Supacon
I love how well VDJ can play back video, and it plays VOBs straight from DVD flawlessly with great quality. I have a pressing issue when it comes to all my DivX files though.
The audio quality is terrible with my DivX files! It's listenable, but there's definitely something wrong. It kind of sounds like it's playing at 22kHz sampling rate or something... definitely not as good as it sounds when played through Winamp. I'd like to know why.
The Promo Only DVDs that are the source of the videos have the audio in LPCM 48KHz 16 bit, AFAIK, and when I encode them to DivX, I keep the audio in this format, encoding it to 256 kbit/s MP3 (or some high constant bitrate). This has never been a problem, and generally sounds okay... but apparently Virtual DJ doesn't play it back well.
Can anyone else attest to this issue? I could provide a short sample clip if anyone else would like to test this out and analyze what could be going on here. I don't particularily want to have to re-encode my hundreds of DVDs!
The audio quality is terrible with my DivX files! It's listenable, but there's definitely something wrong. It kind of sounds like it's playing at 22kHz sampling rate or something... definitely not as good as it sounds when played through Winamp. I'd like to know why.
The Promo Only DVDs that are the source of the videos have the audio in LPCM 48KHz 16 bit, AFAIK, and when I encode them to DivX, I keep the audio in this format, encoding it to 256 kbit/s MP3 (or some high constant bitrate). This has never been a problem, and generally sounds okay... but apparently Virtual DJ doesn't play it back well.
Can anyone else attest to this issue? I could provide a short sample clip if anyone else would like to test this out and analyze what could be going on here. I don't particularily want to have to re-encode my hundreds of DVDs!
Inviato Mon 19 Jun 06 @ 8:19 pm
Andrew87
What program are you using to convert to divx and do you know which mp3 encoder is used?
I've converted vobs to xvid for use in virtual dj and found the best way is to use gordian knot for the video and besweet with it's ssrc downsampling for the audio. Don't forget you need to encode your virtual dj audio files at 44 khz.
I've converted vobs to xvid for use in virtual dj and found the best way is to use gordian knot for the video and besweet with it's ssrc downsampling for the audio. Don't forget you need to encode your virtual dj audio files at 44 khz.
Inviato Mon 19 Jun 06 @ 8:22 pm
djsherz
I had a similar problem until I used a different program to convert my DVDs - I'm now using ImToo DVD ripper, and now the audio works fine. I set the audio to encode as mp3 192Khz, and it sounds as good as any other mp3 track.
Inviato Mon 19 Jun 06 @ 9:24 pm
Andrew87
I've encoded a 52 second sample using the free XviD and Lame encoders. The filesize is 8.39 MB and the video quality is very acceptable considering that the source file I had wasn't the clearest and I haven't opted to get maximum quality.
Try downloading the sample I've posted and see if your Virtual DJ still gives unacceptable audio results. The audio itself has been encoded with lame 3.96r using the extreme preset and the resolution has been losslessly converted from 48khz to 44khz at very little expense in encoding time (i.e. it is near cd perfect if such a thing exists from mp3s).
The audio from this sample takes up 16% of the total filesize and the video quality is only set to 47% of the theoretical maximum of the encoder. I think the results are good, but I'll let you be the judge; don't forget that I haven't opted to achieve maximum quality but I've settled for a balance of filesize and quality. As mentioned earlier, the size of this file is 8.39 MB compared to the 42 MB which an equal length VOB would take.
Click picture to download sample.
Try downloading the sample I've posted and see if your Virtual DJ still gives unacceptable audio results. The audio itself has been encoded with lame 3.96r using the extreme preset and the resolution has been losslessly converted from 48khz to 44khz at very little expense in encoding time (i.e. it is near cd perfect if such a thing exists from mp3s).
The audio from this sample takes up 16% of the total filesize and the video quality is only set to 47% of the theoretical maximum of the encoder. I think the results are good, but I'll let you be the judge; don't forget that I haven't opted to achieve maximum quality but I've settled for a balance of filesize and quality. As mentioned earlier, the size of this file is 8.39 MB compared to the 42 MB which an equal length VOB would take.
Click picture to download sample.
Inviato Mon 19 Jun 06 @ 11:04 pm
Supacon
I encoded all my videos with Dr. DivX, using the DivX 5 codec. It actually took me a while to get a system to automate that... I even wrote my own perl script to label the files in each directory from an excel spreadsheet with the artists and titles! I wish you could tag the files, because if one could, it'd be trivial for me to do it, I suppose.
Anyways, I've got good quality video, and I used the absolute slowest settings. I spent maybe two months doing it with the entire promo DVD collection!
