Is there an EASY video encoder out there?

[Gillbot]

I've tried 3GP and Super, but I can't seem to get them to do what I want.

Basically, I bought my daughter an Archos 605 WiFi 30GB for christmas and i'm putting some of her DVDs on it that I ripped to digital format. Unfortunately, the file sizes are around 700MB, which is (IMHO) too much quality for this little screen. I'd like to cut them in half or better but at least still have them watchable.

3GP seems to screw with the format of the output video leaving black bars either on top or the sides, depending on the aspect ratio of the original.

Super just has too many damn settings. I've fiddled with them till i'm blue in the face but the best I can seem to muster is a 500-600MB file from the original or I make the final video so horrible, it's unwatchable.

Is there an EASY "cut it in half" piece of software that will auto adjust the settings to reduce the file size?

 

[sivart]

You might want to give DVDFab a try
http://www.dvdfab.com/dvd-to-mobile.htm

It worked well for converting movies for my Zune

 

[Gillbot]

I prefer freeware, plus it looks as though that program is primarily AC3 audio which i'm trying to avoid. The Archos requires you to pay for a plugin to play H264 and AC3 files so I need to transcode them to AVI (DIVX is ok) and MP3 audio.

The problem with super is as I said, it works and I can get them playable but I can't seem to reduce the filesize more than 10-15% without completely screwing up the video (from lack of knowledge about the settings i'm messing with).

 

[sivart]

I've used Super a few times and it does take some trial and error to get the quality / size setting right. Did you try in Super to start with a template and tweak some settings?

A 4-6GB movie down to about 700MB is a lot more than 10-15% in reduction. That is more than an 80% reduction in size.

Are you going from the original DVD rip through Super or an already reduced file through Super? I'd start with the original. That way you end up with one re-encode instead of two, which should yield better quality.

 

[Rifter]

I use handbrake for all my transcoding.

 

[Gillbot]

I've used Super a few times and it does take some trial and error to get the quality / size setting right. Did you try in Super to start with a template and tweak some settings?

A 4-6GB movie down to about 700MB is a lot more than 10-15% in reduction. That is more than an 80% reduction in size.

Are you going from the original DVD rip through Super or an already reduced file through Super? I'd start with the original. That way you end up with one re-encode instead of two, which should yield better quality.

it's already 700mb, i didn't save the vob's or the original. There was an old program way back that would show the estimated file size based on the input file and chosen settings. It also had a "slider" for target file size. I wish I could remember what that was, it was easy to use.

 

[sivart]

Without the original you may not be able to get much more compression out of it. I don't know if I would admit that I don't have the original on a public forum as that is clearly outside of the "fair use" doctrine...but hey, that's just me.

The program you describe sounds familiar, but I can't remember the name either.

 

[mmntech]

The program you describe sounds familiar, but I can't remember the name either.

PSP Video Converter maybe?
http://www.pspvideo9.com/screenshots/mac.html

 

[Slug]

May be thinking of DVDShrink

 

[Gillbot]

Without the original you may not be able to get much more compression out of it. I don't know if I would admit that I don't have the original on a public forum as that is clearly outside of the "fair use" doctrine...but hey, that's just me.

The program you describe sounds familiar, but I can't remember the name either.

I still have the disc, just not the original file so i'm not worried.

 

[sivart]

If you have the disc, re-rip it full quality and then try to re-encode it again with Super to a lower quality file.

 

[slackerinabox]

I really like CloneDVD mobile

 

[The-Noid]

Ripbot264 is great. Encodes to x.264 can encode high resolution formats to FLAC. Quite quick and constantly updated.

 

[Gillbot]

Ripbot264 is great. Encodes to x.264 can encode high resolution formats to FLAC. Quite quick and constantly updated.

That's the problem though. I need to pay for a codec to use anything x264 and any other audio aside from MP3 which I prefer not to do.

I just decided to say the hell with it because after playing with it till i'm blue in the face, the video either looks completely horrible and isn't watchable or I make the files slightly different in file size and it isn't worth it.

 

[Queasy]

I use FairUse Wizard to convert to xvid. Can do mp3 audio or AC3 5.1. You have to pay for it but it is the easiest thing I've ever used to convert a DVD to something portable.

 

[Gillbot]

I use FairUse Wizard to convert to xvid. Can do mp3 audio or AC3 5.1. You have to pay for it but it is the easiest thing I've ever used to convert a DVD to something portable.

if i'm gonna pay, i might as well buy the codec for the archos though and avoid the need to recode no?

 

[tw1164]

Have you looked AutoGK, I can't think of an easier program for xvid.

 

[The-Noid]

if you install ffdshow you do not need to pay for any codec.

Download ffdshow, ripbot 264 and haali media splitter all are freeware programs. Will decode and encode pretty much any format you can think of.

 

[Gillbot]

if you install ffdshow you do not need to pay for any codec.

Download ffdshow, ripbot 264 and haali media splitter all are freeware programs. Will decode and encode pretty much any format you can think of.

I'll give this a shot, thanks

 

[BoberFett]

DVDDecrypter + AutoGK, I use them to do all of my DVD encoding.

 

[Gillbot]

downloading autogk also

 

[Gillbot]

so far, AutoGK is working! WOOOOOOOOO!

It ran into a few files I already had re-encoded that it wouldn't work on but overall it works well!

 

[Gillbot]

so far, AutoGK is working! WOOOOOOOOO!

It ran into a few files I already had re-encoded that it wouldn't work on but overall it works well!

I guess AutoGK is not windows 7 friendly? I installed it onto my main rig and all I get are exceptions and crashes. That sucks, i'm tired of transcoding with my laptop. This is taking forever.

 

[Spicedaddy]

http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

and the CCCP codec pack. For smaller file sizes, you have to lower both the resolution and bitrate.

 

[Gillbot]

http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

and the CCCP codec pack. For smaller file sizes, you have to lower both the resolution and bitrate.

I understand that, but after reviewing the resolution and bit rate of the original file then basically halving it with super, the file size is nearly the same. If I go any more, the quality just gets horrible. I'm sure i'm doing something wrong, I just don't know enough about the settings i'm changing aside from picking numbers for resolution, framerate and bit rate.