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[Bitwize]

Alrighty, here's my current custom profile for mkv -> wmv-hd encodes:

VC-1 2 pass bit rate VBR (where the average is calculated with a wmv/vc-1 calculator).  keyframe interval=2, size is set to "same as input."

I am able to perfectly fit movies onto a dual layer dvd+r.  And even though I only set the bitrate average in the profile, the encoder goes up or down depending on the content.  So it's nothing like a CBR encode.   Yeah, yeah, I know most people know this.

Bottomline, use VC-1 2 pass bit rate VBR and use a simple calculator to get the average bitrate.  Make sure to set the complexity to fastest=0 in Expression Encoder.

The results are absolutely fantastic and will look and sound as good as any other method out there, if not better.  a 2 hour movie encodes in around 4.5 to 5 hours on my 3800+ amd with 1gb of ram.

[will2learn]

Bitwise:

Downloaded Expression Encoder-used your tutorial as a guide-but I have a evodemux video file of approx.
22 gb from King Kong HD DVD.  Have converted the audio DTS (renamed to ddp) & converted to AC3, wav & wmv using eac3to, tranzcode & wavimux.  Video is in avs script which works in Expression Encoder.  (I used the same files & script on my XP machine using Windows Media Encoder-which took about 50 hours to encode-wasn't satisfied with the quality or with the time to encode.  Free Trial is 180 days if you register.

Not sure about all the settings-but will see-projected file size is about 10gb which is slightly too large for Dual Layer discs but at this stage I am more concerned about the quality & speed etc..  I have converted my video to mkv using Graphedit to dump filter-but for some reason Expression wouldn't let me imput settings from the mkv file I created or more likely I didn't know how to input the settings. I ended up with the bitrate set at 8M (8000K)-the other settings are as suggested in your posts-will see how it turns out.  
If the encode times on the dual-core Dell are like your encode times-I don't care about trying this 3-4 times to get it right-even set at 2-pass VBR as strongly recommended by impimpin 206.

Any suggestions?
It would be great if you expanded your tutorial to include conversion from evo files (audio & video) for use with Expression Encoder.  Thanks for your guide.

[will2learn]

Bitwize:
Received error 1/2 way through the video encode using Expression Encoder-I really should not start encoding projects in the wee hours of the morning-error likely relates to ffdshow filters which I didn't remove as suggested. As well, I was in such a hurry to try Expression Encoder that I didn't realize that the encoder won't publish 5.1 audio which is a shame.  Also, note that final encode of audio/video is completed using Window Media Streamer.  Debating whether I will remove all codecs-filters or merely set up another Vista machine to encode & start over, as I use my media server for too many other things.  Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated.

[scott076q]

Trying this method thanks for posting it I have 4 hours left encoding video in Expression then will have to merge video and audio, the settings I used............


2 Pass 5.1 audio same as guide.

CBR 10000 kbps video 1 pass, video complexity (0 fastest).

The file was originally 4.7GB using these settings for video only the predicted size will be 10GB, I have plenty of storage and plan to stream it so no external hd limits. If successful I may be looking at getting the movie on a dl dvd and tweak some settings.


Will keep you posted.

btw. the same people make  "xp codec package" google it.

Cheers

[scott076q]

results were excellent, just need to get the file size down now.

[cwscws]

As I am not very much into Windows it would be nice if someone could rewrite these instructions so they fit for Windows XP.

I am using Encode360 at the moment but it takes way too long to convert movies.

Please help! Thank you!

[motabox]

I must be blind, but where do you set the smoothness in Expression? I see the compexity slider.

FWIW, my encode of a 7GB animated source mkv took about 12 hours on a Xeon 3GHz (non dual core), and ended up at 4.9GB with the following parameters:

1900x800 res
8000-10000 VBR
2 pass
WMA 9 audio (don't care about 5.1 currently)
Fastest complexity
keyframe 2

Surprisingly it looks fine at the lower file size, although I had another animated one that went from 4GB to 5GB instead of shrinking, go figure.

The time stinks, but the ability to just queue up a bunch and let it rip w/o messing with any scripts is fine by me. That said, for 720p's GOTsent is working 99% for me now anyway, so this is a 1080p deal only.

[scott076q]

FYI vista codec package works on xp fine it is supported see google.

CCCP would not allow me to convert audio with wmenc neither would xp codec pack.

I did a little research and installed vista codec package on xp (codecs are multi platform) now works fine.

This post has been edited by scott076q: Jan 8 2008, 05:41 AM

[FarmerB]

Hi
first post since OLD Xbox days so am  a noob at the video encoding (£60 for Xmas)
giot to point 2 and an stuck

QUOTE(Bitwize @ Nov 6 2007, 03:00 PM)

2) Create an AVS file for the original MKV (with audio) and open that file in WMENicEnc. Uncheck the video option and select Windows Audio Pro 10 with a setting like this: 384 (640)kbps 48kHz 5.1 24 bit CBR. This will depend on the sources audio quality. You should at this point reload the AVS file to make sure it saves out the audio as WMA (bug in WMENicEnc?) NOTE: if your audio track is a DTS file you will have to convert it to AC3 first using something like Tranzcode and BeLight (Besweet).

How do u create the AVS file???   i tried using the orginal mkv  file and then I tried changing the file format to AVS and  then I tried converting a seprerate AC3 to WMA.

Each time I got the same error with  WMENicEnc ( it's too long and gibbery to copy out)

When i don't deselect the video options it tells me it "could not open input file"(mkv).

I have an Athlon XP 2600+ (2.1 ghz) with 1gb ram and tried the stickied method to convert a 7.6 Gb 1080p movie, got 50+ hrs into a 60+ hrs conversion to have windows updater reboot my PC through the night.

[boxer82003]

how do i create the .AVS file

QUOTE(FarmerB @ Jan 10 2008, 04:13 PM)

Hi
first post since OLD Xbox days so am  a noob at the video encoding (£60 for Xmas)
giot to point 2 and an stuck
How do u create the AVS file???   i tried using the orginal mkv  file and then I tried changing the file format to AVS and  then I tried converting a seprerate AC3 to WMA.

Each time I got the same error with  WMENicEnc ( it's too long and gibbery to copy out)

When i don't deselect the video options it tells me it "could not open input file"(mkv).

I have an Athlon XP 2600+ (2.1 ghz) with 1gb ram and tried the stickied method to convert a 7.6 Gb 1080p movie, got 50+ hrs into a 60+ hrs conversion to have windows updater reboot my PC through the night.

i am stuck here to

[Bannedfromlive]

Isnt it easier just to create a .avs script and use the hd movie encoding pack (use google) and that rips the whole movie staright into wmv vc-1 with 5.1 etc.

This seems to much effort for something that is fairly simple...  

[FarmerB]

Hi boxer82003
Glad to see it's not just me. If you have any luck let me know and I'll do the same

[Xen51]

I too can't work out how to create the avs file, I've done the same as above (tried to just change the extension) and get the same error. Any help would be great, thanks  

[Chris__]

Me too! I cannot for the life of me work out how to create an .avs file? Or what the process involves. Im thinking you use notepad?

 Anyone willing a step by step guide for this bit for us newbies? Any help is going to be much appreciated.

Regards,

Chris

[Chris__]

OK for anyone who dosent know, I think I just dicoverd how.

Go to notepad, type in:

DirectShowSource("c:\Path_And_Filename.avi") but obviously change the bit in the middle to where every your video clip is and save the file as say "toughguy.avs"

and I think thats it! Probably completely wrong, but the software is encoding something!