DIVX pro needed

[shmokes]

Grrr......

I'm trying to rip DVDs to Divx files.  Single pass works fine, but the quality isn't nearly as good as multiple pass.  But every time I do a multiple pass it just stops encoding in the middle of the process as though it's done -- no error messages, nothing.  The file it gives me is always 87 or 89 MB and it either can't be played at all, or sometimes I get audio but no picture when I play the file..  It should, based on the betrate I'm encoding at, be closer to 1 - 1.5 GB.

Does anyone here have any idea what the problem is?  I'm getting the same result on two different computers so I think it's a user error.  I just can't for the life of me think of anything that would cause multipass to fail but have not problem with single pass.

  It's killing me.

[DrewKaree]

And to do this you would be using........?

You post this @ doom9, too?

[shmokes]

#1 DVD Ripper and DIVX 5.something.  The guys at Maximum PC rave and rave endlessly about #1 DVD Ripper.

I didn't post at Doom9 because I hate going to new message boards.  I don't have time for another online community so I always forget where I've posted things and it's just a big pain.  My first stop for everything arcade related is BYOAC and my first stop for everything else is BYOAC: Everything Else.

In fact, will you go post it at Doom9 and get back to me?   

Actually, I suspect the stock answer from them will be something like, "#1 DVD Ripper is for old ladies and pedophiles.  Use Gordian Knot and DVD Decrypter, etc., etc.." 

I don't want more software and I know that this program works.  I just want to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

[DrewKaree]

In fact, will you go post it at Doom9 and get back to me?   

That's what I was gonna do, and give you a link to the thread so you could track it from here, actually.  That's why I asked what you were using.  I was just gonna cut/paste your question into a thread.  I'll link you shortly.

Actually, I suspect the stock answer from them will be something like, "#1 DVD Ripper is for old ladies and pedophiles.

* DrewKaree is choking from laughing so hard!

I got that when asking a question there myself, although more PG, but I got a few replies of differing ways, so they were telling each OTHER their program was for old ladies and pedophiles, and just treating me like the kid they wanted to invite out to "The Ranch".

#1 DVD Ripper and DIVX 5.something.  The guys at Maximum PC rave and rave endlessly about #1 DVD Ripper

I've got #1, but not DivX, if I get no responses for you from Doom, I'll give it a whirl myself.....like you, I don't want to keep trying several progs just to find out I like the "old way" better
although old ladies and pedophiles think my old way is "Da Bomb" 

[DrewKaree]

Here you go:

"Your" thread.

I figured I'd throw the "old ladies and pedophiles" in there....it was too funny NOT to!

[shmokes]

Hey thanks.  The Divx stuff all runs in the background, so #1 is all I really use.  It acts as a front end for Divx, but you have to have Divx installed, of course, for #1 to encode into Divx files.

[DrewKaree]

Thus far, quite useless help 

I've gotta do a movie for my brudder-in-law, mebbe I'll look into how that thingy works.

You don't need this pronto, right?  You've got the files sitting safely on your hard drive?

[shmokes]

Yeah....I just want to figure it out so that each movie isn't taking up 4-7 GB of space.  I'm visiting NYC all next week for spring break, though, so ya'all won't even seen me on here for a little while.  I'm excited.  I've never been there before.

[DrewKaree]

Alright.  What version of DivX is it?  5.?  There appears to be a solution in sight, I just missed the sarcasm, and worse yet, it's from what seems to be a big muckety muck who can actually help.

I have one movie to work through before I can take a stab at #1, but it's averaged about a week to get the nuances of what I'm using, so I'll prolly have my own answer for you in about a week and a half.

so:

OS
RAM size
DivX version

and have fun on your trip....I can almost guarantee you'll come back feeling like you missed doing SOMETHING you wanted to.  Hey, while you're there, go egg SNAAKE for us

[DrewKaree]

Just found this out.....the author of the prog recommends using an older version of the codec - 4.1something something, which may solve your problem.  He has it on his site here:  Older codec page

I'm giving The Sopranos a run with this tomorrow.

[cdbrown]

Why don't you just use xvid codec in Virtualdub. I always do Twopass - 1st Pass and Twopass - 2nd Pass for all my encoding.  Have a few scripts set up to allow for auto cropping and resizing depending on the original aspect ratio as well.

[gadnium]

I've been using dvddecrypter for the ripping, then autogk for compressing(xvid codec).

Then I stream them from my pc to my xbox using XBMC(xbox media center).

I find the XVID codec to be great quality and with autogk you can keep your Dolby Digital or DTS(only supported with beta version) soundtrack.

With about 75-80% quality, original aspect ratio, and digital soundtrack each movie takes up about 1.5-2.7gb.

But you should definately check out autogk its supports xvid and divx, very user friendly gui, and free!

[DrewKaree]

I don't want more software and I know that this program works.  I just want to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

So, shmokes already has obtained software (spent MONEY on it) and has stated the above.  Solutions offered?  Get different software.   Did you even READ the rest of the posts to figure out if we're on the right track somewhere here?

That's like him coming to you to buy an oil filter, and without asking/listening to anything else, you tell him the easiest solution to his problem is to replace the engine.

Downloading more software for something he's perfectly satisfied with doesn't solve his current problem, it introduces other issues and still has the possibility of going wrong.  What will you tell him when your software you recommend has issues?  Download MORE software?  Troubleshooting 101 - solve the problem at hand, don't introduce more possibilities for problems into the mix.

[cholin]

I knew someone would nag him for that   I was going to recommend something but I decided not to.  Smart choice?  Yes.

[DrewKaree]

If shmokes hadn't spent money (that prog is ~30+ bucks) on that, it'd be a little different, but who here wants to drop money on something and then be told to give up on it and try something different?  If you bought a spinner for $30 and it doesn't work, is the solution to throw it out and build one of Doug's hard drive bearing spinners? 

It just doesn't help someone to offer something different, if the person specifically states that they don't WANT something different, they want to make what they have work, and work properly.

[shmokes]

so:

OS
RAM size
DivX version

Back from NYC.  I didn't go to a jazz club while I was there -- disappointing.  Great city, though...probably going to move there before too long.  It depends where I get accepted to law school.  Another big disappointment is that I didn't get around to egging Snaaake.  Maybe next time.  I did all the touristy stuff, though: went in the Statue of Liberty, went to the top of the Empire State Building, hung out in Times Square, went to the Met, Gugenheim and MOMA museums, had a horse and carriage ride through central park with my wife, saw Rent on Broadway (great show), bought Prada knockoffs from the street vendors in Battery Park, saw a rat the size of a small cat in the subway, etc., etc., etc.  You know what was craziest, though?  When everyone was shuffling out of the theater after Rent I ran into a girl I know.  I know her because she is currently in one of my classes.  In Cedar City, UT.  In a school of 6,000 in a town of 30,000.  It was a little surreal.


So yeah, I started laughing when I saw all the posts telling me to change software.  It isn't even just that I'm already invested in this program.  It's that people who are successfully using this program love it.  It'll do all the basic and advanced stuff and makes it all really simple.  And it takes the rocket science out of putting subtitles into your AVI's.  So yeah, I don't want to switch to whatever two or three programs other people are using.  This is one program that can do all of that stuff and do it well.  I'm almost sure that I am the reason it is not working correctly.

So....here's my system:

OS: Win XP pro
RAM: 3 GB (overkill, perhaps)
DivX Version: 5.1.1 and 5.2  (just downloaded 4.2 and am trying that now so we'll see in a few hours how that turns out.