Contents
MegaPEG Help Contents

MegaPEG Basics

Conversion Options

Video Processing Options

Batch Lists

Troubleshooting


MegaPEG Basics

Introducing MegaPEG

Viewing the Source Movie

Converting A Movie File To MPEG

QuickTour of MegaPEG


Conversion Options

Audio Bit Rate

Stereo Mode

Frame Rate

Search Window

Start Frame And End Frame

Video Bit Rate

Cut Scene Detection

Stream Formats


Video Processing Options

Brightness

Gamma Correction

Image Softening


Batch Lists

About Batch Lists

Creating Batch Lists

Changing Movie Options

Removing Movies


Troubleshooting

Decreasing Compression/Conversion Times

Using Adobe Premiere Movies

Using Freshly Captured Video

Using Cinepak™ QuickTime and AVI Files


Glossary

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

A

.AIFF

.AU

audio stream

B

bit rate

bit stream

C

conversion range

D

decoder

E

encoder

F

frame

frame rate

G

gamma correction

H

I

image softening

J

K

L

M

.MP2

N

NTSC

O

P

PAL

Q

R

S

search window size

source movie

T

U

V

W

Batch List

.WAV

X

Y

Z


.AIFF-
.AIFF

(Audio Interchange File Format) sound file format. The definitive multi-platform audio file format, perhaps rivaled only by .AU and more recently, .WAV.


.AU-
.AU

(AUdio) sound file format.  A very common Mac/Unix sound file format.


audio stream-
audio stream

the audio file that results from MPEG conversion, the compression of the source movie audio into MPEG audio.


bit rate-
bit rate

the speed or rate at which the compressed MPEG file is sent (from the disk or CD-ROM) to the MPEG player application (hardware or software). The bit rate is measured in Kilobytes per second (Kbps).


bit stream-
bit stream

refers to an MPEG file. Instead of MPEG file, you will sometimes hear the term MPEG stream or bit stream. MPEG was originally designed to be transmitted as a stream of information, one bit at a time, from a satellite system.


conversion range-
conversion range

describes the portion of the source movie to be converted as an MPEG file.


decoder-
decoder

an MPEG decoder is the player for MPEG files.


encoder-
encoder

an MPEG encoder records files in MPEG format. MegaPEG is an encoder.


frame-
frame

a single image or still out of a long serious of such entities that are used to create the illusion of continuous motion.


frame rate-
frame rate

the rate at which frames are displayed (or stored/recorded), measured in the number of frames displayed per second, or simply frames per second (fps).


gamma correction-
gamma correction

gamma correction adjusts the shadow detail and highlights in the source movie.


image softening-
image softening

a technique that softens movie images to reduce the effects of previously applied compression algorithms and/or dithering.


.MP2 ("MPeg layer 2")-
.MP2

(MPEG layer 2) one of many designations for a file containing a MPEG audio data or MPEG audio stream.


NTSC (National Television System Committee)-
NTSC (National Television System Committee)

USA video standard format.


PAL ("Phase Alternating Line")-
PAL (“Phase Alternating Line”)

European video standard format.


search window size-
search window size

when compressing a file into MPEG format, MegaPEG looks for similarities between movie frames. This repeated data needs only to be stored once in the MPEG file, reducing the data necessary to playback the MPEG video. The search window size dictates the scope of the area that the encoder will search for this repeated data. A larger search window means more time to encode/convert the movie to MPEG and a smaller MPEG file. A smaller search window means faster conversion to MPEG and a larger MPEG file.


source movie-
source movie

the original movie format file to be converted to MPEG format.


Batch List

a MegaPEG Batch List contains a list of movie files and specific instructions/conversion options for each movie. To create a MegaPEG Batch List, open any number of movies and set conversion options for each. Save the Batch List and then save the movies in MPEG format.


.WAV ("WAVe")-
.WAV

(WAVe) Microsoft’s audio file format.  Microsoft Windows, as well many multi-media programs, use .WAV audio. Because of this, it is very well supported on both PC and Macintosh computers.  While Windows has built-in support to play these files, Macintosh computers require special-purpose playback software.


Introducing MegaPEG

MegaPEG is an encoder for MPEG video files. MegaPEG converts movie files into MPEG format files for posting on your Web site or including in your CD-ROM title.

MegaPEG features these conversion capabilities:

MPEG conversion from these movie file formats: Microsoft’s Video For Windows AVI format, Apple’s QuickTime™ format, Autodesk’s FLI & FLC formats, as well as TGA (sequences of single frames used by 3D rendering packages).

