BD-Rebuilder, Feature Requests

[chudm]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

You can do that now. Select "Keep HD" from the SETUP page, and then add KEEP_HD_LPCM=0 to your INI file. It will keep all HD except LPCM, and LPCM will be converted to AC3.

thx!

[The_Unknown]

Is there any plan to implement nVidia CUDA support? I just encoded a disk using DVDFab and it's really fast (I hope the result is satisfying, too ). I would love to see CUDA support in BD-RB.

[jdobbs]

Nope. I don't believe in locking into a product, and never will. Experiment as you wish, but I think you'll find that nothing can compete with X264 for quality/speed.

[The_Unknown]

Mhm, indeed the result of DVDFab was not satisfying. The encoding took "only" about 2 hours but the quality is pretty bad afterwards (and in addition: the DTS Express (in-movie-experience) doesn't work as well). BD Rebuilder is still the best solution I hope that soon there will be a way to keep the in-movie-experience audio track.

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by The_Unknown

Mhm, indeed the result of DVDFab was not satisfying. The encoding took "only" about 2 hours but the quality is pretty bad afterwards (and in addition: the DTS Express (in-movie-experience) doesn't work as well). BD Rebuilder is still the best solution I hope that soon there will be a way to keep the in-movie-experience audio track.

Soon.

[The_Unknown]

That sounds great. Are you able to make a guess what "soon" could mean in days, weeks or months?

P.S.: I think you'll get a donation of mine for your great work!

[sreemv]

couple of quick questions/requests on some feature enhancements:

1] Is it possible to do Full backup with a few selected things removed?
2] Can we add/replace an audio/sub track in any mode?

[jfcarbel]

One other feature request would be the ability to select a frame and have it cut out the video from that frame forward or backward in order to cut the end or starting credits. Tsmuxer supports this and it seems to be working well in multiAVCHD.

Another nice feature - Ability to create a bonus materials DVD-5/DVD-9 BD, that is, everything but the main movie and keeping menus.

[m1482]

One request to make this program even better may be to have the ability to have a AC3 passthrough option and adding subtitles when using the "iPad alternate MP4 HD output option". The actual option gaves me excellent video quality when using Apple TV (better than Handbrake). New Apple TV can pass AC3 streams and multiple subtitles.

jdobbs, thanks for this excellent program !!!

[laserfan]

I tried BD-RB with a series disc, four 1080p 50min episodes on a DVD+R DL, but while the target bitrate was decent at about 4400 each, I got some noticeable GOP pulsing on playback. I had tried to use my normal settings for lower bitrate programs, via TWEAK_PASS_ONE/TWO, but BD-RB trumped --keyint 48 --rc-lookahead 50 (would result in 48) for BD-content-on-DVD, instead forcing these to 24. Maybe the problem? in any case...

1. According to member shon3i 48 frames per GOP is legal for a 24p program on DVD; could you allow that please for DVD output, or

2. Just leave the user's TWEAK settings alone and let us shoot ourselves in the foot/head if we want?

I know jdobbs you do not wish to allow the TWEAK settings at all, but since you note X264 Tweak(s) enabled in the logs you can see when a user TWEAKed and can disavow all results anyway...? Well, thanks for listening.

Here fwiw are tweak, cmd, & info lines, not sure why my rc-lookahead tweak didn't "take" (since it shows in BD-RB's command line), it should have ended-up at 48:

TWEAK_PASS_ONE=--preset medium --tune grain --keyint 48 --min-keyint 1 --rc-lookahead 50 --vbv-maxrate 15000 --vbv-bufsize 15000 
--pass 1 --direct auto --colorprim bt709 --transfer bt709 --colormatrix bt709
TWEAK_PASS_TWO=--preset medium --tune grain --keyint 48 --min-keyint 1 --rc-lookahead 50 --vbv-maxrate 15000 --vbv-bufsize 15000 
--pass 2 --direct auto --me umh --subme 9 --colorprim bt709 --transfer bt709 --colormatrix bt709

