x264 - MeGUI - The noob guide (56k WARNING)

[LighT!]

**Some people have created video tutorials for Vdub and MeGUI which is roughly 80% the same process and may help some people. Check it out.

Advantages over MeGUI compared to bat version? More configuration options, resizing/cropping upscaling etc much like vdub if necessary. Easy for beginners though it takes longer to setup the first time.
Best of all it takes 5-6 minutes, not 45+ and provides the same quality. If not better if you max out the configuration.


Just before you read this guide, some people have mentioned crashes and what not using x264, or even just playing back files.
If you've used any codec packs, uninstall them, as they're likely dud packs.

The best pack that's crash free for most is K-lite, which I use. Install it to ensure maximum stability and compatibility. Download

Before you start you'll need to have your .wav taken from the uncompressed source. The quickest way to do this is to manually Export > from whatever editing software you use audio only, and using that. If you can't do that, extract it from the video using VirtualDub (go to Audio source and click Save Wav).
Create a folder to store your final components (AVS, Audio Wav, Video AVI), call it 'Final' as per the reference or whatever you prefer.

Download: meGUI
Now go and download MeGUI if you haven't already, run it and let it update all the necessary files. You don't need to import video profiles it suggests, so you can skip those.

(*Note, after a few MeGUI updates, one thing was removed from the front page, and 2 options were changed elsewhere, but they are unimportant, just skip what looks different to your actual tab).

+++++Encoding settings

Choose x264 scratchpad and hit Config, hit New and set a name for your own profile. You can match my settings if you'd like, tinker, copy another x264 guide on the net, or ask someone for their settings.
Generally 3500-5000 bitrate will do. Go below 4000 and you might see a lot of blockiness, but if you're video is smaller than 1280x720 you may only need 3500.
These settings are targeted towards maximum quality, lowest encoding speed. A 2-5 minute clip could take 10-25 minutes easily. Go with 2pass encoding if you want to save a few minutes, but if you have the time go with the extra pass.
I've tried the manual x264 method once, and that easily took twice as long as MeGUI, but the quality depends a lot on your settings.

Set threads here to how many cores you have or leave it at 0.













+++++Creating AVI Synth script, setting up encode and enqueue

Hit CTRL+R to bring up the AVISynth Script Creator (Note:This can be found under the Tools menu)
Hit "..." next to Video input and file the file you rendered out for your final clip, it'll scan the file for a few seconds and bring up a preview window. You can get out of this if you want to.

Go to the Filters tab and set the frame rate to 30. Also make sure resize is unticked under Options, it's usually on by default.


Now hit Save and save next to your uncompressed AVI (video.avs), it's a good idea to put all these files in to a folder for tidyness. Save it under the same name if you'd like (Eg video.avi with video.avs).

Now you should be back at the main window, you'll see now the input AVS script has been inputted for you. Manually creating this avs files and importing them is always an option.
The video output will be set to the same directory as the avs, with the correct extension (mp4), change the directory/filename if you wish by hitting ... and browsing to your desired directory.
Make sure the encoder settings you created earlier are selected, now hit Enqueue.
If you'd like to encode that video now, click the Queue tab and hit start.

Just a quick warning to save you some trouble, you'll have to say Yes to over-write once the firstpass is done for it to continue, and tick Always, or you'll come back after 20 minutes to find it's done nothing.




Remember you have to encode the audio separately, you can enqueue both now, it doesn't matter.
I usually enqueue the wav first and encode straight away in to the final folder, so I can mux it together afterwards, as encoding the video will take a while.

++++++Encoding audio

Take the wav file you extracted from vegas/premiere or vdub, down in the Audio section and hit '...' then browse to that file. [You can export mp3 from Adobe/Vegas and skip re-encoding it and go and mux it now]
Choose LAME MP3 under the Encoding Settings, the default settings (128kbps) will work fine, you can edit them if you'd like by hitting Config.
Now choose the ouput towards your final folder, it doesn't matter what you name it, you can call it final.mp3.
Now hit Enqueue, and head over to the Queue tab and hit Start. Ten seconds later that mp3 will have been done for you, you can click Clear to remove finished jobs.


++++++Mux

Great, you're almost done! Now just to combine the mp3 and mp4 in to the same file and you can upload!

In MeGUI, go to Tools > Muxer > Mp4 Muxer.
For the video input, select your encoded file, then the same under the audio section.
Now under muxed output, browse towards where you want the file created, and set the final name for your masterpiece. Hit queue, head back and start that job, and you're done.



I'm not claiming to have mastered MeGUI, if any other movie makers have better suggestions on way to do things or additions to this feel free to make them and I'll amend it.

[Freddeh=]]

i prefer snapshots x264 guide

whenever i want to encode into x264 i just drag in the uncompressed audio and visual, edit one name in the bat file (the file name of the audio and video), double click the bat file and walk away

[LighT!]

How long does the encoding usually take?

[etriC!]

used to do it this way, makemp4 bat produces better quality so i go with that now, it takes about the same time tbh.

[haymo]

windows media video

[etriC!]

Originally Posted by haymo

windows media video

/vomit

[snap shot]

haha, thanks for the guide i'll give it a shot later, see what gives best results

[LighT!]

I gave the manual attempt another go and I ended up with a movie.h264 file in the /temp/ folder, how am I supposed to get the .x264, rename it?

[vitaL]

awsome guide , helped heaps will rep when possible

[haymo]

Originally Posted by etriC!

/vomit

my encoding is fine :/

[MyztiK]

Originally Posted by DarKcS

I gave the manual attempt another go and I ended up with a movie.h264 file in the /temp/ folder, how am I supposed to get the .x264, rename it?

*facepalm*

[ShiFTy]

good effort, but your videos have never been good quality sorry

[LighT!]

I thought Albstr's COTW was decent quality.

And if you stop and look past all the nice colours in half the other x264 COTWs you'll artefacts, blockiness, and pixelation, eg cPS's vid, just not as noticeable perhaps.
If I knew how to do the manual method without failing then I would.

[etriC!]

Originally Posted by haymo

my encoding is fine :/

yeah yours are very good because premiere encodes so much better in wmv than vegas can. That being said wmv is always the easy fast way

[haymo]

Originally Posted by etriC!

yeah yours are very good because premiere encodes so much better in wmv than vegas can. That being said wmv is always the easy fast way

the easy fast way... but the best :/ Not all computers can run these ridiculously complex encoded files that mp4 and h264 are producing.

[beazy]

infected productions got a nice tut on how to do it aswell

[LighT!]

Bmp :P

[LighT!]

Sticky anyone? Or perhaps link to from one of the other guides already stickied.

[jamiec]

Stickied, This is the a guide for those unsure of the other tutorial.

[snap shot]

good work admin

[smitewOw]

Nice guide dark

[wreckst4R]

awesome guide man, nice work.

[IoF]

Doesnt seem to work 4 me

I encoded the video like said, aswell as the audio, but i noticed (as i tried to open the 2 for the mux) that the video was a 366KB file :/, so its dfinately not encoded properly.

Tried a second time following the instructions ever-so more carefully. Exactly the same turnout. The audio is fine, but the video never encoded to mp4 successfully.

Any chance you'd know whats going on or how i can fix this?

--ICE

[LighT!]

Not sure.
Using automated 2/3 pass or something else? Sounds like all is left is the analysis pass.
Also double checked your file names? Try outputting to a different filename.