Convert source movies into “MPEG-I Constrained” format.

Batch Lists (batch files) for MPEG conversion.

Select a section of the source movie for MPEG conversion.

Play the original source movie.

Set the compression for the MPEG video to influence image quality and file size.

Set the compression for the MPEG audio to influence sound quality and file size.

Select an image frame rate to correspond with MPEG standards.

Adjust MPEG search window size to decrease conversion/compression times.

Soften the source movie images.

Correct brightness levels of the source movie.

Correct gamma levels of the source movie.


Converting A Movie File To MPEG

1.	Choose Open from the File menu. Select the drive and directory where the file to convert is located. Select the file in the File Name box and choose OK.

2.	MegaPEG will convert the entire movie to MPEG.  To convert only a portion of a movie, you must put the movie in a batch.

3.	Choose Make MPEG from the File menu.

4.	Choose the folder where you want to save the MPEG movie.

5.	The MPEG encoding dialog box appears.  Change any settings that you desire, or simply choose OK to accept default conversion values.

6.	Choose OK.  MegaPEG begins conversion of the movie file(s) to MPEG.

7.	When the conversion is complete, MegaPEG will open the MPEG movie, only if it has been encoded using MPEG-1 constrained parameters.


In Point and Out Point

MegaPEG allows you to convert an entire movie file to MPEG or to create a new MPEG movie file based on only a segment of the original movie file. In most cases, you will convert the entire movie file. If you don’t have access to movie editing software (like Adobe Premiere), you can, for example, effectively select the first half of a movie to convert into an MPEG file. Likewise, you can use MegaPEG to select only the “best” part of a given movie for posting on a Web site or including in a CD-ROM application.  By default, the entire original movie is selected for conversion. To specify the movie clip to convert, indicate the beginning frame and the ending frame by marking a starting frame and end frame in MegaPEG. When you save the movie as MPEG, MegaPEG creates an MPEG file using only the specified clip of the original movie.
To specify an In Point and Out Point, you can drag the Transport Window slider to the desired frame in the movie and choose the In Point or Out Point Button.

Setting In Point and Out Point


Setting In Point and Out Point

1.	Choose Add Movie(s)... from the Batch menu. Select the drive and directory where the file to convert is located. Select the file in the File Name box and choose OK.
If the movie is saved in a Batch List, choose Open from the File menu. The first frame of this movie is displayed in the Preview window.

•	To view the source movie, choose Source Movie from the View menu.

2.	Ensure that the movie is selected/highlighted in the Batch List window. To select the movie, click the file name in the Batch List window.

3.	Ensure that the Preview window is visible. Choose Preview from the Window menu.

4.	Choose Transport from the Window menu.

5.	In the Transport Window, select an In Point and Out Point to indicate the portion of this movie to convert. MegaPEG will convert all frames from the In Point to the Out Point, creating a new movie in MPEG format.

•	Drag the Transport window slider bar  to select a frame in the current movie to serve as the starting point for conversion. The Preview window displays this frame. You can use the keyboard arrow keys to select the exact frame to begin the new MPEG movie. Choose the In Point button  in the Transport window.

•	Using the slider bar and arrow keys as before, select the final frame for the new MPEG movie. Choose the Out Point button.

The Batch List Window displays the In Point and Out Point, indicating when (in terms the original movie) the MPEG movie will begin and end.


Frame Rate

A movie “frame rate” refers to the number of still images, or frames, per second that are displayed to convey the illusion of continuous motion. Movie frame rates vary with the file format. When you convert a movie file, the resulting MPEG file also will be assigned its own frame rate. Unlike many other free-form movie formats, MPEG movies must be at one of a small number of fixed frame rates. These rates were originally chosen to correspond with analog film and video rates such as NTSC, PAL and 35mm film.  Unfortunately for digital video users, it’s more than likely that the source .AVI or QuickTime(TM) movie will not be exactly at one of the available MPEG rates. Fortunately, MegaPEG performs “frame-rate conversion,” which means that regardless of the source movie frame rate, MegaPEG creates an MPEG file with one of the fixed MPEG frame rates. In MegaPEG, you can select the final frame-rate that is most suitable to the playback application.  If real-time decoding hardware will be available for playback, 30 frames per second (fps) is an excellent choice.  Software playback applications may not be able to handle this much information. In this case, selecting 25 or 24 fps is the best choice.

MPEG uses a fixed data rate

Setting Frame Rate


Setting Frame Rates

1.	Open a movie file or a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Video Encoder from the MPEG menu or right click on the movie in the Batch List window.

