Partly solved: Input video format for Convert2CDXL

[AndyFC]

I started to play with Convert2CDXL last night using WinUAE because of disk space and the need for an '040 or '060 CPU in the latest version.

I get a playable CDXL at the end of it, but it's not watchable; the file is about 3 times the length, so plays back slowly. The colours are also very muddy. I've played the CDXL video in WinVLC too and get the same result, so it's not the Amiga video player.

I've looked at the frames, and listened to the sound files being created part-way through the process and they look and sound fine.

I suspect the input source video is too high quality/framerate so what are the best input format and specs to use please?

Thank you.

[AndyFC]

I've been playing with the convert2cdxl script, and actually have started an English translation which is helping me to understand the conversion process.

FFMpeg can handle most video formats thrown at it (my test file is now an MP4 480p video) but it turns out that XLMake can only produce a video that is 12FPS, so as long as the input video is 12FPS, that solves some of the problems.

If I make a HAM6 video at 224 x 126, the playback using XLPlay is perfect; the right speed, colours etc. If I use the same input video and make it a higher resolution eg 320 x 200, the playback slows right down to a couple of frames per second.

I've tried this in WinUAE and on my real A1200 with the same results. I've tried a few different XL players but XLPlay is the only one which runs at all or plays back the video without distortion (Multiview makes it sound like a dial-up modem). I've tried playing the video from SD Card, HD and from RAM with the same results.

Any suggestions of how I can get a higher res output which will play back at a decent speed please?

Thanks.

[AndyFC]

Thanks Tribblesmasher.

I've also found this http://www.cd32-allianz.de/cdxl/v1? and have realised that the Convert2CDXL script uses a higher audio data rate with larger frames, so I'm playing with the values in the script.

This is a great learning experience and I'm aiming to get a full understanding of making an optimal CDXL video for different circumstances.

XLToolkitGUI I think I've found the theoretical data limit for CDXL and it's now the audio format which I need to work on to optimise.

[AndyFC]

I've been testing the 'Player' script included with Convert2CDXL today and found a happy balance.

If I convert to HAM6, 320 x 200 and set the player value in the script to 350kbp/s I get full screen width, and correct aspect ratio at about the right speed.

Anything which is converted to Ham8 gives a load of artefacts.

I'll continue to work on the English Translation now that I've found a quality which works for me.