So im sick of backing up 4.4GB files. They take up too much space, and some Xvids or DivXs look pretty much the same (unless my eyes are deceiving me).
So I have a huge slew of file sin .vob format and I want to change them into another format (while maintaining most of the quality ofcourse!). I would also like to be able to keep one of the subtitles. So I pretty much need a smaller solid format that can switch on/off subtitles. What should I go for...?
My recommendation is H.264 in the mkv container. Rip the subtitles with Subrip to create .srt files.
Then use something like x264 to encode the video. A good bitrate for approx DVD Quality is about 1500kbps. You can go as low as 900kbps and still get excellent quality.
For audio, you can either encode to AAC or keep the AC3. It is your choice.
To create mkv files, download mkvtoolnix. It comes with the tool mkvmergeGUI. Launch the software. Next, drag and drop your video, audio and subtitles on the software. Create chapters if you want. Then merge the files and that's it. You will have a .mkv file that has the ability to switch subtitles on and off and if you take the time, has chapters!!
Encoding using x264 is not completely newbie friendly. I cannot get perfect encodes with it myself, so I cannot give you a guide. Check out the forums on XviD:
There should be some guides that will help even though it is a different format. You can also look at doom9 forums or make a request here for a guide on H.264 encoding (unless one already exists on this site).
If you cannot find enough on H.264, then go for XviD in the MKV container. Quality is close and you get the same benefits.
I agree about x.264, although I prefer the MP4 container. However, if you want to keep the original audio MP4 isn't a good choice because you can't put AC-3 audio in it (at least not with the tools I've used). I also use XviD for a codec but that's only because my PC is old and slow and I haven't put together a dedicated encoding machine yet. X.264 will certainly give you good quality, and give you valuable experience for making the leap to Hi-Def at some point in the future.
Im gonna give x264 a shot and see how it works. Ill start of simple with maybe an XviDcodec and see how to move on from there. Ill come back here with any questions. Thanks guys!