I didn't downsample the audio, as I stated. In retrospect, that probably would have been a good idea, but I had this notion that I'd be preserving more quality by keeping it at 48 Khz. Also, there is a "blip" or glitch that spikes the audio output at the beginning of many of my files. I've never had these problems with any other software I've used. Too bad :(
I really didn't want to re encode all my DVDs, especially since a few of my originals were stolen since I did it. (Don't let drunks into your DJ booth with all your valuable DVDs stacked within reach!)
I may have to try some different software, but in any case it'll be a lot of work. I notice that now there is a tool to automatically label the DVDs and stuff, which might make part of my job a lot easier.
BTW Andrew87, that video sounds fine, and it looks good too, except that you've screwed up the aspect ratio, so we have a lot of squshed heads...
Anyways, I've got good quality video, and I used the absolute slowest settings. I spent maybe two months doing it with the entire promo DVD collection!
I didn't downsample the audio, as I stated. In retrospect, that probably would have been a good idea, but I had this notion that I'd be preserving more quality by keeping it at 48 Khz. Also, there is a "blip" or glitch that spikes the audio output at the beginning of many of my files. I've never had these problems with any other software I've used. Too bad :(
I really didn't want to re encode all my DVDs, especially since a few of my originals were stolen since I did it. (Don't let drunks into your DJ booth with all your valuable DVDs stacked within reach!)
I may have to try some different software, but in any case it'll be a lot of work. I notice that now there is a tool to automatically label the DVDs and stuff, which might make part of my job a lot easier.
BTW Andrew87, that video sounds fine, and it looks good too, except that you've screwed up the aspect ratio, so we have a lot of squshed heads...
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 5:22 am
Andrew87
Aspect ratio is fine here, may be your decoder (DivX 5 is quite a bit older than XviD 1.0.1, perhaps you've got force aspect ratio on in the DivX decoder). But does it work in Virtual DJ? If it does, then you're problem is to do with the MP3s being at 48khz. You can probably automate the task to downsample them all but going from lossy to lossy compression isn't advised, it's a shame there's no easy way to just discard the extra resolution.
I'll make a guide later how to use Gordian Knot and BeSweet to encode reasonably sized XviD files with as good as CD quality audio later. At the moment I have an ICT A2 to fail ironically in 90minutes lol..
I'll make a guide later how to use Gordian Knot and BeSweet to encode reasonably sized XviD files with as good as CD quality audio later. At the moment I have an ICT A2 to fail ironically in 90minutes lol..
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 8:06 am
Andrew87
On further testing in a window Virtual DJ seems to interpret the file as 4:3 so their faces do looks extremely squashed in Virtual DJ! I hope this is fixed for v4 although it's not a major bug; when I play the file using my LCD TV (which is natively widescreen) it looks fine. Seems Virtual DJ tries to play the files to take up the whole window.
Infact, after testing the original vob file too, my XviD encode actually works much better with output to a 16:9 TV.
VOB - MPEG2
XviD - MPEG4
This could be to do with the XviD being encoded at 2:1 rather than 16:9 though. Excuse the quality, taken with my phone and I didn't realise how much compression I used on the jpgs..
Infact, after testing the original vob file too, my XviD encode actually works much better with output to a 16:9 TV.
VOB - MPEG2
XviD - MPEG4
This could be to do with the XviD being encoded at 2:1 rather than 16:9 though. Excuse the quality, taken with my phone and I didn't realise how much compression I used on the jpgs..
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 2:16 pm
frd1963
Supacon,
Your problem, as Andrew87 mentions, is that you are using 48Khz audio. VDJ doesn't process 48Khz audio well.
You should be able to use a 'transcoding' program to change just the audio stream, but it is a tedious task. I have all of my videos in MPEG2 format with the original 48Khz lpcm audio also and I hate the sound, but don't have the time to do the transcoding.
VDJ4 supposedly will support 48Khz audio, so I am waiting patiently.
Your problem, as Andrew87 mentions, is that you are using 48Khz audio. VDJ doesn't process 48Khz audio well.
You should be able to use a 'transcoding' program to change just the audio stream, but it is a tedious task. I have all of my videos in MPEG2 format with the original 48Khz lpcm audio also and I hate the sound, but don't have the time to do the transcoding.
VDJ4 supposedly will support 48Khz audio, so I am waiting patiently.
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 5:55 pm
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
thanx Andrew87 for excellent support and help in this topic...
:)
:)
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 6:06 pm
Supacon
Ay, thank you Andrew87.
I think I may as well just wait for v4, which as dj-in-norway mentioned, is a free upgrade. Any order of magnitude estimates on when it'll be available? Months? Years?
If it's the latter, maybe I'll have to do something else, but if beta testers already have V4, I'm guessing it won't be more than a few months.