4.	Choose the Video Encoder tab.

5.	In the Frame Rate field, click the down-arrow to view frame rate options. Click on a frame rate to select it.

•	Any option set to [Auto] will be adjusted at compression time to best suit the source movie.

6.	Choose OK.


Video Bit Rate

MPEG movie files are designed to be transmitted to playback applications (decoding hardware or software applications) at a fixed rate called bit rate. MPEG bit rates were designed to optimize MPEG movie file playback from CD-ROM and other devices. A bit rate is measured in Kilobytes per second (Kbps). The bit rate is the amount of video information (in kilobytes) transmitted per second. If the MPEG file will be written to a CD-ROM, choose a bit rate that matches the speed (1x, 2x, 4x) of the CD-ROM drive that customers will be using.

The bit rate setting for an MPEG file influences the image quality and file size.  A lower bit rate setting uses more compression and therefore produces smaller files with less image integrity.  A higher bit rate setting produces better looking movies and larger files.

Setting Video Bit Rate


Setting Video Bit Rate

1.	Open a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Bit Rate from the MPEG menu or right-click on the movie in the Batch List.

4.	Choose the Bit Rate tab.

5.	In the group labeled ‘Target Media’, select the type of media your MPEG movie will be distributed on.

6.	In the group labeled ‘Video’, clear the ‘auto’ box.

7.	Drag the video slider to the desired bit rate, or type a specific rate into the box.

•	Any option set to [Auto] will be adjusted at compression time to best suit the source movie.

8.	Choose OK.


Search Window

MegaPEG converts movie frames to MPEG format with the help of a search window. This search window looks at each frame in the source movie and compares it to neighboring frames. The search window finds instances where a certain area of an image can be redrawn in the next frame. By looking for these instances and saving this information as part of the MPEG file, the search window can minimize the data required to play the file and produce a smaller MPEG file.

The size of the search window determines how much time MegaPEG spends looking for this frame-to-frame coherence when converting your movies. A smaller search window size means faster compression and larger files. Because this search is the slowest part of the MPEG encoding, limiting the search window size can save a great deal of time when converting movies.

Setting The Search Window Size


Setting The Search Window Size

1.	Open a movie file or a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Video Encoder from the MPEG menu or right click on the movie in the Batch List window.

4.	Choose the Video Encoder tab.

5.	In the Search Window field, click the down-arrow to view search window options. Click on a search window size to select it.

•	Any option set to [Auto] will be adjusted at compression time to best suit the source movie.

6.	Choose OK.


Cut Scene Detection

Cut scene detection searches for drastic changes between MPEG frame images.  The MegaPEG video encoder automatically detects scene changes and places I and P frames accordingly.


Image Softening

MegaPEG’s Image Softening feature softens the sharp outlines and areas of high contrast in your source movie.  Image softening can reduce the effects of previously applied compression and/or dithering.

•	Applying image softening may increase MPEG conversion time.

Softening Movie Images


Soften Movie Images
Softening Movie Images

1.	Open a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Video Processing from the MPEG menu.

MegaPEG displays Video Image Processing options.

4.	Using the mouse, drag the Softening slider bar to set the level. Use the keyboard arrow keys to adjust the value.

The Preview window image changes to reflect the new value.

5.	Choose OK.


Brightness

Adjusting the brightness value can compensate for source movies that are too dark or too light.

Adjusting Brightness


Adjust Brightness
Adjusting Brightness

1.	Open a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Video Processing from the MPEG menu.

MegaPEG displays Video Image Processing options.

4.	Using the mouse, drag the Brightness slider bar to set the level. Use the keyboard arrow keys to adjust the value.

The Preview window image changes to reflect the new value.

5.	Choose OK.


Gamma Correction

Gamma correction adjusts the color tone of the source movie. Increasing the gamma value can bring out the detail in dim or shadowy areas of the source movie. Decreasing the gamma value for a movie can correct the “washed-out” quality of movie images.

Adjusting Gamma


Adjust The Gamma Level
Adjusting The Gamma Level

1.	Open a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Video Processing from the MPEG menu.

MegaPEG displays Video Image Processing options.

4.	Using the mouse, drag the Gamma slider bar to set the level. Use the keyboard arrow keys to adjust the value.

The Preview window image changes to reflect the new value.

5.	Choose OK.


Audio Sample Rate

MPEG audio encoding has its own set of parameters that can be set, just like MPEG video.  Instead of frame rate, there is sample rate (32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz) which effectively sets the high-frequency cut-off point for the MPEG audio.


