Shaolin Productions

What is x264 - http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=96059

“This is not an official x264 build and may not work at all, destroy all the data on your hard drive or make your house or your dog explode (i doubt it can, though...). I'm not responsible for anything that could happen (i just checkout the SVN, apply some patches and compile the sources) - use it at your own risk .“

With that said, I believe x264 is ready for mainstream use, see decoding section.

Steps to convert your movie to x264.

If this is your first time compressing x264, see the file links section. Also see glossary at end of guide for some common terms that you need to know.

Encoding x264.

(This is how I do it, it is not the best way, just my way.)

1. Export the video clip uncompressed with the container .avi out of Vegas/Premiere/whatever your editing program, without an audio stream.

If you exported with audio, open up VirtualDubMod:

File / Open -> find your clip then load it. Then go to Streams / Stream list -> click on the audio stream that shows up, then hit the Save as Wav button.

2. Export audio as Windows audio [*.wav] uncompressed.

3. Uninstall x264 (if installed). Many changes in x264 require a full reinstall of the codec. Install the latest version of x264 and MeGUI.

This is the most important link-> http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=89979

More direct download link-> http://www.free-codecs.com/download/x264_Video_Codec.htm

4. To create a simple AviSynth script open up notepad and type:

AVISource("nameofvideofile.avi")

Crop(0,0,-0,-0)

ConvertToYV12()

File / Save as-> drop down box to: All Files, "name.avs"

Time to encode the video. Start / Programs / x264 / command line interface decoder  [might look different on your PC]

Open MeGUI then go to the Tools / Settings -> File Locations

Browse and find all the files, if you dont have em, google them or see end of guide

In MeGUI: image 

EDIT: a nice MeGUI guide: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=106189

5. AviSynth field-> find your “name.avs” file (loads up a window with your video, good to see if it loaded up, now close that)

File type -> ' RAW '

Video output -> whatever you want for a output filename. Default works.

6. Hit the 'Config' button, see http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=101813&page=1&pp=20 for profiles. [ The profiles are now included in the 264 full package] Place profiles in ~\ Program Files \ x264 \ profiles \ video. Use "HQ-Slow" for tests, adjust the bit rate to a 1500 - 2500 range.

Check images for my settings, these are set up for a faster encode on easy q3 tricking content, thats why it's only 1000 bitrate. For a final encode you can adjust the sub pixel mode to 7, ME algo to Multi-Hex and run a auto-3pass.

tab-1

tab-2

meguiconfig3.jpg

I suggest never to use ME algo “Exhaustive”, FPS drops through the floor and improvements on the video are unnoticeable. Uneven Milti-hex is enough.

7. Hit 'Enqueue' button, go to Queue tab, hit Start button. [you can set multiple jobs of course, just like in virtual dub] This will take a while. It is about ½ to 1/8 as fast as Xvid in some of my encodes.

Combine audio and video.

8. Put video and audio together using YAMB. Start \ Programs \YAMB. Go to the Mux tab. Add the audio and video, Hit the 'mux' button. Note this tool is much more powerful then just this task.

See decoding section. :)