Is XVID HD worth it?

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sixties keith
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by sixties keith »

happy days man ill give it a try, found some mp4 rips etc as on the downloading sites i use i find it hard to locate mkv rips for hd content.

also the quality is just awesome. noticed a jump on even the sd set up ( cant wait to find wires with suitable audio out ports for example optical like my 720p cables but thats if it exists at all lol) anyways on the hd 720 different world altogether. the xbox keeps rockin.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by ted209 »

I tried encoding my Casino Royale blu-ray into 720p xvid for my xbox. It played fine and the quality initially appeared quite good. However, when it hit the intro music scene, the limited bitrate just couldn't cope and it looked awful (far worse than the DVD). It's an impressive technical achievement, but I'll stick to DVDs.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by sixties keith »

haven't tried it with a film yet but i have downloaded a few 720p rips to test so ill report back soon. are you using an sd or hd set up?

i did however do it with the newest episode of falling skies and the final episode of big bang theory s6 and got no problems at all. maybe the slight dropped frame but only noticed as i had the info up on screen watching it and tbh changing my video playback settings and/or my current skin would probs correct this.

try it with another file (poss a tv show since there not as long) and see your results.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by Maza »

@ ted209 If you keep struggling with true 720p Xvid encode it to 960x540 with higher bitrate, which is a lot better that dvd rips. I usually use Xvid4psp and bitrates between 5000-10000 kbps depending on the content, with no framedrops (also no framedrops looking at the info) and 5.1 640 kbps Dolby-D. I also use mpeg-4 with the same bitrates but this time instead of Dolby-D I use DTS 5.1 1536 kbps. I use to use Staxrip for true 1280x720 rips but noticed that some movies have a few framedrops during fast motion scenes not much but still.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by BuZz »

or you could try my commandline - Note my commandline is not using xvid, but ffmpeg's mpeg4 codec - and one advantage of the ffmpeg's mpeg4 codec is that you can configure a min/max bitrate over a set buffer size. There are cases where it could struggle if the range is not enough (in terms of not giving it enough flexibility), but afaik it is not possible to specify anything for xvid other than an average bitrate, which means some parts could have a much higher bitrate than could be decoded in realtime.

with a good quality source, that ffmpeg commandline works well - more importantly it can be automated, so I dont have to worry, and can go to the xbox and playback any 1080p videos I have via upnp server. There are cases where some scenes could look a little blocky (which can be worked around by tweaking the options), but mostly I think everything looks rather good.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by thepitt »

I wrote a tutorial that deals with using the XVID-HD codec for 720p video. The quality is by far superior to that of how BuZz is transcoding his MKV files with ffmpeg. However, it seems to have some issues playing back video on certain builds of XBMC4XBOX using DVDPLAYER where it will drop/skip frames and/or crash the XBOX. I've taken some time recently to try out newer builds of XBMC4XBOX and 3.1 STABLE has been used to playback these XVID videos I encode without fail, slowdown or crashing. However, I don't know where to download the newer builds from on the main (news) page.

It takes around 1 hour per 60 minutes of video to encode using a 4.1GHz Quad Core i5 (OC) w/32GB DDR3-1600 RAM. I've compared the video quality using not only XBMC4XBOX using BuZz's ffmpeg's settings, but also using VLC & MPLAYER (the latest official builds as of this post date) and the encodes using the method in my guide don't "box all up" during high bitrate sequences and generally look much better.

While the program used can automatically convert+sync MKV w/DTS-MA or TrueHD-AC3 to AC3 5.1 up to 640 Kbps you can also keep the original DTS-MA/TrueHD tracks along with subtitles and convert directly from BD-ROM VIDEO DISCS (m2ts). However, you're limited to 2 sound tracks and 1 subtitle track (per the AVI containers restrictions) while you can put all sorts of material inside the MKV container. I keep the original audio track and then transcode a 448Kbps incase I need to playback the sound and simply not pass it through to a receiver (I think about portability and non dependence on a computer for streaming purposes - like an ALL-in-ONE box with no need for anything else. Having a 2TB HDD helps with that.)

I'm not sure why some versions of XBMC4XBOX crap out when playing back the XVID encodes, but they were originally created for XBMC using mplayer which no one has cared to update since for some years. Personally, I think if you're going to include 2 video playback engines you should update them both.