Setting Audio Sample Rate

1.	Open a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Audio Encoder from the MPEG menu.

4.	In the Sample rate field, click the down-arrow to set sample rate options. Click on an option to select it.

•	Any option set to [Auto] will be adjusted at compression time to best suit the source movie.

5.	Choose OK.


Audio Bit Rate

The bit rate setting for MPEG audio influences the sound quality and file size.  A lower bit rate setting uses more compression and therefore contributes to smaller MPEG files with less sound integrity.  A higher bit rate setting produces better quality sound.

Setting Audio Bit Rate


Set Audio Bit Rate
Setting Audio Bit Rate

1.	Open a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Bit Rate from the MPEG menu or right-click on the movie in the Batch List.

4.	Choose the Bit Rate tab.

5.	In the group labeled ‘Target Media’, select the type of media your MPEG movie will be distributed on.

6.	In the group labeled ‘Audio’, clear the ‘auto’ box.

7.	Drag the audio lider to the desired bit rate, or type a specific rate into the box.

•	Any option set to [Auto] will be adjusted at compression time to best suit the source movie.

8.	Choose OK.


Stereo Mode

When you convert a movie file to MPEG format, the audio portion of the movie can be saved in one of several ways:

•	Mono--saves the movie sound in one audio channel.

•	Joint-stereo--removes redundancies between the left & right audio channels for high fidelity sound output. Selecting this option increases the conversion time for MPEG movies.

•	Stereo--saves the movie sound in two separate audio channels.

•	Dual--relabels the audio channels as Channel #1 and Channel #2 internally instead of coding them as Left/Right. This feature might be used for transmitting two different languages, each language having a different channel.

Setting Stereo Mode


Setting Stereo Mode

1.	Open a Batch List file.

2.	Select the movie file by clicking it in the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Audio Encoder from the MPEG menu.

4.	In the Stereo Mode field, click the down-arrow to view stereo mode options. Click on an option to select it.

•	Any option set to [Auto] will be adjusted at compression time to best suit the source movie.

5.	Choose OK.


Filter Low Frequencies

The Filter Low-Frequencies option removes low-frequency sound from the source movie. Most speakers are unable to reproduce this low-frequency sound. Selecting this option can improve the sound quality in the MPEG movie.


MPEG Stream Formats

MegaPEG compresses the source movie audio into one of two MegPEG audio file formats, Layer I or Layer II.  Layer I is a basic audio compression format.  Layer II is a more complicated compression format which is currently less supported by audio players than Layer I.

Currently, MegaPEG does not encoder Layer I audio.


Converting Multiple Movie Files At Once

If you will need to convert more than one movie file to MPEG format, you can save time by converting a number of files at once. You can do this with MegaPEG batch files, called Batch Lists. Batch List files contain a number of movie files and specific conversion instructions for each movie. When you choose Make MPEG from the File menu, MegaPEG begins automatic conversion of each movie file to MPEG format.

Creating Batch Lists

Changing Batch List Movie Options

Removing Batch List Movies


Create A Batch List
Creating Batch Lists

1.	Choose New from the File menu.

2.	Add two or more movie files to the Batch List.

•	You can drop movies onto a batch list from the Windows explorer.

•	Choose Add Movies from the Batch menu.

3.	The movies are added to the Batch List window.

4.	For each movie, make any desired adjustments to video and audio settings.

5.	Choose Save from the File menu.  Select a drive and directory location for the Batch List and type a name for the file.

6.	Choose OK.

The properties and options associated with these Batch List movies are saved in the Batch List. To edit the movie options at any time, open the Batch List, make the desired changes, and save the Batch List file.


Change Movie Options Saved In A Batch List
Change Batch List Movie Options

1.	Choose Open from the MegaPEG File menu. Select the drive and directory where the Batch List is located. Select the file in the File Name box and choose OK.

2.	Select a movie in the Batch List window by clicking the mouse on the appropriate movie.

3.	Make the desired changes to this movie’s conversion options.

4.	To record changes to the Batch List movie, choose Save from the File menu. Choose OK to save the changes.


Remove A Movie From A Batch List
Removing Batch List Movies

1.	Choose Open from the File menu.

2.	Select the drive and directory where the Batch List is located.

3.	Select the file in the File Name box and choose OK.

4.	Select the movie in the Batch List window by clicking on the file name.

5.	To remove a movie from the Batch List, choose....Remove Movies from the Batch menu.

6.	To record changes to the Batch List, choose Save from the File menu.


Decreasing Compression/Conversion Time

There are three main ways to reduce the amount of time required to compress MPEG files.

