BD Rebuilder - Quality Settings

[Jolly Roger]

Hello, jdobbs.
Thank you for BD Rebuilder! It's the best I've ever seen!

I use "Good" quality setting. My computer is pretty old and it works very slow, so that I can't compare the quality of video encoded by another settings (I mean "Better", "High Quality" and so on) with "Good" because encoding even on "Good" mode takes a lot of time. Could you please answer my question: what are the fundamental differences between quality settings and how it affects the video? I mean, are there any differences between the picture quality of the same movie encoded by "Good" and "Highest" ?

I apologize for my english It's not my native language

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Hello, jdobbs.
Thank you for BD Rebuilder! It's the best I've ever seen!

I use "Good" quality setting. My computer is pretty old and it works very slow, so that I can't compare the quality of video encoded by another settings (I mean "Better", "High Quality" and so on) with "Good" because encoding even on "Good" mode takes a lot of time. Could you please answer my question: what are the fundamental differences between quality settings and how it affects the video? I mean, are there any differences between the picture quality of the same movie encoded by "Good" and "Highest" ?

I apologize for my english It's not my native language

It depends on your target size. With each progressively higher quality level more techniques are used to get the most out of the available bandwidth. Those techniques render better quality but add time to the encode.

The reason I say "it depends on target size" is because sometimes, when there is plenty of bandwidth (higher bitrates), all those extra bells-and-whistles aren't even needed.

Generally I'd say that if you are backing up to BD-25, you'll probably notice very little difference between "good" and higher levels. On BD-5 and BD-9, though, you'll see a significant difference when using the slower/higher-quality modes. Please note, though, that I'm being very general here. A lot depends on the total amount of video that needs to be encoded. If a disc holds 5 hours of video, it is going to need more work than one that only contains 2 hours.

If you select "Automatic" -- BD-RB will look at the size of the encode including it's total time and compare it to the target. It will then select the quality level it thinks is appropriate. I normally keep it on "Automatic" all the time.

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

It depends on your target size. With each progressively higher quality level more techniques are used to get the most out of the available bandwidth. Those techniques render better quality but add time to the encode.

The reason I say "it depends on target size" is because sometimes, when there is plenty of bandwidth (higher bitrates), all those extra bells-and-whistles aren't even needed.

Generally I'd say that if you are backing up to BD-25, you'll probably notice very little difference between "good" and higher levels. On BD-5 and BD-9, though, you'll see a significant difference when using the slower/higher-quality modes. Please note, though, that I'm being very general here. A lot depends on the total amount of video that needs to be encoded. If a disc holds 5 hours of video, it is going to need more work than one that only contains 2 hours.

If you select "Automatic" -- BD-RB will look at the size of the encode including it's total time and compare it to the target. It will then select the quality level it thinks is appropriate. I normally keep it on "Automatic" all the time.

Thank you very much. I thought the same . I use only BD-25 mode and delete all unuseful audio tracks, so that original disk is about 28-29 Gb. Usually the length of the video a little more or a little less than two hours. So, you mean that the quality of such video encoded by "Good" and "Highest" won't be fundamentally different and I won't see any significant differences? I hope so . Of course I understand, that the reencoding BD-50 to BD-25 of 4-5 hours video significantly lowers the quality anyway.
I can't set "Automatic" because of my "anciet" computer... this mode can set any encoding mode it like, but I prefer to control every step to know if I right or wrong. For you to know, once I set "automatic" to see what is it and "automatic" performed the encoding in one pass, so that the custom target size wasn't properly reached. 2-pass encoding, which I performed myself got a better result, but also not perfect.

[jdobbs]

So, you mean that the quality of such video encoded by "Good" and "Highest" won't be fundamentally different and I won't see any significant differences?

Based on what you've said, yes that would probably be the case.

[Jolly Roger]

Thank you very much.

I will donate for future development.
DVD Rebuilder helped me in the past, so now the same with BD Rebuilder. It's cost-effective now, instead of/than, for example, Cinema Craft HD Encoder, which is now too much expensive and not available for most users.

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Thank you very much.

I will donate for future development.
DVD Rebuilder helped me in the past, so now the same with BD Rebuilder. It's cost-effective now, instead of/than, for example, Cinema Craft HD Encoder, which is now too much expensive and not available for most users.

Please note that the latest release has a hidden option that allows you to eliminate 1 pass as a possiblity for automatic encodes.

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

Please note that the latest release has a hidden option that allows you to eliminate 1 pass as a possiblity for automatic encodes.

I see. Thank you. Now it's the best way to back up BD for me.
I'm waiting for the complete stable version, and I hope it will be realised as soon as possible

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

I see. Thank you. Now it's the best way to back up BD for me.
I'm waiting for the complete stable version, and I hope it will be realised as soon as possible

You mean "out of beta"? I'm not sure how long that will be. I'll need to create an installation package, and I don't want to release it out of beta until DTS Express and IGS are both running smoothly.

[soneca]

I'll need to create an installation package, and I don't want to release it out of beta until DTS Express and IGS are both running smoothly.

Installation package... reminds me of a guy named Rockas.

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by soneca

Installation package... reminds me of a guy named Rockas.

I haven't heard from him in a long, long time.

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

You mean "out of beta"? I'm not sure how long that will be. I'll need to create an installation package, and I don't want to release it out of beta until DTS Express and IGS are both running smoothly.

I understand. I hope BD rebuilder will be as good as DVD Rebuilder.

Let me please ask you one technical question. I've noticed that BD Rebuilder uses FFDSHOW as MPEG2/AVC/VC-1 decoder. Why is it so? I mean, instead of FFDSHOW for AVC it can probably be used, for example, Donald Graft's DGAVCDecode with it's DGAVCIndex. For MPEG2 so it's DGDecode with it's DGIndex as it used in DVD Rebuilder. I used these decoders for elementary streams for a long time and I find it actual.
But of course I could be wrong

[jdobbs]

I can't think of a reason how it would make it improve or simplify processing in any way. It could remove the need for FFDSHOW and HAALI -- but that would just be for AVC. I'd still need them for VC-1.

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

I can't think of a reason how it would make it improve or simplify processing in any way. It could remove the need for FFDSHOW and HAALI -- but that would just be for AVC. I'd still need them for VC-1.

Right. I've just thought about it.
And what about FFMpegSource2 ? As far as I remember it is able to decode VC-1 too as well as AVC.

[jdobbs]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Right. I've just thought about it.
And what about FFMpegSource2 ? As far as I remember it is able to decode VC-1 too as well as AVC.

If I remember correctly it won't do VC-1 interlaced sources at all. It also has quite a delay with the indexing.

So what's wrong with FFDSHOW?

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by jdobbs

If I remember correctly it won't do VC-1 interlaced sources at all. It also has quite a delay with the indexing.

So what's wrong with FFDSHOW?

FFDSHOW works fine. Everything is ok with it, but ony with the specific version, which is recommended and which is linked. I'm just curious about it. Interlaced VC-1 source was used in HD-DVD. To adapt such stream to blu-ray it needs to be converted to progressive by vc1conv.exe.

I'm sorry if I ask too much questions and talk too much I'm just thinking over and trying to find the best solution as possible to reach the best and optimal result which would satisfy everyone. May be it can be useful for you for future development