MeGUI Custom x264/AVC video profiles.

[Sharktooth]

it works with MY builds of x264. other builds could not have the b-rdo patch.
it uses Rate/Distortion optimizations on B-Frames too.

[smok3]

right, i was using the 'wrong' compile.

[Sharktooth]

However you remembered me to add that info on the first post... thanks:)

[QuadraQ]

Hey Sharktooth,

I tried the latest version of the xbox profile (v7) along with MeGUI (Full) 0.2.3.1b and tried a backup of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Resolution 640 x 352 using Nero for audio (Low complexity profile). Still not working on my xbox, a little better but no cigar. What settings should I use in XMC to optomize performance? Also I'm using the 10-09-05 release build, should I be using a daily build?

[Sharktooth]

use a daily build... yours it's outdated and libavcodec is faster now also ensure postprocessing and blur are disabled.

[Velocity 7]

Nice work on the profiles.

Shouldn't this thread be pinned?

[Sharktooth]

dunno... they will be added (one day) to my x264-Full builds.

[Sharktooth]

Any news from the xbox front?
in the meantime i updated the profiles.
Changes: Rewritten CE profiles (added QuickTime specific profile and modified the others).
General tweaking of other profiles.

[Cyberace]

Any news from the xbox front?yes => http://www.xboxmediaplayer.de/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.pl?act=ST;f=2;t=14956;st=15
Sounds like if lower the resolution to half the native DVD-Video resolution (ie. 360x240 for NTSC or 360x288 for PAL) then you can enable both CABAC and Deblocking without dropping frames at playback on the Xbox, the result will look better than if the video was encoded 640x480 without CABAC and Deblocking (if the same bit-rate is used).

PS! Always remember the golden rule in video and audio transcoding; "garbage in, garbage out", meaning if the original 'input' source video/audio look/sound like crap then the 'output' result will also look/sound like crap ;) so always use the best possible input source available, (eg. if you have or can get/borrow the original DVD9 DVD-Video disc then use than instead of a DVD5 transcoded rip).

[Sharktooth]

uhm, i have my doubts a so low resolution will look better.
However, use those tweaks to improve your xbox AVC playback:
By Rabomil on the xbmc forum

The cache settings are really important to play AVC files without problems. These are the settings I use. But it is important to know that I'm only playing movies from dvd or harddisk. I adjusted my cache settings according to that.

Video/Audio/DVD Cache - harddisk 3072 KB
Video Cache - DVDRom 8192 KB
Audio Cache - DVDRom 512 KB
DVD Cache - DVDRom 4096 KB

ALL OTHER PARAMETERS 0 KB
Also ensure to have all services disabled (ftp, http, telnet ...).

[Cyberace]

Well XBMC scale low-resolution video very well to full screen without loosing too much quality, and bit-rate have a lot to do with it too, the higher resolution you use the higher bit-rate you have to use to keep the same quality; so personaly I think 360x240 H.264 video @ 1500kb/s bit-rate looks better than 720x480 H.264 video @ 1500kb/s bit-rate (with otherwise the same encoding settings) when played back on an Xbox.

[Sharktooth]

360x240 @1500bps is an overkill bitrate. 1500 would be enaugh high to have a dvd like 2.35:1 non-anamorphic encode at DVD (720x304) resolution.

[Sharktooth]

Readded 3 passes for AE-Maxquality and HQ-Insane profiles.

[DeathTheSheep]

360x240 H.264 video @ 1500kb/s bit-rate looks better than 720x480 H.264 video @ 1500kb/s bit-rate

It will look smoother, I can give you that-- but whether or not you'd want to sacrifice the detail of 720x480 is another story...

Try 360x240 at 600kbps. Betcha can't tell the difference ;)

[Sharktooth]

New version is up (v10).
New profiles added (CQ), more info on the first post.
The list is completed. If you have some idea talk now or shut up forever (j/k) :D
I need the final "compatibility" results for the PD profiles too... so if anyone wants to test them please do it now, before i add those profiles to the x264-full package.

[QuadraQ]

OK I finally had some time to download a daily build of XBMC (11-21-05) and install it. Turned off post processing in the options, and tried Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that I did previously with version 7 of the profiles and still no luck. Any ideas? Are there others settings I need to set in XBMC? I'm playing the movie of the Xbox hard drive BTW.