I think I may as well just wait for v4, which as dj-in-norway mentioned, is a free upgrade. Any order of magnitude estimates on when it'll be available? Months? Years?
If it's the latter, maybe I'll have to do something else, but if beta testers already have V4, I'm guessing it won't be more than a few months.
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 6:58 pm
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
it will be real soon;)
Inviato Tue 20 Jun 06 @ 7:33 pm
Andrew87
Virtual DJ doesn't seem to obey the aspect ratio of the files it is playing. It will just stretch the video to take up 100% of the width and height of your screen, this is very problematic for mpeg4 files; should this be a bug or new feature?
Inviato Wed 21 Jun 06 @ 12:19 am
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
hope so.. I'm not a Video DJ... But VDJ4 has very improved video features
Inviato Wed 21 Jun 06 @ 12:23 am
Superstom
[off topic]
the vips are telling more and more of the "secret" features of v4, but it seems to me like it is a complete rewrite of vdj.
Ewout
the vips are telling more and more of the "secret" features of v4, but it seems to me like it is a complete rewrite of vdj.
Ewout
Inviato Thu 22 Jun 06 @ 11:04 pm
Supacon
I'm looking forward to seeing the new version. I just DJed a full night using the video and Karaoke features, and I have a big list of things that I'd like to see changed or improved before I completely fall in love with Virtual DJ. Overall it's good though... just a few minor issues. I'll start a new thread to discuss.
Inviato Fri 23 Jun 06 @ 11:06 am
Rune (DJ-In-Norway)
Superstom wrote :
[off topic]
the vips are telling more and more of the "secret" features of v4, but it seems to me like it is a complete rewrite of vdj.
Ewout
the vips are telling more and more of the "secret" features of v4, but it seems to me like it is a complete rewrite of vdj.
Ewout
well... it is ;) NEW soundengine, master-tempo, effect engine and lots more.. written from scratch, to add a high profesional level to the software... This has been done as more and more users here use the software profesionally, and so the demand for state-of-the art quality must be met :)
But that is not really a secret;) Been stated at General Forum many months ago what the intention and focus for change are, and what would be changed.... by Dev Team and Corporates. :)
Inviato Fri 23 Jun 06 @ 4:08 pm
Manquín
I use Imtoo dvd ripper and my settings for divx videos are:
720x480
2500 video bit rate
mp3 160 kbs
I have even a better quality that mpg2 format and less space and videos load faster than mpg1,2, hope it helps anybody.
720x480
2500 video bit rate
mp3 160 kbs
I have even a better quality that mpg2 format and less space and videos load faster than mpg1,2, hope it helps anybody.
Inviato Sat 24 Jun 06 @ 6:01 pm
Andrew87
manquin_dj wrote :
I use Imtoo dvd ripper and my settings for divx videos are:
720x480
2500 video bit rate
mp3 160 kbs
I have even a better quality that mpg2 format and less space and videos load faster than mpg1,2, hope it helps anybody.
720x480
2500 video bit rate
mp3 160 kbs
I have even a better quality that mpg2 format and less space and videos load faster than mpg1,2, hope it helps anybody.
What you need to understand is you are converting from MPG2 to MPG4 i.e. lossy to lossy compression, this means the quality of your MPG4 will not be better or even equal to the original no matter how good it looks to you.
You may also want to put more quality into your audio as most people seem to prefer something along the lines of 220kbps vbr, most people agree you shouldn't go below 192kbps. I don't know what mp3 compressor ImToo uses, hopefully it's Lame because it blows away every other mp3 encoder out there.
A lot of videos from promo-dvds are in widescreen format but because it's using MPG2 it encodes the black boarders too. This is something you can remove with MPG4 so you are needlessly wasting valuable bits during your encode by keeping the resolution at 720*480 (with the exception of 4:3 material where this would be right); I don't recommend you change this for the moment however as VDJ doesn't seem to obey aspect ratios so what you're doing is ok.
Inviato Sat 24 Jun 06 @ 6:47 pm
Manquín
Well I've read in some forums that divx will be the replacement of mpg2 format for many advantages it has, and I've realized that many new dvd players are including this fantastic format, let's see what happens,best regards.
Inviato Sat 24 Jun 06 @ 8:44 pm
DJ Fusi
I have also had problem with Vob files, because virtual DJ can´t play the digital audio. But I found a program that rip 2 VOB and change the digital audio to uncompressd Lpcm sound. VideoReDo Plus. All you have to do is drag the vob file to the program, edit, press: save as, change the save as type to vob or mpg, then goto option and change the audio properties (encoding) to LPCM/WAV and save it. Try it free at http://www.videoredo.com/
DJ Fuzi Iceland
DJ Fuzi Iceland
Inviato Sun 25 Jun 06 @ 9:57 pm
