For use with XBMC/XBMC4XBOX, PS3™/PS3OS/Showtime*, Nintendo Wii™, VLC, etc ...
*** What's New? ***
[ 2013-07-07 ]
* New Content w/Links added to Tutorial
* Inclusion of Configured Xvid-HD Staxrip Profile
* XBMC4XBOX 3.1 STABLE has no problem playing back these XViD-HD encodes using "dvdplayer" and until newer versions can be tested is the optimal choice for playback unless you are still using XBMC. See the very bottom of this tutorial for the default settings tested under this version.
[ 2013-02-17 ]
* XBMC4XBOX has switched to using "dvdplayer" as it's default video player. For these encodes that fail to playback you will need to either set "mplayer" as your default video player (Settings -> Video) or press "White" on the video and select "mplayer" to play it with. Not doing so will most likely cause your XBOX to freeze up and will need to be manually power cycled.
[ 2013-02-06 ]
* StaxRip v1.1.8.0 (StaxRip_1.1.8.0.7z) Released, Works Fine (see 1.1.6.9_beta notes below)
INTRODUCTION
How would you like to convert high definition video (BD-ROM/Bluray Discs or MKV files) into a XviD format that the original Microsoft XBOX™ video gaming console can process and display in 720p? How about this plus the ability to playback the same XviD file on your Sony Playstation 3™ and Nintendo Wii™? You can do this right away with the utmost optimal quality that the XBOX can output. So why wait?
The purpose of this guide is to clearly explain how to convert high definition multimedia content into a universal format that the Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft XBOX and Nintendo Wii can decipher and playback with good consistent quality around the board. The reason behind this guide is the fact that after finding the BRRip (BRip) standard I quickly realized that you can watch videos in 720p on the original XBOX™ via XBMC (XBOX Media Center). You can also watch the same file without any type of conversion on both the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. Keep in mind that the Wii can only display a maximum signal of 480p.
The BRRip Standard is used to pack 1080/720 high definition video from various file formats/containers, but is mostly used to convert Matroska (MKV) video into an XviD (BRRip) file. MKV videos are usually encoded from a higher quality source such as a Bluray Movie Disc, HDTV Broadcast, Streamed Media, etc ... and all are 720p or higher. It is still possible to use this guide to convert multimedia that is less then 720p. During this guide when MKV video files are mentioned you can assume that any other high definition video sources can be used instead.
The BRRip standard is no more than a packed XviD file with a video resolution of no more than 1280x720 and its audio in AC3 5.1 488 Kbps. Some other specifications include using the MPEG-4 Visual with the Advanced Simple@L5 profile. The bitrate on average is 3,666 Kbps and the frame rate 23.976 fps. According to the word-of-mouth in the video scene is that the audio must be in AC3 5.1 448Kbps. BRRips are saved in the AVI container using a single MPEG4 video track, up to two audio tracks and then use hard coded or external subtitle file(s).
There are advantages of converting MKV to XviD – lots of them. The only negative aspect is the fact you need to get your conversion program setup and that to convert a MKV to a BRRip takes a while and is a very CPU intensive process. With that in mind making your own BRRip will let you control various variables including bitrate, color depth, frame rate, resolution and overall file size. You will also have the ability to tweak the XviD encoding variables which can lead to a better looking encode.
It's fairly easy to create your own BRRip and can be done by using an easy method that I've discovered. Remember we're creating an XviD that will play on the XBOX, PS3 and Wii. Before I begin I just want people out there that are familiar with video encoding to see the general specifications used when creating a BRRip. They are in the screenshot (above).
The main reason to convert MKV videos into XviD is to play them back using XBMC in 720p. After months of testing various conversion programs, codecs, settings, etc ... I found a way to produce the best looking two-pass AVI files that the XBOX can handle. The video quality is far superior to any other method I had found so far and is aimed at people who want and all-in-one media center that is not dependant on a computer. Utilizing a 2TB SATA drive you can store an average of 72,000 hours of 720 video and can just pick up your box and go. You can also stream these videos to your video gaming console, but if you're only going to be doing that under XBMC4XBOX and don't mind a loss in quality there are some other methods that aren't as time consuming.
