Player (65)
Joined: 4/21/2011
Posts: 232
My playback of x264 rgb is messed up. Does anyone know a good up-to-date guide for setting up a proper decode chain?
Lex
Joined: 6/25/2007
Posts: 732
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
For Windows:
    Uninstall any codec packs you have. Install the 32-bit version of the MPC-HC nightly build from here: http://xhmikosr.1f0.de/mpc-hc/?folder=bXBjLWhj ("x86" exe installer; should look something like "MPC-HC.1.6.6.6474.x86.exe" with possibly a new version number) Install LAV Filters from here: http://code.google.com/p/lavfilters/downloads/list (exe installer; first link) Install madVR from here: http://madshi.net/madVR.zip (extract somewhere permanent and run install.bat to register the filter) Optional for ordered chapter support: Install Haali Media Splitter from here: http://haali.su/mkv/MatroskaSplitter.exe Run MPC-HC. In MPC-HC menus, navigate to "View" -> "Options" -> "Output". Click "madVR". Click "Internal Filters". Right-click in the "Source Filters" box and click "Disable all filters". Do the same in the "Transform Filters" box. Click "External Filters". Click "Add Filter", select "LAV Splitter", and click "OK". Select it in the list it just got added to and click "Set merit:" on the right, then paste "00800004" (without the quotes) into the "Set merit:" box. Click "Add Filter", select "LAV Video Decoder", and click "OK". Select it in the list it just got added to and click "Prefer" on the right. Click "Add Filter", select "LAV Audio Decoder", and click "OK". Select it in the list it just got added to and click "Prefer" on the right. Double-click "LAV Video Decoder" to open its options menu. In the "Output Formats" section, disable all the checkboxes except "RGB32" and "RGB24", then set "RGB Output levels (for YUV -> RGB conversion)" to "PC (0-255)", then set "Dithering Mode" to "Random Dithering". The result should look like this: http://lex.clansfx.co.uk/image/screenshots/lavoutputformats.png. Click "OK". If you installed Haali Media Splitter optionally above:
      Click "Add Filter", select "Haali Media Splitter", and click "OK". Select it in the list it just got added to and click "Prefer" on the right. Double-click "LAV Splitter" to open its options menu. Click the "Input Formats" tab at the top. Scroll down to "matroska" and uncheck it to disable it. Ensure all other formats are enabled. Click "OK".
    Click "OK". Open a video file with the version of MPC-HC you now have installed. In the system tray, right-click the madVR icon (looks like some beige lettering that says "MAD") and click "Edit madVR Settings...". On the left, expand the "rendering" menu and click "general settings". Disable "enable automatic fullscreen exclusive mode". Click "OK".
When that's done, you should have excellent video playback for almost every modern video-related format and codec available. To keep updated, simply check the sites linked at the beginning of this guide and run the newer installers.
Player (65)
Joined: 4/21/2011
Posts: 232
That helped immensely. I don't think I'm the only one confused by such issues, so if we could get that post stickied I think it would be helpful for many.
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11268
Location: RU
Something's wrong with aspect ration correction in general HD script when it comes to Genesis. It upscales the frame twice more then intended I think. 8960x6720. I used to solve that by setting "handheld" to "true", but now I understood that instead of horizontal stretching Genesis need the opposite, as 320x224 is wider than 4:3. But it doesn't work.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Senior Moderator
Joined: 8/4/2005
Posts: 5770
Location: Away
The Genesis doesn't stretch vertical resolution to 4:3.
Warp wrote:
Edit: I think I understand now: It's my avatar, isn't it? It makes me look angry.
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11268
Location: RU
moozooh wrote:
The Genesis doesn't stretch vertical resolution to 4:3.
TV seems to compress the picture horizontally, doesn't it? If it's more narrow than it shall be to match 4:3, it's stretched.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Editor, Emulator Coder, Site Developer
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 1108
Location: Murka
moozooh wrote:
The Genesis doesn't stretch vertical resolution to 4:3.
It might not be exactly 4:3, but the DAR of genesis is about 4:3, and the pixels certainly aren't square.
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11268
Location: RU
natt wrote:
moozooh wrote:
The Genesis doesn't stretch vertical resolution to 4:3.
It might not be exactly 4:3, but the DAR of genesis is about 4:3, and the pixels certainly aren't square.
Don't you happen to know how to fix the script to make Genesis dump 4:3 and of acceptable size?
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
Editor, Emulator Coder, Site Developer
Joined: 5/11/2011
Posts: 1108
Location: Murka
feos wrote:
natt wrote:
moozooh wrote:
The Genesis doesn't stretch vertical resolution to 4:3.
It might not be exactly 4:3, but the DAR of genesis is about 4:3, and the pixels certainly aren't square.
Don't you happen to know how to fix the script to make Genesis dump 4:3 and of acceptable size?
Yes. The best way to HD Genesis is the 8x8 method, combined with instructions to youtube to stretch it to 4:3. For Geneis 320x224, that's:
PointResize (2560, 1792)
Then, in the tags section of the youtube, add:
yt:stretch=4:3
The upload will be smaller, and the "original" derive will look significantly better.
Banned User
Joined: 12/14/2009
Posts: 386
Location: Santiago, Chile
I can use any video editor to encode a high quality video using the x264 codec and everything else? I ask because I have the codec and editor: Camtasia Studio, and I had read, that the codec is lossless RGB.
