Required Software

Over the course of the remaining guides in this series you'll need software for analyzing, frameserving, encoding, adding pulldown flags, and authoring. I recommend getting the free software right away, and if possible try to become familiar with it before using it in this project. Trial software can be downloaded right away, but I'd advise against installing it until you're ready to put some serious time into the project unless you're sure you're going to buy it.

Free Software

AviSynth

It's nearly impossible to talk about reasonably priced video tools without AviSynth coming up, and this project is no exception. If you have certain free or low priced software packages installed, like DVD-RB, you might even have it already. To install, download the installer and run it. You can keep the default settings throughout.

AVSP

AvsP is essentially a front-end for AviSynth. It has features like text auto-completion, and file browser dialogs, that make it easy to write AviSynth scripts with little or no AviSynth knowledge. It can also use other programs like VirtualDub as external viewers so you can preview them. Since there's no installer you can simply extract the files to a folder of your choice. Like DGIndex I recommend either a common location for video utilities or C:\Program Files\AvsP.

ffdshow

ffdshow is a package of open source DirectShow filters that allow playback of many different codecs. We'll be using it for MPEG-4 playback, but it can be used for a variety of other purposes.

Haali Media Splitter

Unlike the AVI and MPEG/MPG containers, MP4, which is the official MPEG-4 container can't be read by Windows without installing some additional software. When video is opened on your computer, a media splitter separates the various streams, like video and audio, and sends them to components that can read them. The Haali Media Splitter opens MP4 files in the same way. In our case it will allow ffdshow to read them.

DGIndex/DGDecode

DGIndex, formerly known as DVD2AVI, is the standard tool for analyzing, frameserving, and demuxing MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video. Like AviSynth it's free, and also used by many different free and open source software packages. Unlike AviSynth there's no installer. You can simply unzip the archive to wherever you want it to be. I recommend either using a specific location for most or all of your video tools or creating folders in C:\Program Files for each one so they're in the same location as most programs.

Assuming you already have AviSynth installed to the default location, you can also copy the AviSynth plugin from the DGIndex archive (DGDecode.dll) to 'C:\Program Files\Avisynth 2.5\plugins'. Whenever you update DGIndex it's important to update the version AviSynth uses by copying it from the new archive. Otherwise you'll have problems using the two programs together.

Hank's Encoder (HC)

Hank's Encoder, more commonly known as HC, is generally considered the best free MPEG-2 encoder available. Since it has no installer it can be copied to a folder of your choice. Since it was originally designed as a command line utility (ie no Graphic Interface at all) it's easily controlled by other programs.

GSpot

GSpot is used to analyze video files to learn various information ranging from audio and video codecs to bitrates and color encoding information. It can also be used to find out if your computer is configured properly to playback a video file.

VirtualDub

VirtualDub is primarily known as the standard interface for DivX and XviD encoding, using the Windows VfW interface. However, that's far from its only use. In fact, while this project will involve using VirtualDub for multiple things, one thing it won't be used for is video encoding. It will primarily be used to work with AviSynth.

Since AviSynth scripts are essentially fake AVI files (the VfW container format), VirtualDub can open them for previewing and other purposes. Due to the number of programs VirtualDub works with, and the small amount of space it takes up, I recommend keeping an individual copy of it for each program where you use it. For this guide that would mean putting a copy in the AVSP folder. I always keep it in a separate subfolder so if I want to copy it to another location I know what files I need.

DGPulldown

DGPulldown is a tool for changing the framerate video plays at without changing its speed. It does this by adding pulldown flags, also known as RFF (or repeat field flags). The standard use for pulldown is simulating a telecine pattern, causing film content to play at NTSC framerates. DGPulldown can also flag a 25fps (PAL framerate) file so it will play at NTSC framerates or a 24fps file to playback at PAL framerates.

ImgBurn

ImgBurn is free burning software made by LightningUK!, arguably one of the most knowledgeable DVD software authors in the world. From booktyping to dual layer burning, this software does everything you could want from commercial software and even has a command line interface so it integrates well with other applications.

Trialware

DVD-Lab Pro

DVD-Lab Pro combines a development environment style interface with drag and drop capabilities to be one of the most powerful DVD authoring applications available, but it still manages to have a relatively user friendly interface.

Commercial Software

TMPGEnc AC3 Plugin

Despite being a very reasonably priced AC-3 encoder that's made to interface with other software like DVD-Lab Pro and TMPGEnc's own DVD authoring software, this is a somewhat controversial application. In order to use it you must have an internet connection for intermittent calls home to verify that you're using a valid license. If this bothers you I dont' recommend buying the software.

You can also get an AC-3 encoder with Sony's Vegas software, and it's fairly reasonbly priced. There are also freeware encoders that aren't Dolby certified, but can produce AC-3 files. At some point there may be additional guides written to encode audio using these tools.

Next: Analyzing Source Files

Version History

v1.0 - 2007.07.31 by Vurbal
v1.2.0 - 2007.09.04 by Vurbal