GUIDE: New Bad-ass DivX Techniques...

OneThirty8 · Post by **OneThirty8** » Tue Feb 04, 2003 11:02 pm

It's not dead. It's something they do on the side, though, which is why it hasn't been updated in a while. It's a port of their main project, the Pocket DivX player. When v 0.9 of Pocket DivX comes out, I believe that's when we should start anticipating an update.

Automata0 · Post by **Automata0** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 1:46 pm

Here's what went down.
I thought I'd mess around with DivX or something, just to give it another try to see if I could possibly get some sort of quality on my DC.
Anyway, I made three test files of the intro for Ah! My Goddess.
They played fine on my dreamcast, all of them used the mp3pro idea from this thread. However, when I tried to do a full episode of Ah My Goddess, DcDivx locked up. This happened when I used dcdivx beta 3 and 4.
I used Divx 5.0.2, 320x240, Bitrate 800, 23.976 FPS.
I ripped all the audio and converted it to mp3pro format first, than ran it through the vdubmod.
#1 I have no real idea what I'm doing.
#2 I'm curious as to why the smaller clips worked fine.
#3 I just wanna be able to watch my anime

polochon · Post by **polochon** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 2:05 pm

1*
2* That's because the small clips fit into a cache in the main memory of the dreamcast so dcdivx don't have to stream data from the CD
3* A bitrate of 800 is too high if you don't use B-frame (whithout B-frame use 600 max)

Automata0 · Post by **Automata0** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 2:07 pm

Yeah I forgot to mention that I was using B Frames.
I think i might just have to wait till a guide is put out. I know nothing of video and audio stuff, but I would really like to get to a point where I can watch all my divx anime stuff on my dc.

zektor · Post by **zektor** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 9:02 pm

[quote="fatheadpi"]DOn't kno what to tell you about your problem. I just used MMatch to convert the wav file source, then used VDub mod to direct stream it in, and it worked.

As for the whole frame decimation thing, my idea here is to see how far we can push a 30 fps full frame movie. Frame decimation would likely help out, but I'm tired of having to do things like that. I want to see what DCDivx can really do. Once we know how it can react to a 30 fps full frame, we'll know we can sure as hell pull it off with something teleclined or frame decimated.

BTW, I'm experienceing 0 frame droppage right now.

SOFDEC looks better than Gypplay, and can look better than divx, but there are two serious drawbacks:

1. Legality. Creation requires the use of certain Katana Devkit freebies.

2. It's a bit harder to pull off. I'll write a guide on sofdec encoding when I get bored with Divx.[/quote]

Regarding the SofDEC, I would love to see a tutorial...since this is truly a DC native codec. Anyway, I am testing the settings you provided with a few slight twists on "The Shining" and will post my results when the encode is completed. Thanks for the tips man!

fatheadpi · Post by **fatheadpi** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 11:51 pm

SOFDEC's not really a codec per say, just a format. Basically a specialised MPEG stream with MPEG-1 (usually ungodly high bitrate) video and CRI ADX (also stupidly high bitrate) audio. Unless you've got some very serious purpose in mind (like presenting the Dreamcast as the ultimate gaming console to a newly discovered planet) the effort it takes to actually encode sofdec and then make an XDP / DCTV disc with the files on it is not worth it. You might as well stick to Gypplay or DCDivx. If you're serious enough to want sofdec, you might as well cave in and score the badass Dreamcast VidCD player off of http://www.lik-sang.com

Have fun with the tips, and let us know what you come with.

zektor · Post by **zektor** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 12:35 am

Well, at 650Kbps and using the rest of the original settings in the DCDivx for Dummies tutorial, I was able to get a very incredible source playback on the DC, with a hitch. No matter what I did, the audio would sway from the video by a second or two about 45 minutes into any movie I encoded. I tried the MP3pro technique, but with even worse results. Even at a bitrate of 600kbps on the same movie that was playing pretty well, it just played a few frames and then completely stopped, with the audio just constantly repeating. The aggravating part is that the movie played perfectly with the original dummy tutorial settings up until half of the movie. I understand there are a lot of factors here...how the original source was encoded and so on. But, I have so many DivX movies all pretty much encoded at different resolutions, framerates, and audio that it is just too much to do this for much more than just to be able to *test* out DivX on the DC. For sturdy playback I will stick with Gypplay for the forseeable future. By the way, fatheadpi, I tested your Headboot selfboot tool kit in Windows 2000, and althought it flipps past the choices you can pick (because of lack of choice.com) it still works fine and I was able to use it to make a self-bootable Gypplay with a few Southpark episodes. Just figured I'd let you know that it wasn't fully incompatible. Good stuff!

