Prism pixelates conversions from .AVI to .WMV

Kreelor

I plan to buy Prism, but only after I can get it to do what it claims to do. And, that is to convert .avi files to .wmv files or other filetypes (without destroying the quality of the video output).

So far, I've tried everything I can think of, but the results are the same after each attempted conversion. The video is noticeably pixelated when played back with Windows Media Player. I've changed a number of settings within Prism (output size, bit-rate, etc.) but they don't improve the output. And, to complicate the situation even more, Prism doesn't have a "Restore Default Settings" option! I suppose I'll have to uninstall and reinstall it to get the default settings back again. And, I probably won't be able to do that, since NCH may not allow me to reinstall the "Trial Version" twice!!!!

The raw .avi video plays excellently with both Windows Media Player and VLC player. However, after conversion to .wmv, the video looks horrible in both players.

The Prism "Help" pages are mostly lists of definitions of terms. There are no examples. It isn't any help to me whatsoever.

I am writing to ask if any of you more experience users will reply to this post with a FULL list of your settings (which work for you). I know nothing about encoders, containers, codecs, bit-rates, and all the other vague options offered in Prism.

My goals are to convert .AVI files (which I got by using FRAPS Video Capture) into .WMV files which I can then share with friends. Of course, the final size (byte size, resolution ratio, and the "physical" size of the frame itself) are important.

I'm pretty sure Prism must be able to do it properly. I don't see anybody else's posts on this forum complaining about my issue. I'll be glad to provide further information about my system, my Window's Media Player settings, my video card settings, etc.! I'll answer all questions very quickly!!!!

blob

If you can give a link to an example clip file I'll see how I manage with it tomorrow - put an example on rapidshare perhaps?

Kreelor

blob wrote:

If you can give a link to an example clip file I'll see how I manage with it tomorrow - put an example on rapidshare perhaps?

Thanks for replying!

I'm not sure if you want to do this, or not. I have uploaded an .avi file to RapidShare. It's the raw data that plays perfectly in both VLC player (version: 1.0.2) and Windows Media Player (version: 11.0.5721.5268). The file is one of the smallest I had saved, but it's still HUGE! It took me 1/2 hour to upload via my DSL. It's approx. 131MB's.

I had assumed most readers of this forum would already have .avi files on their local system to use to experiment with Prism conversion to .wmv.

Here's the link to the uploaded file on RapidShare

Download link: http://rapidshare.co...13-21-39-42.avi"

Once again, thank you for your help

Larry

Please, post your Prism settings here if you manage to get a good conversion with Prism from .avi to .wmv. Then, I can see if those settings work for me, too

blob

OK, downloading now, will see what I can achieve

blob

Hmmm... your AVI file contains video encoded with the FRAPS codec, "FPS1", which I don't have and so I can't play or transcode it.

I'm not overly keen to install yet another codec, so what I will do is to try to produce a good WMV from my own AVCHD or MJPEG files - if there are good settings with Prism then they should work for you too.

2 questions in the meantime, before I get much time to play...

Do you have to use "FRAPS Video Capture" (whatever that is?) or is there a more standard alternative?

Do you really need .WMV files to share with your friends - mp4 might be easier - or do you need WMV to use Windows Movie Maker?

blob

OK I've just converted an AVCHD Lite MTS to WMV, and it looks fine, plays well in WMP,MPC and VLC, and loads into Windows Movie Maker.

My Prism settings were:

Options button : Conversions tab : Ticked "Use FFMPEG first"

Output format list : .WMV

Encoder Options button : W. M. V. 9, 8192, W. M. A. 9.2, 256kbps 44kHz stereo CBR

Edit Output : Change framerate : 25 (I need this because my MTS file was "25-in-50".

That's it.

Kreelor

blob wrote:

Hmmm... your AVI file contains video encoded with the FRAPS codec, "FPS1", which I don't have and so I can't play or transcode it.

