Having problems with Pocket MVP - HELP!!

[mnealtx]

Ok, I'm trying to encode a DVD I own and I don't know if I'M messing up or if it's something with Pocket MVP.

I have an IPAQ 2215 and I'm using Gordian Knot and the guides from Doom9 - my problem is that PMVP cant pick up the sound!

Regardless of how I work with the sound, it comes up with the "incompatible sound format" when I load the movie. It plays fine on the DIVX player on the desktop. I've got a few video quality questions too, but they can wait for now....

The only way that GK seems to be able to "pick up" the sound and mux it into the file is if I select "demux to WAV" in DVD2AVI. Same thing happens with either DIVX 3 or 5. I've tried robot4rip, and it crashes for some unknown reason when finalizing the project.

Is is something that I'm doing wrong, or do I need to get a different DIVX player?

[Pat Logsdon]

Are you using VirtualDub on the file that Gordian Knot produces? If not, I'd try that. Save the audio as a WAV file, and then convert it to MP3 in the audio options. Assuming that the original file from GK is good, you should be able to play the file that VDub produces on your 2215.

Good luck!

[mnealtx]

Hi Pat,

I'm posting from my work computer, so I don't have GK here in front of me, so if my references are a bit confused, please forgive me.

Virtualdub is the one that comes up with the "input/output video" boxes when encoding, right? I end up unchecking them because it never shows any video anyway...

Here's what I've tried so far -
Create the .d2v file using "mux all streams" and select "1x VBR MP3" in GK, then select "just mux" in the encoder that GK uses - log file for the job showed something like "audio stream could not be calculated - maybe you can add it later". No audio in MVP.

.d2v file using "save audio as WAV", select "1x VBR MP3" in GK, then select CBR MP3 in the encoder app at 24k, encoder saw the audio according to log file, but still unusable in MVP - I also noticed a lot of pixellation in dark areas in the video after getting the audio to mux in.

I'm cosidering trying to select "no audio" in the bitrate tab of GK, and then adding the audio file in the encoding tab as an MP3 - it's about the only thing I haven't tried, I think.

Any advice at this point would be GREATLY appreciated.

[Pat Logsdon]

Actually, VirtualDub is a separate program - you can get it here. (http://www.virtualdub.org/)

It might be easier (and definitely faster) if you just run your .avi file through this program. (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=25769&start=0) In ~15 minutes, you should have a file that you can play on your PPC, complete with sound. :way to go:

[mnealtx]

Thanks, Pat. I've just grabbed VD, although I though it was one of the included files in GK? I'll certainly give it a try. I also noted another thread (that, of course, I can't find now) that mentioned making sure that you turn off ALL the bidirectional encoding and the like in the DIVX advanced profile setup. I currently have the bidirectional encoding set up, so I'm going to try that as well.

At least now I have a few more ideas to go by... I'm hoping I won't have to d/l Headach3 to take care of the audio, but.... <shrug>

[mnealtx]

Well, a bit of an update -

Used Headache for the sound and changed to virtualdub instead of virtualdubmon.

Settings - DIVX5 with no profile selected, all boxes unchecked, resize filter to 320 x 196 (for ratio) w/bicubic compression, rotate 90 deg left, 24 khz mono wav. Using pocketmatrix guide for dixv.

Results: Sound, but no vid!! arghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Pocket MVP gives me the "invalid video format". I'm going to try to re-enable the bidirectional encoding, and if that doesn't work, pull the 4.12 DIVX codecs and try those.

[Pat Logsdon]

Before you go any further, I'd suggest that you try the following:

First, use AutoGordian Knot (http://len0xmirror1.serveftp.net/~len0x/tutorial/AutoGK.html) on the DVD you have. Then run the final .avi file through PocketDivXEncoder. (http://divx.ppccool.com/langue.php?lang=EN&PHPSESSID=a9358f14973ad9fe8ea310f59074f316) It should be much quicker and easier than the process you're going through right now. :mrgreen:

[mnealtx]

I'll have to check those out too, thanks - I'm (somewhat) enjoying messing with the various settings and seeing what change they make in quality.

I did think of a couple more questions, though. DVD2AVI shows the initial file as being at 29 fps, NTSC, interlaced. Do ALL NTSC feeds have to have IVTC ran on them? If I do "force film" per the guide does it still have to have IVTC? What about the deinterlace filters in virtualdub, do they work for this?

The IVTC guide makes my brain hurt!! :devilboy:

As always, thanks in advance for any/all advice...

[mnealtx]

Ok, 4.12 codecs did the trick - I now have vid and sound.

I've been working with the intro scene to Babylon 5 - The Beginning. There are scenes where individuals are are talking against a dark background, and then a couple of space battle scenes. I get pixellation in the dark areas, and "bloom" or "glare" around explosions in the battle scenes.

Does anyone have suggestions for filters to use to reduce these artifacts?

I'm encoding at 240 bps video, 320 x 192, bicubic, rotated 90 left. Sound is at 16k mono. All other settings are per the pocketmatrix guide.

TIA for any advice/suggestions.

[maikii]

Before you go any further, I'd suggest that you try the following:

First, use AutoGordian Knot (http://len0xmirror1.serveftp.net/~len0x/tutorial/AutoGK.html) on the DVD you have. Then run the final .avi file through PocketDivXEncoder. (http://divx.ppccool.com/langue.php?lang=EN&PHPSESSID=a9358f14973ad9fe8ea310f59074f316) It should be much quicker and easier than the process you're going through right now. :mrgreen:

I'm not familiar with Pocket DIVX Encoder (is it also freeware?), but I've done the whole process (DVD to PPC Movie) with AutoGK.

Under Advanced Settings in AUtoGK, set the width to "fixed", "320". (Which automatically makes the length 240.) In the compression settings, where you can set to 2 CDs, 1 CD, etc., choose "Custom" instead, where iit asks for "desired size" (or something like that) put in 200 MB, the average size of a 2 hour PPC movie. Choose 192 MP3 for the audio.

I got good PPC video that way, which did end up around 200 MB for a two hour movie.

AutoGK uses VirtualDUb as part of its process, so I'm not sure about someone's recommendation here about using the product afterwards. Repeated re-renderings are not good for video. Better to compress it how you want it the first time.

[mnealtx]

maikii,

Thanks for the info - I'm following the pocketmatrix guide for converting the movie over, and at least now I'm getting sound and vid. My problem now what the flare lens (at least I think that's what it's called) and pixellation in the dark areas.

I tried all the different settings for precise bicubic with and without the native adaptive IVTC in virtualdub, and it made no difference. I also tried different kps settings for the video with no change.

I hate the fact that I may have to live with these artifacts, but it looks like that's the reality of it, at least until I find more information about this kind of thing.

The search continues..... ;)