•	The first is to create fewer destination frames by reducing the MPEG frame rate.  For instance, a 24-fps MPEG movie will take 2/3 as long as a 30-fps movie.

•	The second way to decrease compression time is to use a smaller search window.  Most of the time spent encoding is searching for redundant data between frames.  Reducing the size of the region that the encoder searches will make the search significantly shorter.  On the down side, unlike changing the frame rate, this may have a noticeable impact on the final image quality.  On the upside, the effectiveness of different search windows greatly depends on what sort of image is being searched.  This search window parameter is included so that you can “tweak” the window size until a good speed/quality balance is found.

•	The third way to decrease compression time is to encode the movie at a smaller frame dimension.  For instance, encoding a 160x120 pixel movie is much faster than encoding a 320x240 pixel movie.


Using Freshly Captured Video

•	To use captured video, capture the video to a QuickTime or AVI file and then convert the file with MegaPEG.


Using Adobe Premiere Files

•	To use Adobe Premiere files, edit the movie(s) in Premiere, save the final version(s) in QuickTime format, and convert the file(s) with MegaPEG.

•	A plug-in version of MegaPEG for Adobe Premiere is available from Digigami.


Using Cinepak™ QuickTime and AVI Files

•	Cinepak compressed files can be converted with MegaPEG. No special steps are necessary.


Viewing the Source Movie

•	To view the source movie, choose Source Movie from the View menu.


Conversion Frame Rate

The MPEG frame rate should be as close as possible to the frame rate of your source movie and within the limits of your MPEG playback mechanism (hardware--30 fps, software--24,25 fps).

Frame Rate


MPEG Uses a Fixed Data Rate

MPEG decoding uses a fixed data rate, which means that the amount of data played back is always constant. For example, compare frame rates of 24 frames per second and 30 frames per second. A 24 frame/second frame rate has fewer frames per second and could result in a better looking individual frames by allocating more data to each frame within that second. An MPEG movie using 30 frames per second may appear more seamless by playing more images, but the individual images may not be as sharp as the 24 frame per second movie.


Using MegaPEG Help

•	To view available topics, click once on the desired subject category.
To close a category in the table of contents, click once on the category heading.

•	To view a Help topic, click once on the topic.

•	If you do not find what you are looking for in this table of contents, choose the Search button above to search for a specific Help topic.
In the Search box, type a word that describes what you are looking for.

•	For Help on Help Press F1 now.


Transport Window Slider Bar


In Point Button


Out Point Button


QuickTour of MegaPEG

This quick tour of MegaPEG explains:

1.	Opening a Movie File

2.	Viewing the Source Movie

3.	Selecting a Segment to Convert

4.	Editing Image Quality

5.	Resizing Movie Dimensions

6.	Creating a Batch List for Multiple File Conversion

7.	Saving the Movie in MPEG Format

Begin the QuickTour


Quick Tour Steps
QuickTour of MegaPEG

Opening a Movie File

•	Select a movie file to convert to MPEG format:
Choose Add Movie(s)... from the MegaPEG Batch menu. Select the drive and directory where the file to convert is located. Select the file in the File Name box and choose OK.

Viewing the Source Movie

1.	Select the movie in the Batch List window by clicking on the movie name.

2.	Choose Preview from the Window menu.

The first frame of this movie is displayed in the Preview Window.

3.	Choose Source Movie from the View menu.

Selecting a Segment of the Movie for Conversion

You can indicate a specified area of the current movie to convert to an MPEG file by setting In and Out Points. In this case, MegaPEG will create a MPEG file by converting only a segment of the original movie, beginning with the In Point and ending with the Out Point. If no special In and End Points are marked, MegaPEG will convert the entire movie to MPEG.

1.	Ensure that the movie is selected/highlighted in the Batch List window.

2.	Ensure that the Preview window is visible.

3.	In the Transport Window, use the mouse to drag the slider bar. The Preview window displays the corresponding still frame in the movie. Now use the Previous Frame/Next Frame buttons (or keyboard arrow keys) to select the frame that will begin the MPEG movie.
Choose the In Point button to set this point.

The Batch List Window displays the In Point time, which is given in terms of the original source movie.

4.	Use the Slider and the Previous Frame/Next Frame buttons to select the last frame for the new MPEG movie and choose the Out Point button.

The Batch List Window displays the Out Point time of the new MPEG movie.

