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Video encoding for free - 5 programs compared
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The following comments relate to this news article:
article published on 4 December, 2009
In the past decade free video tools ranging from encoders to editors and authoring software have made a major mark on the digital video landscape. At one time those tools were primarily used by the hardcore power users willing to put in the hours necessary to grasp the technical details intimately.
More recently successors to tools like IfoEdit, DVD2SVCD, Gordian Knot and AutoGK have ... [ read the full article ]
Please read the original article before posting your comments.
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AfterDawn Addict
1 product review
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4. December 2009 @ 07:14 |
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How about Avidemux? I think it should've made it in the comparison, unless there is some criteria based on which these software were used that didn't make Avidemux a qualifier.
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Newbie
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4. December 2009 @ 09:16 |
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Staff Member
2 product reviews
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4. December 2009 @ 09:22 |
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Originally posted by cyprusrom:
How about Avidemux? I think it should've made it in the comparison, unless there is some criteria based on which these software were used that didn't make Avidemux a qualifier.
Nothing I can see right off hand that would disqualify it. I'll have to play around with it when I get some time to find out for sure.
Originally posted by ElfWizard:
I also like Kino and MediaCoder.
I'm using Avidemux and Kino at Ubuntu and Mediacoder at Windows.
Greets!!! :-)
I'll have to give Mediacoder a try as well. It looks like we're well on our way to another comparison.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 4. December 2009 @ 09:26
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Member
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4. December 2009 @ 09:30 |
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You missed the best one of all, MPEG Streamclip.
I couldn't live without it.
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Staff Member
2 product reviews
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4. December 2009 @ 09:35 |
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Originally posted by robertmro:
You missed the best one of all, MPEG Streamclip.
I couldn't live without it.
Just visited the website. Will put it on the list to consider for round 2.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 4. December 2009 @ 09:41
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waddy
Newbie
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4. December 2009 @ 10:56 |
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I've used Super and Handbrake but nothing compares to FormatFactory. FF is fast, decodes in real time. Handbrake took forever. I use it to convert the .tsi output from my Hauppauge HD PVR to .divx. It's the only one that didn't choke on the files and is way faster than the others that I've used. It's free too! Give it a test drive. TIP: You have to use the optional system decoder for the audio in divx, otherwise it's out of sync. If you're not a techie, you simply tell FF what device you have and it will choose the right format. It's the best, by far.
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Member
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4. December 2009 @ 15:13 |
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My personal favorite is still xvid4psp. The program is so versatile on both inputs and outputs it is all I ever use for most anything I need to do. The output quality is great and the interface is great for beginners and advanced users alike.
http://www.winnydows.com/
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Junior Member
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4. December 2009 @ 17:00 |
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I just found WinFF and tried it. It seems to work great on what I've thrown at it.
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AfterDawn Addict
1 product review
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4. December 2009 @ 17:34 |
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Winff seems to have just basic encoding functions, no editing, muxing/demuxing.Does it support subtitles?
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tmb5fan
Newbie
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4. December 2009 @ 18:05 |
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I would like to give another prop to MediaCoder. I use it to put my DVD's on my iPod and it has been great.
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xnonsuchx
Senior Member
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4. December 2009 @ 22:42 |
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Are there any decent tools out there for converting/demnuxing stupid Windows 7 .wtv file w/o converting to .dvr-ms first?
I kinda like SUPER, but it's kinda lacking in the customization dept. It also does odd things like will allow demuxing an HD .dvr-ms file, but cannot convert directly from that to another file w/o bad audio or totally screwed up synchronization.
I also have Handbrake and Format Factory, but again, some do certain things well, but are lacking in other areas. Why can't anyone make a program that does EVERYTHING right? ;-)
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jeffers
Newbie
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5. December 2009 @ 05:26 |
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I specifically need to adjust the audio sync mainly on .mkv files. Can all of these do this and if so which is the most straightforward?
Thanks
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Staff Member
2 product reviews
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5. December 2009 @ 06:13 |
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Originally posted by jeffers:
I specifically need to adjust the audio sync mainly on .mkv files. Can all of these do this and if so which is the most straightforward?
Thanks
I would just use mkvmerge (from mkvtoolnix for that. Just load your mkv file as the source, highlight the audio track, select the 'Format specific options' tab, and set the new delay. Then re-mux to create the new MKV file. You could do the same thing with the Matroska muxer in MeGUI.
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jeffers
Newbie
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5. December 2009 @ 06:36 |
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Quote:
Originally posted by jeffers:
I specifically need to adjust the audio sync mainly on .mkv files. Can all of these do this and if so which is the most straightforward?
Thanks
I would just use mkvmerge (from mkvtoolnix for that. Just load your mkv file as the source, highlight the audio track, select the 'Format specific options' tab, and set the new delay. Then re-mux to create the new MKV file. You could do the same thing with the Matroska muxer in MeGUI.
You're a star thanks. Is there any way to check the delay required or is it a case of trial and error? Can you grab say a 30 second section, re-mux that and see if the delay is correct rather than having to re-mux the whole thing multiple times?
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xnonsuchx
Senior Member
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5. December 2009 @ 06:45 |
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Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by jeffers:
I specifically need to adjust the audio sync mainly on .mkv files. Can all of these do this and if so which is the most straightforward?
Thanks
I would just use mkvmerge (from mkvtoolnix for that. Just load your mkv file as the source, highlight the audio track, select the 'Format specific options' tab, and set the new delay. Then re-mux to create the new MKV file. You could do the same thing with the Matroska muxer in MeGUI.
You're a star thanks. Is there any way to check the delay required or is it a case of trial and error? Can you grab say a 30 second section, re-mux that and see if the delay is correct rather than having to re-mux the whole thing multiple times?