[Sharktooth]

uhm... can you check the libavcodec version of your build?

[QuadraQ]

how do I find it? I don't see any "libavcodec" or "libav*" files in my XBMC folder.

[hpn]

Profiles for maximizing Speed and hit a desired bitrate/filesize (1-pass)1P-Maxspeed: Everything disabled for max encoding speed.
Just curious. Any special reason for enabling Chroma ME and Deblock Filter in the max speed profile? They do give you about 0.6dB gain, but slows you down about 2 fps (23 to 21 for example). Because it is supposed that the size doesn't matter for this particular profile I would offer you to raise the bitrate from 1000 to 1250 and add "--nf --no-croma" and you'll get the same PSNR but 2 frames faster so it will become really max speed profile :)

btw if someone knows anything faster than
x264 -q 51 -A none -m 1 --nf --no-chroma-me --no-cabac --me dia --no-psnr -o b.mp4 b.avs

just let me know. I've been experimenting with some real time x264 captures (720x576/25fps) from my TV card lately but I'm always 4-5 frames below real time (usually using -q 18 to 24).

[Sharktooth]

@hpn: ok... let's disable loop and chroma ME... in the next version :)
however the bitrate is indicative and not intended to be a fixed value in the profile... :)

@QuadraQ: is it a CVS build or a modified build (Expert, Gasgiver, Pimped, etc...) ?

[hpn]

however the bitrate is indicative and not intended to be a fixed value in the profile... :)
Sure. However I suspect that most people using profiles tend not to change anything, including the bitrate :)

One more thing (I think I've mentioned this before). Just replace CE, 1P, AE, HQ etc in the profiles name with their long meaningful names:

example:
"CE-Baseline.xml" -> "CommonEncoding-Baseline.xml"
"AE-Standard.xml" -> "AnimeToons-Standard.xml"
etc.

I feel that until you do this, the profiles, no matter how good they are, will be simply unusable (and are now) for the casual (and not only) user. The long names may seem a little uglier in the drop-down MeGUI lists, but this is the only way to go if you really want someone to use them. The only thing that you or doom9 may need to tweak in the MeGUI code is to make both profile fields on the main form (especially) and on the x264 codec configuration form 15 pixels wider. There is enough space for it ;)

[Sharktooth]

well, once they get included in x264-Full package they will come with some "docs".

[QuadraQ]

Well I'm not sure what version I have to be honest Sharktooth. I believe it's a CVS build, I just grabbed the latest off xbins and installed it today.

[Hyper Shinchan]

I've downloaded your profiles yesterday and I'm using them with the latest build of megui, but why the PSP profile is baseline and isn't it main? PSP allows multilpe b-frames and reference frames (max 2 b-frames and 2 reference frames, from my tests). And it allows all the Main profile tools excluding pyramid b-frames.
I'd like that you correct this setting, because it's full of guys that claims that "psp=portable shit player" coz it has the problem of mp4 specs and limitations in fps and resolution... and maybe they don't know all the potential of psp (a setting with the 16:9 aspect ratio setted by default is good either).
Or there is a motif that you've setted the baseline profile (and no-b frames and multiple reference frames)?

[Sharktooth]

I based the PSP profile on the informations i found on this forum and on the web.
So if you're absolutely sure the PSP can handle main profile with 2 b-frames and 2 refs i can modify the profile accordingly to your findings.
However my PSP died so i cant test it by myself.

[Sharktooth]

V11 changes:
Removed Loop Filter and Chroma ME in 1P-Maxspeed profile.
Modified the PD-PSP profile to maximize the final quality.
Profiles are now included with x264-Full_r375C package.

[Hyper Shinchan]

I based the PSP profile on the informations i found on this forum and on the web.
So if you're absolutely sure the PSP can handle main profile with 2 b-frames and 2 refs i can modify the profile accordingly to your findings.
However my PSP died so i cant test it by myself.
Well, I'm absolutely sure that it uses Main profile, and from my tests it seems that it can handle all these tools. I've the 2.5 upgrade, so I'm not sure if it's because I have this firmware, but I don't think that it has more features than the 2.0 firmware.
P.S.: your psp died?!?! Downgrade problems?

