First 10 seconds or so of videos are washed out/pixelated

[idioteque]

This isn't really that big a deal because generally the rest of the video is fine, but I'm a perfectionist and it gets on my nerves. I can post a short clip to show what's happening if necessary. This does not happen in the source videos, only in the converted ones. Source files are mostly Divx/Avi files. Here's a log:

EXEC: C:\Program Files\Red Kawa\Video Converter\Tools\MediaInfo\mediainfobatch.bat "C:\Program Files\Red Kawa\Video Converter\Tools\MediaInfo\MediaInfo.exe" "C:\Program Files\Red Kawa\Video Converter\Tools\MediaInfo\parameters.txt" "C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\My Movies\Garden State.avi"

PlayTime=01:41:55.824

Width=576

Height=240

AspectRatio=2.400

FrameRate=23.976
MediaInfo Command line, MediaInfoLib - v0.7.4.5
MSG - OS - Version: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2
MSG - Converter - Version: 2.19
MSG - Converter - Profile: H.264 16:9 forced 29.97
MSG - MediaInfo - Length: 6115s
MSG - MediaInfo - Width: 576 pixels
MSG - MediaInfo - Height: 240 pixels
MSG - MediaInfo - Aspect Ratio: 2.4
MSG - MediaInfo - Framerate: 23.976 fps
EXEC: C:\Program Files\Red Kawa\Video Converter\Tools\FFmpeg\ffmpeg.exe -y -i "C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\My Movies\Garden State.avi" -f mp4 -title "Garden State" -timestamp "2007-05-30 10:55:05" -vcodec h264 -level 30 -s 320x176 -r 29.97 -b 640k -bt 640k -bufsize 2000k -maxrate 768k -g 250 -coder 0 -acodec aac -ac 2 -ab 128k -vol 384 "C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\iPod Videos\Garden State.mp4-1"

FFmpeg version SVN-r8731, Copyright (c) 2000-2007 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-pp --enable-swscaler --enable-pthreads --enable-liba52 --enable-avisynth --enable-libdts --enable-libfaac --enable-libfaad --enable-libgsm --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libnut --enable-libogg --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-x264 --enable-xvid --enable-amr_nb --enable-amr_wb --cpu=i686 --enable-memalign-hack --extra-ldflags=-static
libavutil version: 49.4.0
libavcodec version: 51.40.3
libavformat version: 51.12.1
built on Apr 15 2007 00:37:23, gcc: 4.3.0 20070330 (experimental)
[NULL @ 009BC940]looks like this file was encoded with (divx4/(old)xvid/opendivx) -> forcing low_delay flag
Input #0, avi, from 'C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\My Movies\Garden State.avi':
Duration: 01:41:55.8, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 959 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 576x240, 2.00 fps(r)
Stream #0.1: Audio: mp3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 32 kb/s
Output #0, mp4, to 'C:\Documents and Settings\Caleb\My Documents\iPod Videos\Garden State.mp4-1':
Stream #0.0: Video: h264, yuv420p, 320x176, q=2-31, 640 kb/s, 29.97 fps(c)
Stream #0.1: Audio: aac, 48000 Hz, stereo, 128 kb/s
Stream mapping:
Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
Stream #0.1 -> #0.1
[h264 @ 009BC940]using SAR=33/25
[h264 @ 009BC940]using cpu capabilities MMX MMXEXT SSE SSE2 3DNow!
Press [q] to stop encoding
[mpeg4 @ 009BC940]looks like this file was encoded with (divx4/(old)xvid/opendivx) -> forcing low_delay flag
[mpeg4 @ 009BC940]looks like this file was encoded with (divx4/(old)xvid/opendivx) -> forcing low_delay flag
[h264 @ 009BC940]OVERFLOW levelcode=4377
[h264 @ 009BC940]OVERFLOW levelcode=4377
frame= 79 fps= 0 q=2.0 size= 2kB time=2.6 bitrate= 7.1kbits/s
frame= 121 fps= 0 q=18.0 size= 284kB time=4.0 bitrate= 577.0kbits/s
frame= 164 fps=109 q=22.0 size= 406kB time=5.5 bitrate= 607.9kbits/s
frame= 197 fps= 99 q=22.0 size= 525kB time=6.6 bitrate= 653.8kbits/s
frame= 230 fps= 92 q=22.0 size= 652kB time=7.7 bitrate= 696.1kbits/s
frame= 261 fps= 87 q=24.0 size= 770kB time=8.7 bitrate= 724.2kbits/s
frame= 293 fps= 84 q=22.0 size= 882kB time=9.8 bitrate= 738.9kbits/s
frame= 325 fps= 81 q=19.0 size= 1001kB time=10.8 bitrate= 755.8kbits/s
frame= 356 fps= 79 q=18.0 size= 1118kB time=11.9 bitrate= 771.3kbits/s
frame= 387 fps= 77 q=18.0 size= 1233kB time=12.9 bitrate= 782.0kbits/s
frame= 419 fps= 76 q=21.0 size= 1355kB time=14.0 bitrate= 794.2kbits/s
frame= 451 fps= 75 q=21.0 size= 1489kB time=15.0 bitrate= 810.5kbits/s
frame= 484 fps= 74 q=21.0 size= 1615kB time=16.1 bitrate= 819.3kbits/s
frame= 519 fps= 74 q=24.0 size= 1736kB time=17.3 bitrate= 821.4kbits/s
frame= 554 fps= 74 q=22.0 size= 1842kB time=18.5 bitrate= 816.2kbits/s
frame= 589 fps= 74 q=23.0 size= 1938kB time=19.7 bitrate= 807.7kbits/s
frame= 626 fps= 74 q=21.0 size= 2035kB time=20.9 bitrate= 798.0kbits/s
frame= 663 fps= 74 q=21.0 size= 2132kB time=22.1 bitrate= 789.5kbits/s
frame= 696 fps= 73 q=21.0 size= 2232kB time=23.2 bitrate= 787.5kbits/s
frame= 726 fps= 73 q=20.0 size= 2329kB time=24.2 bitrate= 787.7kbits/s
frame= 759 fps= 72 q=13.0 size= 2407kB time=25.3 bitrate= 778.7kbits/s
frame= 813 fps= 74 q=8.0 size= 2484kB time=27.1 bitrate= 750.1kbits/s
frame= 859 fps= 75 q=8.0 size= 2563kB time=28.7 bitrate= 732.4kbits/s
frame= 890 fps= 74 q=20.0 size= 2703kB time=29.7 bitrate= 745.7kbits/s
frame= 919 fps= 73 q=22.0 size= 2877kB time=30.7 bitrate= 768.6kbits/s
frame= 950 fps= 73 q=24.0 size= 3025kB time=31.7 bitrate= 781.8kbits/s
frame= 985 fps= 73 q=25.0 size= 3150kB time=32.9 bitrate= 785.2kbits/s
frame= 1023 fps= 73 q=28.0 size= 3288kB time=34.1 bitrate= 789.1kbits/s
frame= 1063 fps= 73 q=28.0 size= 3441kB time=35.5 bitrate= 794.7kbits/s
frame= 1105 fps= 74 q=24.0 size= 3564kB time=36.9 bitrate= 791.9kbits/s
frame= 1151 fps= 74 q=18.0 size= 3655kB time=38.4 bitrate= 779.6kbits/s
frame= 1203 fps= 75 q=17.0 size= 3736kB time=40.1 bitrate= 762.4kbits/s
frame= 1253 fps= 76 q=12.0 size= 3822kB time=41.8 bitrate= 748.8kbits/s
frame= 1306 fps= 77 q=2.0 size= 3893kB time=43.6 bitrate= 731.8kbits/s
frame= 1366 fps= 78 q=8.0 size= 3985kB time=45.6 bitrate= 716.3kbits/s
DELETE: C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\iPod Videos\Garden State.mp4-1
ERROR 0002 - Could not delete the following file: C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\iPod Videos\Garden State.mp4-1
ERROR 0001 - Exception raised:
System.IO.IOException: The process cannot access the file 'C:\Documents and Settings\User\My Documents\iPod Videos\Garden State.mp4-1' because it is being used by another process.
at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.File.Delete(String path)
at Videora.Conversion.Video.EncoderFlows.iPod.0b67580 14c4f17b8.ec74212ffbd60c7e()
frame= 1427 fps= 79 q=7.0 size= 4117kB time=47.6 bitrate= 708.3kbits/s

