Getting started with Mpeg-4 AVC ( presumably x264 for AVC-HD or BD)

[BigDid]

My project and roadmap

I. Get familiarized with all these notions/infos/technalities
1.1 - What I know (Or what I think I know)
-> process beginning, see below

II. Use some applications and GUI's to make encodes
2.1 - Start with comparing beginner's GUIs for x264
* Handbrake
* Ripbot
* Avidemux
-> beginning see below

III. Get some hardware for AVC-HD/BD
3.1 - Start with the WD-HDTV player
-> some infos, see below

IV. Others
4.1 - How to get a compatible BD-RE encode?
-> to add whenever needed

Update on April 27th 2009
-------------------------

I have not enough time to do timeless searchs with little results so I will try to maximize the gathering of infos on the subject and have it accessible for future users and beginners. I begin this journey as a beginner myself

All suggestions are welcome.
Any ranting or flameware is not.
This thread located in the newbie sub-forum, is written for newbies, I hope informative and not oriented toward technicalities.

Did

[BigDid]

I was kind of frustrated when reading a thread named "Getting started with H264..."
So I re-used the idea but, I hope, to get it to work not to choke !

Let's get started

1.1 What I (need to) know
- H264 is a standard for video compression (MPEG4 AVC)
- x264 is one (very good) among other codecs for H264 encoding
- HD comes in many flavor like: 1280/720 (HD ready), 1920/1080 ( Full HD)
- Profiles & levels for H264 MPEG4-AVC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC#Profiles
- High 4.0 profile: 245760 max macroblock 8192 max frame size 20 Mbit/s max video bitrate baseline 25 Mbit/s max video bitrate high profile 60 Mbit/s max video bitrate high 10 profile 80 Mbit/s max video bitrate High 4:2:2 profile
1280x720@68.3 (9)
1920x1080@30.1 (4)
2048x1024@30.0 (4) resolutions and frame rates
- HD media standard now seems establish for Blu Ray (BD-ROM) and not HD-DVD
- Anamorphic infos and encoding: http://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/AnamorphicGuide
- Some Mpeg4-Avc containers like mp4, mkv, mov ...

-----------------------------------
2.1 Beginners GUIs for x264 encoding; already proposed:

- Handbrake
------------
http://handbrake.fr/
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HandBrake http://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki
Inputs: * Any DVD-like source: VIDEO TS folder, DVD image or real DVD (supports decryption through VLC on OS X and libdvdcss on Linux) PAL or NTSC, AC-3, LPCM or MPEG audio tracks.
* Any input video file that is supported by the FFmpeg project. This includes nearly every .AVI and .MPG file found in the wild.
Outputs: # File format: MP4, AVI, OGM or MKV.
# Video: Theora, MPEG-4 or H.264 (1 or 2 passes or constant quantizer encoding).
# Audio: AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 pass-through (supports encoding of several audio tracks).
# Misc features: chapter selection; basic subtitle support (burned into the picture); integrated bitrate calculator; picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling; grayscale encoding

- Avidemux
-----------
http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/ or http://tinyurl.com/4t53rs
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avidemux http://avidemux.org/admWiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
Inputs: AVI OpenDML MPEG ASF NuppelVideo Images H.263(+) MPEG-4 QuickTime, 3GP, MP4 OGM Matroska Flash Video
Outputs: AVI AVI, unp. VOP AVI, dual audio MPEG video MPEG PS A+V MPEG TS A+V OGM MP4 Matroska Flash Video

-Ripbot 264
-----------
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=127611
Wiki: http://www.mediasmartserver.net/wiki/index.php/RipBot264
A guide: http://www.digital-digest.com/articles/RipBot264_PS3_Xbox_360_Guide_page1.html
AVI to AVCHD, AVI to Blu-ray, AVI to MKV, AVI to MP4, Blu-ray to AVCHD, Blu-ray to Blu-ray, Blu-ray to H264, Blu-ray to MKV, Blu-ray to MP4, DivX to AVCHD, DivX to Blu-ray, DivX to MKV, DivX to MP4, DVB to MKV, DVB to MP4, Blu-ray to Blu-ray, HDTV to MKV, HDTV to MP4, M2TS to Blu-ray, M2TS to H264, M2TS to MKV, M2TS to MP4, MKV to Blu-ray, MKV to MKV, MKV to MP4, MP4 to Blu-ray, MP4 to MKV, MP4 to MP4, MPG to AVCHD, MPG to Blu-ray, MPG to MKV, MPG to MP4, VOB to MKV, VOB to MP4, TS to AVCHD, TS to Blu-ray, TS to MKV, TS to MP4, WMV to MKV, WMV to MP4, XviD to MKV, XviD to MP4


More to test:
- in french but I believe the GUI can be displayed in english: M4ng
http://www.m4ng.fr/
-HDconvertoX
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1277793#post1277793

I will do some tests and come back on the subject

Did

[BigDid]

Part III - Hardware -

3.1 Western digital TV-HD media player (WD-TVHD)

Where to start for hardware
- get a standalone player for Blu-ray?
- get a BD drive, writer or reader only?
- get a multimedia player and which?

