Automated Cutting and Transcoding Guide Using Mencoder

[-stattik-]

I have an HVR-1600 and am trying to transcode HDTV MPEGs to DVD-compatible MPEGs. The script works for 1080i but won't work for 720p. I turned on debugging mode but can't figure out what is wrong?

The problem was that the script didn't know how to handle 60FPS when creating dvd-compliant files.

Try the attached script. It worked on some short 720P tests. If it works for you, I'll upload it to the wiki.


Thanks.

[qam1600]

Sorry, stattik. This version still won't encode a 720p MPEG to DVD for me. I also noticed that it seems to ignore my mpegbitrate=9600 and use 4700. I'm using guide_mode=yes and keep_ac3audio=yes.

[-stattik-]

Sorry, stattik. This version still won't encode a 720p MPEG to DVD for me. I also noticed that it seems to ignore my mpegbitrate=9600 and use 4700. I'm using guide_mode=yes and keep_ac3audio=yes.

Hi qam1600,

I fixed the mpegbitrate bug. Do you get an error message when trying to convert 720p files? Does the script just exit out or does the script create bad mpeg files?

I've attached an updated version of the script. It will call mencoder inline and pause after mencoder is done. Copy the and post the output and I'll take a look at it.

Thanks.

[qam1600]

Thanks! The script was just exiting before. Now it works with 1 pass but errors after the first pass if I try to do 2 passes - Cannot initialize video driver.

Writing index...

Overhead: 1.841% (1004920453464178220 / 85427311854188256)
Writing header...

Video stream: 9210.016 kbit/s (1151252 B/s) size: 233976276 bytes 203.236 sec
s 12182 frames

C:\Lotus\DominoDoc\temp\Neighborhood>ECHO off
Press any key to continue . . .
.
The options for the current transcode are listed below.
.
.
Flagged as HiDef
Starting second pass...Bitrate=9355
Flagged IVTC
telecine=
Flagged as DVD
The system cannot find the file specified.

C:\Lotus\DominoDoc\temp\Neighborhood>call E:\Progra~1\mplayer\mencoder.exe "E:\Video\Toby Keith - High Maintenance Woman (Live on The View 06-19-2007) 720p_original.mpg" -edl "E:\Video\Toby Keith - High Maintenance Woman (Live on The View 06-19-2007) 720p.edl" -of mpeg -mpegopts format=dvd:tsaf -passlogfile "C:\DOCUME~1\dgooch\LOCALS~1\Temp\Toby Keith - High Maintenance Woman (Live on The View 06-19-2007) 720p.twopasslog" -sws 9 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg2video:vrc_buf_size=1835:vrc_maxrate=9800:vbitrate=9600:keyint=12:trell:mbd=2:precmp=2ubcmp=2:
cmp=2:dia=-10:predia=-10:cbp:mv0:vqmin=1:lmin=1:dc=10:vstrict=0:autoaspect:acode
c=ac3:abitrate=192:vpass=2 -oac copy -vf scale=720:480,harddup -fps 60000/1001 -
ofps 30000/1001 -o "E:\Video\Toby Keith - High Maintenance Woman (Live on The V
iew 06-19-2007) 720p.mpg"
MEncoder 1.0pre8-3.4.2 © 2000-2006 MPlayer Team
CPU: Intel® Pentium® M processor 1700MHz (Family: 6, Model: 9, Stepp
ing: 5)
CPUflags: Type: 6 MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 0 3DNow2: 0 SSE: 0 SSE2: 0
Compiled with runtime CPU detection.
success: format: 0 data: 0x0 - 0x1605f5a2
MPEG-PS file format detected.
VIDEO: MPEG2 1280x720 (aspect 3) 59.940 fps 38810.4 kbps (4851.3 kbyte/s)
[V] filefmt:2 fourcc:0x10000002 size:1280x720 fps:59.94 ftime:=0.0167
Input fps will be interpreted as 59.94 instead.
==========================================================================
Opening audio decoder: [liba52] AC3 decoding with liba52
No accelerated IMDCT transform found
AC3: 5.1 (3f+2r+lfe) 48000 Hz 384.0 kbit/s
Using MMX optimized resampler
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 384.0 kbit/25.00% (ratio: 48000->192000)
Selected audio codec: [a52] afm: liba52 (AC3-liba52)
==========================================================================
PACKET SIZE: 2048 bytes, deltascr: 43885
Opening video filter: [expand osd=1]
Expand: -1 x -1, -1 ; -1, osd: 1, aspect: 0.000000, round: 1
Opening video filter: [harddup]
Opening video filter: [scale w=720 h=480]
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
VDec: vo config request - 1280 x 720 (preferred colorspace: Mpeg PES)
The selected video_out device is incompatible with this codec.
Try adding the scale filter, e.g. -vf spp,scale instead of -vf spp.
VDecoder init failed
Opening video decoder: [libmpeg2] MPEG 1/2 Video decoder libmpeg2-v0.4.0b
Selected video codec: [mpeg12] vfm: libmpeg2 (MPEG-1 or 2 (libmpeg2))
==========================================================================
audiocodec: framecopy (format=2000 chans=2 rate=48000 bits=16 B/s=48000 sample-1
)
Limiting audio preload to 0.4s.
Increasing audio density to 4.
VDec: vo config request - 1280 x 720 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.78:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.

