Videosoft H.264 Codec Baseline and Main 2.1

[CiNcH]

FOLLOW LINK (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=748925#post748925)

[Tommy Carrot]

They took out the external configuration ability, so the in-loop filter cannot be disabled, and a lot of functions are not selectable anymore, not to mention that the encoding speed is barely half of x264. I hope there is a drastic quality improvement compared to the previous version, otherwise x264 is better in every aspect (except the rate control).

[CiNcH]

I do not believe that rate control was very good in 2.0 codec (I can't really say what 1st pass does from the log-file vssh-dualpass.txt).

2.1 codec now seems to write a suggested compression for each frame to vssh-dualpass.txt in 1st pass. It's actually a pretty fast 1st pass.

[CruNcher]

it isnt their :P
it's gone again lol what are those VSS guys playing for a game here :P

[Tommy Carrot]

Originally posted by CruNcher
it isnt there :P
it's gone again lol what are those VSS guys playing for a game here :P

Hehe, indeed. I cannot say they are too definite about their decisions. :D Not that you would miss much, it's basicly the dumbed down version of their previous evaluation codec, i didn't find any improvement.

[unmei]

For the next trial version they will probably redirect into the void if the referrer is doom9 :) - i get the impression they don't like the interested private persons testing their products too much.

[chilledoutuk]

i was getting fed up with vsofts lack of trials and beta downloads. now they say we have a trial im like great goto there site and nothing i think there taking the piss now.

[CiNcH]

Back again! Let's see for how long ;) . This time it's version 2.1.0.2!

I now know what you meant, Tommy. x264 doesn't have any kind of rate control, only quantizer control. Didn't know that...

[Bulletproof]

I got it and I'm testing it right now, but early testing shows blurry output :( I hope to show some screenshots later on.

[Bulletproof]

I did a quick test, all 1mbit/s, all "Best quality" mode, all post-processing turned off. It seems Videosoft's H.264 decoder might have forced postprocessing on.

Filesizes:

H.264 = 3,979,264
VP6 = 4,558,848
XVID (All available options) = 3,299,328
XVID #2 (Just VHQ1+Chroma Motion) = 4,005,888


Original:
http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24541/Original.PNG

Videosoft H.264:
http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24541/H264.PNG

VP6:
http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24541/VP6.PNG

XVID (All available options):
http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24541/XVID.PNG

XVID #2 (Just VHQ1+Chroma Motion):
http://gallery.cybertarp.com/albums/userpics/24541/XVID2.PNG

[Sagittaire]

H264 don't have deblocking post-process: it's inloop filtering like RV10. Normaly VP6 PP=0 is more blocky than XviD PP=0 ... ???

- Use HVS matrix with XviD
- Use CPUFree=0 for VP6 in reg

[Bulletproof]

The inloop filter doesn't seem to help very much for videosoft's H.264 codec. I already have that setting for VP6 done, and using HVS-best will actually make the frame look worse. In all my tests VP6 has always done better than XviD in these types of situations. XviD does not do well with short CBR clips, its power lies in 2-pass for full length movies imho. VP6 tends to block less at lower bitrates. I will most likely do another test later on. It would help if anyone else could post their results too.

[CruNcher]

My results says VSS Rate Controll still bad expecialy in fades it fails teribly but it also produces some nice detailed pics with q20 even with inloop very nice detail preservation :)

[CiNcH]

@ Bulletproof,

how did you manage to capture the above screenshot of the H.264 video? The Videosoft DirecShow decoder always takes me back to the previous I-frame when attempting to jump to a specific frame (no frame-accurate seeking possible). Is it an I-frame? Or did you use the VFW decoder?

[Bulletproof]

I just used virtualdub without any problems.

[CiNcH]

Ah OK, VirtualDub uses VFW.

[CiNcH]

......

December, 2005
Next generation of VSS H.264/AVC Codecs appears on the edge of year 2006! See what's new in Release 3.0 (http://www.vsofts.com/h264/codec-3_0.html)

[IgorC]

yeah, we have already heard that. Where is codec?

[Kostarum Rex Persia]

It seems that 3.0 can't download at the moment. 3.0 is top secret, at least for Videosoft. They announce 3.0 before 6 months, and still we can't download it.

Weird!!!

[Doom9]

Where is codec?On my harddisk perhaps? ;)

[CruNcher]

Doom9 will Dicas new AVC Codec also be compared and wich codecs failed your pre phase ?

[Doom9]

Doom9 will Dicas new AVC Codec also be comparedThat depends if they submit it on time..
wich codecs failed your pre phase ?There will be a whole article about the qualification phase.. I won't spill the beans prior to that. And right now I have hardly done any reviewing, I'm still encoding.

By the way, if anybody has a tech contact inside apple's video department, give them a nudge, it's been two weeks no without an answer. The devil's advocate thinks they might be afraid of the results their codec would get in this comparison.

[charleski]

$99 for a codec limited to Main Profile and SD that you can only re-install once? these people are taking the piss...

[CruNcher]

jep if you compare that price with the whole Nero 7 Bundle codec developers like vss should rethink their price policy for standard customers ;P

[acidsex]

Personally, I think many companies are just trying to cash in on the H.264 AVC name since it seems to be a very popular buzzword these days. Furthermore, these companies/developers tend to think their implementations are "better" therefore justifying the overinflated costs. Take MC for instance. I seriously do not see how they expect to make many sales charging $500 for something that doesnt even support mp4 container. Or companies like Cyberlink who basically give the user 2 very limited profiles to select from all for the lovely price of $50 and still no mp4 container support.

Even with Nero borking its V7 release, still for the price and what you get, it seems to have everyone else beat hands down when it comes to retail software. Still think x264/MeGUI is the way to go and has the best price of all :) (much thanks to Doom9 and everyone who develops for it).