VOB, D2V, & AVS Shortcuts...

[MindBug]

Ok I originally posted this is "General AMV" but have not really recieved any replies that pertain to the question being asked. More or less just people bragging that they can code, or that they have a gig of RAM.. In other words, nothing usefull...

The question is this... I'm working off A&E's technical guide to everything audio & video. [I have ripped the VOB's to my hard drive, and used DVD2AVI to create a D2V project file, that I created an AVIsynth (AVS) script for so I can load it into Premiere.]

I am editing down the VOB in premiere to cut the clips I want out of it. I tried using a program called "mpeg2cut" which chops up the VOB files [although it seemed very unaccurate for cutting them - Not frame accurate]... but then it occured to me that I will have to make a D2V project for each VOB, and an AVS script for each D2V file. Basically what I am wondering is, "is there an easier/faster way of doing this". I would like to hear other people's opinions that use AVIsynth to edit VOBs in premiere as to how they do things and what the find is the most organized way. I do not want to have to create a million project files or scripts to handle the video as it seems like that will take forever. Does anyone out there have suggestions of how to take out an extra step, or a third party program that can handle a queue for processing D2V project files, and creating AVS scripts.

As things are now, I am currently just creating a D2V file for each DVD I ripp to my hard drive. [1 D2V file per 4-5 VOB files] Then creating my AVS script, and loading the whole thing into premiere to edit down and sync. (There has got to be an easier way than doing this, and if it requires cutting the VOB into pieces, is there a program out there more accurate than MPEG2cut?)

This question strictly pertains to the steps and methods outlined in A&E's technical guide. I am not trying to get advice for other methods of creating AMV's. Please do not try to post a response if you have not read through this guide, as it will be off topic. Thanks...

-MindBug-

[NicholasDWolfwood]

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 1:30 pm Post subject:

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I use the bait and switch method.

1) Decrypt the DVDs I'll need (usually 3-4 depending on source)
2) Make 1 (ONE) D2V file per DVD (usually 4-5 VOBs per DVD)
3) Make an AVS script for each D2V

Code: Select all

MPEG2Source("C:\Trigun\Disk 1\vts_01.d2v") 
Telecide() 
Decimate(5) 
AssumeFPS(24)

That was for my first DVD of Trigun.

4) Take each AVS into Virtualdub and encode to a quality 1 MJPEG AVI. (Batch for multiple DVDs, done while sleeping)
5) Edit
6) Switch the MJPEGs with the AVS files
7) Export to HuffYUV YUY2 or RGB from Premiere, uncompressed audio
8) Change the FPS to 23.976fps
9) Encode XviD/SBC two-pass in Virtualdub/Nandub (VDub if XviD, Nandub if SBC DivX 3.11)

[MindBug]

Hey thanks man, first good post with some real insight. Have you had any problems with audio sync using this method with the "AssumeFPS(24)" line once you have "Change'd the FPS to 23.976fps". If so were you able to correct this with "BeSweet" or another 3rd party program. Thanks

-MindBug-

[MindBug]

but I'm too lazy to make all those text files. :p

Ahmen to that!! I think the next 2 video tools people create should be a way to batch process a bunch of VOB's to create D2V files. [So my PC can do this while I sleep ;P] And also a utility that you can specify the general context of your AVS script, and then just have the program auto detect the D2V file names in a given directory and add each file name to each AVS script it creates. It just seems like a waste of time to have to do this by hand...

-MindBug-

[the Black Monarch]

7) Export to HuffYUV YUY2 or RGB from Premiere, uncompressed audio

Or you could export the final distro version of your video from Premiere. Exporting from Premiere in Huffy, importing to Vdub, and re-encoding with Vdub uses a lot more time and hard drive space, and provides very little benefit.

8) Change the FPS to 23.976fps

This is a completely unnecessary step. There's nothing wrong with 24 FPS.

9) Encode XviD/SBC two-pass in Virtualdub/Nandub (VDub if XviD, Nandub if SBC DivX 3.11)

Some people, such as myself, find DivX 5 to be both easier to use and higher quality than XviD. I personally like setting a specific bitrate instead of an approximate final filesize, and XviD's bitrate-curving system just doesn't make any sense (automatic minimum relative quality, anyone?)

[FurryCurry]

I'd suggest using subclips in Premiere.

Make the number of d2v files and avs scripts you are comfortable with and can stand making (I usually go one per vob, for decent control while seeking)

Import those avs scripts into Premiere, open one up, and seek to a scene you want to use, and set in/out points. Now go to the Edit menu, and select Duplicate Clip. Name the clip something that makes sense to you, and save. Note that this does not actually make a copy of the segment you had selected, but merely creates a pointer to that segment of the larger, longer clip it was a part of. Repeat as necessary for that avs file and then the others, setting in/out points for each clip you think you might use, and saving as a dupe. Drag all those subclips into a new bin, and you're in business.