SwScaler: Lanczos scaler, from Planar YV12 to Planar YV12 using MMX2
videocodec: libavcodec (720x480 fourcc=3267706d [mpg2])
[VE_LAVC] High quality encoding selected (non-realtime)!
[mpeg2video @ 00997678]Error: 2pass curve failed to converge
Could not open codec.
FATAL: Cannot initialize video driver.

Exiting...

[-stattik-]

Ok, here's what I found.

The error seems to be the result of mencoder not being able to use all the bits requested. Basically, the bitrate was set too high. Here's a link.

http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/ffmp...13746.html

It seems to be working in newer builds. I tested it with mplayer2007.04.25 and it works fine. While mplayer/mencoder 1.0pre8 is still the best for dvdripping, I'd suggest using a more recent version of mplayer/mencoder. Otherwise you could stick with a single pass or use a lower bitrate.

If this resolved you problem and the script works correctly, I'll post it to the wiki.

[qam1600]

Twopass is now working with 720p using MEncoder RC1, thanks! Also trying a lower bitrate since the output is larger than I had hoped.

[-stattik-]

Good to hear.

You may find that builds of mencoder found here will run even faster than RC1.

http://tirnanog.fate.jp/mirror/mplayer/

[DrDDT]

Hi,

When I select 2pass, I get no output file (script finishes in seconds).

Please find attached the last part of processing.

[-stattik-]

Hi,

When I select 2pass, I get no output file (script finishes in seconds).

Please find attached the last part of processing.

Do you have the entire output? The problem is that there is no bitrate defined when starting mencoder. If I could see the rest of the output, I should be able to find out why there is no bitrate. Most likely it's because, the info file didn't have all the data needed.

You may have to increase the buffer size in the dos window to get the entire output. To do this.

-Start the script
-Rightclick on the upperleft corner of the window and get properties.
-Click the layout tab, choose Screen Buff Size-Height and put in at least 3000
-You can change windowsize-Height to 57 or a larger number if you want as well.
-Click OK and Choose Modify shortcut that started that window.

[DrDDT]

Do you have the entire output? The problem is that there is no bitrate defined when starting mencoder. If I could see the rest of the output, I should be able to find out why there is no bitrate. Most likely it's because, the info file didn't have all the data needed.

You may have to increase the buffer size in the dos window to get the entire output. To do this.

-Start the script
-Rightclick on the upperleft corner of the window and get properties.
-Click the layout tab, choose Screen Buff Size-Height and put in at least 3000
-You can change windowsize-Height to 57 or a larger number if you want as well.
-Click OK and Choose Modify shortcut that started that window.

I attached the full logs now. Thank you!