Editing Image Quality

Optionally, you can set other video processing options, such as Image Softening, Brightness, and Gamma Correction.  MegaPEG’s Image Softening feature softens the sharp outlines and areas of high contrast in your source movie.  Image softening can reduce the effects of previously applied compression and/or dithering. Adjusting the brightness value can compensate for source movies that are too dark or too light.  Gamma correction adjusts the color tone of the source movie. Increasing the gamma value can bring out the detail in dim or shadowy areas of the source movie. Decreasing the gamma value for a movie can correct the “washed-out” quality of movie images.

1.	Ensure that the movie is selected/highlighted in the Batch List window.

2.	Choose Video Processing from the MPEG menu.

3.	To test Brightness, Gamma, or Softening options, drag the appropriate slider bar to the desired level. Notice the quality of the Preview window image.

•	You can begin by testing Softening at 25% and 75%.

•	Test the Gamma at .5 and 2.0.

•	Return the Gamma to 1.0. Test Brightness at 50% and 200%.

4.	Adjust the Brightness, Gamma, and Softening to the desired levels. Choose OK.

Resizing Movie Dimensions

1.	Choose Video Encoder from the MPEG menu.

2.	Check the Lock proportions box.

3.	Choose percent in the New Dimensions drop down box.

4.	In the Width field, type 150 to create a MPEG movie that is 150%, or 1 1/2 times, as large as the original source movie.

5.	Choose OK.

These new dimensions take effect when the movie is converted to MPEG. The new dimensions are not reflected in the Preview window.

Creating a Batch List for Multiple File Conversion

Batch List files contain a number of movie files and specific conversion instructions for each movie. Adding movies to Batch Lists can you save you time by converting a number of movies at one time.

1.	Open an additional movie file.

2.	The movie is added to the Batch List window.

3.	Choose Save from the File menu.  Select a drive and directory location for the Batch List and type a name for the file. Choose OK.

4.	This properties and options associated with these Batch List movies are saved in the Batch List. To edit the movie options at any time, open the Batch List, make the desired changes, and save the Batch List file.

Saving Movies in MPEG Format

1.	Choose Make MPEG from the File menu.

2.	Choose a drive and directory location for the new MPEG file. Type the MPEG movie name in the File Name box, including the .MPG file extension. Choose OK.

MegaPEG begins conversion of the movie files to MPEG.


MegaPEG Preferences

When MegaPEG creates an MPEG movie, it first encodes the audio into an audio bitstream.  It then encodes the video into a video bitstream.  After the audio and video bitstreams are created, they are interleaved together in a process called ‘multiplexing’ to create a final system stream.

Delete Audio Bitstream after Encoding.  Clear this box to have MegaPEG leave the audio bitstream after multiplexing.

Delete Video Bitstream after Encoding.  Clear this box to have MegaPEG leave the video bitstream after multiplexing.

When encoding QuickTime use Digigami frame converter.  Clear this box if you have problems encoding QuickTime movies.  The Digigami frame converter bypasses QuickTime, runs more quickly, and uses less memory than the standard QuickTime frame converter.  The Digigami frame converter is only used on 16-, 24- and 32-bit frames.


MPEG Bit Rate

The Target Media type is used to determine the bit rate ranges for audio and video encoding.

Video Bit Rate

Audio Bit Rate


MPEG Video Encoder

Video Bit Rate

Frame Rate

Search Window

Start Frame And End Frame

Cut Scene Detection


MPEG Audio Encoder

Stereo Mode

Audio Bit Rate

Stream Formats


Transport Window

The Transport Window allows you to shuttle back and forth, viewing individual frames of the selected movie in a Batch List.  The slider controls the current position (frame time).

See Also

Start Frame And End Frame


Preview Window

The Preview Window displays the current frame of the movie (as determined by the position of the Transport Window ), with brightness, gamma correction, and image softening applied.


Batch List Window

You have requested help on the Batch List Window.  The Batch List displays a list of files which are to be encoded into MPEG.

See Also

Batch Lists


AVI Player

The AVI Player Window opens when you open a movie with the .AVI file extension.


QuickTime Player

The QuickTime Player Window opens when you open a movie with the .MOV file extension.


Bitmap Sequence Player

The Bitmap Sequence Player Window opens when you open a movie with the .BMP file extension.


TGA Sequence Player

The TGA Sequence Player Window opens when you open a movie with the .TGA file extension.


MPEG-1 Video Player

The MPEG-1 Video Player Window opens when you open a movie with the .MPG file extension.


MPEG Audio Player

The MPEG-1 Layer II Audio Player Window opens when you open a movie with the .MP2 file extension.