XBMC is an amazing multimedia player for Microsoft's original “big black” video gaming computer. It really is just a computer as it uses a motherboard, onboard video/sound and a processor that runs x86 code. It also houses a DVD-ROM and IDE Hard Drive. Combine this with a 100Mbps Ethernet connection you have a basic computer. You can buy this $49 computer (used) and enable it to playback video files via installing XBMC fairly easily. While using XBMC on the XBOX is a viable option for playing video is it outdated and this guide is mainly meant for people that already own and still use their XBOX as you can purchase newer, cheaper and more powerful devices that can output your MKV collection without the need to convert them.
The Sony Playstation 3 is fully capable of playing the MKV files up to 1080p with full DTS-HD MA or TrueHD/AC3 sound. All that is required is you quickly transcode your MKV into a MPEG to watch it. If I only had a PS3 and wanted to watch videos on it I would buy a 1TB Internal HDD and 2TB External and be done with it (these MKV videos are 6GB-14GB on average whereas a BRRip is 1.5GB-3GB). The PS3's interface is also very clumsy. The Nintendo Wii is also capable of playing back the BRRips, but at a downscaled 480p. You can achieve this via using WiiMC a media center homebrew application for the Wii.
Each platform has its own set of features and restrictions when it comes to playing BRRips. Let's take a look.
1 = The XBOX does not have USB ports, but uses the USB 1.1 protocol to interface with its controller ports. There are adapters to convert a USB <-> XBOX, but even with them XBMC has poor USB device compatibility. To make matters worse the XBOX/XBMC can only read up to (no more then) 4GB from USB devices. You can skip purchasing an adapter if you're good at soldering as you can easily to the XBOX in no time.
2 = Initial models of the PS3 housed various card readers. The newer models do still indeed support SD Cards, but they must be plugged into a USB card reader then into the PS3. [i]3 = PS3OS only supports FAT32 form ... split them to avoid the 4GB barrier that the FAT32 file system has. This is also true for BRRips. For the most part you won't have to worry about “splitting” your XviD videos as most BRRips are under the 4GB barrier. However, if your BRRip (aka Xvid-HD) won't fit you will have to split it up. Luckily, both the XBOX and PS3 support automatic sequential playback so the video only freezes for a split second when it goes to the next part. The PS3's 2.5” SATA Hard Drive is easily expandable and uses its own UFS2 file system that does not have any type of 4GB file size limitation. External hard drives with the same capacity of what you might want to replace your internal one with are 1/3rd the cost. The Wii can use external NTFS or EXT 2/3/4 drives therefore bypassing the 4GB per file limit.
4 = The Nintendo Wii comes with a WiFi adapter built into it, but does not contain an Ethernet jack. To use wired networking you must purchase a USB -> Ethernet adapter.[/i]
5 = All three devices support various ways of streaming media using different protocols. The standard Ethernet sharing protocol that Microsoft Windows™ uses is SMB networking. Both the XBOX and Wii support SMB and it is by far the most versatile method for streaming your media across networks. Sony decided not to implement SMB and opted to go with uPnP devices. To stream your BRRips to the PS3 you need to use a program such as the “PS3 Media Server” and/or “TVersity”. While the Wii and XBOX support SMB they also support other formats such as uPnP, FTP, HTTP, VLC and XBMSP.
6 = WiiMC supports FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3 and ext4 partitioned USB devices.
After trying a vast variety of conversion programs I found that only one produced the correct XviD I was after. Sure automated programs are great, but each would produce a slightly different/unusable file. As per the specifications provided and the second method I will explain that there are so many variables in the equation and while some do allow for some slack others don't. Get them and not only will the video not play, but you've probably just wasted 3-5 hours while it converted. Here are some apps to avoid (there are more).
mkv2avi build v104 – The resulting video, even though you can configure this app with the specs from the second method, was horrid. It quality was terrible and it stuttered.
XviD4PSP 6.0 – Supposedly the Mecca of all video converters XviD4PSP failed to produce XviD files with sound. I tracked this down to the audio track codec ID. However, changing the ID didn't do shit. I could still not hear anything.
SUPERv2010.build.38 – This app produces random results when it comes to what you are trying to tell it to do. In theory you set the settings up right, but in the end you get a file that ten times the size you specified or one that doesn't play on either the XBOX or PS3.
