I am trying to process some video using VirtualDub, but I am not familiar with it and I am missing something. What I am doing is processing 4:3 letterbox video to convert it into 16:9. The first part of the process is using VirtualDub and several of its filters. So I already loaded the file and the filters, but then what? How do I do I make it to start processing it? I have pressed in "Start Frame Server" and named the new file, but nothing happens. The window opens and everything stays, with no apparent processing. What else should I do?
If you start the frame server, virtualdub is waiting for another program (for example, CCE or Tmpgenc 2.5) to attach to the VDR and process the frames. If nothing connects, nothing happens. On the other hand, if you just want to create a new AVI, don't start the frame server. Instead use File/Save as avi.
VirtualDub saves it's output as AVI. Under 'Video', choose a codec (compression type) then click 'File' => 'Save as AVI'. Only if you wish to have the output go to an encoder, (to convert the video to Mpeg?) would you run the Frame Server. @davexnet Sorry, I didn't refresh the page before replying.
Can't it be something newer from TMPGEnc? No, I need an m2v file so I can complete my auhtoring. I am only converting a DVD of mine which is 4:3 letterbox onto 16:9, and I want it to be as transparent as possible. I tried doing that with Procoder but I had comb effects and several artifacts.
Ok, I have installed TMPGEnc 2.5. Now how do I proceed? The dummy vdr file that VirtualDub sets up is not recognized by TMPGEnc.
I think it has to have the extension .avi (as in myfile.vdr.avi) http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2894
Tried all options: vdr, avi and vdr.avi. TMPGEnc says that "can not open or not supported". I am stuck on this, because the original article supposes the dummy file will load and it doesn't.
I do not want an avi file. Yes, I have to go back to MPEG2. But I seem to be missing something because I can't seem to make frameserve to work.
OK. I found another article on frameserve. You have to run "AuxSetup" in order for framserve to work. Hopefully now it will.
Let us know how it goes. It seems as if the later releases of Tmpgenc (after 2.5) no longer will connect properly to the Virtualdub signpost. However, the newer releases will quite happily open *.avs, so you can frameserve from avisynth
Well, got my first results. They are encouraging on some aspects and not on others. I think I will make my own tests with each filter and see how it turns out, and then go for the combinations. Perhaps some kind of article would be in order, but I wonder how many people might be interested in it. Will try to keep you informed.
Here's a small report on my experience with this process. As I said what I wanted was to convert a 4:3 letterbox DVd onto a 16:9 anamorphic one. As it was before I couldn't play that on my 16:9 TV screen filling it out, and I needed to zoom the image to get that fill. When I did that I lost the subtitles and I think the quality suffered too. What I want involves zooming the original image and the 16:9 conversion. I first tried this conversion on Procoder 3, but I got several artifacts. So I looked for a better way. As I had used VirtualDub in the past in professional job, curing a fluorescents flicker problem with great success, I guessed what I wanted might be through this route. Luckily I found a nice tutorial on the subject: http://www.videohelp.com/forum/arch...-a-4-3-canvas-to-16-9-anamorphic-t316902.html But you have to be careful on what you add as filters, as some of them will affect the picture quality. Some instructions are missing too, like not explaining how you activate the "frameserve" function. It would be very interesting to know more on how to setup each filter, particularly the resizing one. I coudln't add any noise reduction filters, as they affected the size of the image, don't know why. Then you have to be careful on your setup of TMPGenc 2.5. After comparing the quality of this process with the original 4:3 DVD, I will try other programs to use instead of TMPGenc 2.5.
I took a look at the link you provided to the guide. It seems a little long winded to me. Presumably, the source was in qood shape picture-wise, do you really need other filters besides resize? What about passing the video as-is and letting Tmpgenc do the resize?
Well, not really. In fact the noise reduction filters diminished the contrast, so I didn't use them. I did try that path, using Procoder 3, which is considered one of the best. And I had artifacts. With Virtualdub it was much cleaner. In any case, I did view the result on my 42" plasma and compared it with the original DVD, doing a zoom in on the TV to fill the screen. The result was quite good, in fact better than the processed video. But the subtitles would have to be moved, because they disappear when zooming in.