Anyway, for the best picture quality I've used my own guide (for years) and currently got them playing back fine under DVDPLAYER on XBMC4XBOX 3.1 STABLE something I had not been able to do using DVDPLAYER ever. I plan to update my guide in the next week or so with some changes including the settings I used w/XBMC4XBOX 3.1 STABLE. If I have time and can find 3.2 and 3.2.1 I'll test the XVID encodes with those too.

To "be safe" on any version of XBMC4XBOX use that string of settings BuZz uses with ffmpeg, but your videos won't look that great. No offense BuZz.

Give me a few days and I'll have a revised version of the guide online, until then you can still try to encode something as the method and settings haven't changed. For best quality use your original BD discs.

XVID-HD Tutorial -> http://www.xbmc4xbox.org.uk/forum/viewt ... f=14&t=355
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by BuZz »

thepitt wrote:I'm not sure why some versions of XBMC4XBOX crap out when playing back the XVID encodes, but they were originally created for XBMC using mplayer which no one has cared to update since for some years. Personally, I think if you're going to include 2 video playback engines you should update them both.
really ? ok. thanks for that helpful feedback.

:roll:

You also completely missing the point also that the single pass ffmpeg is great for realtime transcoding situations (and gives more control than xvid for min/max bitrates over set buffer size). and the quality is actually fine, as others have mentioned. I just click and play a 1080p h264 video via a upnp folder and it gets transcoded for me in realtime. Apples and oranges.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by professor_jonny »

thepitt wrote:I think if you're going to include 2 video playback engines you should update them both.
That's a bit negative mplayer is not official supported I believe and has been kept in there for legacy reasons and for bench mark and testing purposes to compair with the new video engine.

Your welcome to code a new engine if you wish and update mplayer libs if you want.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by Dom DXecutioner »

professor_jonny wrote: Your welcome to code a new engine if you wish and update mplayer libs if you want.
+1
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by spicemuseum »

thepitt wrote:It takes around 1 hour per 60 minutes of video to encode using a 4.1GHz Quad Core i5 (OC) w/32GB DDR3-1600 RAM.
Sounds great. That's roughly 1 minute every, errr, 60 seconds!

How long on my Acer Revo? ...or my Dell GX270 (2gig P4 c/w hyperthreading!!)

--EDIT--
Sorry, I didn't say, they both have a maxxed out 2gig (get in!) of RAM too. DDR. 300 (I think).

--EDIT x2--
BTW, is this thread still going? I thought the answer to the OP's Q was:
"Yes. Full stop. (Period.).". <end of thread> <thread closed> <thread locked>
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sixties keith
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by sixties keith »

@thepitt

im sorry that you dont find the commandline ffmpeg useful.

Buzz talked me thru it with some sound advice and i have to say my results were decent on even the SD set up. however when i moved to the lcd tv with the 720p cables the changes were absolutely awesome. so much so i find it hard to use the sd set up anymore. furthermore ive converted many tv shows and films (actually doing 720p GI Joe retaliation ATM) and still haven't noticed any frame drops.

I do take time however, to make sure the source file is of a very good quality. too many so called hd rips out there that just dont cut it.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by thepitt »

professor_jonny wrote:
thepitt wrote:I think if you're going to include 2 video playback engines you should update them both.
That's a bit negative mplayer is not official supported I believe and has been kept in there for legacy reasons and for bench mark and testing purposes to compair with the new video engine.

Your welcome to code a new engine if you wish and update mplayer libs if you want.
Your opinion on my comment is noted. I do wish my coding skills were up to par so I could update mplayer otherwise instead of writing guides I'd be porting the latest version. I still stand by my statement.
sixties keith wrote:@thepitt

im sorry that you dont find the commandline ffmpeg useful.

Buzz talked me thru it with some sound advice and i have to say my results were decent on even the SD set up. however when i moved to the lcd tv with the 720p cables the changes were absolutely awesome. so much so i find it hard to use the sd set up anymore. furthermore ive converted many tv shows and films (actually doing 720p GI Joe retaliation ATM) and still haven't noticed any frame drops.