Some more that didn't work; AnyVideoConverter, AVS Video Converter, mencoder, SimpleDivX, VirtualDub & VirtualDubMod.
STAXRIP
I almost gave up as I was willing to convert MKV to XviD using the second method (which is mostly by hand), but then I came across a program called “Staxrip”. Now, Staxrip is not without its quirks. While “Staxrip_1.1.6.9_beta.7z” works almost flawlessly versions between v1.1.6.9 and v1.1.8.0 somehow screw everything up again. I believe this is because the newer versions feature the latest codecs, convertors, transcoders and the rest of the tools that Staxrip uses to convert your MKV into Xvid-HD. Keep in mind that versions created after 2010 might not have been tested by myself and could possibly work just fine. StaxRip v1.1.8.0 is the first build since v1.1.6.9 to work. You can use this one now.
If you have a favorite conversion program and it allows you to set the basic specifications presented thus far (like just setting the bitrate, resolution and audio format) it still most likely won't work. The specific settings used below optimize the video to playback on the XBOX using the most profecient settings per the device.
Staxrip comes with its own codecs including a newer version of the XviD codec. What you need to do is to find the four files in the screenshot install them first and then install Staxrip. You will need Avisynth 2.5.8 which comes with the specific version of Staxrip I listed and it will install the first time Staxrip requires its use (it will tell you it's missing then allow you to install it). Staxrip is also picky in where you place it (there is no installer, just extract the archive to someplace other than the standard “Program Files” folder. Why? Windows 7/Vista have file protection that prevents Staxrip to running its scripts correctly.
Once you have the codecs installed and have placed Staxrip in a folder Run it! Staxrip will ask for the location it should save its configuration data into (so put it someplace). Once that is one (you'll only be asked once) you'll be presented with from pre-defined conversion wizard. Tell if you don't want it to run again and close it which brings you to the main window. Before you start messing with the video settings or even try to convert something access the “OPTIONS” menu and under it locate the “Paths” section. Now put in a default destination path and a temp path. The “temp” path will hold large chunks of data from your media files so place it on a larger drive (like a second drive for load processing). The destination is just the default and you can change it once you load a video (before conversion).
You need to remember a few things before you look at these shots. 720p resolution is 1280x720 however some videos are 1280x544, 1280x688 or 1280x528. These are like this as there are the black borders where the rest of the 720 should be. Staxrip has a unique feature to “crop” the black borders while still maintaining a correct aspect ratio (this will “remove” the data from the new encode thus saving space while improving quality). So it's up to you if you wish to chop them off or not.
After installing the program and setting the default TEMP and TARGET paths we're going to need to configure Staxrip to convert using a very specific set of settings. This process will take a little bit, but does not have to be repeated each time you want to convert a video as you can save a “profile” for extended use. (1) Select the Current Codec Name for a menu and (2) select 2pass -> XviD. You've just told Staxrip to use the XviD codec to encode your video with. If for some reason the Container (the selection across from the Codec currently (in the picture) set to MKV) is set to anything other than AVI then select it and pick AVI.
Now we're going to have to configure the XviD codec with specific parameters used to convert and encode high definition video into the best most possible quality and file size. We'll be working with the “First” and “Second” Passes. First the First Pass, so click on it and it will bring up the following screen. Try to remember if you've selected “First” or “Second” during this part of the guide as they both look the same, but serve their own purposes. Do not get them confused with each other.
During this process Staxrip might prompt you with “The built-in quality presets are read-only. Would you like to copy the values of the selected present into the “(User defined)” preset for editing?” - Answer “YES”.
This is the First Pass encoding settings. You'll notice the “Advanced Simple @ L5” has been selected for the main profile. Select it and then to the right of it is a “more” button. Select that and configure the profile with the settings you see. The first tab “Profile” is the only one we're configuring. Leave “Level” and “Aspect Ratio” alone.
Depending on previous encoding settings and/or what template you currently have loaded some of the variables may be different and may or may not to be changed. So it's best just to match the settings that are in the capture. Make sure not to forget to match them exactly to what you see.
Proceed to select the “more…” option after the Quality Preset option. Set the following settings. Keep this window open and change to the “Quantization” tab.