Toolbar

To hide or display the Toolbar, choose Toolbar from the View menu (ALT, V, T).

Click	To

 	Open a new document.

Open an existing document.  MegaPEG displays the Open dialog box, in which you can locate and open the desired file.

Save the active document or template with its current name.  If you have not named the document, MegaPEG displays the Save As dialog box.

Make MPEG Command

 Choose this button to create MPEG files from the Batch List or open movie.

Add to Batch Command

 Choose this button to add a movie to a Batch List.

MPEG Bitrate Command

 Choose this button to set the audio and video bit rate.

MPEG Video Encoder Command

 Choose this button to change MPEG Video Encoder settings.

MPEG Audio Encoder Command

 Choose this button to change MPEG Audio Encoder settings.

MPEG Video Image Processing Command

 Choose this button to change Brightness, Gamma Correction and Image Softening.

View Source Movie Command

 Choose this button to open the selected movie in a Player Window.

Transport Window Command

 Choose this button to display the Transport Window.

Preview Window Command

 Choose this button to display the Preview Window.


Standard Commands

File menu

View menu

Window menu

Help menu


File Menu Commands

New	Creates a new document.
Open	Opens an existing document.
Close	Closes an opened document.
Save	Saves an opened document using the same file name.
Save As	Saves an opened document to a specified file name.
Exit	Exits MegaPEG.


View Menu Commands

The View menu offers the following commands:

Toolbar	Shows or hides the toolbar.
Status Bar	Shows or hides the status bar.


Window Menu Commands

The Window menu offers the following commands, which enable you to arrange multiple views of multiple documents in the application window:

Cascade	Arranges windows in an overlapped fashion.
Tile	Arranges windows in non-overlapped tiles.
Arrange Icons	Arranges icons of closed windows.
Window 1, 2, ...	Goes to specified window.


Help Menu Commands

The Help menu offers the following commands, which provide you assistance with this application:

Help Topics	Offers you an index to topics on which you can get help.
About	Displays the version number of this application.


File New Command

Use this command to create a new document in MegaPEG.

You can open an existing document with the Open command.

Shortcuts

Toolbar:

Keys:	CTRL+N


File Open Command

Use this command to open an existing document in a new window.  You can open multiple documents at once.  Use the Window menu to switch among the multiple open documents.  See Window 1, 2, ... command.

You can create new documents with the New command.

Shortcuts

Toolbar:

Keys:	CTRL+O


File Close Command

Use this command to close all windows containing the active document.  MegaPEG suggests that you save changes to your document before you close it.  If you close a document without saving, you lose all changes made since the last time you saved it.  Before closing an untitled document, MegaPEG displays the Save As dialog box and suggests that you name and save the document.

You can also close a document by using the Close icon on the document's window, as shown below:


File Save Command

Use this command to save the active document to its current name and directory.  When you save a document for the first time, MegaPEG displays the Save As dialog box so you can name your document.  If you want to change the name and directory of an existing document before you save it, choose the Save As command.

Shortcuts

Toolbar:

Keys:	CTRL+S


File Save As Command

Use this command to save and name the active document.  MegaPEG displays the Save As dialog box so you can name your document.

To save a document with its existing name and directory, use the Save command.


File 1, 2, 3, 4 Command

Use the numbers and filenames listed at the bottom of the File menu to open the last four documents you closed.  Choose the number that corresponds with the document you want to open.


File Exit Command

Use this command to end your MegaPEG session.  You can also use the Close command on the application Control menu.  MegaPEG prompts you to save documents with unsaved changes.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Double-click the application's Control menu button.

Keys:	ALT+F4


View Toolbar Command

Use this command to display and hide the Toolbar, which includes buttons for some of the most common commands in MegaPEG, such as File Open.  A check mark appears next to the menu item when the Toolbar is displayed.

See Toolbar for help on using the toolbar.


View Status Bar Command

Use this command to display and hide the Status Bar, which describes the action to be executed by the selected menu item or depressed toolbar button, and keyboard latch state. A check mark appears next to the menu item when the Status Bar is displayed.

See Status Bar for help on using the status bar.


Status Bar

The status bar is displayed at the bottom of the MegaPEG window.  To display or hide the status bar, use the Status Bar command in the View menu.

The left area of the status bar describes actions of menu items as you use the arrow keys to navigate through menus.  This area similarly shows messages that describe the actions of toolbar buttons as you depress them, before releasing them.  If after viewing the description of the toolbar button command you wish not to execute the command, then release the mouse button while the pointer is off the toolbar button.

