Blocky extras

[rendez2k]

How do people process the extras on a disc? Its not often I include them, but when I do it because they are of interest. The reason I ask is because most of the films I've done, the extras have come out extremely 'blocky'. For example, I've just finished Team America, and while the main film was great, the extras had lots of visible blocks. Steel space from extras is set at 0% and half-D1 is off. So how do you guys do it?

[jdobbs]

As long as "Steal Space from Extras" is set, it's about all you can do. Extras are sometimes harder to encode because they usually weren't encoded on the original with much headroom in terms of bitrate. Also on NTSC sources you'll find that often the extras are normal 29.97fps streams as opposed to 23.976 on most features -- which would drop their quality by 25% at the same bitrate.

Still most of the time they come out ok. In those instances there it is especially challenging you might try giving them a special matrix (made for low bitrates) or setting them to Half-D1 (not half/half, but just Half-D1 under the advanced menu).

[somnus]

I usually use Half D1 for extras and try different matrices and my extras usually come out fine.

[rendez2k]

I'm re-running Team America now using the Half-D1 option. Maybe we need a Half-D1 button or option like the half-D1/half space option?! When theres lots of VTS's with extras, its a little time-consuming to make them all Half-D1 (or maybe I'm just lazy!)

[somnus]

Do you mean make the whole disc half D1? If so you can just click Options>AVS Options>Advanced(Expert)Options>Resize to half D1>Apply to all.

[rendez2k]

No, not the whole disc - just the extras!

[jdobbs]

I'm re-running Team America now using the Half-D1 option. Maybe we need a Half-D1 button or option like the half-D1/half space option?! When theres lots of VTS's with extras, its a little time-consuming to make them all Half-D1 (or maybe I'm just lazy!)You read my mind. I've added it for the next version.

[rendez2k]

You read my mind. I've added it for the next version.

Great stuff! This is probably a stupid question, but I'm assuming using Half-D1 on the extras makes more room for the main movie?

[jdobbs]

No... not unless you select "Steal Space from Extras" at the same time. It just lowers the resolution so you can get a better picture at lower bitrates. If you choose "Half D1 and Half Space for Extras", though, it will cut the bitrate for the extras in half and apply the saved space to the main feature.

Please be warned that if you choose "Steal Space from Extras" and "Half/Half" at the same time you will double up by first taking half the bitrate and then reducing by the selected amount.

[somnus]

Ok rendez2k I see what your saying. Had to come back and read again, trying to watch my 11 mon old and read and type ath the same time. A half D1 option for all extras will be good as I use it quite a bit if there are extras I want to keep.

[rendez2k]

One more thought.... what about being able to right click on a VTS to select Half-D1/Space settings (through a menu pop up) as well as the item under the mode menu? I was just thinking about a quick way of selecting the settings for each VTS.

[TuRiSOft]

One more thought.... what about being able to right click on a VTS to select Half-D1/Space settings (through a menu pop up) as well as the item under the mode menu?

Quoted !!!

[kumi]

You could edit the .AVS segment files (found in the working directory, after Prepare Phase) to include some noise reduction and perhaps smoothing filters. That might help reduce blocking in the final product.

Here's a few relevant threads:
Is there any way to remove Mpeg2 blocking? (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=98550)
Undot and Deen on interlaced source (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=97628)
RemoveGrain (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=79751)
Speed and compression of different denoisers (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=51181)
KISS method: Deen() replaced with Asharp()... some advices? (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=94225)
Noise reduction filter for interlaced video ? (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=94286)

[Rockas]

Seems an option like "Apply only to Extras" is needed on the "Filter Editor" :D

[rendez2k]

Is there any downside to doing a whole DVD is half-D1? I'm trying to backup my new Doctor Who boxset (because its in the worst, most flimsy packaging I've ever had!) and no matter what encoder, settings and filters I use, it isn't great and again is quite blocky: reduction Level for DVD-5: 53.3%, HIGH/LOW/TYPICAL Bitrates: 2,747/600/2,563 Kbs and interlaced. I've striped out everything I can…

[danpos]

@rendez2k

I've also thought about how to encode DVD extras in order to get a result with no so much 'blocks'. In DVDs which I've backed up, I did note that several extras were interlaced. So, I thought if (maybe) shouldn't worth to try to deinterlace them and so apply some filters to gain some compression (I've used Half D1 for extras encoding) ...

Cya!