Under the “Quantization” tab make sure everything is set to the above specifications. Now return to the main Staxrip screen by selecting “OK” twice.
From the main Staxrip screen select “Second Pass” which will bring up an almost exact same screen as the First Pass did. Once again make sure the “Advanced Simple @ L5” is selected and configured. You need to configure the Second Pass with the same settings you used in the first (see the settings captures above with red arrows). The encoding type should be “Twopass – 2nd pass” and the ideal bitrate for any BRRip is 3666 as this is the most often used bitrate in 78/100 cases. There is an optional Bitrate Calculator built into the XviD codecs configuration screen which can be accessed using the “calc…” button next to the “3666” value (in the capture). From there you can manually figure out the best bitrate, but remember that the goal here is to use one that will play on the XBOX, PS3 and Wii. 3666 is a safe bet all around the board.
The next bit is for NTSC video. If you're using PAL skip this. Select “Filters” -> Add -> Misc -> then select “Assume 23.976 fps”. You can convert PAL to NTSC, but this is not covered in this guide.
The last required configuration setting is the audio track format. So from the main screen select the “EDIT” option to the right of the first Audio track (default name is AAC VBR ~96 kbps) and once again duplicate the settings.
Codec: AC3
Channels: 6 (5.1)
Sample Rate: 48000 Hz
Language: English
Bitrate: 448
Delay: 0
Normalize: Check
Advanced -> General -> Muxing Stream Name: (name it anything)
Advanced -> General -> Downconvert to 16 bit: Checked
Advanced -> General -> Frame rate: Keep
Okay, now go to the “Profiles” in the menu bar in the screen shot (above) and pick “Save”. You can go to that profile menu and edit the name of it and stuff (at a later time). Next press “OK” and you'll return to the main screen. Now to the left of the Audio Codec Edit button is the name of the current codec settings. You need to pick the one you just made (hint: AC3 5.1 488 kbps). Press “OK” in the Audio Settings to return to the main menu.
At the point we are ready to save the template. Go to “Project” -> “Save as Template”. Enter in a name and then if you are planning on using it a lot then select “Load Template on Startup”. Repeat this process using the same name. A program bug prevents changing the default template changing to your new one the first time you save it. You've just created a basic template that will use its settings and apply them to the MKV video you are going to convert into a BRRip. Note that due to changes in the size of the file you will have to change the bitrate back to 3666, but the initial setting is more of a reminder of what value it should be. The other settings will remain intact.
Next right-click in the “Source” bar and then you can select from four source options. Select the first (you can try the others on your own time) and then select a single MKV file. After selecting it you'll come to a screen which lists what file(s) you've selected. Click on “Okay” and Staxrip will demux the MKV. Demuxing is simply extracting the tracks (audio, video, text/subs, etc.) stored in the MKV container. The “demuxed” files along with scripts are placed in the TEMP directory your specified.
Once it's done it will bring you back to the main menu. You'll notice everything has stayed the same other than the bitrate. Change this back to 3666. Also make sure the audio track is the one you want to use. You can see the one I'm using is “ID2 – English”. If you right click you can open all of the audio tracks that were contained in the MKV. So make sure you're not using a 2 channel commentary audio track (unless that's what you are after)! Lastly you can select to “Crop” the borders and also adjust the resolution under “Resize”. The latter is only necessary when the source video is > 720p (aka 1080p).
Press “Next” and this encoding session will be added to the “Jobs” list. You can setup as many jobs as you want and go back to them and adjust their settings as needed. As this is your first encode triple check the settings then encode the video. If all goes well you can test the video on your XBOX, PS3 and Wii.
Let's look over everything before you run your first conversion.
(1) We selected the 2pass XviD codec and AVI container. We configured the XviD codec for specifically creating BRRips.
(2) “3666” is the bitrate we specified in #1 and will need to be reentered every time a video is loaded for encoding.
(3) The Audio Codec was setup as AC3 w/ 5.1 channels; 16-bit, 448kbps and 48000 Hz. Make sure it's selected.
(4) This is the audio track to be encoded. Make sure you select the correct one as a video file might contain more than one.
