How to properly convert video snaps for emulationstation?

batman

@herb_fargus I'm not looking at changing or improving the quality of an existing snap. Just looking to replace a video snap that has already been scrapped and as part of the XML with the correct one if it's missing?

chipsnblip

do you see any errors related to video snaps in /opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/es_log.txt ?

batman

@chipsnblip I won't get a chance to check till the weekend but I will have a look and report back.

jell

@batman
I used HandBrakeCLI to convert many at once.

Two other possibilities which may be causing the issue are a problem with the gamelist.xml file not pointing to the correct file, or the file format (e.g. flv files would not play for me, had to convert to mp4).

Good luck!

pjft

I used Handbrake quite successfully, especially for those arcade videos recorded via MAME which are encoded in a specific format that doesn't play well with OMX player.

32assassin

I'm not sure if my problem relates to you but you might be able to do something similar to fix your issues.

All I can tell you that the HQ videos from emumovies where creating grey screens in the video preview window and whats worse it was crashing my Attract Mode Front end on my PI

I used a generic video converter WinX Video Converter to
resize videos from 480 to 320
scale down the FPS from 60 to 30
used the .h264 MP4 video encoder

after I did all this I was no longer getting grey screens in my video preview window and
Attract Mode was running smoother.

its up to you if you want a HQ video image or better performace from your PI

I was getting the White Screen of Death on my Pi
scroll 3:00 min mark
the main problem was the Flash heavy Hyperspin themes, but scaling the videos down helped allot.

batman

@32assassin Thanks for posting the actual settings you used. I'll try those first as as've unsuccessful using handbrake.

I'm sure it's the particular mp4 format that I'm using that's causing the issue.

akafox

You need to make sure that you give the GPU at least 325 MB RAM
The scraped videos are 320x240 30 fps and it uses handbrake to convert them down IF you enable the convert_videos flag when scraping .

Some video packs are 640x480..if not higher at 60fps

you'll have better performance this way converting them and giving more ram to the GPU...or at least I did.

jell

I used the following:

HandBrakeCLI -e x264 -B 64 -r 25 --gain -20.0 -X 320 -q 20 -i source.mp4 -o destination.mp4

The --gain is to decrease the volume, as I found that the sound of the video previews was way too loud, and I could find no way within RetroPie/EmulationStation to decrease it (the volume control on the ES menu didn't make a difference).

Good luck!

akafox

@jell Hmm..I'll have to try that. I have been trying to figure out what the scrapper uses. I tried the CLI version to batch..and it worked..except that the snaps were twice the size of the original! :o

chipsnblip

using mediainfo, you can see what encoding settings were used

akafox

is that program or part of the gui?
I can see the "command line info" from the gui...but my eyes glaze over...

and I know how to use a command line! lol

jell

@akafox Yeah, that happened to me at first too. By size, do you mean dimensions or file size? The X parameter will limit the width of the output file. The -q 20 parameter will decrease the file size at the cost of video quality.

akafox

Ok this is what I used:

HandBrakeCLI -e x264 -B 64 -r 29.97 -w 320 -l 240 -q 20 -i path/"file.mp4" -o path/"file.mp4"

I took the gain out...I'll run them ALL back through and lower them.

I changed the framerate to (NTSC) that's what I have here

The quotes are needed because of spaces in the video snap names
I made a batch file using a spreadsheet program and was able to let it run all night. Yes I was talking about file size not picture size.

The reason I was being picky is because this is what the scraper uses when downloading the videos and then converting them for the pi. Just trying to keep "everything the same"

Thanks for the help..made it SOOO much easier!

jell

@akafox So glad you got it working! I was surprised how much the video snaps added to the experience. It's fun browsing through and easier to pick games you've never played before. Happy tinkering!

akafox

Yeah it does. And it helps a lot when choosing a game..it really surprising.

I am wondering if we can do wheel art in the future. I mean I don't want it to look like Attract Mode or Hyperspin..but I do like the "pop" that wheel art gives the games list.

But the point of ES is that it is supposed to be "lean" so adding that might bog ES down. Even Herb has said that.

jell

@akafox I've heard about the wheel art, but haven't looked too much into it. Actually, the pi was my gateway into emulation, dabbled before, but now am enjoying it very much!

I meant to tell you about your HandBrakeCLI settings. I did the -w and -l settings the first time too, but the issue I ran into was that for my arcade games, it would stretch the vertical videos to 320x240, whereas the -X would make the video 320 at the widest, but if it were a vertical video, it would be less than 320 and maintain the aspect ratio.

To process a folder from the command line I made a "converted" subfolder in the main folder then used the following:

for f in *.mp4;do HandBrakeCLI -e x264 -B 64 -r 25 --gain -20.0 -X 320 -q 20 -i "$f" -o "./converted/$f";done

Enjoy!

HurricaneFan

@akafox Wheelart is available today in ES. It's called Marquee in the gamelist.xml.

Example xml entry:
<marquee>./marquees/gamename.png</marquee>

akafox

@jell Yeah I used the -X switch however it made everything come out 320x288 not 320x240 like the other scraped videos. These videos are not arcade (doing those last because I want to "clean them"). I just find it strange that the scraper will covert down and "without loss" and it uses the HandbrakeCLI just like I am. I looked at a video that the scraper converted and the original (scraped but not converted) compared the picture size frame rate and file size. Standard is one size converted for the pi is one size..using the gui is the same size (mb) but using the cli myself I get either a LARGER or even smaller than what the scrapper spits out. Just strange. Converting picture size and frame rate will of course make it smaller. (I get that and it's good for the tiny sd card on the pi.) But why the even smaller size when I do it.

I'm being picky I'm sure..but it just frustrates me to know it can be done..but not be able to so it myself. I can give you numbers if you want. I also know that the scraper will scrape my local videos which makes building my list MUCH easier!
The ones I am missing (i.e. don't exist) I make myself.

@hurricanefan I saw a video on youtube that demonstrated how his list was wheel art and not just text but I can't seem to find it now. It would depend on the theme I am sure. (and yes I know I can use Attract Mode..that's next..) Do you know what themes support this feature in ES?

HurricaneFan

@akafox There is a version of Comic Book theme that has wheel art/marquees and I believe the Old Room theme uses it too. Not sure what other ones take advantage of that feature.