I'm not overly keen to install yet another codec, so what I will do is to try to produce a good WMV from my own AVCHD or MJPEG files - if there are good settings with Prism then they should work for you too.

2 questions in the meantime, before I get much time to play...

Do you have to use "FRAPS Video Capture" (whatever that is?) or is there a more standard alternative?

Do you really need .WMV files to share with your friends - mp4 might be easier - or do you need WMV to use Windows Movie Maker?

Yes. I have to use FRAPS only because it's the only software I've found that will capture video for FREE. I'm sure there must be other software, but I'm on a very restricted budget. heh heh.

Yes. I do use Windows Movie Maker to edit my videos. I know how to use it very well, and the .wmv filetype seems to be universal, in that most PC users have Windows Media Player. I'm a real novice. I don't really know what software my brother and friends use, so I'm trying to keep things simple.

By the way, what is "AVCHD?"

Kreelor

blob wrote:

OK I've just converted an AVCHD Lite MTS to WMV, and it looks fine, plays well in WMP,MPC and VLC, and loads into Windows Movie Maker.

My Prism settings were:

Options button : Conversions tab : Ticked "Use FFMPEG first"

Output format list : .WMV

Encoder Options button : W. M. V. 9, 8192, W. M. A. 9.2, 256kbps 44kHz stereo CBR

Edit Output : Change framerate : 25 (I need this because my MTS file was "25-in-50".

That's it.

I suppose you didn't download the .avi file, since you didn't convert it.

You wrote something that is way beyond my knowledge! I've never encountered an easy-to-understand explanation about the following. It appears highly technical to me. I had hoped that Prism would "simplify" my life with default settings that worked for file conversions.

What is this?

"Encoder Options button : W. M. V. 9, 8192, W. M. A. 9.2, 256kbps 44kHz stereo CBR"

Am I supposed to change my settings to match the above, or is the above what my default settings are "right out of the box?" I'm confused since I've never seen that string of values before. Sorry!

EDITED BY LARRY: I opened Prism, but I can't find any drop-down box or any other 'option' choice that offers the above string. Is it something that has to be done on a "command line" (as we used to have to do with DOS)? Does adding that option tell Prism how to configure the .wmv outputted file, or does it configure the .avi file so that it outputs its data properly to the .wmv file?

Thank you again for replying and trying to help me.

Are you sure you don't have a small .avi file to convert?

By the way, I don't know when or why I should use mpeg, etc. I've noticed that many people do, but I am too novice to even understand the reasoning. I thought that since I have .avi as the original source and that my desired output would be .wmv, that Prism would convert it without my having to convert it first to mpeg or something else.

Kreelor

blob wrote:

Hmmm... your AVI file contains video encoded with the FRAPS codec, "FPS1", which I don't have and so I can't play or transcode it.

I'm not overly keen to install yet another codec, so what I will do is to try to produce a good WMV from my own AVCHD or MJPEG files - if there are good settings with Prism then they should work for you too.

2 questions in the meantime, before I get much time to play...

Do you have to use "FRAPS Video Capture" (whatever that is?) or is there a more standard alternative?

Do you really need .WMV files to share with your friends - mp4 might be easier - or do you need WMV to use Windows Movie Maker?

JUST A FOOTNOTE FOR YOU:

If you want to take a few minutes to see what FRAPS is, here's the link: http://www.fraps.com/

blob

Kreelor wrote:

By the way, what is "AVCHD?"

Advanced Video Codec, High Def. ... it's a format new HD camcorders record in, and recent Panasonic stills cameras.

blob

> I suppose you didn't download the .avi file, since you didn't convert it.

Yes, I downloaded your file, but I'm unable to play it for lack of the correct codec that I don't want to install.

> I had hoped that Prism would "simplify" my life with default settings that worked for file conversions.

Unfortunately, Video is still too complicated to be easy to deal with, so I'm sad to say you'll still need some knowledge of what's going on!