fatheadpi · Post by **fatheadpi** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 12:50 am

I know it's not. I wrote it back during the week long period that I was a member of Boob!, but since no one bothered to test it, I never got around to adding Win2k support. If you wouldn't mind, post a link to it here. 138 is currently working on a new Gypplay boot kit, and I'd like him to see my examples so he can see what I was talking about. I know it's on my site somewhere, although I thought I deleted it along with all the other Gypplay stuff a long time ago.

fatheadpi · Post by **fatheadpi** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 1:12 am

Oh, and a suggestion for audio and freezing problems.

Break your movies into segments, about 25 - 35 minutes each, When DCDIvx loads, just hit start and it should autoplay the whole disc. You'll have to deal with a loading screen or two, but smaller file segments are easier on Divx. Also, you can resume a lot easier, as the FFW function in DCDivx is too slow and unreliable.

Automata0 · Post by **Automata0** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 2:18 pm

My segments are less than 25 minutes long and it still freezes. Maybe I should lower the bitrate from 800 to 600? I dunno, I just wanna get near vcd quality if it's possible.

az_bont · Post by **az_bont** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 3:52 pm

Bitrate isn't the main issue, but rather what encoding techniques you are also making use of - try using Bi-Directional Encoding with 1-Pass, and you should be able to manage a fair bit above 800kbps.

Automata0 · Post by **Automata0** » Wed Feb 12, 2003 1:18 pm

Ok here's exactly what I did.
Encoded with Divx 5.0.2 pro (spyware version but I took care of all that buisness)
Oh My Goddess Episode 1 - 28 minutes long
Resized it to 320x240
Precise Bicubic A=-1.00
1-pass
800kbps
Bi-Directional encoding
Performance/quality: slowest
AUDIO:
I used vdubmod and converted all the audio to mp3pro then put it back in.
CBR Mp3 Audio.
Conclusion: It runs jerky as hell on my 1.4 ghz athlon so I'm not even going to waste a cd with it's pitiful presence.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Wed Feb 12, 2003 3:21 pm

is there a way i can use Bi-Directional encoding, without having spy-ware or buying anything?

Also I am encoding some Anime, and my subs get cut off is there a way I can add some black bars on the bottom so i can read them?

az_bont · Post by **az_bont** » Wed Feb 12, 2003 4:00 pm

I don't see why those settings won't work, Automata0 - maybe you should try a low-bitrate standard MP3, around 22000Hz 40kbps Mono. And Inu_Sess__, you need to either pay or get the spyware version if you want to obtain DivX 5.0.2 Pro LEGALLY

. If you want your subtitles to show up, you'll have to figure out the aspect ratio of your original and encode to the same, something like 320x???. If it's standard widescreen then try 320x180.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Wed Feb 12, 2003 4:11 pm

my original is 640 by 480 and i tired both 320x240 and 352x240 and th subs still got cut off. I also tied 480x320, and decimated the framerate by 2 and it ran ok, and had purple artifacts everynow and then but played all the way through, with 32000khz, 64kbs mono. Subs were still cut off though.

Mr. Superbad · Post by **Mr. Superbad** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 4:49 am

Automata0 wrote:Conclusion: It runs jerky as hell on my 1.4 ghz athlon so I'm not even going to waste a cd with it's pitiful presence.

With the settings you have, you should be able to pull it off easily. Are you using DcDivx beta 3 or 4? beta 4 has been extremely buggy and unreliable for me.

Mr. Superbad · Post by **Mr. Superbad** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 4:52 am

Inu_Sess__ wrote:my original is 640 by 480 and i tired both 320x240 and 352x240 and th subs still got cut off. I also tied 480x320, and decimated the framerate by 2 and it ran ok, and had purple artifacts everynow and then but played all the way through, with 32000khz, 64kbs mono. Subs were still cut off though.

Maybe there is a problem with the overscan on your tv?

DeadBlackSky · Post by **DeadBlackSky** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 12:53 pm

not sure if this will help out but try using 300 bitrate instead of the higher 600 - 800 since its animation and not live action.

az_bont · Post by **az_bont** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 1:20 pm

I don't suppose your subtitles are loaded from an external file, are they?

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 2:30 pm

nope, they are on the video it self. I am going to try to make the screen res bigger, but put the video file 352x240 in side a higher res which will result in a small black border around the image.

GUIDE: New Bad-ass DivX Techniques...

So uh