Encode tool and parameters? Please try to help!

[gokushon]

Hi,

First of all, congratulations for this superb forum!!!.

I have just bough a TVIX HD M5000A and I have installed the latest PAL (I live in Spain) fw (2.0.5).

I have tried to convert some iso dvd into mpeg-4 avi, normally with two audio channels (AC3 448KHz in both cases) and two vobsub (using idx/sub) but in all the cases I end up with an avi I can play but that crash if I press AUDIO (to change audio channels), FF or RW.

I have tried several programs:

AutoGK - With all possible combinations. In one case it created a perfect movie I can FF at 32x with subtitles on.
Fairuse - With internal XVID, internal DIVX, external XVID 1.1.2 (with Home Teathre and no QPEL o GMC) and external DIVX (idem profile).
VDubMod - defining everything by myself.

Now I am trying DrDivx and will see...

In the mean time could you please be kind and let me know wich tool do you use and with what parameters... I am getting mad with this (three days without sleeping and hundreds of possible configurations)...

Perhaps the answer is much closer than I think but keep in mind that I have play with almost everything (even B/I frames, Matrix for Divx DVDs, etc...).

Thank you very much in advanced!!
Best regards

P.S.: For what I have read I shall be the only person with this stupid problem!!!

[Hi-Jack]

It's not a stupid problem but why would you want to have 2 Audio channels
and 2 subchannels when the movie is for your own use... I assume someone
likes English and Spanish subs and the other one likes Spanish dubbed
movies :-)

I don't think a lot of people go that way... but...
The players can handle switching Audio during playback (called BivX files)
and usually this is used in combination with some less advanced Audio
profiles, instead of AC3 using Lame MP3 Encoder... Players that playback
Xvid with AC3 profiles are at the top of their capabilities and indeed when
altering anything during playback it might block or stop playing...

I'm only guessing as I never used dual audio formats (no need).
A good site for help with encoding is www.videohelp.com if no one here can
provide you with some tips...

[gokushon]

Hi Hi-Jack,

Thank you for your answer. Now I know that the problem is the firmware. If the size of the file >= 2 GB then you will find this kind of problems. I split one file in three (using Vodsubmod) and now plays properly (appart from some minor problems with audio / sub sync, after you use AUDIO, FW or RR, I have to investigate).

So the pity is that there is no perfect solution for this problem unless you reduce quality!! or Divco modify the firmware.

Thank you!

[jofa]

Have you by any chance formatted the internal harddrive with FAT32 file system?
FAT32 is limited to 2 GB in file size. NTFS isn't....

/J

[kpot]

According to the Tvix FAQ:

http://www.tvix.co.kr/eng/faq/FAQM5000U.aspx?act=RD&id=77&pg=0&CATID=3&SCATID=1

Does it support AVI which is larger than 4GBs?

This function is supported in the latest firmware.

But, from other FAQ entry:

http://www.tvix.co.kr/eng/faq/FAQM5000Ufirst.aspx?act=RD&id=27&pg=1

11. I can see the file name on my PC, but I can’t see it on my TVIX. What should I do?

Our device is based on Linux, so it doesn’t support files which are over 2GB.

If you want to make our device support the files, you should divide that file

into files which are smaller than 2GB.

Contradictive? Maybe the second entry is from the old firmware.

Have you by any chance formatted the internal harddrive with FAT32 file system?
FAT32 is limited to 2 GB in file size. NTFS isn't....

/J

[gokushon]

Hi kpot and jofa,

The HD is formatted in NTFS. The files can be bigger than 2GB and play properly (at least the ones generated with AutoGK) even with subtitles (I used idx/sub files) and AC3. Everything works perfect until you press the keys AUDIO (to change the language), FF and RW. From that point the effects could be: movie slowdown, TVIX hang-up, movie becomes unsynchronised (audio, video and subs).

If you limit the file to 2GB (ie. 2040 MB) the same movie, ripped in the same way, with the same configuration plays perfect. AUDIO, FF and RW works properly and everything is smooth.

Kpot, I agree with you the FAQ is contradictory in that point... I am talking with the engineers of TVIX in order to get clear answer and to know if they are going to fix the problem. In the mean time I sacrifice Spanish language to maintain the movie's quality..

Hope this brings some light...

Regards.

P.S.: With .divx files (which are a variant of AVI with sub and menus) happens something similar. If >= 2GB, blank screen; if not they work properly.

[gokushon]

Hi!

According to DIVCO technical people this is not a bug!!!. If the file is larger than 2G, it contains more than one index and it takes (a very long) time to check this index.

To FF or RW, index is needed. So if you want to make big file (=high quality), you better convert to WMV or MP4 format or you also can split to more than one file.

For me none of them are a good solution beacuse I want to keep AC3/DTS and use pass-though...

Regards.

[gokushon]

Hi!,

Alter playing with many programs I have reached to some conclusions:

1. The problems (FF/REW or GOTO) with big AVI files (over 2GB) seem to be a bug of the TVIX.
2. If the files are generated with VirtualDubMod (or Virtualdub) you can play them but you cannot use FF / REW or go to a certain point of the movie. You can play them with Windows Media Player.
3. If the files are generated with Avidemux (and probably with mencoder), which is a tool ported from Linux, the AVI files (even 3,8GB) play perfectly and work as expected. Sometimes you cannot play them with Windows Media Player.
4. I guess the problem is how OpenDML is managed by the firmware. VirtualDub and other tools that rely on it (AutoGK, Fairuse, …) always output OpenDML files, but Avidemux output AVI 1.0 files.

Hopefully this can bring some light and hopefully DIVCO do something to resolve this problem.

Regards.