Any time audio/video sync is off, there's really no way to auto-correct it and requires manual adjustment.
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AfterDawn Addict
1 product review
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5. December 2009 @ 09:10 |
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Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by jeffers:
I specifically need to adjust the audio sync mainly on .mkv files. Can all of these do this and if so which is the most straightforward?
Thanks
I would just use mkvmerge (from mkvtoolnix for that. Just load your mkv file as the source, highlight the audio track, select the 'Format specific options' tab, and set the new delay. Then re-mux to create the new MKV file. You could do the same thing with the Matroska muxer in MeGUI.
You're a star thanks. Is there any way to check the delay required or is it a case of trial and error? Can you grab say a 30 second section, re-mux that and see if the delay is correct rather than having to re-mux the whole thing multiple times?
You can play the video with VLC, and adjust the audio/video synchronization. When you find the proper value, take that in mkvmerge. The muxing only takes about a couple of minutes, I wouldn't worry if you don't get it right first time. This should work, if the delay is not progressive...then it becomes a mess...
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Molinari
Newbie
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5. December 2009 @ 12:12 |
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scum101
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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5. December 2009 @ 12:21 |
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Lots of things aren't on the guide.. command line ffmpeg and transcode for starters, then theres IVC and mencoder. I could go on and on listing heaps of freeware tools for modifying video formats, but what's the point? .. It's just interesting that there are a lot of payware things and only a couple of freeware items, and all are very windoze only by description (which isn't the case as at least a few have mac/linux ports or are FOSS applications which have been ported to the other proprietary platform... avidemux is the swiss army knife of video in the same way audacity is the swiss army knife of audio.. together the pair make a very powerful if a little basic full video creation suite.
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xnonsuchx
Senior Member
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5. December 2009 @ 18:28 |
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Originally posted by Molinari:
How is virtualdub not on the list?
I use it, but it's probably because it's rather limited (will only open a few containers w/ limited codecs).
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Staff Member
2 product reviews
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7. December 2009 @ 01:20 |
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by jeffers:
I specifically need to adjust the audio sync mainly on .mkv files. Can all of these do this and if so which is the most straightforward?
Thanks
I would just use mkvmerge (from mkvtoolnix for that. Just load your mkv file as the source, highlight the audio track, select the 'Format specific options' tab, and set the new delay. Then re-mux to create the new MKV file. You could do the same thing with the Matroska muxer in MeGUI.
You're a star thanks. Is there any way to check the delay required or is it a case of trial and error? Can you grab say a 30 second section, re-mux that and see if the delay is correct rather than having to re-mux the whole thing multiple times?
You can play the video with VLC, and adjust the audio/video synchronization. When you find the proper value, take that in mkvmerge. The muxing only takes about a couple of minutes, I wouldn't worry if you don't get it right first time. This should work, if the delay is not progressive...then it becomes a mess...
This is probably as fast painless a way to go as there is. Or If you have the original source and it's MPEG-2 or AVC you could create a DGIndex or DGAVCIndex project from it and look at the filename for the audio stream. The name will list the delay to use in mkvmerge.
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Staff Member
2 product reviews
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7. December 2009 @ 01:40 |
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Originally posted by Molinari:
How is virtualdub not on the list?
VirtualDub is tied to the AVI container, which requires a hack for proper B-frame support. With the maturation of Matroska and MP4, both of which have native B-frame support, they have become the defacto standards for computer and standalone AVC video. With x264 being available as a command line tool with no need for VfW it's generally not necessary or useful to rely on hacks to make AVI work like a modern container becuase access to actual modern containers is freely available and supported across most platforms. Although I didn't mention it in the article, (for me at least) support for MP4 and MKV is a presumed requirement for "serious" AVC encoding.
I realize there are people who would disagree with that assessment, but I would go so far as to say in a few years almost no one will be encoding with VfW.
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Staff Member
2 product reviews
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7. December 2009 @ 02:13 |
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Originally posted by scum101:
Lots of things aren't on the guide.. command line ffmpeg and transcode for starters, then theres IVC and mencoder. I could go on and on listing heaps of freeware tools for modifying video formats, but what's the point? .. It's just interesting that there are a lot of payware things and only a couple of freeware items, and all are very windoze only by description (which isn't the case as at least a few have mac/linux ports or are FOSS applications which have been ported to the other proprietary platform... avidemux is the swiss army knife of video in the same way audacity is the swiss army knife of audio.. together the pair make a very powerful if a little basic full video creation suite.
I'm not sure what payware you're referring to. All the programs reviewed are free. As to to being Windows and GUI centric, guilty as charged. As I don't currently have a Mac or Linux box I concentrate on Windows software. I didn't mention the Linux port of Handbrake, but I did mention its popularity among Mac users. And while I have nothing against the command line, most of our readers are unlikely to have any real interest in using such tools directly (instead of through a GUI like the ones in the article) so I didn't see the need to include any.
Avidemux was an oversight, and will certainly be reviewed in the future. Linux software will have to wait until I have a Linux box setup for that purpose. Perhaps next year or maybe not for another year or two after.
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abbuy
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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7. December 2009 @ 23:00 |
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I have used any video converter, super and iwisoft free video converter. any video converter can do some works well, but sometimes it failed to convert. I don't know why. Super is also good, but iwisoft free video converter is my favorite freeware. it can convert any media files and edit video with special effects. And it can adjust the sync of video and audio.
So many guys recommend Handbrake and Format Factory. I'll give a try.
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silvering
Newbie
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4. February 2010 @ 01:15 |
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You missed the MPEG Streamclip.
I couldn't live without it.
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ocyl
Newbie
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7. September 2010 @ 03:30 |
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