(5) Make sure the frame rate is set to 23.976. This is correct for 80% of large videos. Smaller ones might use an abnormal frame rate which would result in audio/video desync. It's best to check the source audio/video specifications (from main menu go to Tools -> Show File -> Log File).
(7) Cropping the borders will remove the black borders around the video. Removing them will maintain the aspect ratio while making room for more data thus increasing the overall quality of the video.
(8) If the video is larger than 1280x720 here is where you set the correct resolution. Note that due to the original videos resolution you may not end up with a file that is exactly 720 pixels high, but something like 533 which is okay. Make sure at all times the width is 1280.
Staxrip is a very versatile video conversion suite. While converting high definition video to XviD for view under XBMC, WiiMC and the PS3OS you're not limited to the MKV format. Staxrip supports converting 263, AVC, AVI, AVS, DGC, DGI, DiVX, FLV, 264, m2v, m2t, m2ts, MP4, MPEG, MPG, MPV, MOV, OGM, OGG, PVA, RMVB, TS, VOB, WebM and WMV into the MKV, MKV for DiVX Plus, WebM, MP4, AVI, and DiVX containers. Staxrip also supports the x264, XviD, DiVX and WebM codecs. When it comes to audio formats Staxrip doesn't fail as it supports AAC, TrueHD/AC3, MP3, VORBIS, FLAC, WAV and DTS. Staxrip also supports ripping straight from an original Bluray disc to convert the content into RAW video or the MKV format (AnyDVD-HD is required to rip a Bluray disc). Once you have any of the formats listed above you can follow the steps (above) to convert your video for playback on the XBOX, PS3 and Wii.
TIPS & TRICKS – STAXRIP ENCODING EXTRAS
To get the best looking video encodes if possible use the original video sources; such as a Bluray disc, HDTV recording, Live Streaming Media, etc as MKV files are created using those sources to begin with.
The default bitrate of 3,666 Kbps is the average bitrate that should be used with videos that have a bitrate equal or more then 3,666 Kbps. If the bitrate is less then 3,666 then using a higher bitrate is not a good idea.
In rare cases the video FPS will be higher or lower then 23.976 fps and the audio won't sync correctly. If this happens you'll have to transcode the audio track yourself using external programs/methods then use the "Just Mux" under the Audio Selection box.
Subtitles can be used with StaxRip. Select "Tools" then "Hardcoded Subtitles" and pick a supported format. If your format is not supported or there are sync/timing issues you will have to manually convert and/or adjust the subtitles to work correctly before selecting them to use in your Xvid-HD encodes.
You can download the preconfigured Xvid-HD Staxrip Profile from here.
TIPS & TRICKS – XBMC VIA MICROSOFT XBOX
Normally the XBOX has little multimedia capabilities. You can take it apart and solder on a small microchip that will allow you via using various tools to install XBMC/XBMC4XBOX onto the internal hard drive.
Once setup XBMC can play most formats that MPlayer (which it uses) can handle.
XBMC can only playback a select few file formats over the 480i resolution.
The XBOX uses a variation of the FAT32 disk partition format called FATX which like FAT32 has the 4GB limitation. The XBOX uses a standard IDE hard drive which can be replaced.
The XBOX uses the USB 1.1 interface for its controller ports. There are USB adapters, but the USB interface is limited to specific devices and only supports 4GB.
The XBOX can play media from its internal hard drive, DVD-ROM drive or over a wired Ethernet network.
XBMC supports streaming via SMB/Samba, uPnP, XBMSP, FTP and the VLC Media Player.
Due to prices and availability and lack of USB support streaming to XBMC or installing a 2TB HDD in your XBOX are the most practical methods for video playback.
A “modded” XBOX can be put together for $60-$70, but requires a slight learning curve.
XBMCs default configuration comes with pre-set video buffer levels. Depending on your XBMC build HD content (BRRip/Xvid-HD) will not load/play unless you select a correct CACHE level for local video playback.
XBMC supports thumbnails and banners for each video and/or folder they are put in.
If your video experiences pausing, skipping, jumping or kicks you back to the file selector (or just crashes the XBOX) you may want to try to encode it using a lower bitrate. However, most playback issues are related to the system cache settings (when using "mplayer") or the general video settings.