"C:\BD_Rebuilder\tools\x264.exe" "D:\BD-RB WORK\WORKFILES\VID_00009.AVS" --preset medium --b-pyramid strict --weightp 2 
--open-gop bluray --qpmin=0 --bitrate 4422 --level 4.1 --qpfile "D:\BD-RB WORK\WORKFILES\VID_00009.CHP" --sar 1:1 
--aud --nal-hrd vbr --pic-struct --vbv-bufsize 14500 --keyint 24 --min-keyint 1 --ipratio 1.1 --pbratio 1.1 --vbv-maxrate 17500 
--threads auto --slices 4 --thread-input --tune grain --rc-lookahead 50 --direct auto --me umh --subme 9  
--stats "D:\BD-RB WORK\WORKFILES\VID_00009.AVS.264.stats" --pass 2 --output "D:\BD-RB WORK\WORKFILES\VID_00009.AVS.264"

Encoding settings: cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:-2:-2 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=9 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.25 /
mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=6,6 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-4 / 
threads=6 / sliced_threads=0 / slices=4 / nr=0 / decimate=0 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=1 / 
b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=2 / weightp=2 / keyint=24 / keyint_min=1 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / 
rc_lookahead=24 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=4422 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.80 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / 
qblur=0.5 / vbv_maxrate=17500 / vbv_bufsize=14500 / ip_ratio=1.10 / aq=1:0.50 / nal_hrd=vbr

[jdobbs]

I think there might be some confusion... as a 48 frame GOP is never legal on a DVD. But we're talking about BD format here so I assume that's what you mean.

I do prevent some tweak parameters from being used... mainly the ones (like keyint) that can violate the standard and cause a disc to not work.

In BD the maximum keyint would depend on your bitrate. The specification allows a GOP whose period is longer than 1 second only on condition that the maximum bit-rate of an MPEG-4 AVC stream is less than or equal to 15Mbs and in that case the GOP can be up to 2 seconds. So by setting the max to 15Mbs you can theoretically set the GOP to 48 on a 23.976fps source.

By default, BD-RB sets the maximum bitrate to 17.5Mbs when outputting to BD-5/9 -- and at that bitrate a 48 frame GOP would be illegal. My reasoning is that when encoding HD at low bitrates a higher maximum bitrate is more important than a larger GOP -- as you might need that additional peak at some points to keep quality. That, however, is arguable -- especially when the difference is only a couple of megabits/sec.

Frankly, though, I don't think it would make much difference. If you are seeing pulsing, changing the GOP size would likely only make it happen at a lesser rate -- and possibly even make it worse. Your problem is more likely ipratio and/or pbratio, which balances the quality between I, P, and B frames. Pulsing usually indicates that the quality is degrading over the course of the GOP and then "corrects" at the I frame and starts degrading over again.

[laserfan]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

I think there might be some confusion... as a 48 frame GOP is never legal on a DVD. But we're talking about BD format here so I assume that's what you mean.

Yeah, I did say "BD-content-on-DVD" and should have said "BD-format-on-DVD".

setting the max to 15Mbs you can theoretically set the GOP to 48 on a 23.976fps source.

For BD-format-on-DVD I have always set it that way, keyint 48 along with 15000/15000 and I never set my average bitrate above 7500 for-whatever-that's-worth. I do appreciate your reply. I'd wondered why you'd set your vbv-maxrate to 17500 and now I know; my only concern might be that I see nothing in shon3i's specs to support your use of this on DVD media?

I should convert the BD "by hand" (a long-time DVD-RB user, I only very rarely have tried using BD-RB, sorry ) and see if the pulsing goes away, though for as many times as I've done low-bitrate encodings I've never seen this before. You may be right that the longer keyint has nichts to do w/the pulsing, but while I can appreciate that you are trying to make your proggie to "play by the rules" it seems that these other "DVD-only" settings should be allowed.

