Topic: Best Video Encoder (smaller size, better quality)

[medwatt]

Only recently I began to see 300 MB movies with exceptionally good quality even better than the 700 mb XVID movies with a larger resolution.
So I came across the software responsible: MeGui.
It is a freeware software which can encode to most importantly two formats, mp4 and mkv. I downloaded an episode for prison break which I was not able to record. It was in avi format encoded by xvid. The quality was not that bad and the size was 350 MB. Now that I have started using MeGui, I encoded an episode directly from the DVD. I specified the size to 100 MB, made the output resolution to 900*480 and saved it as mp4.
I was so surprised to see the quality being so good for such a small size as compared to the original.

My main point in writing all this is for those highlight makers to start using it inorder for them to get smaller video sizes making it easier for them to upload and easier for others to download.

For Those Who Don't Know Yet

Software Requirements

1. MeGui - Download (http://sourceforge.net/projects/megui/)
Download and Instal.

2. Avisynth 2.5.8 - Download (http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/avisynth2/AviSynth%202.5/AviSynth%202.5.8/Avisynth_258.exe)
Download and Instal.

3. Nero Audio Codecs - Download (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RWKL54U8)
Download - There are three files. Copy and paste them in "C:\Program Files\megui" folder or whatever drive you're using.

4. Encoding Profiles - Download (http://rapidshare.com/files/258935016/allprofiles.rar.html)
Download, extract and copy the folder itself to C:\Program Files\megui..

5. Combined Community Codec Pack - Download (http://www.free-codecs.com/Combined_Community_Codec_Pack_download.htm)
Download and instal. This consists of all the necessary mkv codecs and splitters.

You're done dowloading. Don't worry about the sizes of these files. They are very small.

Launching

Open MeGui. If you're using "Windows Xp" and you don't usually update your system, then you won't be having "Microsoft Net Framework". So you will receive an error message and the program will not load. Therefore you need to download Microsoft Net Framework. Version .2 will do and it's only about 14 MB.

The program will launch and you'll be asked to update (if you're connected to the internet). Actually it's not updating you're doing, you're downloading the files necessary for the encoding process. So you MUST update.



You'll see something like this:



To input the video you want to encode depends on the format of the video. If your highlight clip is in .avi or .mp4 format you go: Tools-AVS Script Crator or press directly "Ctrl+R". For me I do all the editing in the original .vob lossless format to maintain the original quality. If your clip is .vob or .mpg/.mpeg press directly   Ctrl+F2.
A window will pop-up and you'll input the video. When the video has been loaded you click on "Queue"
Go to main MeGui:



and choose "Queue" and at the bottom you press start.
A window will come up with a preview of your clip and:



Do whatever you like with the resolution and when you're done click on "save".

You'll go back to the original MeGui:



where you can change to the settings you want or you can leave it as it is for a start. Click on "Auto Encode" at the bottom right corner to see this:



Here you'll choose whatever format you want, video size, bitrate etc. For me I choose mp4 file format because it's more widely supported than mkv. As for the size, it depends on the the quality of your video clip. Here you can judge better. If you've recorded from a HD channel, then you quality must be very good so you can send you bitrate to down to 400-500 and observe the output. Thats why I usually start with a 20sec part of the highlight to see the output quickly rather than waiting for the whole lenght to finish. When you're done, click again on "Queue", go to "Queue" in the main window and select start and wait which is the most boring part.

If you have any problem. Just let me know.

[carletto]

I've just found a valid alternative , HandBrake , I think it's easier to use than MeGui

You can download it at:

http://handbrake.fr/?article=download

[MsTree]

This is really handy info, thanks! 

I'm currently using DVDfab to rip and encode but I would like better quality in smaller files but the more I reduce the various settings (bitrate, resolution etc) the more difficult it is to see the ball.
I've just got Sky Sports and I'm experimenting with different software for ripping, I will give it a go and report back! Thanks again! 

[medwatt]

What I do to get the best possible quality before encoding is to rip the video into lossless .vob format. This is just like copying the video directly from the DVD directly to your hard disk. The software I use is Aimersoft DVD Ripper. Now that I have the video I need next to edit it. Here you can use Avidemux but using this freeware has some disadvantages. When you have finished cutting and you save it as lossless mpg, you see sowhat freezing when another clip begins. To prevent this I use a simple .vob editor like VideoREDO. Then I encode with MeGui.

[Aces]

it's not working well for me
i don't find slow-hq settings and it displays error with every x.264 settings profile

[medwatt]

You have to update the software to download the encoders otherwise how will it encode and hence the error message.

[medwatt]

If you've done everything correctly then you must see this:



These are the files you have downloaded through updating:



This is the AviSynth plugin folder after you've updated:

[Aces]

first pic:
i don't see dgcode.dll
second pic:
i have 41 files with 38.3 mb
third pic:
i have 77 files with 8.68 mb

[medwatt]

I've uploaded DGdecode. Download it and paste it in that folder and see if it works.
http://www.mediafire.com/?yyzyeoymkon

[Aces]

tried it but error again

[medwatt]

one last try ok!
Look in the update_cashe folder. There's a file called mkvtoolnix-unicode-2.9.7. Copy it and paste it in this folder C:\Program Files\megui\tools\mkvmerge. Extract the zip there and when then instal it changing its directory to the same folder so that the files installation files will be present there and when you want to encode you change from mp4 to mkv and see.

Use this software and record what the error is, convert it to a small file and upload it so that I might be able to see where the error is.

http://www.mediafire.com/?grzjjuummjz

[Aces]

i recorded it
http://www.mediafire.com/?ramxolozwdz
it says unrecognized option no mbtree or something like that in the log

[medwatt]

Even your problem is too big (21 MB). I'm downloading it. You know whats the time here. It's 4:33 am now. I uploaded the cincinnati final highlight. Its 40 MB with decent quality. Actually its almost the same as the original recorded version. When MeGui starts working for you, I hope you'll be able to make the highlight of the Federer Djokovic US Open final match which someone posted in HD. When watching a match in HD Quality, you feel like you're right in the stadium. Actually my download speed is rot, about 20kb/sec at its best so it'll take me ages to download a full match so I'm restricted only to highlights. And my upload speed is just hell. It took me good 4 hours to upload 40 MB.

[medwatt]

I've uploaded a video of what you need to do. I hope it will solve your problem. Here's the link: http://www.mediafire.com/?ymrzmdwtozo

And also download this: http://www.mediafire.com/?nnznfnrijqg . You'll find the instructions inside.

If the problem continues, then the last thing to do is to unistal your MeGui and instal the one I use: http://www.mediafire.com/?oym1y3zg3hj

If the symptoms persist go seek a doctor. I didnt know it was so difficult to get it working.

[Aces]

nothing's working

[Aces]

hey hey
it finally worked
i don't know how
it seems that i didn't try the last solution
thanks you very much
and sorry for disturbance

[medwatt]

hey hey
it finally worked
i don't know how
it seems that i didn't try the last solution
thanks you very much
and sorry for disturbance

Thank you Lord !