[Sharktooth]

No, "hitting the ground" problems...
However now the profiles are included in the full package. There are some basic docs too (the things written in the first post of this thread).

@all: if you have your own custom profiles and you want them included (only if they're usefull and correctly working) in the x264 daily builds, please post them here. Also testing is not finished, i just included the profiles into daily builds to have a wider "battlefield".

[Hyper Shinchan]

Oh the good old problem! My old Game Boy had the same problem too ^_^
Yep,I'll post a good profile if I'll find a good one. Anyway a little off topic question: what is the correct 16:9 aspect ratio for a 320x240 resolution? I'm using 36:27, is it good?

[Sharktooth]

What's the original resolution/AR?

[Sharktooth]

New cache parameters for XBMC (thanks to Rabomil).
The cache settings are really important to play AVC files without problems. These are the settings I use. But it is important to know that I'm only playing movies from dvd or harddisk. I adjusted my cache settings according to that.

Video/Audio/DVD Cache - harddisk 4096 KB
Video Cache - DVDRom 7168 KB
Audio Cache - DVDRom 256 KB
DVD Cache - DVDRom 4096 KB

ALL OTHER PARAMETERS 0 KB

[Hyper Shinchan]

Oh my... this cache settings are the bitrate buffer or what else? Anyay I've tried your profile, adding also mixed refernce frames and (for me) it works. Can anyone else try this setting with yours psp?
What's the original resolution/AR?
720x576 16:9, generally. How can I apply the resolution and the A/R to my target 320x240 (i'm not expert with this A/R problem, I'm used to encoding to square pixels).
In my profile I've added the "--level 3" string to make it compliance with the Main L3 that PSP claim to be compatible. I've tried also other level and they work, but I'm not sure about the safe use of this settings.

[Backflip]

Tried latest latest Sharktooth x264 build + PD-Xbox profile + latest XBMC, pretty much latest everything (even updated MP4box recently). The changed cache settings look to be pretty essential to get smooth playback.

- Only thing I changed in the PD-Xbox profile was to 3-pass auto.
- I queued video (640x272) and audio (128/2CH/LC-AAC (HQ)) encoding separately, then muxed both together at the end.
- I encoded a trailer with slow and fast movement (Nostalgia trailer from Star Wars Episode 3).

Before changing the cache it'd drop over 8 frames, after changing cache, no dropped frames.

[Sharktooth]

Oh my... this cache settings are the bitrate buffer or what else? Anyay I've tried your profile, adding also mixed refernce frames and (for me) it works. Can anyone else try this setting with yours psp?

720x576 16:9, generally. How can I apply the resolution and the A/R to my target 320x240 (i'm not expert with this A/R problem, I'm used to encoding to square pixels).
In my profile I've added the "--level 3" string to make it compliance with the Main L3 that PSP claim to be compatible. I've tried also other level and they work, but I'm not sure about the safe use of this settings.
x264 uses SAR and 16:9 is DAR. The formula for converting the aspect ratio from DAR to SAR is explained in the FAQs (Q17) in the x264 daily builds sticky thread.

@Backflip: Rabomil managed to enable cabac and loop filter with 640*xxx resolution without having frame skips. That sounds pretty interesting, dont you think?

[Backflip]

I just read through the XBMC forums thread about it, but wasn't it talk about needing to lower the resolution to 320x*** and then CABAC and deblocking may have been possible? Anywho I'll give it a try - 640x272 w/ CABAC and deblocking enabled.

edit - encoded @ 640x272 + CABAC and Deblock (0,0). The video is pretty much a slideshow with the audio playing at normal speed.

[Cyberace]

Suggestion; separate profile/profiles for '3D' CG (Computer Graphics) movies (such as ex: Madagascar)

[Backflip]

Dunno if it's a fair contest, but I encoded at a 336x144 the same trailer. This time I used CABAC and deblocking. I had to use a lower file size / bitrate because I kept on getting errors that suggested I should either lower bitrate or change qauntizer. Dunno how much to adjust quantizer by though :(

Clip played ok, but was clearly poorer than the other 640x272 -no CABAC -no deblocking file, but however I did use half the bitrate on the 336x144 encode.

