Encoding for BetaPlayer Question

DrGonzo2k2 · 12-19-04, 01:57 PM

Hey All,

I've been using Windows Media Encoder to convert DVD's for playback on my x50v, and the results are okay, but I just downloaded BetaPlayer .095 and the Intel 2700 plug-in. What software would be best to encode movies for playback on the Axim using BetaPlayer? I've got Pocket DVD Studio? Is there something better out there?

Thanks,
Dr. Gonzo

psydstudent · 12-19-04, 02:32 PM

I also have Pocket DVD Studio but there is a new FREE program available that encodes directly to XVid or Dvix called FairUse that I'm using now instead of Pocket DVD Studio.

http://www.fairusewizard.com/lang_en/index.html

You'll want to download the Light Edition which is free

Choirguy · 12-19-04, 03:07 PM

I'm convinced that Fair Use is the best option that we have for encoding DVDs...I'm still playing with settings for the best fit for my needs. So far, making the files 250 MB with 80 kps sound works exceptionally well...I've also tried 200 MB at 72 kps, which is less nice. I'm giving the same movie a chance at 180MB, but I think I'll be settling on 250MB.

I simply suggest letting Fair Use do everything itself, save setting the size of the file and the quality of the audio encoding.

For the record (we're discussing this in the Multimedia thread), I've worked with both DVD to Pocket PC and the DVD Shrink followed by PocketDivXEncoder method. Fair Use is slower than either of the other two, but it's free, and I feel the end product is better for the size of the file.

solidunit · 12-19-04, 03:22 PM

havent tried fairuse, but AutoGK (auto gordian knot) works really well with extremely great two pass xvid (or divx) quality. google for autogk and follow the directions

Pared · 12-19-04, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Choirguy

I'm convinced that Fair Use is the best option that we have for encoding DVDs...I'm still playing with settings for the best fit for my needs. So far, making the files 250 MB with 80 kps sound works exceptionally well...I've also tried 200 MB at 72 kps, which is less nice. I'm giving the same movie a chance at 180MB, but I think I'll be settling on 250MB.

I simply suggest letting Fair Use do everything itself, save setting the size of the file and the quality of the audio encoding.

For the record (we're discussing this in the Multimedia thread), I've worked with both DVD to Pocket PC and the DVD Shrink followed by PocketDivXEncoder method. Fair Use is slower than either of the other two, but it's free, and I feel the end product is better for the size of the file.

Are you creating 480x640 movies? I am, and am trying to get good, DVD-like quality.

I have the movies set for a 500-600 mb filesize, but sadly the movie won't play smoothly in Betaplayer with the processor @ Power Save (208). It SLIGHTLY freezes during some scenes, yet BP claims there were no dropped frames.

The lowest I can get it to run perfectly is with a speed of 400 Mhz.... I'm too much of a perfectionist to let this go.

Choirguy · 12-19-04, 06:06 PM

I'm going to post on all future issues with this topic in the multi-media forum...

I'm working with an X30 (i.e. VGA), and I'm not sure what speed the processor is at while I'm watching, but the video is the best I've seen on my PPC as I've attempted to decode them. The quality is even quite good on my Desktop...if viewed small enough (i.e. like a PPC screen).

Dermot81 · 12-19-04, 06:20 PM

Pocket Divx Encoder works really well too:

http://divx.ppccool.com/

Doesn't do DVDs though.

ValkyrieRider · 12-19-04, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Choirguy

I'm convinced that Fair Use is the best option that we have for encoding DVDs...I'm still playing with settings for the best fit for my needs. So far, making the files 250 MB with 80 kps sound works exceptionally well...I've also tried 200 MB at 72 kps, which is less nice. I'm giving the same movie a chance at 180MB, but I think I'll be settling on 250MB.

I simply suggest letting Fair Use do everything itself, save setting the size of the file and the quality of the audio encoding.

I agree on FairUse. It's a bit slower, but it's a one-step process. I played with many file sizes, and I set the file size as follows: 60 minutes @ 200 MB; 90 minutes @ 300 MB; 120 minutes @ 400 MB; 150 minutes @ 500 MB; and so on. I tried a 3 hour movie at 300 MB, and the picture was very blotchy. Tolerable, but why settle for 'tolerable' on a device with the capabilities of the x50v?

And this was at two encoding passes. I have a 1GB SD card, so there's room to play around.

Patiently waiting for the 2GB SD card

dilbert44 · 12-19-04, 10:05 PM

Found this method in another thread. Don't remember which thread. It works great though.

