader -2

all of the above are checked and the numbers are the priority. When I pasted this into the forum, It didn't paste the way I had it typed in notebook.

nighthawk

You absolutly need this in order to handle avs script correctly.
The plugin has to be installed manually as it is separated from both avisynth and tmpgenc.

Look at the bottom of this page : http://www.avisynth.org/warpenterprises/

(read carrefully the instructions included in the package).

thanks for the pointer Dialhot

should I then uncheck all the other VFAPI settings then?

The only thing I use tmpgenc for is to handle avs script.

nighthawk

Well I also use tmpgenc for muxing and file joining too.

These settings are for encoding only and do not affect other jobs.
Uncheck everything yes and if one day you have problem with a particular source, you 'll just have to reactivate the handler needed by this source type.

Dialhot,

How does the readAvs.dll work? I never had any problems opening up the MA Script or your AVI scripts in tmpgenc. I just have the problems with DirectShowSource scripts. The "DSS" scripts open much slower in tmpgenc and respond slower than the MA or your AVI scripts. Can you tell me the reason behind this? So I can better understand what is happening.

nighthawk

It opens the avs script DIRECTLY.

For sure but you opened the script THROUGHT A DIRECTSHOW FILTER that was abble to handle the avs script (probably ffdshow).
The problem is : you don't know wich DS filter and you don't know what are the others filters taht are used (because there can have more than one and you can't avoid taht).

That's what happens when you try to open something throught a DS filter while you are ALREADY in a DS filter.

If you are not lucky, both filters are the same and you enter in an endless loop.

so if I understand correctly using the readavs.dll bypasses the built in DS filters and handles all scripts types directly.

That's why the DirectShowSource script opens up so poorly, is that it's trying to use it's own filter. And if I understand it further the MA and your AVI scripts open up faster because they use a DS filter but are not actually in a DS filter.

So have I finally got it?

nighthawk

p.s. thanks for being patient Dialhot

You did ;-).

Mpeg2source decode itself the source with no other piece of software. Avisource use the CODEC installed on your PC (divx ou xvid according to the source type).

Thanks for explaining these things to me Dialhot!! :D

I'm looking foward to using my new setup in tmpgenc, but it will have to wait until Memorial day is over. If I don't do something with the family today I'm going to get smacked upside my head. :BangHead:

thanks again

nighthawk

Hi Dialhot,

I tried the readAVS.dll and it works great.

One question though, I tried it both ways on encode using AviSource with the extracted AVI through VirtualDubMod and one using DirectShowSource on the mpeg itself.

The AviSource encode seems to be jst a little more clear than the DirectShowSource, can you tell me why that would be?

nighthawk

Tell me more on the way you obtain an avi from this mpeg with vdub please.

And what do you call "clear" : sharper (details levels) or brighter (contrast/light/colors) ?

I load the mpeg into VirtualDubMod, then I disable the sound stream. then I choose fast re-compress on the video menu, then for compression I use Huffy codec. then I save as a avi file. From there I wait until it's done extracting the avi, then I extract the wave from the same mpeg in VdubMod.

I then use moviestacter to get the file pathe to the extracted avi, copy that and paste that into your Avisource script. then I open that avs script in tmpgenc and save to tmpgenc text file so it can be open with CQ matic.

from there I let tmpgenc do a full encode using CQ matic. when the video file is done I check it's size and convert the wave file to Mp2 using the size of the video to determine what setting to use in HeadAc3he.

then I mux the two together in tmpgenc.

As for the "clear" details I mean sharper image details there is some blurriness around the images when I use DirectShowSource. Not much but some.

nighthawk

The only thing that I can see if that the directshow filter that handles MPEG on your PC (and that is used when you do DirectShowSource, as you already understood) output picture not as sharper than the ones decoded by virtualdub (taht uses a CODEC to perform that).

That is also why directshowsource is definitely NOT recommanded.

So I should continue to extract the avi through vdub, Instead of using DirectShowsource?

Honestly, if I were you I won't be abble to live with a blured image is I know I had a solution to obtain a better one. So I will go for temporary avi :-)

You're right

I was hoping to save a couple of steps by not having to extract the avi through Vdub each time. But with how slow the DirectShowSource opens up, I figure I'll spend more time in the long run correcting that than if I just extract the avi through vdubmod.

thanks for explaining a few things to me!! :D

It just goes to show ya' that some shortcuts don't work 8O
:lol:

I'll talk with you agin, in another thread I'm sure.

thanks Dialhot

nighthawk