MVP and AVIs

[LilY0da]

For me, I found easier to re-encode all videos using a good DivX codec (using opendivX 4), and resize them all to 640x480 or 352x240. This way, no display problem or weird letterboxing, etc... If the video has to be letterboxed, do it yourself in virtualdub.

Also, the Framerate must be 29.97FPS. 23.976 does play, but creates heavy audio desynchronization. After 10 minutes of video at most, it becomes unwatchable!

Last but not least, increasing the preplay buffer to 16 seconds seem to take care of just about anything the above hasn't caught.

Bottom line: it seems stable now, without FFDshow, so I'm über happy

* LilY0da hugs sub!

[MediaDogg]

Bottom line: it seems stable now, without FFDshow, so I'm über happy

* MediaDogg hugs sub!

Wow!!! Reading all that good advice is like dessert after a good meal! Yum!

A couple of more questions:

(1) How do you encode? Is there a program that I must buy that uses that codec?

(2) How to decide about "letterboxing" and what do I tell Virtualdub to make it do what I want.

Sorry to be so inexperienced about such matters ... I know what I know, but I don't pretend to know what I don't!

Thanks for all your help so far!

[LilY0da]

to reencode,
1) open your file in virtualdub
2) go to video -> compression, pick a divX codec and select either a quality >= 90 or a bitrate above 4000 as your parameter
If you don't have something that says "DivX something", go to http://www.videohelp.com, to tools -> codec and download div3 and divX codecs. It's free
3) if the original framerate was not 29.97, go to video -> framerate, and in the middle section, click convert to fps and enter 29.97 in the box (the option is recent, if your virtualdub doesn't show it, download a newer version, mine is 1.6.9)
4) for the letterboxing, first you have to reduce your width to 640 or 352. This is done by going to video -> filter -> resize. You have to determine what the height of your video will be once you adjust your width to 640 or 352.

Here's an exemple. Your current video is 720*350. the ratio is 720/350 = 2.05
What you do is you divide your future width by this ratio.
If you want to make it a 640 width, the new height will be 640/2.05 = 311
If you want to make it a 352 width, the new height will be 352/2.05 = 171

So those are the parameters to put in New Width and New height in the filter. For the filter mode, pick Precise Bilinear or Precise bicubic

Then, unless you were really lucky your new height is NOT 480 or 240. So what you do is you check Expand Frame and letterbox image, and you put in either 640 and 480, or 352 and 240 for the values, this will add whatever letterboxing is necessary to your video to have a resulting frame that will be 640*480 or 352*240

Then you go to file -> save as AVI, put in a new name, click OK and go get an ice cream.

[MediaDogg]

Then you go to file -> save as AVI, put in a new name, click OK and go get an ice cream.

Wahooo! All this good information IS ice cream for me!!!!

Thank you so much. I wish I could return the favor. Anyway, my best wishes and wholehearted thanks to you!

[LilY0da]

GBPVR still plays some AVIs then not all

I am slowly reencoding all my AVIs to the standard mentionned above, so that I can play them both on the PC and the MVP, and none of the reencoded AVIs crashes the MVP anymore.

I also noticed that if you use a 640x480 AVI, skipping will cause Trans2MVP to crash or stop, and return you to the video selection screen. But it works on 352x240 videos. Go figure!

[MediaDogg]

I am slowly reencoding all my AVIs ...

I admire your persistence. In my case, I do not want to spend that kind of effort. If the process can be automated, I might selectively reencode some files.

I also don't like the idea of degrading the many HD files that I have. I spent so much time downloading them ... only to have to reconvert them into lower resolution!

Also, I am looking at the X10 "Lola" system from X10, as a cheap alternative to the mediaMVP. Basically it transmits the VGA signals to the TV from the PC, and the remote control's (simulated keyboard/mouse) signals back to the PC. That way I could still use gbPVR for highest quality mpeg playback, and use "Lola" for any other files such as QT, RM and AVI. I doubt if this gadget will have very good resolution, but for $99, I might try it.

[LilY0da]

I admire your persistence. In my case, I do not want to spend that kind of effort. If the process can be automated, I might selectively reencode some files.

I usually do the groundwork of putting the filters, etc... in the evening. Usually takes about 5 minutes per AVI. I save those into the batch container of virtualdub (shows up when you say "save as avi"). Then I play Guildwars for a couple of hours, and just before I go to bed, I start virtualdub again, and launch the batch processing.

So I'm not that persistent, I just work like 20 minutes every evening. Also, quality doesn't decrease, except if you resize the files to 352*240 from a DVD size AVI. But from a DVD to 640*480, I doubt you'll see the difference

[MediaDogg]

But from a DVD to 640*480, I doubt you'll see the difference

In that case, I will certainly give it a try! Thanks again for your help.

[bluesxman]

But from a DVD to 640*480, I doubt you'll see the difference

Unless you use skipping as per your previous post :p

[LilY0da]

Not sure what you mean by "skipping". If you mean Framerate conversion, I watched the files before and after, and my regular human eye can't tell the difference
If you mean using the "skip" feature of the MVP remote, it doesn't work neither on DVD resolution files or 640*480. Basically it doesn't seem to work on anything bigger than a 352*240.