TMPGEnc and VV 4.0 Compatible??

B.Verlik wrote on 8/19/2004, 10:59 PM
I tried using the search engine looking for answers but didn't find what I was looking for. For the last month or so, since I discovered this forum, I've been reading so much, that I don't remember where I saw it. But I thought I at least saw a mention that TMPGEnc somehow works with Vegas Video 4.0 d. (which I don't have yet and I'm in the middle of a giant project and am afraid to go for version 'e' until I'm done. I'm still on version 'c'.) There was no description of how VV used TMPGEnc, it was just mentioned. But I would like to know how this works with VV, because I already own TMPGEnc and haven't been using it for a while. Will I need to update my TMPGEnc too? A brief description will do. I'm sure it must have something to do with the 2-pass VBR, but does it come up in the VV menu and how is it implemented?

Comments

stormstereo wrote on 8/20/2004, 9:20 AM
Naaah, it does not plug in to Vegas. I think what you read was something with frameserving from Vegas to TMPGEnc. You can download the frameserving tool for free from Satish website www.debugmode.com. Make sure you read the info on the page to learn how to use it!

Best/Tommy
bStro wrote on 8/20/2004, 9:47 AM
The only thing I can think of is maybe someone used Satish's frame server program to "send" a Vegas project to TMPGEnc. Dunno if this is what you're thinking of (heck, I don't even know if it's possible / useful, since I've never done any frame serving). But you could try adding "Satish" to your string of search words.

What you would do once TMPGEnc has ahold of the project output, I don't know.

But other than that (and that's if it even works), Vegas doesn't work "with" TMPGEnc in any way.

Rob
B.Verlik wrote on 8/20/2004, 2:44 PM
Thank you for the response. That's probably why I couldn' t find anything with the search engine. I haven't even tapped into what 'Frame-serving' or 'I-frames' are yet. Everytime I try to read about it, my mind starts wandering. Every project I do takes so long, I'm surprised I've learned as much as I have. Yet, I'm amazing everybody I know with what I can do with Vegas.
farss wrote on 8/20/2004, 4:37 PM
TMPGEnc doesn't need to work 'with' Vegas though, it'll ingest most DV25 AVIs including the ones from Vegas.
The only time you need to plumb the depths of frame serving is if you wanted to go straight from the time line to the encoder, bypassing the render. If all of your source is DV25 and there's not mcuh in the way of FXs then there's not a big upside to this. However if there's a lot of FXs, generated media and say CC then you should get a better result going straight from the T/L to the encoder.

B.Verlik wrote on 8/21/2004, 9:51 PM
I would like to ask you why this is? Since I don't understand the whole Frame-serving thing anyway, I guess I won't waste your time. It's these little hints, that will eventually lead me to understanding. It might take 10 years, but I'll get there. Thanks for your response. I'm already to a point, within 1 year of getting Vegas, of confusing my friends when I try to describe what I have to do to make a DVD and it only takes about 30 seconds before there eyes start rolling back into their heads.
farss wrote on 8/21/2004, 11:29 PM
TMPGEnc and many others are encoders, they take video in as avi files and encode it to mpeg, these are two different forms of encoding. For an encoder to work with Vegas or any other NLE for that matter it has to be able to be started by the NLE, it then has to be able to ask the NLE for a frame of video, then the next etc. But becuase mpeg encoding is temporal it may need to go through the process several times to get the optimal encode.
Frame serving creates a 'pipe' that looks to another application like a file, both apps are fooled into doing their thing and made to work together.
Rendering out to a new file and then having TMPGEnc work on that is much the same although you may need to consider potential quality losses in the process. You can use the Sony 4:2:2 codec or else uncompressed AVIs as the intermediate step, but mostly if your source is DV25 you may not see any difference.
Making a DVD isn't that complicated, I think the biggest problem is the way DVD is sold to the public, just because it looks the same on the screen it's assumed it's the same as say a VHS tape. But VHS doesn't have menus etc.
Perhaps a good analogy is the difference between a printed catalogue and an online one.

Bob
B.Verlik wrote on 8/23/2004, 12:53 AM
Thanks Bob, I really appreciate that. One of the reasons I have trouble understanding a lot of the terminology is because I'm basically new to computers period. I have no teacher and I'm only lucky that I grew up playing video games since the invention of 'Pong', because I believe this has inadvertantly helped me get as far as I have, as fast as I have. (I've seen people raise their eyebrows when I say this, but I believe it's true.) My 1st computer was given to me in Oct 2002 and in Dec 2002, I ordered the one I have, only for the purpose of learning the art of multi-channel audio (I am a musician, and have had experience with analog audio for years.) and serious video editing. (Bought Vegas in June 2003) But trying to understand computer lingo, when you've never experienced it, is actually hard right now (even after a year and a half). I always have to barely read enough of the instructions to get started and then it's fool around, read instructions, fool around, read instructions and sooner or later, I'll get it. What you said above, actually opened up a couple of doors in my mind, and I can tell that I will eventually understand all this, even if I can't quite explain it. I'll know how to do it. So for you to go out of your way to explain that is something that I am thankful for. You must be very experienced, as I see you have quite a few posts on these pages. (and it's mostly helping others.) Thanks again.
Steve