ewitles
Gang -
So far, videos are not my bag - but that might be changing. Currently, I have DVDs from RPM's Top Hits.
My target screen size is standard pop up or pull down screen.
Target crowd is high end weddings and adult social events - not youth parties.
Source media will be ripped DVD music videos, custom created montages, and maybe full length movies.
Assuming I have plenty hard drive space - what is the most cost effective resource friendly CODEC and VDJ friendly in case I wanted to do real time mixing and stuff? What about target bitrate? Or target resolution?
Is having 10 meg/min too much to ask?
Using VOB is not desired.
Thanks a lot!
So far, videos are not my bag - but that might be changing. Currently, I have DVDs from RPM's Top Hits.
My target screen size is standard pop up or pull down screen.
Target crowd is high end weddings and adult social events - not youth parties.
Source media will be ripped DVD music videos, custom created montages, and maybe full length movies.
Assuming I have plenty hard drive space - what is the most cost effective resource friendly CODEC and VDJ friendly in case I wanted to do real time mixing and stuff? What about target bitrate? Or target resolution?
Is having 10 meg/min too much to ask?
Using VOB is not desired.
Thanks a lot!
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 1:35 pm
TexZK
You can also use the MPEG-1 standard, decoded by your video card! This will save A LOT of CPU, and will also decode the audio stream... When you try to load an MPEG-1 video, your CPU won't be touched!!!
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 1:59 pm
ewitles
Does anyone have a favorite encoding tool? I am a little bit familiar w/ MPEG-1 but still need a bit of enlightenment.
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 5:30 pm
TopHouse
By far the BEST encoding tool is TMPGenc 4 Express. And trust me, I've used a LOT. Click my name to the left and take a look at my blog for ripping and encoding tutorials.
I agree with the above statement by TexZK re mpeg1
I agree with the above statement by TexZK re mpeg1
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 5:45 pm
johans
Hi,
I rip my music DVD's with DVD shrink and then convert the VOB file to divx.
Takes quite some time, but result is small file, fast loading in VDJ and good picture quality.
I rip my music DVD's with DVD shrink and then convert the VOB file to divx.
Takes quite some time, but result is small file, fast loading in VDJ and good picture quality.
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 7:50 pm
andytaylor125
Hi ewitles,
I think a lot of people on hear use .vobs. I know i do.
Is it just the large file size that puts you off them? Don't forget, hard drives are pretty cheap now (I think somebody said $104 for a 500Gb one the other day). For me, re-encoding seems to take a lot of time and effort, if you don't have it just right it can look pretty bad. And after all that you've got a video that is lower quality! (BTW, a 500gb drive would give you room for something like 2,000 vob files- easily enough to get started with.)
Anyway, just realised that wasn't what you asked, so as long as you're definately sure you want to compress the videos, maybe mpg1 is the way forward.
I think a lot of people on hear use .vobs. I know i do.
Is it just the large file size that puts you off them? Don't forget, hard drives are pretty cheap now (I think somebody said $104 for a 500Gb one the other day). For me, re-encoding seems to take a lot of time and effort, if you don't have it just right it can look pretty bad. And after all that you've got a video that is lower quality! (BTW, a 500gb drive would give you room for something like 2,000 vob files- easily enough to get started with.)
Anyway, just realised that wasn't what you asked, so as long as you're definately sure you want to compress the videos, maybe mpg1 is the way forward.
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 9:02 pm
Andrew87
Or backwards. DVD Video = MPEG2. MPEG1 is outdated. MPEG-4 ASP codecs are the only codecs worth considering for use with VirtualDJ, e.g. DivX or XviD. MPEG-4 AVC don't work well as the power requirements are too high, e.g. X.264.
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 9:04 pm
TopHouse
Not quite right but here goes, yes VOB is an mpeg 2 variant but is not quite really mpeg2, theres more stuff added. Mpeg1 used in what would be described as it's 'native' resolutions aint great. But re-encoding to mpeg1 'outside' the native, giving higher resolution (I use 720 x 576 PAL Format) gives VERY good results, in fact I'd challenge you to find much difference between one of 'my' mpeg recodes and the original vob. Not only that, but i can honestly say, that my mpeg1's have been looked at by Scott Bucher of promo only, and he agreed they were damn good!
