HOWTO:442

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[edit] Basic Video Encoding

[edit] Ulead

For basic video conversion on Windows, use the included ulead software. It's not open source, and has limited options, but if you just want to watch video on the device, this is the easiest way.

From the forums- Originally posted by Doug M.

After following the auto gk howto guide unsuccessfully trying to get video to play on my 442, I was playing around with the Ulead Toolbox included on the cd that comes with the 442 (very nice tool btw) and here is a nice simple way to convert dvd's to divx (or mpg).

The first thing is that it wont do protected dvd's, so most store bought dvd's wont work. --edited--

SO, assuming you start with a valid unprotected video_ts folder (however you may achieve this), these are the steps:

  1. start ulead toolbox on the cd included with your 442
  2. click "divx" (i liked the 'improved' option...larger file size, better quality)
  3. hit the big enter button
  4. click the +dvd icon in the Add Media secion
  5. browse to the video_ts folder of the dvd (or the video_ts folder on your hard drive)
  6. it will show you thumbnails of all the scenes...choose the scenes you want (or all of them) click finish
  7. it will load all the scenes in the scroll area at the bottom...just click the big NEXT button when it is done
  8. choose a style if u want...or just click the big NEXT button
  9. then click the big CREATE button...it will ask where you want the divx file saved

thats it :)

copy the resulting avi to the 442 and you are done! I used this method successfully twice...windows XP pro, athlon 64 3200+, 1gb ddr So this is pretty much an easy "click next, next, save" type way to make a divx file that will play on the neuros 442 from a dvd.

Hope this helps people.

see http://www.neurosaudio.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6465 for more info.

Note: Something to watch for is that ulead seems to clog up the hard drive with some kind of intermediate files it creates and failed to delete look for files left behind in documents and settings\user\my documents\ulead video toolbox\2.0\

[edit] DivX Converter

GIven the Ulead and AutoGK solutions, I'm not really sure why you would use this one, but maybe someone else knows, and just in case, we'll leave it up here:

You can also consider DivX Converter. The program doesn't have a lot of options but it does the job reliably, it is dead simple to use, and the output files play great on the 442. The program isn't free, but there is a free trial and we are looking into bundling the software with the 442. I'd reccomend trying the free trial and if we bundle the software after you bought a 442, we'll send you a free copy of the program!

One important note, if you want to convert DVDs with DivX converter, you'll have to download the AC3 filter first to handle AC3 audio decryption. Also, the Divx converter will not work with encrypted DVDs without decrypting them first (see DVD decrypter section).

One thing you may notice about DivX files encoded with AC3 audio instead of MP3 audio is that the audio levels may be very quiet compared with the rest of the sounds on your PC. In order to correct this, all you have to do is open up the AC3 filter in Control Panel. Once open the dialog will allow you to change the gain levels of AC3 audio played back on your PC. If you have Windows XP and have installed the AC3 filter you can only find it with control panel in classic view.

[edit] Video Encoding in Linux

[edit] Basic Transcoding

Start with mplayer: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/homepage/design7/news.html

mplayer is the best video player under any OS, IMNSHO. I also use it as an import module for proprietary formats. Follow the instructions to get mplayer working properly on your system.

Next, you'll need to get the program transcode: http://www.transcoding.org/cgi-bin/transcode . As with mplayer, follow the instructions for building and installing. Transcode can use mplayer as an import module; this helps when converting quicktime movies, for instance.

As with all Linux software, check your OS package repository to see if pre-built packages are available. Sometimes they are, and sometimes they are not.

The simplest form of the transcode command line is this:

transcode -i inputfile -Z 320x240 -o outputfile -y xvid4

The -Z option specifies the "screen" size; the -y option specifies the encoding format. This simple command line will work for most uses.

To transcode from a quicktime format to a playable xvid format, I use a command similar to this:

transcode -x mplayer -i troops.mov -Z 320x240 -o troops.avi -y xvid4

The -x mplayer option informs transcode to use the mplayer import module. If your video does not transcode properly, try this option.

There are dozens of other command-line switches to control encoding, decoding, processing, audio sync, etc. However, for most cases, the simplest command line is the best, as transcode does an excellent job of processing.

