Author Topic: AMV compression?  (Read 3146 times)

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Offline Kimiski

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AMV compression?
« on: July 22, 2008, 01:57:15 am »
Does anyone know how to compress an AMV using virtual dub.
I have... NO idea how. Step by step help would be much appreciated.


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Offline Prinz Eugen

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2008, 05:48:20 am »
What version are you using?
(What sux is that each version has all the menus in different places, and some of the same commands have different names... uggh.)

First, if you don't have Xvid compressor, go to doom9.org and get the codec & install it.

a. In ver 1.6.6 (this might work on other versions, just that some commands hide elsewhere) start VirtualDub and drag-n-drop your large file onto the grey area.

b. In 'Audio' menu, select 'Full Processing Mode.' I'll leave off audio compression for now (the AMV player system I use is fast enough to play uncompressed audio anyways. If other folks want to post here about audio compression, that'd be even better.)

c. In Video, select 'Compression' and a new box opens up. Scroll to 'Xvid' and select that. (If for some reason you don't see an Xvid option, try 'Microsoft mpeg 4 Video Codec V2' More on that codec below. (skip to letter 'j')

d. In Xvid you will do a TWO-PASS conversion. So click the Xvid codec and then click the 'Configure' button. For 'Encoding Type' select .Twopass - 1st Pass, then click 'OK' and exit. This drops you back to the 'Select video compression' box you opened in 'c' above, and so 'OK' /exit that one as well.

e. Go to 'File' and hit 'Save as AVI.' Navigate to where you want the new file to end up, and type in your new filename. Include the .avi extension in the filename. Now - BEFORE YOU CLOSE THIS BOX - look for a teeny checkbox labeled 'Don't run this job now; add it to Job Control so I can run it in batch mode.' CHECK THAT BOX.

f. NOW hit 'OK.'

g. We will now configure your second pass. Go to Video -> Compression and click Xvid again, the Configure button again, and in the new box for 'Encoding Type' select 'Twopass - 2nd Pass.' Your AMV is 4min 13sec long, so at 25MB/min it should around 106MB as a target size. So type in '106000.' OPTION: Click the Target Size button and it toggles to Target Bitrate, and you can try anywhere between 1600 and 2000 kbits/sec. Click 'OK' and exit, then exit the compressor box with another 'OK.'

h. Go BACK to File-> Save as AVI and save the file to the SAME place and the SAME file name. You might get an 'Overwrite the file?...' Yes/No complainer and hit 'Yes.' Now go to File -> Job Control and another box opens up. Hit the 'Start' button and you can watch your first pass and second pass execute. The time turns to 'Done' when the pass is complete, so go for a walk, read e-mails or do something else. (MAKE YOUR NEXT AMV!!!!)  When it's done you will have a reasonably-sized avi file. Test it in your favorite player. I use VLC for the AMV shows. YOU DID IT!

(there is no letter 'i')

j. Microsoft MPEG-4 V2 codec is a one-pass encoder that work barely decently. It's not horrible.
In this case, don't run a batch mode (like the two pass / Job Control thing above) we will save it directly in one pass. At Video -> Compression select 'Microsoft mpeg 4 Video Codec V2.' A new box opens up. Select keyframes every '2' seconds, slide 'Compression Control' to the right to at least 96, and slide the Target Bit Rate to between 1700 and 2000 kbps. Click 'OK.'

k. Go to File -> 'Save as AVI' and navigate to where you want to save the new file, Do *NOT* check the teeny Job Control checkbox - make sure it is NOT CHECKED. Then type your file name and click OK. You can watch VirtualDub crunch frame after frame, or go off and do something else.  You get a little progress box which predicts Total time, and shows Elapsed Time. Subtract Elapsed from Total in your head and you can guess how many minute it will take to complete.

THAT SHOULD DO IT - GOOD LUCK.

Comments and corrections welcome!

- G


« Last Edit: July 23, 2008, 05:53:25 am by Prinz Eugen »

Offline LtCommanderRichie

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2008, 12:47:30 pm »
Every time I try and run Job Control it Errors out on both passes. It also won't tell me what my error is.

Edit: Never mind, I figured it out. Just had to name it something else.

Editx2: Okay, what the hell? Every time I go through this and play it the dang thing has no sound and even though the source file has those two letters at the ends of those titles, the compressed version doesn't! What is wrong here?! Never mind that every five seconds random-colored boxes mob the largest thing in the frame...
« Last Edit: July 24, 2008, 01:07:34 pm by LtCommanderRichie »

Offline Prinz Eugen

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2008, 06:52:43 pm »
Quote from: LtCommanderRichie
Every time I go through this and play it the dang thing has no sound and even though the source file has those two letters at the ends of those titles, the compressed version doesn't! What is wrong here?! Never mind that every five seconds random-colored boxes mob the largest thing in the frame...

NASTY CODEC! What software did you use to make the 600MB 'mongo' file?
(Please don't say 'Windows Movie Maker,' because I don't know anything about how WMM works except that it often sabotages you output so that you can only play it on other MS Windows-y things. That was the whole problem with WM9 and WMVs, which is why we don't accept WMVs. Evarrr.)

For sound, export the audio track from your previous program into a single long WAV file. Then in 'Audio' you can select the wav file as your source. Don't worry about audio compression for now. (Though others who are audio compression experts are ENCOURAGED to chip in here...)

- GLL

Offline LtCommanderRichie

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2008, 06:55:36 pm »
... Okay, I won't say it.

But thanks for the tip!

Edit: Er... It says ASF files aren't supported but it's saved as a wma...

Editx2: Okay, yeah, screw this. I give up. I got it into .WAV format, I got the whole thing compressed, and guess what? The sound cuts out about two thirds of the way through. I've been fiddling with this all day. I'm not doing anything more with it.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2008, 08:27:52 pm by LtCommanderRichie »

Offline Prinz Eugen

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #5 on: July 25, 2008, 05:28:07 am »
Sounds like a WMM problem that is hosing up VirtualDub, especially if VrDb runs and actuayl gets part-way through it.

ONE LAST IDEA: When you output from Virtual Dub you can select 'Uncompressed AVI' and it's clean.
So, output the first half as one file, then the second half as another. Then open your first half in VrDb and use File -> Append to tack the second one onto it. You then have two non-Microsoft, clean sources to work with...

- G

Offline LtCommanderRichie

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2008, 03:43:01 pm »
I actually think it's the .WAV file itself that's cutting out, not the whole thing. Betcha I can get this thing done before five!

EDIT: Yep. Just checked, the trial version of this converter I was using only converts 60% of the source file... Frikkin regga shmiggin...
« Last Edit: July 25, 2008, 03:45:22 pm by LtCommanderRichie »

Offline Pie Row Maniac

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2008, 01:40:39 pm »
Just a suggestion, I use RazorLame for all my audio converting. You'll need to download the lame.exe executable (left-click), then copy and paste the directory it's in, in RazorLame's options menu.

99% of the time, works like a charm

Offline Pie Row Maniac

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Re: AMV compression?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2008, 04:20:39 pm »
Almost forgot, can I request to have this placed in Fan Creations instead of General Discussion?