[JPSiemer]

Okay I think that's been my problem all along then. I'm going to start over. I did download the XBox HiRes profile linked in the first post on this thread. It's been going on for near 11 hours now. So something's isn't right anyways.

Also I tried what you suggested, but I was not able to select the MKV file for audio. I'll try again. Thanks for your patience and help.

As Jhcheslik pointed out... no need to start over.... it's a complete waste of time. You already have the video track encoded, so all you need to do now is reencode the audio track to MP3 or mux in the original AC3 audio track.

If you choose to reencode the audio, just use the original MKV containing the AC3 audio track as your audio source, select an encoding profile, and click encode. This should create 1 job in MeGUI. If it creates more than one you did something wrong. After the encoding is done take the encoded video and encoded audio and mux them into one file with MKVMerge or use the built-in muxer within MeGUI.

[JPSiemer]

Hey Jhcheslik, you want to create a guide with pictures to help out the n00bs? I really think your pictures help people visualize the steps and they would be less likely to make these kinds of mistakes.

[rashid420]

It will take a while. Depending on your computer CPU, it may take literally forever or really fast if you are on Quad-core.

Now, most importantly, if you finished encoding a video, don't delete it if audio doesn't work. We always can use THAT video track and try several way to mux audio in the container. (Save yourself some time from re-encoding!)

Well, I got the video multiple times. The last time I was encoding it was stuck for 11 hours in the 2nd pass and all the "decals" were non responsive. So I didn't have any video file to fix.

Also I wanted to get Vista out of the picture. So I'm running this on a Dual Core 2.4Ghz CPU machine running Windows XP in Virtual PC with 1GB dedicated. May Box which is running Vista Home Premium has 4 GB in all, but of course I'm not using all of it.

Finally, I did change one thing - made it 3 pass from 2 pass. Am thinking it'll pay off. Second pass took just under 5 hours. Let's see how much the 3rd pass takes.

[rashid420]

Hey Jhcheslik, you want to create a guide with pictures to help out the n00bs? I really think your pictures help people visualize the steps and they would be less likely to make these kinds of mistakes.

MeGUI may produce the best results, but as far as ease of use is concerned, it could use a lot of work.

When selecting audio, if I don't see MKV file in the list of supported file types I cannot be expected to blunder my way through figuring things out. It was only after I was told to use my source MKV for the Audio would I know that. And again, in order to be able to do that, I have to type *.* in the file open dialog so I can get to the MKV file. Needless to say, I still have to see it works.

Flexibility is one thing. The concept of profiles is good, too. But if you give the user multiple ways to F*** up, then she/he will. That has been my experience.

Jhcheslik and yourself are doing a great service here. You are going above and beyond what would be expected from most. I guess, I shouldn't complain too much because MeGUI is free. But then, I would intuitively think, opening a video file for encoding should automatically select the audio for it UNLESS I specify otherwise. The DEFAULT = COMMON sense. n00b? Yeah sure, I am. But given that this thread is > 30 pages long, it says something about MeGUI.

[Jhcheslik]

Hey Jhcheslik, you want to create a guide with pictures to help out the n00bs? I really think your pictures help people visualize the steps and they would be less likely to make these kinds of mistakes.

You guys are in luck, I made a guide for my friend with like TONS of pictures. I will go through it one more time making sure I don't miss anything. Then I'll post a download link. Or create a website. I don't know yet.

Jhcheslik and yourself are doing a great service here. You are going above and beyond what would be expected from most. I guess, I shouldn't complain too much because MeGUI is free. But then, I would intuitively think, opening a video file for encoding should automatically select the audio for it UNLESS I specify otherwise. The DEFAULT = COMMON sense. n00b? Yeah sure, I am. But given that this thread is > 30 pages long, it says something about MeGUI.

Lol, yeah... well, first 15 pages or 10, I don't know, was all about testing to see if MeGUI would be able to produce high quality h264 video without any dropped frames. And look like it did with some correct configures!! Then the rest of forum was all helping people.

[rashid420]

Lol, yeah... well, first 15 pages or 10, I don't know, was all about testing to see if MeGUI would be able to produce high quality h264 video without any dropped frames. And look like it did with some correct configures!! Then the rest of forum was all helping people.

Well, my last pass is 12 hours old, and its still cranking. If there's any way I can simply load profile in MeGUI and hit AutoEncode, that would help. This is just taking too long which tells me I screwed up somewhere again. Besides the file size is being projected at 3.8 GB.