> "Encoder Options button : W. M. V. 9, 8192, W. M. A. 9.2, 256kbps 44kHz stereo CBR"

I meant : press the button marked "Encoder Options" on the bottom line, and with the 4 lines of choices there, select those that match my abbreviated....

W. M. V. 9,

8192,

W. M. A. 9.2,

256kbps 44kHz stereo CBR"

That's what worked for me. I've used Prism so much that I've no idea what the defaults are, but that's probably default settings for WMV as I haven't used that format before (except I think I upgraded the sound quality a bit).

> Does adding that option tell Prism how to configure the .wmv outputted file

It tells Prism what settings to use when creating the WMV version. No command line nonsense required!

> since I have .avi as the original source and that my desired output would be .wmv, that Prism would convert it without my having to convert it first to mpeg or something else.

Correct

> Are you sure you don't have a small .avi file to convert?

Shouldn't need to.

I think of it as follows

1) the PC needs to be able to decode the original file and play it

2) once it can make sense of it, it can convert to another format.

In your case, I presume that Prism can make sense of the original file and work with it, but hasn't made a good job (so far) of saving it in the new WMV format.

Kreelor

I certainly appreciate that you've gone out of your way to help me!

My brain is reeling because I've just spent the last 6 hours experimenting via trial-and-error with everything I can.

Note: I wrote to Fraps support in addition to support here. They told me about using the Windows Media Profile Editor and gave me their recommended settings to convert their .avi files for use in MS Movie Maker. That didn't work for me either!

I downloaded the Windows Media Profile Editor program and used it. It doesn't work properly for me. After creating a new profile with the proper parameters (I believe they are proper?) for converting the 'save wmv file,' to be viewed by WMP, the resultant image is "squeezed" horizontally. It is not proportional to the original avi file. At least, it's not pixelated! That's one "plus" for it. I will write to him again and explain this issue.

There is so much more that I could tell you about the BS I've encountered with every other program I installed, poor documentation, etc. that I won't take the time to present it here. I have tried 3 other programs that claim to "Convert .avi to .wmv" files! All crap!! And, they are so technically-convoluted, that I'd have to spend 2 years studying in order to understand the documentation! Typical of most programs and programmers today. They are programmed by people who have no concept that NEW INEXPERIENCED USERS will be using the program for a specifically (advertised) purpose, and those NEW USERS don't know how to write custom "scripts," recompile code, choose 1 specific codec from among 10,000,000 different codecs, etc. Brilliant programmers often don't have the common sense to even think rationally, let alone... create a user-friendly Windows Interface and/or write intelligible documentation!!!

I just now logged on and found your reply, but there is something you wrote for me to do, but I can't find the value that you told me to use.

You wrote:

> "Encoder Options button : W. M. V. 9, 8192, W. M. A. 9.2, 256kbps 44kHz stereo CBR"

I meant : press the button marked "Encoder Options" on the bottom line, and with the 4 lines of choices there, select those that match my abbreviated....

W. M. V. 9,

8192,

W. M. A. 9.2,

256kbps 44kHz stereo CBR"

Reference the value "8192"

It doesn't exist anywhere in my Output Encoder Options (for wmv)!

I'm really frustrated that whoever wrote Prism didn't program it in such a way that "it" could:

-- recognize my screen resolution (1920x1080) -- That's widescreen.

-- analyze the .avi file I captured with Fraps (which displays perfectly with WMP and VLC) and use the data contained therein to generate an appropriate .wmv conversion.

-- and, offer me choices as to the (proportional) final output display sizes, some smaller, some intermediate, some larger, or any other size that still retains correct proportions, and no pixelation or out-of-sync audio/video.

So far, Prism hasn't worked yet, even though I've tried almost everything.

I'm extremely frustrated with NCH programmers for not including a commonly-used Windows feature --- "Reset to Default Parameters" (per dialog/page being viewed and/or for "All" Prism Settings)! It's absurd to have to uninstall and reinstall the program to get them back again, especially because of the rediculous NCH codes and ID's that are required!