Now the thing is, that divx or mp4 take resources to decode, most good, modern graphics cards can decode mpeg1 natively/onboard. Meaning less of an intensive hit on resources. Now no-one will disagree that VDJ can be a bit greedy, and when your reputation/job may depend on it, I want all the resorces i have working for me!
MP4 being the only codecs worth considering? Think that statement alone lost you some cred.
Now the thing is, that divx or mp4 take resources to decode, most good, modern graphics cards can decode mpeg1 natively/onboard. Meaning less of an intensive hit on resources. Now no-one will disagree that VDJ can be a bit greedy, and when your reputation/job may depend on it, I want all the resorces i have working for me!
MP4 being the only codecs worth considering? Think that statement alone lost you some cred.
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 9:55 pm
DJ Marcel_1
If you want to use mpeg files then use this little ripper.
http://clubdjpro.com/vjripper.php
Inexpesive, simple and it works.
Ripps music dvd's to mpeg 1 or 2 formats.
I used it to ripp dvd's in to mpeg 2 and veiwed them on a 28 inch widescreen hdtv/lcd tv (lot of god-damned letters for a television set)
They look very nice to me.
You can choose your own resolution in your video card settings for your second screen. Play with resolution sizes untill you find one that looks good for your screen - tv/projector; then do some practice mixes to make sure your settings will transfer into mixing.
I wouldn;t worry about the dj software from that link - it's nothing special, but the ripper is spot on
http://clubdjpro.com/vjripper.php
Inexpesive, simple and it works.
Ripps music dvd's to mpeg 1 or 2 formats.
I used it to ripp dvd's in to mpeg 2 and veiwed them on a 28 inch widescreen hdtv/lcd tv (lot of god-damned letters for a television set)
They look very nice to me.
You can choose your own resolution in your video card settings for your second screen. Play with resolution sizes untill you find one that looks good for your screen - tv/projector; then do some practice mixes to make sure your settings will transfer into mixing.
I wouldn;t worry about the dj software from that link - it's nothing special, but the ripper is spot on
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 10:00 pm
Andrew87
MPEG1 < MPEG2 < MPEG4. Why are you reencoding to 720x576? This is not a native resolution. PAL quite correctly has 576 lines of horizontal resolution, therefore you want a vertical resolution of 768. But that means you're introcuding bits which don't actually exist. This is why many people encode to 640x480 (perfect for NTSC). Although perhaps 768x576 will be more appropriate.
Your graphics processing unit can offload some of the decoding task for video playback, if the format is DirectX Video Accelerated, it will not do all the decoding on the gpu. My card (X1600) supports dxva for H.264, VC-1, WMV9, and MPEG-2, that does not include MPEG1. To benefit from this hardware acceleration you need a decoder which supports it as well as the card. Some MPEG1 encoders are also restricted to MP2 audio. Some people would even go as far as to argue that MP3 is bad, so MP2 is not a step in the right direction.
Try a test yourself, decode an XviD file and an MPEG1 file. There is not a large increase in cpu usage.
Your graphics processing unit can offload some of the decoding task for video playback, if the format is DirectX Video Accelerated, it will not do all the decoding on the gpu. My card (X1600) supports dxva for H.264, VC-1, WMV9, and MPEG-2, that does not include MPEG1. To benefit from this hardware acceleration you need a decoder which supports it as well as the card. Some MPEG1 encoders are also restricted to MP2 audio. Some people would even go as far as to argue that MP3 is bad, so MP2 is not a step in the right direction.
Try a test yourself, decode an XviD file and an MPEG1 file. There is not a large increase in cpu usage.
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 10:14 pm
TopHouse
Andrew87 wrote :
MPEG1 < MPEG2 < MPEG4. Why are you reencoding to 720x576? This is not a native resolution. PAL quite correctly has 576 lines of horizontal resolution, therefore you want a vertical resolution of 768.
Fraid not, my PAL music DVD's are in the NATIVE PAL 720 x 576 and I encode them as mpeg1 at the same ratio
see here:-
http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Articles/PALvsNTSC/PALvsNTSC.asp
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 10:56 pm
Andrew87
That doesn't contradict what I said. Add to that the fact that you are playing these files on a computer monitor and outputting to an lcd/plasma screen which all use square pixels, you don't want to be encoding at 720x576. 576 / 3 * 4 != 720.
Posted Tue 21 Aug 07 @ 10:59 pm