The right areas of the status bar indicate which of the following keys are latched down:

Indicator	Description

CAP	The Caps Lock key is latched down.

NUM	The Num Lock key is latched down.

SCRL	The Scroll Lock key is latched down.


Cascade command (Window menu)

Use this command to arrange multiple opened windows in an overlapped fashion.


Tile command (Window menu)

Use this command to arrange multiple opened windows in a non-overlapped fashion.


Window Arrange Icons Command

Use this command to arrange the icons for minimized windows at the bottom of the main window.  If there is an open document window at the bottom of the main window, then some or all of the icons may not be visible because they will be underneath this document window.


1, 2, ... command (Window menu)

MegaPEG displays a list of currently open document windows at the bottom of the Window menu.  A check mark appears in front of the document name of the active window.  Choose a document from this list to make its window active.


Index command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the opening screen of Help.  From the opening screen, you can jump to step-by-step instructions for using MegaPEG and various types of reference information.

Once you open Help, you can click the Contents button whenever you want to return to the opening screen.


Using Help command (Help menu)

Use this command for instructions about using Help.


About command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the copyright notice and version number of your copy of MegaPEG.


Help Using Help Command
Context Help command

Use the Context Help command to obtain help on some portion of MegaPEG.  When you choose the Toolbar's Context Help button, the mouse pointer will change to an arrow and question mark.  Then click somewhere in the MegaPEG window, such as another Toolbar button.  The Help topic will be shown for the item you clicked.

Shortcut

Keys:	SHIFT+F1


Title Bar

The title bar is located along the top of a window.  It contains the name of the application and document.

To move the window, drag the title bar.  Note: You can also move dialog boxes by dragging their title bars.

A title bar may contain the following elements:

Application Control-menu button

Document Control-menu button

Maximize button

Minimize button

Name of the application

Name of the document

Restore button


Scroll bars

Displayed at the right and bottom edges of the document window.  The scroll boxes inside the scroll bars indicate your vertical and horizontal location in the document.  You can use the mouse to scroll to other parts of the document.


Size command (System menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can size the active window with the arrow keys.

After the pointer changes to the four-headed arrow:

1.	Press one of the DIRECTION keys (left, right, up, or down arrow key) to move the pointer to the border you want to move.

2.	Press a DIRECTION key to move the border.

3.	Press ENTER when the window is the size you want.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Drag the size bars at the corners or edges of the window.


Move command (Control menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can move the active window or dialog box with the arrow keys.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+F7


System Minimize Command
Minimize command (application Control menu)

Use this command to reduce the MegaPEG window to an icon.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the minimize icon [image] on the title bar.

Keys:	ALT+F9


Maximize command (System menu)

Use this command to enlarge the active window to fill the available space.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the maximize icon [image] on the title bar; or double-click the title bar.

Keys:	CTRL+F10 enlarges a document window.


Next Window command (document Control menu)

Use this command to switch to the next open document window.  MegaPEG determines which window is next according to the order in which you opened the windows.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+F6


Previous Window command (document Control menu)

Use this command to switch to the previous open document window.  MegaPEG determines which window is previous according to the order in which you opened the windows.

Shortcut

Keys:	SHIFT+CTRL+F6


Close command (Control menus)

Use this command to close the active window or dialog box.

Double-clicking a Control-menu box is the same as choosing the Close command.

Note:  If you have multiple windows open for a single document, the Close command on the document Control menu closes only one window at a time.  You can close all windows at once with the Close command on the File menu.

Shortcuts

Keys: 	CTRL+F4 closes a document window

ALT+F4 closes the <<YourType>> window or dialog box


Restore command (Control menu)

Use this command to return the active window to its size and position before you chose the Maximize or Minimize command.


Switch to command (application Control menu)

Use this command to display a list of all open applications.  Use this "Task List" to switch to or close an application on the list.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+ESC

Dialog Box Options

When you choose the Switch To command, you will be presented with a dialog box with the following options:

Task List

Select the application you want to switch to or close.

Switch To

Makes the selected application active.

End Task

Closes the selected application.

Cancel

Closes the Task List box.

Cascade

Arranges open applications so they overlap and you can see each title bar.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Tile

Arranges open applications into windows that do not overlap.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Arrange Icons

Arranges the icons of all minimized applications across the bottom of the screen.


Next Pane Command
Next Pane

No help is available for this area of the window.


Prev Pane Command
Prev Pane

No help is available for this area of the window.


No Help Available

No help is available for this area of the window.


No Help Available

No help is available for this message box.