__________________________________________________ ___________

How to Rip DVD to PPC

Need:
• Latest copy of PocketDiviXEncder
• Latest copy of DVDShrink
Both free

I) Rip movie to hard drive
A) Open DVDShrink
B) Click open disk and choose the DVD you want to rip
C) Let it check (takes a minute or two)
D) Go to EDIT – PREFERENCES
E) Switch to OUTPUT FILES tab
F) Un-check the Split VOB files into 1GB size Chunks
G) Rip movie to HD

II) Reformat to smaller size using PocketDiviXEncoder
A) Open PocketDiviXEncoder
B) Choose PDA pre-setup (the second icon, the picture of the PPC)
C) Choose the file to encode
D) Choose the output file name (save as an AVI file
E) Click on the Advanced Options Button.
F) Use the following options
1) Video Quality = 12
2) Audio Quality =1 in the tab next to it choose 44,100, 64 and STEREO
3) Check the following check marks
(a) 2 pass
(b) B-Frames
(c) VHQ
(d) XVID
(e) FPS=23.976
(f) Create and AVI with MP3 Audio stream
G) Click Add to List
H) Click Encode All

Choirguy · 12-19-04, 10:48 PM

I think the key here is that you said "X50v"

I think it's very possible that the VGA aspect of the X50v may make what works well as a 250 MB movie for the X30 into a not so good movie on the higher resolution of the X50.

Or I could be just crazy.

Or both.

Dilbert, that process is both in a user's guide on the front page of Aximsite and in the multimedia threads, by a member named Crash613.

I still believe that FairUse makes a better small movie than do the other ways of encoding...and it is a one step process, much like DVD to Pocket PC

JoeQFlyer · 12-20-04, 02:59 PM

I've used Pocketdivxencoder and AutoG-knot and Nero recode. They all work well. I prefer to set at 500kbs for bitrate and two pass encoding. I'm gonna try testing lower bitrate to see how low I can go before picture start to look bad. above poster wrote bitrate near 80kbs. That must look pretty bad, but I haven't seen it. I'm gonna give that Fairuse software a try.
This site continues to provide the best info around. :approve:

-Q-

ValkyrieRider · 12-20-04, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by JoeQFlyer

above poster wrote bitrate near 80kbs. That must look pretty bad, but I haven't seen it.

I believe that was for sound.

Having used many methods over the last year, using DVD Dectypter and FairUse for encoding Xvid movies is fantastic. To add a little clarity to what I posted before, as a 'rule-of-thumb' I set the file size to 100MB for every 30 minutes of video encoded, and an audio bitrate of 96kbs. On the x50v, the video quality is outstanding using this method, and the audio is good.

Doug

JoeQFlyer · 12-20-04, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by ValkyrieRider

I believe that was for sound.

Having used many methods over the last year, using DVD Dectypter and FairUse for encoding Xvid movies is fantastic. To add a little clarity to what I posted before, as a 'rule-of-thumb' I set the file size to 100MB for every 30 minutes of video encoded, and an audio bitrate of 96kbs. On the x50v, the video quality is outstanding using this method, and the audio is good.

Doug

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

:approve:

-Q-

Fedorov · 12-20-04, 06:33 PM

Having been very disappointed with all the "pay-for" software for movie encoding to my PocketPC I've been using PocketDivXEncoder and it's been really good apart from the odd lip-sync issue sometimes....

But, I read an article about the latest version 2.2 of NERO Recode at http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/New...px?NewsId=11764

Tried it and bought it immediately!!!!

It has profiles for "Portable" devices where it automatically limits the size of the movie to 352x144 maximum.

I've just done 2 movies which were about 2hrs long and it took 40mins for each - add another 10mins on if you do 2-pass - the quality is amazing, and no sound sync problems either!

Really easy, you tick "Fit to Target" and then just enter something like 250mb as max file size and away it goes :)

I admit I've not tried FairUse having only just heard about it - can any compare it with Nero Recode?

Fedorov.

askywalker · 12-20-04, 10:38 PM

I am about to buy a memory card - and am deciding whether a 2 gig card is worthwhile. I checked out a bunch of PPC video content, but it was all tiny and crappy compared to the Matrix trailer on Picard's site.

If I start trying to do this encoding myself, and I want the ABSOLUTE best quality for my x50V and BetaPlayer, regardless of memory size, will I be able to fit a movie on a gig card, or would I need the 2 or 4 gig cards?

I am not really worried about battery life (car kit & extra batteries for flights), and the cost of the memory card doesn't really scare me, since they seem to be getting so cheap... Ever since I watched the Matrix trailer from Picard's site, I have been wanting to use it for good quality movies. I hope someone will start 'renting' high quality movies soon, so I don't have to worry about encoding/recoding/decoding..