[Jhcheslik]

Ok I've downloaded MeGui, and I open the AviSynth Creator and when I try to put a video file in the Input Video section, it just hangs or crashes every time. I've tried it several times, with several different files, ranging from .avi's to .mp4's and each time the program just shuts down. I'm using Vista Ultimate, any ideas?

Okay, try test it first with ripped DVD if you have any. If it doesn't work, then it's probably your codecs that you installed on your computer...

JPSiemer quoted this before...

2. Delete/Uninstall all codecs and codec packs from your computer (including Vista Codec Pack, Combined Community Codec Pack, etc). Then install Haali Media Splitter (http://haali.cs.msu.ru/mkv/), and FFDShow (http://sourceforge.net/project/showf...roup_id=173941). That might do it for you...

Also make sure MeGUI is updated too...

Hope it help.

[Jhcheslik]

Oh, a question.

Usually, the bright scene in any video, it seems too weird to me. Like, there's huge amount of glow... I know its not encoding fault. I tested it on my PC attached to HDTV and it looked fine, I'm assuming its xbox. So, how do you deal with something like that? I usually turn the brightness down in video option for xbox until it seemed reasonable.

Is the bright scene normal?

[Geeba]

Oh another question too..

Am I any better off getting 1080p rips to encode over 720p rips? Obviously theres more info in a 1080p rip but I'm guessing it going to make no difference at the end of the day if I'm encoding it to play on an Xbox?

[gabbott]

Yes, you can go with any resolution, regardless of how stretched it appears, because the aspect ratio corrects this. So you are doing this correctly, however, you don't have to use MKVmerge afterwards to change the aspect. You see, whenever you load your AviSynth script into MeGUI you will get a preview box of your video... And at the bottom of the box you can click the "Show DAR" checkbox and mess with the aspect ratio in the dropdown box beside it.

Well I just stumbled upon something. Setting the apect in the AviSynth does work but after you set it you have to close the preview window otherwise the encode doesnt take the setting. That was the one thing I wasnt doing.

So that should save everyone the step of using mkvmerge. Might be a good idea to note that in the wiki. I was just leaving the preview window open and thats why it didnt work.

[JPSiemer]

Ok I've downloaded MeGui, and I open the AviSynth Creator and when I try to put a video file in the Input Video section, it just hangs or crashes every time. I've tried it several times, with several different files, ranging from .avi's to .mp4's and each time the program just shuts down. I'm using Vista Ultimate, any ideas?

This isn't a MeGUI support thread, but Jhcheslik is right... Could be codecs. If it isn't your codecs then it's because you have Groove installed (which comes with Microsoft Office 2007). Uninstall Groove immediately. Let me know if that works.

[JPSiemer]

Oh another question too..

Am I any better off getting 1080p rips to encode over 720p rips? Obviously theres more info in a 1080p rip but I'm guessing it going to make no difference at the end of the day if I'm encoding it to play on an Xbox?

Obviously, in most cases, encodes from 1080P rips are going to look a little better, but it probably won't be noticable. But keep in mind that it also depends on the quality of the rip itself because not all rips are created equal. I have come across one or two 1920x1080 files at 8GB that look worse than 1280x720 files at 4GB, so in the end its best just to use your own judgement in determining these kinds of things.

[JPSiemer]

Oh, a question.

Usually, the bright scene in any video, it seems too weird to me. Like, there's huge amount of glow... I know its not encoding fault. I tested it on my PC attached to HDTV and it looked fine, I'm assuming its xbox. So, how do you deal with something like that? I usually turn the brightness down in video option for xbox until it seemed reasonable.

Is the bright scene normal?

Not sure. Never encountered this, but I would assume that it's just in the way that the Xbox renders the video and not the codec's fault.

Well I just stumbled upon something. Setting the apect in the AviSynth does work but after you set it you have to close the preview window otherwise the encode doesnt take the setting. That was the one thing I wasnt doing.

So that should save everyone the step of using mkvmerge. Might be a good idea to note that in the wiki. I was just leaving the preview window open and thats why it didnt work.

Thanks. Wiki updated.

