*New DiVX Profiles / Staxrip updated*
As promised in this thread on encoding 720p movies using XViD (which was limited in terms of bitrate and resolution), here is my HowTo for making your xbox true-hd capable. In short, the trick is to use the DiVX codec and take advantage of its unique ability to limit the maximum-bitrate and not just set the average bitrate (as XViD is limited to).
This method allows you to encode XBOX-Compatible HD-Movies (from Blu-Ray, HD TS or H264 Rips) at very high bitrates without the need to downsize the source-movie. You can [b]watch full 1280x720 resolution movies on your xbox without visual frame dropping or stuttering! By having the opportunity to use high-bitrates (as opposed to the 4.500 kbit limit with XViD) we can finally reach the quality of h.264 encodings![/b]
Let's start:
That should be all to get you started encoding your first XBOX-compliant HD-Movie.
Any comments, suggestions or corrections are welcome. Have fun with your HD-Ready XBOX !
MEDIAINFO OF ENCODED MOVIE (NOTICE THE AVERAGE BITRATE)
DISCLAIMER:
Cause of probable high cpu usage,you might want to verify your fan-speed settings in XBMC (put it on auto-temperature).
As promised in this thread on encoding 720p movies using XViD (which was limited in terms of bitrate and resolution), here is my HowTo for making your xbox true-hd capable. In short, the trick is to use the DiVX codec and take advantage of its unique ability to limit the maximum-bitrate and not just set the average bitrate (as XViD is limited to).
This method allows you to encode XBOX-Compatible HD-Movies (from Blu-Ray, HD TS or H264 Rips) at very high bitrates without the need to downsize the source-movie. You can [b]watch full 1280x720 resolution movies on your xbox without visual frame dropping or stuttering! By having the opportunity to use high-bitrates (as opposed to the 4.500 kbit limit with XViD) we can finally reach the quality of h.264 encodings![/b]
Let's start:
- Grab the newest DiVX Codec from here (http://www.divx.com/en/downloads). The free version of the codec should be fine for our needs.
- Decide what tool to use to rip or transcode the movie. You can use Staxrip, AutoGK, VirtualDub, or any other frontend that supports DiVX codec.
I suggest heavily you try out Staxrip, which comes with all needed extra software.
Download the latest Beta-Version here https://sourceforge.net/projects/staxmedia/ (Updated Version!).
I have prepared an XBOX-HD Template for Staxrip, which you can import in your installation.
Download XBOX-HD Template
It comes preconfigured to encode with DiVX and output the Video, Audio (and Subtitles) muxed into a MKV container.
To import do this: Run staxrip, go to menu "Tools" -> Directories -> Templates. Paste my template in the folder that will open and restart staxrip.
- Prepare your source (Blu-Ray Disc, h.264-Rip, etc..) and make the necessary preparations (cropping, colorcorrection, audio-setup, etc)
I will not get into details how to rip or convert a movie. There are enough
guides on the net about this. Those tutorials for staxrip should get you started though:
H.264 Encoding using StaxRip
StaxRip XviD Install Guide
UPDATE: CHECK OUT MY SCREENCAST ON HOW TO USE STAXRIP!
Quote:Make sure that in staxrip when you click on Options on the right side of the applications window that you have "Use VirtualDub instead of VirtualDubMod" enabled. Otherwise i have had problems with wrong colorspace in the resulting video.
Screenshot:
_________
- Now for the fun part (Making sure the bitrate is kept withing the processing limits of our XBOX). Some background info first:
Quote:You might have asked yourself why its possible with DiVX to encode 720p movies in full resolution that play smoothly on the XBOX. The reason is, that with DiVX encoder you can set a global Bitrate-Maximum. That means that the encoded movie will never surpass the defined bitrate over any 1 second period. Now, the XBOX can surprisingly handle quite high bitrates even in HD-Resolution movies. But as soon as the encoded movie goes higher than the supportable bitrate playback will stutter and you wont have much joy watching that flick on your box.
The issue with XViD encoded hd-movies are exactly those uncontrollable bitrate spikes: Although you can define the so called "constant bitrate", this means in fact nothing more than that XViD-encoder will try to keep that bitrate as an average. But, it will not honor this as a maximum bitrate.
As a result, even though the constant bitrate may be 5.000 kbit, your movie will hit bitrate spikes of 18.000 kbit or more quite frequently. As a result, encoding a high quality 720p movie with XVID that plays without serious stuttering is not possible.
For Details on this issue, read my post here.
