RB-Pro recommended settings

[matva]

Hi there,
I've got rb-pro .92, and i'm wondering about a couple things.
edit: forgot to mention im using CCE SP 2.67 (is this a good version or has there been major improvements?)
1) quantization matrices. What exactly does this do, and what exactly is "low bitrate"... 3000?
2) Filters. I've read about Undot() & Deen() but still have no clue when to use them. Does it make the end result look a little grainy or a lot different from original?

I think the d9 dvd-rb guide needs updating for newbs like me.

So i ask... What settings do you recommend for low bitrate (2800-3400) encodes? Time is NOT an issue as i do encoding overnight so it can take like 10 hours.. not a problem.
Thanks a lot :)

[archaeo]

have you tried a forum search yet? There are a number of variables and topics (and opinions) involved with your question :)

[matva]

Yeah, I did.
I came up with some stuff for the undot&deen, but could not draw any consensus. I was hoping someone who knew about this stuff could post here and tell me rather than me digging endlessly through old posts. If it's a problem, let me know.
Thanks again :cool:

[archaeo]

From my (limited) understanding of quantization, the matrices are used for increasing compressability of the image by reducing the amount of data required to represent an image. The matrices essentially are used to eliminate parts of the original image in a way that minimizes visual impact. I'm sure there are others that can explain this in much more detail than I can.

Similarly, filters also work to improve compressability by elimimating parts of the image in a way that (in some filters) can de-noise or smooth the original source. Either way, you lose something from the original source, but gain in compressability. There is a good review of filters and their compressablity ratings at this thread: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=51181

Low bitrate is one of those things that others may have differing opinions on, but for me anything under 3000 kbs I consider low. RB has options that you can use for implementing matrices depending on the bitrate. There are also variables you can adjust (like VBR bias) that can allocate bitrate more efficiently throughout the encode, depending on the demands of your source (hi action, dark scenes, etc).
Again, there are a number of questions withing your question that some searching would help to narrow down. You will also come across a number of opinions, since quality can be a rather subjective idea.