Ok, so here is how i record/edit/encode pc games. I am no expert, so if anyone knows any improvements, please tell me. I make this guide also for others to tell me if i'm doing something wrong.
So, first of all, i record games with dxtory (official site: http://exkode.com/dxtory-features-en.html )
Install dxtory, then install lagarith lossless codec : http://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html
In dxtory, go to the 2nd tab:under status, uncheck all features
3rd tab:choose the folder where you want to save your videos
4th tab:choose what button you want to start/stop recording, take screenshots etc
5th tab:here are video settings
-for video codec choose lagarith lossless codec. Then, click on that pencil icon next to it and it will open a window with the codec's settings: check "use multithreading", dont check the others; then click on mode and select YUY2
-next, choose the framerate for your video. recommended for the site is 60
-in the output section, check "file output", uncheck "direct show output"
-file format: AVI
-scaling: here you can select at what resolution you want to record. recommended for the site: 1280x720.
to record at the same res as you are playing, click percent: 100% (this is what you use if you want to upload longplays to our site)
to record at other res, click size and then input your res, for ex: width 1280, height 720. of course make sure you keep the same aspect ratio
6th tab: here are the audio settings. by default you should have the correct device selected, then for audio codec i have PCM, and audio format: PCM 48000 hz, 16 bit, stereo
7th tab: here are the screenshot settings. you can just leave them default
8th tab: at processing threads i have selected 2, all the others unchecked
and thats basically all important, now play the game and record
Now its time to edit and encode. For this i use a free editing program called VirtualDub. Download the 32bit version! from here: http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/
Then install these codecs:
- x264vfw from here: http://komisar.gin.by/ Download where it says VFW-version and download the x86 (32bit) version!
- lame mp3 acm from here: http://www.rarewares.org/mp3-lame-dshow-acm.php This codec is a little tricky to install on windows vista/7, so read here how to install it properly : http://granjow.net/virtualdub-tutorial-installing.html ("Installing LAME on Windows 7 and Vista 32bit and 64bit" section)
Now run virtualdub (just extract the rar, dont need to install it). Go to Video and select full processing mode. then, click on compression... and a window will appear. select the x264vfw codec. click configure. now here are the settings for the codec.
In the Main tab, select single pass - ratefactor based (CRF). Below, you have ratefactor. the default number is 23 i think. i suggest to put 20 or lower. the bigger the number, the worse the quality. below, deselect create stats file. In the right of the page, make sure at FourCC you have selected H264, and below it check VirtualDub hack.
In the Analysis&Encoding tab, most of the settings leave them default. I just tell you what you need to change: for ME algorithm, select hex; ME range - 16; subpixel pe refinement - 7 RD on all; Min GOP size - 0, Max GOP size - 250
In the Rate Control & other tab, just leave everything default.
After you done these, click OK.
Now, in virtualdub, go to the audio tab and select full processing. Then, click compression and choose Lame MP3, and select 48000 hz, 128 kbps CBR, stereo, 16kb/s. it is possible that you dont have this exact option, whats important is to be 48000 hz, stereo and 16 kb/s. Click OK
One more thing, go to Video -> Frame Rate, and select Change so video and audio durations match. Then, select Convert to fps: and put 60. Click OK
Next, in virtualdub go to File -> Save processing settings and choose where you want to save, name it like "config.vcf". this file is important so that you dont have to repeat doing all these setting in vdub.
Now, here is the part for subtitles. Download the subtitler filter from here: http://www.virtualdub.org/virtualdub_filters.html Just copy subtitler.vdf into the PLUGINS\ directory in the VirtualDub program directory.
Next, download SRTtoSSA from here: http://www.divx-digest.com/software/srt2ssa.html
Create a new Text Document wherever you want, and change the termination from .txt to .srt. Now open the file and paste this in it:
1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000
Game Name
Played by Your Name
www.longplays.org
In the Game Name field you write the game that you are recording, and then you write your name in Played by Your Name
Save the file. Now open SRTtoSSA (conversor.exe), and in the file options field, in the input file, you browse for your .srt file and select it. Below where it says Lines Cutting, select Same as original. Make sure you always have this selected. If you want, you can change the color of the subtitle, by default its yellow. In the end, click Convert. It will create a new .ssa file in the same folder as your .srt file.
Now its basically time to edit your video. Open VirtualDub, File -> Open video file, select your video recorded with dxtory, and edit it. When you are done, File -> Load processing settings and select your .vcf file you created earlier.
Additionally, for the first video of the game, you must have the subtitles, so go to Video -> Filters, click Add and select the subtitler filter. browse for your .ssa file and select it. Then click OK, OK. Remember, you have to do this only for the first video of a game.
To save the file, click File -> Save as avi. It will take some time, because its encoding.
Now, you're done, you have the edited video in H264 format. If you have many parts, you would want to unite them (because its a longplay). For this i use a program called AVS Video Remaker: http://www.avs4you.com/AVS-Video-ReMaker.aspx You can search other programs too.
This is it. Now you can upload your video using filezilla.
Notes: I know that x264vfw is no longer supported and for the best quality you need to use megui with x264. But my method is faster (at least for me), because i encode directly using vdub. I dont need to save the edited video in a lossless codec with vdub and then encode with avisynth + megui. Plus, i dont have space on my HDD for a second lossless video ( the first one is the one recorded wih dxtory).
If anyone has any sort of improvements, i would REALLY like to hear them, since im no expert. Thanks.
Edited by mihaibest on 17-02-2014 11:57,
11 years ago