[Midiman]

[mpeg4 @ 009BC940]looks like this file was encoded with (divx4/(old)xvid/opendivx) -> forcing low_delay flag

First time I've noticed that. I wonder if we have found the source of this fairly rare problem.

[msopnet]

You can also try using an avisynth profile if the source plays well in Windows Media Player.

[Midiman]

I think we've already established that, when this happens, the files always play fine in Media Player. I don't know what the actual cause is.

[idioteque]

There's no solution? :confused:

[msopnet]

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding... did you try an AVISynth profile?

[Midiman]

And... did you try an mpeg-4 profile? I seem to recall that may have fixed it for someone else...

[idioteque]

Using an mpeg4 profile seems to work, thanks!

[JSV]

I'm also having this washed out/pixelated problem.

How do I use a mpeg4 profile? Whats that mean?

Sorry, I'm not a whiz at computers.

Thanks!

[Midiman]

It means abandoning the VideoWizard and setting things yourself. There are a set of h.264 profiles and a set of mpeg4 profiles you can choose from that feature a variety of resolutions and bitrates once you learn how to use the program and stop relying on the "Easy Button".

[JSV]

I gotcha.

Is there a certain MPEG4 profile setting I should use over the default QVGA setting to correct this problem?

Should I use the MPEG4 768 AviSynth setting or the MPEG 1536 setting?

I'm assuming the higher the kbps setting, the higher the video quality?

Thanks again for your help.

[Midiman]

AviSynth profiles do things significantly differently than others. As for what bitrate you should use... experimentation is in order. See what looks acceptible to you. Use QVGA profiles for 320 pixel width output, use VGA for 640 pixel width output.

[i_need_help_with_this]

okay im also having problems with this.
but im kinda newb soo do you think you can find some way to explain it easily?

this is the profile i'm using:
MPEG4 QVGA 768kps Stereo/128 kbps 2-Pass

i have the videora ipod converter version 2.25

is this good or not?:confused:

I'M SO CONFUSED

[Midiman]

If you have a problem, please start your own thread. This one is over a month old and belongs to someone else.