Ok, so where to set the maximum bitrate in the DiVX configuration?
Well, the first method is choosing one of the "Certification Profiles" like the "720hd" or "1080hd" profile in the DiVX configuration window. Those profiles have already a max. bitrate preconfigured. In the case of 720hd its set at arround 9.700 kbit.
Now, if your movie is 1280x544 or lower res. you might as well just choose that "720hd" profile and start your encoding.
But if its resolution is 1280x688 or 1280x720 you will have to set a lower max. bitrate manually. Plus, even for 1280x544 movies you might better be off
by also manually defining a bitrate limit, as you can actually go higher than the default of the "720hd profile".
Setting the max. bitrate manually can be done by opening up the "Advanced Settings". On the top you will find a line that says "manual cli".
The magical max. bitrate is defined by the parameter prefixed with "-vbv".
Screenshot:
Quote: If you use the free version (Community Codec) you cannot edit the "Manual CLI". In that case you have to download my "Saved settings" and import them first in your registry (read below).
So what do those values mean?
E.g."-vbv 9708400,6291456,6291456" (which is the default value of the 720hd profile) means that the max. bitrate ever reached over any 1-sec. period is 9.708400 Mbit. The second and third value dont have to concern us now. Its only important to note that their value is mathematically depended of the first value.
Ok, so when your movie is e.g. 1280x720 then you take the vbv values in the column labeled "CLI SWITCH" from my bitrate-table below and replace the one in the advanced settings.Dont replace the whole line! Just the part with "-vbv number,number,number"!
Then press "Apply" and your good to go. Also make sure that the profile you set under "Certification Profile" on the main DivX configuration windows corresponds with the Profile in my bitrate-table!
To make things easier for you and for those who have the free version of DiVX, you can add my presets to DiVX encoder by importing the following registry file (Version -v4-) here (just double click the *.reg file).
After that, you can find all the settings of my bitrate-table under "Saved Settings" in the DiVX advanced configuration tab (see screenshot above).
Bitrate Table:
UPDATED Version v3!
After a lot of testing, i have prepared the following bitrate matrix, which shows you the bitrate settings of the divx encoder relevant for the resolution of the movie. The reason for the different max. bitrates is, that the bitrate limit of the xbox is not static but (mainly) dependend of the resolution of the movie.
Keep in mind, that those are my save settings. Which means that they have been choosen as so, that even the most complex scenes will play smoothly on the box (no VISIBLE frame dropping). Typical movies scenes that will make the bitrate spike are fast action in general, lot of panning, particles (snow, rain, fire, etc...).
Even though you might have success encoding a movie with higher settings, by doing so you're taking the risk that your saturday movie night might be ruined as soon as the flic reaches its grand finale and the xbox cant cope with those high bitrates leading to stuttering.
Keep in mind, that those values are based on the assumption that you have a Dolby/DTS decoder attached to your xbox. If not, you might have to reencode your 5.1 audio to a stereo ac3/mp3 track or lower the values in my table. Audio decoding takes cpu power, too!
For copy & paste:
Code:Pixel Width Pixel Heigth ~ Max. Bitrate DiVX Profile CLI SWITCH
1280 <= 720 6.000 kbit 720HD -vbv 5978400,3866624,3866624
1280 <= 688 6.400 kbit 720HD -vbv 6366400,4112384,4112384
1280 <=544 11.700 kbit 1080HD -vbv 11661200,7553024,7553024
960 <=544 15.500 kbit 1080HD -vbv 15548400,10076160,10076160
- What else is there to take care of?
- Rate Controll Setting:
Go 1-pass as long as you dont care about the filesize. Dont choose target bitrate, but instead a target quality with a quantizer of 1.8 to 2.4 (e.g. 2). Setting a target quantizer is the preferred setting quality wise.
- Encoding Performance
I suggest you choose "Better quality"
- Bidirectional Encoding
Choose "Adaptive Single Consecutives"
- Quantization:
It seems as if h.263 quantization is more strict in regards of keeping the max. bitrate.so choose that instead of mpeg-2!
See this screenshots for additional settings i suggest:
That should be all to get you started encoding your first XBOX-compliant HD-Movie.
Any comments, suggestions or corrections are welcome. Have fun with your HD-Ready XBOX !
MEDIAINFO OF ENCODED MOVIE (NOTICE THE AVERAGE BITRATE)
DISCLAIMER:
Cause of probable high cpu usage,you might want to verify your fan-speed settings in XBMC (put it on auto-temperature).