You can also set in and out points within the subclips themselves, so you don't have to get it exactly perfect the first time.
I haven't tried this yet, but I suspect that you can even make subclips of subclips.

[NicholasDWolfwood]

Or you could export the final distro version of your video from Premiere. Exporting from Premiere in Huffy, importing to Vdub, and re-encoding with Vdub uses a lot more time and hard drive space, and provides very little benefit.

I have hard drive space to spare. (44GB free right now on my 120GB HD.)
Oh yeah, and Premiere's exporting utility for XviD export sucks.

This is a completely unnecessary step. There's nothing wrong with 24 FPS.

If you want it to be NTSC compliant there's something wrong with it.

Some people, such as myself, find DivX 5 to be both easier to use and higher quality than XviD. I personally like setting a specific bitrate instead of an approximate final filesize, and XviD's bitrate-curving system just doesn't make any sense (automatic minimum relative quality, anyone?)

DivX 5 is spyware, XviD is not. XviD is higher quality, DivX 5 is not. With XviD's "approximate final filesize" it's much easier because you can make say a 20MB video portion (yes, the "approximate final filesize" is only for video, audio is not included in the size) instead of having a 50MB DivX video file.

[trythil]

but I'm too lazy to make all those text files. :p

Ahmen to that!! I think the next 2 video tools people create should be a way to batch process a bunch of VOB's to create D2V files. [So my PC can do this while I sleep ;P] And also a utility that you can specify the general context of your AVS script, and then just have the program auto detect the D2V file names in a given directory and add each file name to each AVS script it creates. It just seems like a waste of time to have to do this by hand...

-MindBug-

If DVD2AVI had a few VBScript hooks, you'd have a solution right there.../me wonders if anyone has contacts with the DVD2AVI author *hint hint*

...and yes, I know you don't script, but a scripting language (any language!) is not hard to learn

Or you could export the final distro version of your video from Premiere. Exporting from Premiere in Huffy, importing to Vdub, and re-encoding with Vdub uses a lot more time and hard drive space, and provides very little benefit.

The additional benefit of having a HuffYUV (or any sort of master file that you don't have to re-render) is that you can target multiple outputs simultaneously with very little effort. For example, I can create an MPEG-2 file for conventions and XViD, MPEG-1, and DivX encodes for online distribution from a progressive uncompressed master file, in far less time than it would take for me to re-render a project timeline four times.

Some people, such as myself, find DivX 5 to be both easier to use and higher quality than XviD. I personally like setting a specific bitrate instead of an approximate final filesize, and XviD's bitrate-curving system just doesn't make any sense (automatic minimum relative quality, anyone?)

"automatic minimum relative quality": It's explained in the codec documentation -- the option allows you to set just how much influence that approximate final file-size number has on the minimum encode quality.

You've already demonstrated twice that you don't know how to use XViD, and you shouldn't say a tool is inferior to some other tool until you know how to use it

[the Black Monarch]

If you want it to be NTSC compliant there's something wrong with it.

To hell with NTSC, and to hell with its "tenth of a percent" bullshit.

DivX 5 is spyware, XviD is not.

With about 30 seconds of effort, DivX isn't either.

XviD is higher quality, DivX 5 is not.

Using VirtualDub in conjunction with Koepi's latest build and the exact settings described in The Guides, my XviD encodes STILL looked worse than my DivX encodes, albeit not very noticeably.

With XviD's "approximate final filesize" it's much easier because you can make say a 20MB video portion (yes, the "approximate final filesize" is only for video, audio is not included in the size) instead of having a 50MB DivX video file.

And the 50MB DivX file will look a hell of a lot better than your 20MB XviD file. However, if I want to encode something at precisely 1.5 megabits per second, Xvid kind of screws me in the butt, doesn't it?

You've already demonstrated twice that you don't know how to use XViD, and you shouldn't say a tool is inferior to some other tool until you know how to use it

I've learned since then

[trythil]

If you want it to be NTSC compliant there's something wrong with it.

To hell with NTSC, and to hell with its "tenth of a percent" bullshit.

Yes, ignore a major standard for displaying video on a lot of display devices...

And the 50MB DivX file will look a hell of a lot better than your 20MB XviD file. However, if I want to encode something at precisely 1.5 megabits per second, Xvid kind of screws me in the butt, doesn't it?

There is no reason to encode at a constant bitrate unless you're streaming or doing VCDs, and you can't do either with AVIs anyway. (Even then, VBR streaming isn't impossible.)