There are a lot of other video tools available under Linux. Here are a few that might be of interest:


for more information see the forum discussion [Here]

[edit] More Options for Transcode

So, I (a different person from the above edit) looked into the above stuff and the man pages for transcode, and learned a great deal. I have created a bash script that makes neuros442 conversion in linux super easy. You can download it here from my server. Open the file in a text editor, and you can set the following options:

  • Video Codec
  • Video Resolution
  • Video Bitrate
  • Frames Per Second
  • Audio Codec
  • Audio Bitrate

Make sure to chmod +x transcode442.sh. It is run like this:

  • ./transcode442.sh infile outfile

You are given three options: Analyze, Convert, and Both. If you want, you can go ahead and convert, it will take less time, but if you want higher quality run analyze first, it will create a divx4.log file with analysis data. You can run both by selecting Both, of course :-D.

For example:

  • ./transcode442.sh myfavorite.vob
  • Pick 1
  • Wait for it to finish
  • ./transcode442.sh myfavorite.vob myfavorite.avi
  • Pick 2
  • Done!

Or:

  • ./transcode442.sh myfavorite.vob myfavorite.avi
  • Pick 3
  • Now it will do both in a row

It can handle any video format your computer can play.

Prerequisites

  • transcode
  • xvid Optional: If you want to use divx, or any other codec, use that instead
  • An audio codec. lame is good for mp3.

I use the gentoo distribution, and there is a great tutorial for setting up dvd ripping with transcode here. Once that is installed, you can use dvd::rip to rip the dvd to VOBs, then use transcode442.sh on the vobs.

Lastly, please improve my script... I am not really a bash scripter. There is no error catching... Email a new one to me and I will post it on the link. Happy transcoding!

[edit] Advanced Video Encoding

AutoGK is a great open source program with lots of options for advanced users. If you want to use open source programs and want more control over your encoding, it's a great solution. Please note this is for advanced users, and many folks have had trouble creating 442 compatible files (even after carefully following the below instructions), so make sure you try a file or two before you invest the time in converting your whole collection.

[edit] This is a guide to encoding your own MPEG4 video

In this guide we will use XviD because of it's open and free nature. Before beginning make sure you have the very latest stable XviD binary release from koepi.org. Personally I always use the latest unstable beta, it's your choice however the latest unstable beta is better :)


NOTE: Many have had trouble with the XviD settings. Although I hate to steer folks away from open source alternatives, until we get it figured out, I'd reccomend just using DivX for simplicity. To use divx with AutoGK, you will also have to download the free Divx player from www.divx.com -Joe B.


To make things simple we will be using the latest beta of AutoGK available from autogk.me.uk. As of the writing of this article it's 2.16

[edit] Configure XviD

After installing XviD there should now be an XviD entry in your start menu. Go to this and hit configure encoder.

  • There should be a drop down box next to "Profile @ Level:" in that box choose either 'AS @ L5' or 'unrestricted'.
  • Hit the 'more' button to the right of that box to open another configuration dialog.
  • In the drop down box near "Quantization Type" choose H.263 for a softer picture or MPEG for a sharper picture (I prefer H.263 for low bitrate files and MPEG for high bitrate files).
  • Uncheck if checked 'Adaptive Quantization', 'Interlaced encoding', 'Quarter Pixel', and 'Global Motion Compensation'
  • Check B-VOPs if unchecked to enable B frames
  • Set the next three boxes,'Max consecutive B-VOPs', 'Quantizer ratio', and 'Quantizer offset' to 2, 1.50, and 1.00 respectively
  • For compatibility keep 'Packed Bitstream' unchecked.