Emulator Coder, Skilled player (1141)
Joined: 5/1/2010
Posts: 1217
Felipe wrote:
I can use any video editor to encode a high quality video using the x264 codec and everything else?
Depends on video editor and if it can do the operations required (logo insertion, scaling and subtitling) and can export at acceptable quality. This requirement is much harsher if you are using video editor to make downloadable or 512 encodes, as those need to be compressed using x264 and harsh settings. As to if any practicular video editor can do that, I don't know. And x264 is not a codec, it is a compressor for h.264 codec.
Felipe wrote:
I ask because I have the codec and editor: Camtasia Studio, and I had read, that the codec is lossless RGB.
Just be careful here: Don't confuse camstudio codec (CSCD) and camtasia codec (TSCC). Similar names (and even similar codecs), but different things. * Both CSCD and TSCC are RGB and lossless -> Acceptable codecs for dumping. * Both CSCD and TSCC can be uploaded directly to Youtube. * Both CSCD and TSCC can be decoded by FFMpeg. * CSCD is free. * TSCC compresses better of those two. BTW: I have implemented compressors for both of those from scratch.
creaothceann
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 4/7/2005
Posts: 1874
Location: Germany
Ilari wrote:
* CSCD is free. * TSCC compresses better of those two.
But if you're concerned about saving space then FFV1 / Lagarith / MSU / Ut/ ZMBV might be even better.
Player (65)
Joined: 4/21/2011
Posts: 232
Is there a ZMBV vfw floating around somewhere? How do you guys encode into it?
creaothceann
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 4/7/2005
Posts: 1874
Location: Germany
Well the 16/32-bit version is included with DOSBox. Encoding from .avs is of course easy with ConvertToRGB32.
Player (65)
Joined: 4/21/2011
Posts: 232
creaothceann wrote:
Encoding from .avs is of course easy with ConvertToRGB32.
This is where I'm lost. I add converttorgb32 to the end of my .avs and then... pipe it through dosbox???
Guga
He/Him
Joined: 1/17/2012
Posts: 838
Location: Chile
Felipe wrote:
I can use any video editor to encode a high quality video using the x264 codec and everything else? I ask because I have the codec and editor: Camtasia Studio, and I had read, that the codec is lossless RGB.
If you are encoding for the site, just use the script that are already here. They give amazing quality, way better than any video editor I have ever used. If you are encoding for your own videos, well, that should be quite different.
creaothceann
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 4/7/2005
Posts: 1874
Location: Germany
nanogyth wrote:
creaothceann wrote:
Encoding from .avs is of course easy with ConvertToRGB32.
This is where I'm lost. I add converttorgb32 to the end of my .avs and then... pipe it through dosbox???
No, the DOSBox installer creates a subdirectory "Video Codec" where you right-click zmbv.inf and select "Install". This installs the codec as a VFW codec in Windows. You can select it in VirtualDub and in emulators that use the same codec selection box SNES9x uses - but it'll only work with programs that output 16bpp or 32bpp.
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11268
Location: RU
What are the most viewed TASes on youtube? It'd be cool to have a chart somewhere.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
creaothceann
He/Him
Editor
Joined: 4/7/2005
Posts: 1874
Location: Germany
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videos&search_query=tas+speedrun&search_sort=video_view_count Refresh if it doesn't show any, and not all of the results are TASes.
Publisher
Joined: 4/23/2009
Posts: 1283
I like how the 2nd video listed is a parody of Half-Life 1,2, lol
Site Admin, Skilled player (1236)
Joined: 4/17/2010
Posts: 11268
Location: RU
Thanks, but no, I meant pulling the viewcount from our publications' YT streams.
Warning: When making decisions, I try to collect as much data as possible before actually deciding. I try to abstract away and see the principles behind real world events and people's opinions. I try to generalize them and turn into something clear and reusable. I hate depending on unpredictable and having to make lottery guesses. Any problem can be solved by systems thinking and acting.
YaLTeR
He/Him
Joined: 12/2/2011
Posts: 129
Location: Moscow, Russia
I have a question about encoding to YouTube. Things used to be fine but now when I encode exactly the same the video plays perfectly on my computer but when I upload it to YouTube I get no sound at the beginning + desync when it starts.
Emulator Coder, Skilled player (1141)
Joined: 5/1/2010
Posts: 1217
YaLTeR wrote:
I have a question about encoding to YouTube. Things used to be fine but now when I encode exactly the same the video plays perfectly on my computer but when I upload it to YouTube I get no sound at the beginning + desync when it starts.
Youtube broke FLAC support. Use Vorbis at high quality (-q10) instead.
YaLTeR
He/Him
Joined: 12/2/2011
Posts: 129
Location: Moscow, Russia
Ilari wrote:
YaLTeR wrote:
I have a question about encoding to YouTube. Things used to be fine but now when I encode exactly the same the video plays perfectly on my computer but when I upload it to YouTube I get no sound at the beginning + desync when it starts.
Youtube broke FLAC support. Use Vorbis at high quality (-q10) instead.
Thanks! That seem to work for me.
Publisher
Joined: 4/23/2009
Posts: 1283
or, to avoid lossy compression, use WAV XD.