Is this an overkill in file size?

[Satlover]

Hi, I normally go for a file size of 2GB(max file size on a DVD-r) which is about 1.6GB of Video and 400MB of AC3 Audio. I use the original 720x576 video source through Avisynth 2.5 and just crop the top and Bottom. For the conversion I stick to doom’s Dev guide http://www.doom9.org/xvid-vdub-dev.htm . I get great results but I am wondering if this is overkill wasted on the Bitrate when I can maybe increase the quality further.

I have some questions that I am not sure about. I will do my own testing but it is nice to hear comments and suggestions from others
Who do the same conversions.

It says in the Guide,
---> “You can also reduce the max quantizer for better quality but that could result in the loss of accurate bitrate prediction
so use it with care.
In my case I should decrease the max quantizer to say 28 – 29?
---> “If you want maximum quality or are going for 1 CD only set Motion search precision to 6, otherwise to 5”
(Does this mean MAX quality for a 1CD? Should stick to 5 instead of 6)

-I have lumi masking switched off
-I have chroma motion swtched on
-Rest of the settings are same as in the guide
-I sometimes liked to sharpen the source video in Avisynth 2.07. Can anyone recommend a sharpening plug-in for 2.5?

Frame server:
==========
DVDAVI 1.76
Avisynth 2.5

Codec and encoder:
==============
VirtualDubMod_1_4_13_1
virtualdubmod_needed_dlls_301002.zip
AviSynthLexer_0_1.zip
MPEG2Dec3 v1.00.zip
XviD-02022003-1.exe

The script:
========
LoadPlugin("C:\DVD\AviSynth plugins\MPEG2Dec3.dll")
mpeg2source("F:\SUM\SUM.d2v")
LumaFilter(1, 1.02)
Crop(0,74,-0,-74)


Any comments on improvement?
Thanks
:D

[Assault]

@ Satlover
You can safely reduce the max quantizer for i-frames to 6-8 and for p-frames to 12-16 but it isn't a big disadvantage to leave them at 31. ;)
Set Motion search precision to 5 if you want more speed otherwise leave it at 6. Chroma motion switched on is something like Motion search precision 7. Speed will decrease but there'll be less macroblocks in your encoded video.
I usually don't use any sharpening filter but you could try Tom's UnFilter. Unfilter used together with lumafilter(-2,1) also helps to reduce blocks in dark areas but I don't know if you have that problem. ;)

Regards
Assault

[McQuaid]

AFAIK, 2GB is not the max of dvd-r.

Sounds like you are using fat32 which file size limit is 2GB.

For creating dvd-r files that you want to fit to the capacity of the disc (4.5 GB) your going to have to switch to ntfs file system which has no filesize limit.

[Tommy Carrot]

File size limit on FAT32 is 4 GB.

BTW, if you want to have maximum quality, just simply use mpeg quantizer 2, 720xXXX res, no qpel, no bframes, no gmc. (I've not tested VHQ yet, so i cannot say anything about that.)

With this method, usually (of course not everytime)i can burn 2 movies to a dvd-r, with outstanding quality. Virtually identical to the original.

EDIT: chrome ME should be on of course.

[digitize]

hmmm, wouldn't b-frames give better results because when enabled noise is reduced? But yeah go with what Tommy Carrot said, const quant 2 will give good results if you're not worried about file size too much.

[McQuaid]

Yep I cap to 4gig files all the time, as I'm still on win98. I think I was thinking fat16.

So what is this dvd-r limit of 2 gigs that he's talking about?

[Wormz]

Originally posted by digitize
hmmm, wouldn't b-frames give better results because when enabled noise is reduced? But yeah go with what Tommy Carrot said, const quant 2 will give good results if you're not worried about file size too much.

Using b-frames would probably saturate it. B-frames are most useful in low bitrate situations. If you have the bitrate to spare, you actually will get better quality without B-frames.

[Evil Andy]

I remember someone on the DivX forum saying that B-frames use a higher quantizer for various reasons which I can't remember now nor understood at the time. As an example, using a constant quantizer of 2 will actually give B-frames with a quantizer of 4.

Though I don't know whether this is DivX specific, I wouldn't think so.

[digitize]

I see, thank you for the info.

[Satlover]

Sorry but the max file size for DVD-r is 2 GB, has nothing to do with NTFS, you just can't burn a file of that size. Thanks for all the replys

[Satlover]

@Tommy Carrot
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tommy Carrot
BTW, if you want to have maximum quality, just simply use mpeg quantizer 2,

Sorry for the lame question but do you mean setting simply use mpeg quantizer 2 do you mean MPEG-Custom. can you be more specific?
If you mean editig the quantiser matix, then I am a bit lost.

:D

[Satlover]

Originally posted by McQuaid
So what is this dvd-r limit of 2 gigs that he's talking about? [/B]

DVD-r has a max capacity of 4.7GB but you can burn max file size of 2GB (you can have more than one file :-). Thats why DVD VOBS are 1GB in fileze

[Satlover]

Can anyone explain to me what Tommy Carrot means when he says "just simply use mpeg quantizer 2"

[cult]

maybe he means mpeg for both passes

[Tommy Carrot]

Originally posted by Satlover
Can anyone explain to me what Tommy Carrot means when he says "just simply use mpeg quantizer 2"

I mean: for maximum quality, use 1-pass mpeg quantizer 2.

2-pass simply set the quantizers to reach a given filesize. If that is not important, you can use 1 pass (but again: size is unpredictable). 2-pass wont be better at the same size.

But with this method, the movies can sometimes be longer than 2 GB. (btw, it is possible to burn >2 GB files in UDF mode, afaik)

EDIT: to express it clearer: Select 1 pass (not first pass!!!) quantizer mode. Then set quantizer to 2, then set quantizer mode to 'mpeg'. That's all.

[Satlover]

Thanks Tommy I will try the 1-pass mpeg quantizer 2,

When you say "2-pass simply set the quantizers to reach a given filesize" Do you mean 2-pass internal and set the filesize? so I won't need a first pass?

Has anyone had any recommended settings for Burning UDF filesystem? in Nero,

Thanks allot