I'm venting. Please accept my apology. I'm so frustrated in not finding a brilliant programmer who can also think. Add to that last comment, a decent NCH Technical Writer who can interpret "programmese" into plain understandable english! Where are the "EXAMPLE SETTINGS" in Prism that shows us new users how to configure settings to use Prism to convert one source file (like .avi) to work properly with Microsoft Windows Media Player and/or Microsoft Movie Maker ("Import .wmv into Collections")?

It shouldn't be this damned difficult for me to use Prism to do what I expected it to do, without taking up my time (and, your time!) on this non-visited forum by NCH staff!!

I haven't given up. I hope you haven't either. Prism should work for me, since it seems to work for the rest of you. I just don't know what else to do. Converting an .avi file to a proportionately correct, non-pixelated .wmv file without my having to obtain a PHD in Computer Science is what I expected from NCH's Prism. Hell... I can't even find decent NCH documentation that shows example set-ups for its tested parameters and the parameters that Windows needs to use the converted files properly.

Thank you so very much for bearing with me! I need your help. It looks like you are the only informed, kind soul who visits this forum!

Sincerely,

Larry

(Kreelor)

blob

Sorry I don't know what else to suggest. Unfortunately we're still somewhat in the dark ages still with PC Video, where you really have to learn way too much to have any great success if things go wrong! http://www.videohelp.com/ is a good one for assistance, if this forum is basically just me!

You could install the K-Lite codec pack to get a common set of useful codecs and Media Player Classic - which might put your PC on a more common footing with so many of the rest of us, although it sounds like the FRAPS codec itself isn't doing what it should.

If I were to have no luck with Prism I'd go back to Super © from eRightSoft, or try another converter .. like Handbrake http://www.videohelp.com/tools/HandBrake ... I'd analyse the original file with Video GSpot http://www.videohelp.com/tools/GSpot or http://www.videohelp.com/tools/MediaInfo to make sure what the file contains (definitely 1920 x 1080) etc. ...

8192 appears in my WMV options, but it's not in the drop-down list! I presume you can just type it in and it will accept it?

Good luck!

Kreelor

Dear Blob,

I've said it before and I'll say it again... "Thank you very much!" You gave me very good ideas. I suppose the best idea for me now is to look for something other than Prism. I'm not about to spend money on a product that has no real support. I understand this is a "user's forum," but any company that cared about its customers would frequent this board continually. Who knows? Had they done that, my issue may have been solved by now and I would have gladly purchased Prism!

Take care,

Larry

blob

Cheers, all the best

Kreelor

blob wrote:

Cheers, all the best

So much for a company that wants to promote its product!

NCH has "dropped the ball" again with its support base!

Are they total idiots in thinking that we don't have alternatives?

Who runs that org?

It must be a real fool who spends time looking in the mirror, stroking his eyebrows, and whispering words of love to himself!

He certainly hasn't helped ANYONE HERE ON THESE FORUMS WITH NCH PRODUCTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

F)(&(&(*&KKKK!

blob

To be fair, they do say "this forum is designed to be self-help and relies on the Prism community to answer users' posts." and you would stand a good chance of replies to direct email queries.

blob

P.S. Try the Prism conversion with another clip in another format (you can download test clips from the net if you know what to google for), and see if Prism makes a good WMV from that. If so, then it would prove that it is the FRAPS end of things that is causing the problem.

blob

Here's someone using FRAPS and VideoPad... maybe you could ask him...

Kreelor

blob wrote:

P.S. Try the Prism conversion with another clip in another format (you can download test clips from the net if you know what to google for), and see if Prism makes a good WMV from that. If so, then it would prove that it is the FRAPS end of things that is causing the problem.

Thanks for the tip.

Because I am using the Trial version of Prism, it limits me to avi, asf, only. It doesn't allow mpg, etc. One would think that a Trial version would allow "trying" all of its formats before buying! Who knows, maybe one of the other formats would work for me? But, I'm not going to pay for a program that so far won't do what it was advertised to do (with the .wmv conversion).