2 passes with VirtualDub

When I finish the 2 final passes with VirtualDub to convert the file to Divx I get 2 files, one for the first pass and one for the second pass. They have a different size. My question is: what do I do next? Do I have to put the files together? If so, how? I've seen the option to add Video in VirtualDub but afetr I do it I don't know how to svae it.....Help please!

 

Your using DIVX 5.xx? The first pass makes a statistics file on the clip you want. Unless you wish to re-encode, that first file can be deleted. Anyway, you shouldn't be using 5.xx, as 3.11a still has better compression/quality (but no B-frames).

 

Yes I'm using Divx 5.0.2 pro. last night I tried again and the first pass is a 560 MB RAM file of the entire movie, ready to watch. The second pass looks exactly thes= same but bigger, 900 MB aprox. But when playing the second pass the image gets stucked from time to time, this doesn't happen with the first one. besides, I haven't noticed any significant difference between the two of them. So you recommend to use Divx 3.11a? And still 2 passes?

 

The options are:
1 pass
1 pass quality based
2 pass, first pass (run this one first)
2 pass, second pass (run this one second)
You have to run the third option and then the fourth one. Don't run the first two as they are for single pass only.
Divx 3.11a is one pass only, but the fast codec with scene detect patch will give the best quality/size compression.
Despite Divx 5.0.2 being heaps better than 4.XX, it still isn't better than 3.11a (so why change over). 2-pass in 5.0.2 is also very slow.

 

That really makes sense, as I was selecting 1 pass and 2 pass, second pass. Obviously I was doing it wrong. I'll try what you are saying with Divx 3.11a.

Thanks a million.

 

I have another question....what's the difference between 2 passes and 1 pass? What's the difference. I know 2 passes is slower but does it give better quality audio and video?

 

Note, Divx 3.11a is single pass only.
With 2 pass codecs (Divx 5.0.2), if you have a certain average bitrate that you wish to keep to, 2 pass (on the first pass) will assess in what parts a larger bitrate is needed (fast moving sequences) and on the second pass allocates bitrate keeping with your set bitrate but also so that the quality of the movie remains constant all throughout.