Yup, I knew I've screwed up again File size just under 3GB. Extension is .X264. File is unplayable.

[JPSiemer]

MeGUI may produce the best results, but as far as ease of use is concerned, it could use a lot of work.

Yes, it definitely needs some usability testing. However, it's a robust program with robust features, and therefore needs a robust amount of options as well.

When selecting audio, if I don't see MKV file in the list of supported file types I cannot be expected to blunder my way through figuring things out. It was only after I was told to use my source MKV for the Audio would I know that. And again, in order to be able to do that, I have to type *.* in the file open dialog so I can get to the MKV file. Needless to say, I still have to see it works.

Hmm.... When I go to select my audio input, All Files (*.*) is the default.

[JPSiemer]

You guys are in luck, I made a guide for my friend with like TONS of pictures. I will go through it one more time making sure I don't miss anything. Then I'll post a download link. Or create a website. I don't know yet.

Sweet. You could request Ninja status to update the Wiki. Ask Gamester17. If not, you can e-mail me the document and I'll post it up. If you make a site tho, it would be nice to have a mirror just in case the site ever goes down.

[JPSiemer]

Also I wanted to get Vista out of the picture. So I'm running this on a Dual Core 2.4Ghz CPU machine running Windows XP in Virtual PC with 1GB dedicated. May Box which is running Vista Home Premium has 4 GB in all, but of course I'm not using all of it.

Vista isn't your problem. MeGUI runs just as fast on Vista as on XP. If I were you, I wouldn't be running MeGUI from within a Virtual PC though. Virtual PC is essentially an emulator and is not really the best environment for encoding video.

Finally, I did change one thing - made it 3 pass from 2 pass. Am thinking it'll pay off. Second pass took just under 5 hours. Let's see how much the 3rd pass takes.

3 pass is going to take forever.

[rashid420]

Vista isn't your problem. MeGUI runs just as fast on Vista as on XP. If I were you, I wouldn't be running MeGUI from within a Virtual PC though. Virtual PC is essentially an emulator and is not really the best environment for encoding video.



3 pass is going to take forever.

Bottom line, it did not work for me. I guess that's why VideoFAB was created. For people like me. I get DVD quality and after upconversion, it looks pretty good on my widescreen TV.

I think I'm going take break from MeGUI for a while. If I lose my job - which can happen in this economy - and have some time on my hands, I'll revisit MeGUI.

Thanks for all your help.

[fuggin]

My download quota has been shot to hell since I've hooked up with this thread. 7GB HD scene rips quickly eat into it; but hey I'm not complaining as MeGui is such a wonderful tool.

Does anyone have any x264 video profile settings suitable for xbmc for B&W HD movies? They're normally older movies e.g .Young Frankenstein, Casablanca etc. that don't take full advantage of a 1080 HD transfer but if anyone has reencoded anything similar then I'd like to hear from you before I try to reinvent the wheel.

Otherwise I can post some results once I've done testing.

[sion28]

I'm just curious... why are they called "scene rips"? And why do we need a 50GB blu-ray disc if a blu ray 1080p movie rip is only 7GB?

[griffore]

@sion28 - the only reason why you see a 1080p rip @ 7GB is because it has been re-encoded to fit at that size. The video bitrate has been drastically reduced and probably the audio as well.

Typically , Blu-ray movies fall in around 25-35 GB in size if you're just looking at the main video and single audio stream.

[sion28]

Hmmm... So scene-rips are already re-encoded?

So basically a scene-rip is a full rip of a Blu-Ray movie that is then re-encoded using something like x264 or DivX?

So people are downloading scene-rips and then re-encoding them AGAIN to make them playable on an xbox? Is this REALLY going to result in better quality than re-encoding a DVD rip just once? I find it hard to believe that a BRC movie that's been re-encoded twice will be better than a DVD that's only been done once, especially when you don't know what settings the first person used for the first re-encode.

[jarod71]

Hmmm... So scene-rips are already re-encoded?

So basically a scene-rip is a full rip of a Blu-Ray movie that is then re-encoded using something like x264 or DivX?

So people are downloading scene-rips and then re-encoding them AGAIN to make them playable on an xbox? Is this REALLY going to result in better quality than re-encoding a DVD rip just once? I find it hard to believe that a BRC movie that's been re-encoded twice will be better than a DVD that's only been done once, especially when you don't know what settings the first person used for the first re-encode.

the are reencoded form h.264 to xvid or divx and the quality is much better than a standard dvd rip.