Sorry for the long post(s)--all about TWEAK_ that is there only out of your good will in the 1st place...!

[jdobbs]

I'd wondered why you'd set your vbv-maxrate to 17500 and now I know; my only concern might be that I see nothing in shon3i's specs to support your use of this on DVD media?

I use the BD and AVCHD specs for all my work. My guess is that shon3i purposely set the max to 15Mbs just so he can use longer GOPs.

[shon3i]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

I use the BD and AVCHD specs for all my work. My guess is that shon3i purposely set the max to 15Mbs just so he can use longer GOPs.

And i don't see purpose of usage, using anything higher than 15mbps when avg bitrate is not even higher than 5mbps in 99.9% cases. Anyway setting maxrate to 17 mbps but leave buffer at 14mbps will not even enhance quality because will be very very short spikes, --vbv-bufsize 14500 came from HDDVD specification (it's max for AVC), but AVCHD can use more than that.

Pulsing more likely will be solved with OpenGOP.

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by shon3i

And i don't see purpose of usage, using anything higher than 15mbps when avg bitrate is not even higher than 5mbps in 99.9% cases. Anyway setting maxrate to 17 mbps but leave buffer at 14mbps will not even enhance quality because will be very very short spikes, --vbv-bufsize 14500 came from HDDVD specification (it's max for AVC), but AVCHD can use more than that.

Pulsing more likely will be solved with OpenGOP.

Even at 5Mbs, there are lots of opportunities for spikes to go up to the maximum bitrate -- and it will do it for as long as it takes (as long as the average can be kept and the buffer doesn't overflow). Setting the buffer to the same size as the bitrate as opposed to 14500/17500 isn't going to extend the tolerance for a spike to any appreciable degree. But I agree that the difference between 15Mbs and 17.5Mbs probably also isn't enough to make any meaningful difference either.

Anyway -- I've added an option in the next release to allow 48 frame GOPs with a maximum bitrate of 15Mbs.

BD-RB has the option to use open GOPs.

[laserfan]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

I've added an option in the next release to allow 48 frame GOPs with a maximum bitrate of 15Mbs.

BD-RB has the option to use open GOPs.

Yup and I used that option with my encoding, though I do wonder where I'd find the secret codes that are used in the x264 header e.g. in this case "/ open_gop=2". Does anyone know where to confirm that this means "bluray"?

Thanks jdobbs for your interest in this. Will try the next version for sure.

[nurbs]

open_gop=2 is the Blu Ray compatible one. You can check that in the x264 help ("x264 --fullhelp").

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by nurbs

open_gop=2 is the Blu Ray compatible one. You can check that in the x264 help ("x264 --fullhelp").

And the way you activate it is with the command line option "--open-gop bluray"

[laserfan]

Originally Posted by nurbs

open_gop=2 is the Blu Ray compatible one. You can check that in the x264 help ("x264 --fullhelp").

I know how to set the option--I was looking for the info header to confirm it. But...fullhelp says only this:

      --open-gop <string>     Use recovery points to close GOPs [none]
                                  - none: closed GOPs only
                                  - normal: standard open GOPs
                                            (not Blu-ray compatible)
                                  - bluray: Blu-ray-compatible open GOPs

So I am supposed to guess then that 1 means "normal" and 2 means "bluray"? This isn't the only setting that is abbreviated in the x264 header--perhaps the answers I want are in the source code for x264...

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by laserfan

I know how to set the option--I was looking for the info header to confirm it. But...fullhelp says only this:

      --open-gop <string>     Use recovery points to close GOPs [none]
                                  - none: closed GOPs only
                                  - normal: standard open GOPs
                                            (not Blu-ray compatible)
                                  - bluray: Blu-ray-compatible open GOPs

So I am supposed to guess then that 1 means "normal" and 2 means "bluray"? This isn't the only setting that is abbreviated in the x264 header--perhaps the answers I want are in the source code for x264...

Just go this site. It's always kept up-to-date. When those values are shown they represent what is kept internally.