I do take time however, to make sure the source file is of a very good quality. too many so called hd rips out there that just dont cut it.
I'm glad you find it useful. However, if you compare screen grabs of the two encoding methods you'd have to be blind to tell which one looks better then the other; from a source Bluray disc or a decent 30Mbps + MKV encode. I however don't stream anything to my XBOX. Maybe if I did then using MediaTomb to quickly view the video might be preferable to waiting hours for the videos to encode. My XBOX is "self contained" and that's the way I like it. I did update my guide a minute ago and included a link to this thread and another link to BuZz's ffmpeg encoding method for people whom rather use it instead. It's not like there isn't 1000 other ways to encode videos to work under XBMC anyway ...
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by mwaterbu »

if you decide to use the ffmpeg mpeg4 option, please at least use the

Code: Select all

-threads n
parameter. where n is the number of threads to use. you can make n equal to the number of cpu cores you have, or use n= 0 for an alternate, although it may not work quite as well.
with a quad core for example use n = 4. without this parameter, encoding will be much slower than it needs to be. expect it to gain as much as 2x the speed.


however I do prefer using xvid, as xvid HD 720 profile allows for a max bitrate, which has never given me problems with XBMC on my Xbox. I use 2 pass encoding with staxrip for max quality per file size.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by BuZz »

latest ffmpeg handles number of threads automatically on encodes (at least on my system).

ffmpeg's mpeg4 codec allows for a maximum bitrate (over set buffer size). I have never seen an xvid encode that allowed a ceiling bitrate , just a maximum "overall" bitrate - hence some scenes could drop frames. That's my experience at least.

Anyway, people can chose what they like. I prefer not to have to mess around in a gui, or doing multiple passes, and prefer to get something played right away
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by mwaterbu »

BuZz wrote:latest ffmpeg handles number of threads automatically on encodes (at least on my system).
cool! didn't realize that. thanks for letting me know.
BuZz wrote:Anyway, people can chose what they like. I prefer not to have to mess around in a gui, or doing multiple passes, and prefer to get something played right away
I agree there is merit to what you are saying, so to each his own. For your way though, complete automation is a huge benefit.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by ltdanno360 »

for our FFmpeg / Linux users i have create a script to batch convert 1080p mp4 and 1080p mkv to the parameters that Buzz suggested ..here
BuZz wrote:i use (commandline ffmpeg)

Code: Select all

ffmpeg -i some_1080p_infile.mkv -scodec copy -acodec copy -vcodec mpeg4 -b:v 3000k -maxrate 5000k -bufsize 4096k -s 1280x720 -f matroska -y outfile.mkv
it works great for playing 720p movies on the xbox
have a look @ it on pastebin
:arrow: http://pastebin.com/aP8hyk5g

It can be adapted to run on windows but as it is written in bash it works
great in linux just drop it into a folder with a bunch of 1080p mp4/mkv videos
and :!: it will create a folder called "converted" 1 time in the same Directory then output the converted video into /converted./real-movie-name.mkv
one thing to note is to kill it with Ctrl c or ^C just kills the current video and it proceeds down the list till there all done
so i just hit ctrl c once to kill the Current video then X out of the terminal
you may need to chmod +x it before you use it
i named mine batch-encode.sh
hope you like it .. :D
pics of it running in linux..
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by iceman-uk »

Geeba wrote:
oeneprs wrote:wait, so you guys can play hd video (720p) on your original xbox using xbmc?
Yeah! looks good too.... :)
Please can you point me to a sample file that I can play myself?

I'm in the (very sad) process of migrating away from Xbox because I want to play 720p content. I really wish I didn't have to as it is unmatched as a media player at the price point.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by Geeba »

Are you running with component leads? Is your Xbox outputting 720p currently?
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by BuZz »

Here's a transcoding I had handy

src: http://vimeo.com/51138699
Written & Directed by: Stephan Zlotescu
Director of Photography: H1
Original Music: J-Punch - itunes.apple.com/us/album/true-skin-soundtrack-ep/id591191251
Producer: Christopher Sewall
Manager: Scott Glassgold / IAM Entertainment

http://malus.exotica.org.uk/~buzz/true_skin.mkv

not the best example, but an example. Probably bitrate could be higher even for the xbox.
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Re: Is XVID HD worth it?

Post by BuZz »

I would add, if you want to playback HD, Xbox is not for you. Stick the Xbox in another room, and get an HTPC that does 1080p H264 etc.

Here's another example though:

Info / Licence: http://www.bigbuckbunny.org/index.php/about/

http://malus.exotica.org.uk/~buzz/big_b ... _mpeg4.mkv
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