Some MKV files fail to playback, pause/skip/jump or crash your XBOX no matter what bitrate you conver them with. I'm not sure what the problem is. The only solution to this is try another MKV.
TIPS & TRICKS – XBMC4XBOX VIA MICROSOFT XBOX
XBMC4XBOX is the newer version of XBMC currently being maintained.
XBMC4XBOX uses "dvdplayer" as its main video player and versions *other* then 3.1 STABLE have major issues with XviD-HD encodes. The video might not play, play only for a short time, pause, skip, freeze or crash your XBOX.
Alternatively you can transcode the original MKV videos in realtime using "MediaTomb" & "ffmpeg" which will result in a loss of quality, but is much faster then converting them beforehand.
By installing XBMC4XBOX 3.1 STABLE untouched without using and/or overwriting any previous version(s) files I was able to playback Xvid-HD encodes flawlessly using "dvdplayer". After copying over a fresh/virgin install I proceeded to check the settings pictured below.
If your video experiences pausing, skipping, jumping or kicks you back to the file selector (or just crashes the XBOX) you may want to try to encode it using a lower bitrate. However, most playback issues are related to the system cache settings (when using "mplayer") or the general video and cache settings for "dvdplayer".
If the video still pauses or causes issues try increasing the "dvdplayer" cache levels and timing or try encoding with a lower bitrate.
TIPS & TRICKS – PS3OS VIA THE PLAYSTATION 3
Using the PS3OS to playback Xvid-HD video is by far the most user friendly method, but has its limitations. The PS3 only supports external FAT32 partitions via USB (it has 2-4 built in USB v2.0 ports depending on system model) thus limiting files to < 4GB. However the internal 2.5” SATA hard drive can support files larger then 4GB and can be replaced with another hard drive (make sure the physical dimensions of the drive are the same).
The PS3OS can playback video from USB, Bluray/DVD, Wired (Ethernet) and Wireless networks. It supports the uPnP protocol. To stream video to the PS3OS you must use uPnP complaint hardware and/or software. TVersity and PS3 Media Center are two Windows 7™ programs dedicated to streaming media to the PS3. TVersity and PS3 Media Center both have problems streaming BRRips to the PS3. The video will pause at the same spots, skip and stutter. This can only be fixed in PS3 Media Server (sorry TVersity fans) via certain settings (see screenshots below).
Videos can also be indirectly transferred over the network to an USB drive via copying them to the PS3's hard drive first (so there is no need to move the USB drive).
TIPS & TRICKS – SHOWTIME VIA THE PLAYSTATION 3
Showtime (not in the comparison chart) is a homebrew multimedia player for PS3 consoles that have been hacked either by software and/or hardware allowing them to run unsigned code. Much like the Wii (below) Showtime allows for a vast variety of multimedia playback and supports Xvid-HD along with MKV with bitrates up to the original from the Bluray (mt2s) video files. It also has built in networking features. Due to little to no experience with Showtime on the PS3 I decided to mention it, but cannot go into grave detail about the homebrew application.
TIPS & TRICKS – WiiMC VIA THE NINTENDO WII
The Nintendo Wii is also not capable of being used as a multimedia center until you enable homebrew support. This is done using a simple SD card, some software and in certain cases a particular store purchased game. Due to its ease of use, supported file formats, interface and supported media types (DVD, USB v2.0, SMB, HTTP, FTP) and partitions other then FAT32 (including NTFS, ext2/3/4) the Wii would be the ideal choice for a multimedia center. Sadly, it only supports 480p video. Other then installing WiiMC (the program used to playback the Xvid-HD video) there is not much more to say. Use the Wii if you don't have a XBOX, PS3 or one is inaccessible.
.::END::.
THE PITT
BONUS: PS3 Media Server – Stream XviD/BRRip/AVI without Skipping, Shuddering and/or Pausing
1. Increase buffer to maximum of 600MB
2. Increase CPU cores to maximum supported
3. Decrease audio bitrate to 448 kbps
1. Select MEncoder and make sure it's the default Video File Engine
2. Enable Enhanced multicore support for H264 HD content
3. Enable A/V sync alternative method
4. Enable Force framerate parsed from FFMpeg
5. Disable Switch to tsMuxer
6. Enable Skips loop filter deblock