---

  • You should now be back in the original XviD configuration dialog.
  • Hit the Advanced button on the bottom and make sure 'Motion Search Precision' is on '6 - Ultra High'
  • For VHQ mode choose '4 - Wide Search' note this will take longer to encode but will look better. Some people can't tell the difference between this and '1 - Mode Decision' which takes less time to encode. It's your choice.
  • 'Frame Drop ratio' should be zero
  • For 'Maximum I-Frame Interval' it depends on your video, if your video is NTSC ~30fps then the value should be 300, if it's NTSC ~24fps then it should be 240, if it's PAL 25fps the value should be 250. It's the number of frames in 10 seconds of video get it?
  • In the Xvid settings make sure you are setting the options for ‘encoding type: twopass – 1st pass’ and ‘…twopass 2nd pass’ they are separate (options within them like VHQ etc are set for each pass). As long you are only using AutoGK these should stay the way you leave them.
  • Newer versions of XviD have three additional options "use VHQ for bframes too" and "use chroma motion" and "Turbo;-)" check the first two and leave the third unchecked.


[edit] Rip Your DVD

NOTE: There is considerable debate (not to mention differing laws around the globe) about the legality of breaking DVD encryption, and there are many who believe that breaking DVD encryption even for fair use purposes is illegal. See the discussion on doom9.org (and elsewhere) for more information. But regardless about what you believe about fair use and archiving, there is really no debate about the legality or morality of stealing movies, so please don't do it!

DVD Decrypter
DVD decrypter is one of the greatest utilities since DeCSS. You can rip DVDs encrypted or not and split up the files any way you choose. There are a billion other ways to do this and it is a shame that it wasn't open source since the author has quit work on it. Version 3.5.4.0 is the latest version and you can get it from the Doom9.org download section.

Beware of a scam going around that claims DVD decrypter is back, the author of the fake website wants people to donate.

  • Setting up DVD decrypter is very simple. Open it up and hit 'mode' select 'IFO' if it is not already selected.
  • Next goto 'tools' and hit 'settings' for good measure hit the defaults button on the lower left when it prompts you hit 'yes'.
  • Now click on the 'events' tabs in here we are going to uncheck 'Check for program update' because we know there will not be one per the author himself.
  • If you would like to change the way the resulting files are split up on your hard drive you can hit the 'IFO mode' tab and choose anything on the 'file splitting:' drop down menu. Otherwise click 'ok'
  • By default when DVD decrypter detects a DVD it will select the main movie on the right hand side. It will also automatically select a default destination which you may change to whatever you want.
  • When you are ready to decrypt and/or rip your DVD hit the large decrypt button on the bottom. (It looks like a DVD with an arrow to a hard drive)


[edit] AutoGK

  • Choose DVD input
    • As of version 2.15 there is no DVD mode anymore. If you select IFO file then it will be parsed and choice of audio/subs will be presented for selected PGC/Angle. If you just select VOB files then no subs choice will be available and only audio type and track number will be presented.
  • For 'Input Directory' choose the directory in which you chose for the output of DVD decrypter.
  • For 'Output Directory' choose where yu want your output video placed and the name of it.
  • Choose the audio track you want that is in your language and if you want you can choose a second audio track for example if there was director's commentary etc.
  • You can choose a subtitle track if you wish.
  • For general viewing and viewing on the 442 we are going to choose a lower bitrate so for a two hour movie hit predefined size and select 1 CD 700MB.

---

  • Hit the advanced settings button
  • Choose auto width for the output resolution
  • For the Codec choose XviD
  • For Output Audio choose CBR MP3 and set it to 192 Kbps
  • For Output Format choose AVI
  • Finally if you selected subtitles on the previous screen then check the 'use external subtitles' box.
  • hit 'OK'

---

  • There is one more dialog box with options and you can get to it by pressing Ctrl-F9
  • We only want to do one thing in here and that's in the autocrop section. Check the 'Tune auto crop parameters' box
  • Then set the number of frames to examine to 100 (if you notice black borders in your resulting video you should set this higher or change the threshold.)
  • Hit 'OK'
  • Hit Add Job
  • You can repeat the above for more videos and when you have added all the jobs you want to the queue then hit 'Start'


The whole process may take a few hours so you might think about letting this run while you sleep.

[edit] Fixing Files with Virtualdub

Here's a nifty tutorial from Atreyurock

http://www.aintlovegrand.net/tut/videofix.htm

Here's one for fixing files with audio problems

http://www.aintlovegrand.net/tut/audiofix.htm

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