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by Ralph LaBarge
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Figure 1: LSX-MPEG Encoder
(click figure to enlarge)
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The Ligos LSX-MPEG Suite includes the LSX Encoder (version 3.0), which can be used to encode MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 files, the LSX-MPEG for Adobe Premiere (version 1.2) plug in which allows you to encode MPEG files directly from Adobe Premiere, and the LSX Player (version 2.0), which allows you to play back MPEG files on any Windows DirectShow compatible PC. Suggested retail price for the LSX-MPEG Suite is $399, which is approximately 20% less than the cost of all products purchased separately.
The LSX-MPEG Encoder is a standalone AVI-to-MPEG transcoder for the Windows platform, taking advantage of Intel's MMX technology to deliver reasonably fast software MPEG encoding. At MPEG-1 resolutions the LSX-MPEG Encoder can actually encode in real time, which means 1 minute of video takes just 1 minute to encode. MPEG-2 files are not encoded in real time, but my tests indicated that the LSX-MPEG Encoder is very efficient. On a 500 Mhz Pentium-III test system running Windows NT 4.0, MPEG-2 encodes of a one minute video clip took as little as 20 minutes to complete, which makes the Ligos product one of the fastest software MPEG-2 encoders I have ever tested (though not as fast as the CCE Lite encoder reviewed later).
In addition to being fast, the LSX-MPEG Encoder is also full featured. The user interface is simple, yet powerful, providing control over every major MPEG-2 compression parameter. Both constant-bit-rate (CBR) and variable-bit-rate (VBR) encoding are supported. The LSX-MPEG Encoder comes with 18 predefined profiles to create MPEG files for a variety of applications, from streaming Internet video all the way up to DVD-Video. Using the highest quality settings, as well as the built in filters, I was able to generate exceptional quality MPEG-2 video streams. Performance at the highest quality levels dropped off a bit, requiring about 40 minutes of computer time for each minute of finished video, but this is still faster than most other software MPEG encoders when tested at their highest quality settings. Performance on dual processor systems will be a bit better since the LSX-MPEG Encoder can use one processor for input file processing while a second processor is use for encoding. If you will be using the output MPEG streams for DVD titles, it is important that you select the "Put Seq. headers before every GOP" option. This will create an MPEG stream that can be imported into a DVD authoring tool. Figure 1 shows the Ligos LSX-MPEG Encoder interface.
LSX-MPEG for Adobe Premiere is a plug-in that provides Adobe Premiere™ users the same features available in the standalone LSX-MPEG Encoder. It can output MPEG streams directly from Adobe Premiere, exporting for media types such as AVI, MOV, DV, and others. It produces fully compliant MPEG video, MPEG Layer 2 audio, and multiplexed video/audio streams for MPEG-1, MPEG-2, VideoCD, Super VideoCD, and DVD applications.
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Figure 2: Premiere Plug-in interface
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To use the LSX-MPEG for Adobe Premiere plug-in, choose File>Export>Movie in Premiere, and then select the "LSX MPEG-1 or MPEG-2" file type under General Settings. Controls for most major compression parameters can be set using the Advanced Settings button. The LSX-MPEG for Adobe Premiere plug-in does not provide as many compression parameter controls as the stand-alone LSX-MPEG Encoder, but most users will find the available parameters acceptable. As with the LSX-MPEG Encoder if you are going to use the output MPEG streams for DVD titles, then select "Put Seq. headers before every GOP" option in the IPB Sequence Tab. Figure 2 shows the user interface for the Ligos LSX-MPEG for Adobe Plug-in, which provides less control of compression parameters than the stand-alone version of the encoder.
Documentation for all products in the LSX-MPEG Suite was quite good, and each product includes a standard Windows Help function. The Ligos web site includes a support page as well as an on-line forum where end users can ask questions, and receive answers from Ligos support personnel.
The Ligos LSX-MPEG Suite is an excellent combination of price and performance. DVD title developers who use Windows systems, and need a software MPEG encoder should seriously consider buying a copy of LSX-MPEG Suite. Demonstration versions of each product can be downloaded from the Ligos web site (http://www.ligos.com).
Related articles:
— Video for DVD: Understanding MPEG-2 Compression
— Software MPEG Encoders: Heuris MPEG Power Professional
— Software MPEG Encoders: Cinema Craft Encoder Lite
Related sites:
— Ligos (www.Ligos.com)
Ralph LaBarge is an award winning DVD title developer based in Gambrills, Maryland. He has completed over 200 DVD projects to date, including AVIA Guide to Home Theatre, Coral Sea Dreaming, Mars: The Red Planet, StarGaze and the NAXOS Musical Journey series. Mr. LaBarge can be reached via email at rlabarge@alphadvd.com.
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