[Sharktooth]

I just read through the XBMC forums thread about it, but wasn't it talk about needing to lower the resolution to 320x*** and then CABAC and deblocking may have been possible? Anywho I'll give it a try - 640x272 w/ CABAC and deblocking enabled.

edit - encoded @ 640x272 + CABAC and Deblock (0,0). The video is pretty much a slideshow with the audio playing at normal speed.
try substantially lowering the bitrate variance.

[Sharktooth]

Suggestion; separate profile/profiles for '3D' CG (Computer Graphics) movies (such as ex: Madagascar)
There's not much difference (if any) from the HQ profiles.

[Limobar]

Dunno if it's a fair contest, but I encoded at a 336x144 the same trailer. This time I used CABAC and deblocking. I had to use a lower file size / bitrate because I kept on getting errors that suggested I should either lower bitrate or change qauntizer. Dunno how much to adjust quantizer by though :(

Clip played ok, but was clearly poorer than the other 640x272 -no CABAC -no deblocking file, but however I did use half the bitrate on the 336x144 encode.

Try using AC-3 sound instead of AAC. AAC uses quite some sources.

x264, 640x272, ac-3 (multichannel), cabac, b-frames, deblocking. It's all possible. Try my sample, with the mentioned before cache settings I use.

Rabomil aka Limobar

[Sharktooth]

I will split the PD-Xbox profile in PD-Xbox_Hi-res and PD-Xbox_Lo-res. "Hi-res" will be the actual one (maybe with some other tweaks).
The "Lo-res" one will have CABAC, Deblocking and other stuff enabled.

[Backflip]

Try using AC-3 sound instead of AAC. AAC uses quite some sources.

x264, 640x272, ac-3 (multichannel), cabac, b-frames, deblocking. It's all possible. Try my sample, with the mentioned before cache settings I use.

Rabomil aka Limobar

Gotta change to Mencoder or something for support of writing AVC with AC3 audio? I prefer to stick with Sharktooth's x264.exe at this time. Maybe I'll change container though.

edit - tried 640x272 x264 + original 2CH AC3 + CABAC + Deblocking in an MKV container. All other PD-Xbox settings unchanged.

Got 19 dropped frames.

edit2 - tried a lower bitrate encode 640x272 x264 + 128Kbps LC-AAC + CABAC + Deblocking *MP4*. No dropped frames. Bitrate average according to MeGUI's calculated was around 695 kbps.

[Sharktooth]

v12: updated PD-Xbox profiles.

[Sharktooth]

any reports?
QT? X-box? iPod? PSP?

[DarkFoon]

right now I'm working on some TV caps for a friend with quicktime (they are mac-only)
They'll have it by monday, and hopefully will report back to me if it plays or not.
I'm using the quicktime profile, but I've made it 3-pass because I didn't think it would affect compatability. That won't affect it will it?

[quake74]

I'm encoding some tv stuff for PSP but I have a problem with compression: during the second pass the fps starts dropping below 10fps and continues to go down. I know somebody else who had the same problem and I sent him a PM, still waiting for an answer. Now I'll trim the source and see if that helps.

[berrinam]

@quake74: Why is this a problem? Perhaps x264 is just having to search harder for MVs, or do other complex calculations.

[quake74]

@quake74: Why is this a problem? Perhaps x264 is just having to search harder for MVs, or do other complex calculations.

Well, I know encoding x264 is harder, but it cannot be 100 times harder. The speed goes below 10fps and it continues to decrease, after 1hr (for a 29 mins clip) it was telling me that 2 more hours were needed, and so I decided to abort. Anyway, doing more tests as we speak with the latest x264.

[Sharktooth]

right now I'm working on some TV caps for a friend with quicktime (they are mac-only)
They'll have it by monday, and hopefully will report back to me if it plays or not.
I'm using the quicktime profile, but I've made it 3-pass because I didn't think it would affect compatability. That won't affect it will it?
No it won't :)

@quake74: that behaviour is perfectly normal and below 10fps is still perfectly normal...
can you post your x264 commandline options and your system specs?

[Sharktooth]

V13: Updated PD-iPod profile with Level 1.3.