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Starting with episode 162, we at #K-F has started using X264 to encode our episodes.
For those who don't know, X264 is a new codec which will eventually completely replace XviD. You can think of it as being higher quality for the same size file or lower file size for the same quality. There are several sites of comparison, but I won't list them here. Use Google.
X264 is harder to decode than XviD. If you cannot play the file without experiencing lag, you may need to upgrade your computer. One site recommends at least a 1GHz computer.
What do I have to do to watch X264 episodes?
First, install ffdshow.
We strongly recommend that you do NOT use the default options: Uncheck VFW interface on the first screen of options. Uncheck EVERYTHING except for the [ ] H.264, X264 choice on the second screen of options. Uncheck everything on the third screen of options except [ ] AAC. Uncheck everything on the fourth screen of options. Uncheck everything on the fifth screen of options. The rest of the installation you can decide options for yourself (it won't affect the playback).
Next, install Haali's Matroska Splitter.
This will enable you to play MP4 files in most media players (WMP, VLC, MPC have all been tested).
Will VLC play the file without additional software?
It might. You can download VLC from here to try (VideoLAN VLC). Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. VLC's implementation of H.264 is not as efficient as ffdshow's X264, but it does have the advantage that (if it works) it does not require additional codecs.
Why are you making me install ffdshow?
ffdshow is currently the best implementation of X264 decoding. It has several other very annoying quirks when playing other files, which is why we recommend against the default installation.
Why is there so much lag in the playback?
Chances are your computer simply cannot handle the additional processing load of decoding X264. You can probably get a better computer or upgrade pretty easily.
How do I know which version is which?
The X264 version is an MP4 file, and the XviD version is an AVI file. X264 can be placed in an AVI container, but it's easier to distinguish this way.
Do I have to install X264?
For now, we are releasing two versions of the episodes. This is only temporary. Episode 168 will be the final episode we release an AVI for. After that, all episodes will be released in X264 exclusively. Please take any appropriate action (installations, upgrades, etc) before then.
It fairly easy to reencode X264 back into XviD so that you can play the episodes on slower computers, but you still need to have X264 installed. See this thread for help on reencoding: How to re-encode X264 Episodes into XviD
Why did you decide to use X264?
This codec makes it much easier to make high quality encodes. Most people don't know this, but XviD often gives files which are too large because of the way it handles compression. I won't bore you with details, but if we set the target file sise to be 230MB, it may come out to be 240MB, which does not fit on a CD. This means we have to reencode with different compression settings. Using X264 will save us a lot of trouble.
Is X264 the same as H.264?
Not quite, but mostly. H.264 is a standard, a set of guidelines for setting up a codec. X264 is the open source, public implementation of that standard. ffdshow decodes X264. There are other commercial H.264 decoders much slower than ffdshow and those would be illegal to distribute.
Why do I get picture and no audio? / Why do I get audio and no picture?
The most likely cause of this is a codec conflict. Something other than ffdshow is decoding the streams. Try either uninstalling any other codec packs you have or telling ffdshow to decode MP3 audio (which you unchecked when you installed).
Why am I getting an error about registering a .ax file?
If you do not have any previous installations of ffdshow, the most likely cause we have found is that you need to reinstall DirectShow for Windows.
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01-12-2006, 01:59 PM
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