[Geeba]

Obviously, in most cases, encodes from 1080P rips are going to look a little better, but it probably won't be noticable. But keep in mind that it also depends on the quality of the rip itself because not all rips are created equal. I have come across one or two 1920x1080 files at 8GB that look worse than 1280x720 files at 4GB, so in the end its best just to use your own judgement in determining these kinds of things.

Thanx JPS appreciate the pointers..

[Jhcheslik]

Not sure. Never encountered this, but I would assume that it's just in the way that the Xbox renders the video and not the codec's fault.

I just figured it out it was my TV... I had to set it to 'Mild' and reconfigured it for my taste. I had to make the TV to seems a little bit washed out so there wont be any strong contrast which display some little pixelization. So its all good. I just wish I could keep the contrast a little bit more higher.

And that new info about setting the aspect. I'll give it a shot, I think that's the reason why it didn't work for me first time.

Okay, now, you wouldn't believe it. Well, maybe you will.

I have a hacked Wii (homebrew channel), and I thought to give video/audio a shot, to see if it could run anything. Unlucky, the MPlayerWii can't really play any .h264 I throw at it. It would be very slow, choppy... So, finally I decided to try your setting, and it worked PERFECTLY!!! How crazy is that?!

Although... the XBMC is still the way to go.

[JPSiemer]

Okay, now, you wouldn't believe it. Well, maybe you will.

I have a hacked Wii (homebrew channel), and I thought to give video/audio a shot, to see if it could run anything. Unlucky, the MPlayerWii can't really play any .h264 I throw at it. It would be very slow, choppy... So, finally I decided to try your setting, and it worked PERFECTLY!!! How crazy is that?!

Although... the XBMC is still the way to go.

Sweet. I got a modded Wii so I might check this out.

[romi7519]

step 14/15 in the wiki is misleading and in some ways incorrect.

not all the time would you need to encode the audio.
most hd scene rips/dvd's contain ac3 or dts so step 14/15 would only really be needed if someone wanted to encode down to mp3/aac/ogg etc.

[r3skyline]

ok, so im a bit confused. been trying to read / search for this answer. but here goes.

if im taking a BDrip that is originally at 1280x720 (720p, can we use 1080p and will it be the same?), im going to be shrinking it down to 720x400?

if so, how are you guys getting it to be full screen without getting it all blurry? i see comments of it being awesome quality and whatnot.

i have my xbox 1.6 with xbmc at 720p, so its setting movies at 1280x720 and anything else will be smaller and id have to resize = loss of quality/blurry.

[JPSiemer]

step 14/15 in the wiki is misleading and in some ways incorrect.

not all the time would you need to encode the audio.
most hd scene rips/dvd's contain ac3 or dts so step 14/15 would only really be needed if someone wanted to encode down to mp3/aac/ogg etc.

True. But the Wiki is meant for newbs so I decided to keep it all about MeGUI... and plus I'm too lazy to write up a guide on how to use MKVMerge. If you rewrite the step for me I'll incorporate it.

[JPSiemer]

ok, so im a bit confused. been trying to read / search for this answer. but here goes.

if im taking a BDrip that is originally at 1280x720 (720p, can we use 1080p and will it be the same?), im going to be shrinking it down to 720x400?

if so, how are you guys getting it to be full screen without getting it all blurry? i see comments of it being awesome quality and whatnot.

i have my xbox 1.6 with xbmc at 720p, so its setting movies at 1280x720 and anything else will be smaller and id have to resize = loss of quality/blurry.

I have no idea what you are rambling on about.

We're not getting awesome quality. We're getting slightly greater than or equal to DVD quality at like 1/4th the filesize.

If you are wanting to play full-res 720P H.264 files then build yourself a cheap media center.

[r3skyline]

really? on my HDTV it looks VERY nice. only difference that i would see is that its not full high res, so it just looks a bit blurry. but other than that, if you sit at the reecommend distance + eye candy with the tv (fixing gamma and whatnot) you'll notice that it is immensely superior to a standard dvd as your letting on

just wanted a "band-aid" fix until i can save up for a blu-ray player. but nice tut. thx. learned a lot more about video editing and the h264 codec