I opted for the WD-TVHD multimedia player, cheap but supports the following formats:
• Video—MKV, OGM, AVI, DivX, WMV, QuickTime, Real, MPEG-1, MPEG-2,
MPEG-4, DVD (VOB) (Codecs: DivX, XviD, MSMPEG4, ASP, H.264, AVC)
• Audio—OGG, MP3, WAV, RA, Dolby Digital, AAC, M4A, AU, AIFF
• Subtitles—SRT, SSA, ASS, and SAMI

It also have many interfaces:
* 2 USB for input
* Outputs:
- Composite AV to SD TV
- 1 HDMI AV to HD TV
and/or 1 optical (toslink) for audio multichannels to hometheater set

Infos: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2697
User manual: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/fattach_get.php?p_sid=Cf3HSpwj&p_li=&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_file_id=107002&p_tbl=9&p_id=2697&p_created=1240354292&p_olh=0

I have no easy access to BD/HD material, HD hardware is really expensive here so the WD-TVHD seemed a good start. I just received it so testing will come later.

Did

[BigDid]

First tests for some x264 encoders, supposed to be beginner friendly.

I have already ripped my SD test movie (Shrek3 PAL) with RI4ME, movie only, so I have IFO and VOB files.
I will DL later a FullHD trailer and redo testing when that kind of source is be available, any to recommend?
Goal: see how these app and GUI behaves for a basic (as simple as possible) encoding.

Parameters
1 pass CRF22
720/576 no crop and/or anamorphic-crop
Audio: AAC-LC 256/288 VBR capable or CBR
Profile: High 4.1 if possible
Previsualisation before encoding if possible
Chapters if possible


Handbrake => simple, some options missing
---------
CRF notation with percentage not numbers, will try 60% :(
No crop/anamorphic Ok
Audio CBR only OK :o
Profile High, 3.0 only but customizable (will need to learn the params for 4.1) :o
1 pass is around 16fps for 3.0 profile and film settings
No real previsualisation, only snapshots via "picture settings" tab :o
Chapters Ok
Wiki Ok

Ripbot264 => quite simple more options
---------
CRF 22 Ok
No crop Ok
Audio with Abr-Cbr and options :)
Profile High, 4.0 and customizable :)
1 pass is around 26fps for 4.0 profile and settings
Previsualisation via encoding options (preview script) :)
Chapters Ok
Wiki Ok

Avidemux => more sophisticated, (too) many options
--------
CRF 22 Ok
No crop Ok
Audio with Abr-Cbr and options :)
No profile seen, but customizable :(
1 pass with basic settings is around 36fps
Previsualisation for input/output :)
Chapters?
Wiki Ok

More to come with other GUI's

Let me know if I missed some features or got them wrong, I will update ;):)

[neuron2]

Why don't you wait until you know what you're talking about and then make a comprehensive posting?

Or, if you must have a stream of consciousness, create a blog somewhere?

If everyone did this we'd have a total mess on our hands.

[Karkas]

Why don't you wait until you know what you're talking about and then make a comprehensive posting?

Or, if you must have a stream of consciousness, create a blog somewhere?

If everyone did this we'd have a total mess on our hands.

Ouch, that's cold for someone just trying to be helpful...

@BigDid; Not to pile on, but while I found some of the info posted useful, much of is is just plain confusing. I just didn't know what you were listing for most of it.

Maybe you should just stick with supported inputs & outputs for most of the encoders listed.

Thanks for trying to help us newbs out though.

[BigDid]

Why don't you wait until you know what you're talking about and then make a comprehensive posting?
...
If everyone did this we'd have a total mess on our hands.
If I knew what I have been talking about I would not be a newbie
Methinks it's the other way around; that the mess is with the H264/AVC/HD/BD subject and maybe I am just reflecting the beginner incomprehension...

Or, if you must have a stream of consciousness, create a blog somewhere?
This is not my goal but if some exists, would you be kind enough to point me to such blogs, I could maybe retrieve useful infos for here.



Maybe you should just stick with supported inputs & outputs for most of the encoders listed.

Thanks for trying to help us newbs out though.

I sure can do that, will update the test post; and thanks for the support.

Did