How to top HCenc?

[Erhy]

Hello,
I have MP4's from Android phone and MOV's from camera.
I made little correction with 'MPEG Streamclip' and
exported each video to MP4.
The MP4 videos look fine.
For friends, I created a DVD
with AVStoDVD.
I encoded with the highest settings for encoding
(Full HD, HCenc VBR 2 pass, Higher BitRate Level 9000 Higher Average BitRate 9000)
In the resulting Videos are moderate blurs on objects in motion.

Do you think that it is possible to get a better quality for Video-DVD?

Thank you
Erhy

[manolito]

Are you sure the blurring is not present in the source?
You should post some samples of the original and the converted files...

I encoded with the highest settings for encoding
(Full HD, HCenc VBR 2 pass, Higher BitRate Level 9000 Higher Average BitRate 9000)

It is never a good idea to specify identical average and max bitrates when doing a 2-pass VBR encoding. The encoder needs a little room to breathe, you should have a difference between average and max of at least 300. And what do you mean by 'Full HD'? AVStoDVD does not have a setting like this.

Which matrix did you specify? Were the source files progressive or was there some deinterlacing involved?
Was there any frame rate conversion? Which filter was used for resizing?

Whatever, post some samples plus the AVStoDVD log file...


Cheers
manolito

[Erhy]

Originally Posted by manolito

Are you sure the blurring is not present in the source?

Which matrix did you specify? Were the source files progressive or was there some deinterlacing involved?
Was there any frame rate conversion? Which filter was used for resizing?

Whatever, post some samples plus the AVStoDVD log file...

Thank you for answere.
I'm new in creating video DVD,
so I did not know the meaning of different matrices
and how it's possible to define one in AVStoDVD.
In the video are people going from left to right etc.
By export to .MP4 with 'MPEG Streamclip' I
cleared the Interlaced scaling.

Below the AVStoDVD log for one clip

Erhy


<10.09.2013 11:59:51>
TITLE 2 SOURCE FILES
Video: H:\Users\gle\Pictures\2013-08-31\forAVStoDVD\streamclip_output\DSCF1585.mp4
Info: AVC - 14387 kbps - 1280x720 - DAR 1,778 - 25 fps (CFR) - Progressive - 1:19 minutes - 1977 frames
Audio 1: H:\Users\gle\Pictures\2013-08-31\forAVStoDVD\streamclip_output\DSCF1585.mp4
Info: AAC LC - 256 kbps - CBR - 2 ch - 44100 Hz - 1:19 minutes (40 ms delay) - EN
[MediaInfoLib - v0.7.61]
<>

<10.09.2013 11:59:51>
AVISYNTH SCRIPT
Import("C:\Program Files\AVStoDVD\Lib\A2DSource.avsi")

Video = A2DVideoSource("H:\Users\gle\Pictures\2013-08-31\forAVStoDVD\streamclip_output\DSCF1585.mp4", CacheFolder="H:\Tmp", FrameRate=25, VFR=false)
Audio = A2DAudioSource("H:\Users\gle\Pictures\2013-08-31\forAVStoDVD\streamclip_output\DSCF1585.mp4", CacheFolder="H:\Tmp")

Video = Video.ConvertToYV12()
Video = Video.Spline16Resize(720,576)

Audio = Audio.SSRC(48000)
Audio = Audio.DelayAudio(0.04)

AudioDub(Video, Audio)
<>

<10.09.2013 11:59:51>
START VIDEO ENCODING OPERATIONS
Encoding Profile: HCenc VBR 2-pass
Target Video FileSize: 58,3 MB
Encoding Parameters: -ini "H:\Tmp\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585.HCenc.ini"
HCenc ini file:
*INFILE H:\Tmp\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585_1.avs
*AVSRELOAD
*OUTFILE H:\Users\gle\Videos\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585.m2v
*LOGFILE H:\Tmp\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585.HCenc.log
*MAXBITRATE 9000
*BITRATE 6189
*PROFILE BEST
*ASPECT 16:9
*PROGRESSIVE
*TFF
*BIAS 60
*DC_PREC 10
*MATRIX MPEG
*AQ 1
*LUMGAIN 1
*SMP
*PRIORITY IDLE
*DBPATH H:\Tmp
*WAIT 2
<>

<10.09.2013 12:01:16>
END VIDEO ENCODING OPERATIONS
Video Source Filter: A2DSource (DirectShowSource)
Created File: H:\Users\gle\Videos\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585.m2v (58,3 MB)
OUTPUT VIDEO INFO: MPEG-2 Video - 6187 kbps - 720x576 - DAR 1,778 - 25 fps (CFR) - Progressive (TFF) - 1:19 minutes - 1977 frames
<>

<10.09.2013 12:01:16>
START AUDIO ENCODING OPERATIONS (Track 1)
Wavi+Aften Parameters: "H:\Tmp\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585_1.avs" - | "C:\Program Files\AVStoDVD\Aften\aften.exe" -b 192 -pad 0 -dynrng 5 -bwfilter 0 - "H:\Users\gle\Videos\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585_1.ac3"
<>

<10.09.2013 12:01:37>
END AUDIO ENCODING OPERATIONS (Track 1)
Audio Source Filter: A2DSource (DirectShowSource)
Created File: H:\Users\gle\Videos\Waltrauds 60er_1_Title_02_DSCF1585_1.ac3 (1,8 MB)
OUTPUT AUDIO INFO: AC3 - 192 kbps - CBR - 2 ch - 48000 Hz - 16 bit - 1:19 minutes (0 ms delay)
<>

[manolito]

Thanks for the log file. Everything looks pretty much OK to me...

Your average bitrate is 6189 which is relatively high for a DVD. The MPEG matrix is standard, you might get slightly better results with a high bitrate matrix like the FOX matrix, but I doubt that the difference would be visible.

Your source file is progressive 1280x720 @ 25fps. No frame rate conversion, no deinterlacing, just downscaling to 720x576 using Spline16Resize. Should be pretty transparent.

I suspect that whatever you did with MPEGStreamClip (deinterlacing???) caused this blurring.


Cheers
manolito

[Erhy]

Now I think,
the reason is that the pixels are wider in
the 720x576 format we view on TV.

I hoped the video will be stored on DVD with 1280x720

Erhy

[Sparktank]

Originally Posted by Erhy

I hoped the video will be stored on DVD with 1280x720

That's out of DVD specs.

You should try convert to AVCHD to retain 720p resolution.
DVD will only allow 480p resolution. (5xx for PAL region; 480 for NTSC -- I'm in NTSC land.)

MultiAVCHD might be worth looking into.

Mirror download on Videohelp
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/multiAVCHD

Doom9 thread
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=143744

[Darksoul71]

Max res for PAL is 720x576 and (as indicated) 720x480 for NTSC. Everything else (similar to the "strange" resolutions which stuff like kDVD had) might be played back by your SAP or not.

For the "best" result in MPEG2 you can use a constant quantiser approach with the lowest quantizer (or highest quality value) possible. In such cases the encoder will do an MPEG2 video without any bitrate constraint beside the max bitrate. I am not shure what options AVS to DVD does provide but IIRC HCEnc had some sort of CQ method.

[Erhy]

Originally Posted by manolito

I suspect that whatever you did with MPEGStreamClip (deinterlacing???) caused this blurring.

Now I had the idea, to export with 50 fps with MPEGStreamClip.
It works, the quality of the DVD video is good.
Looking to the properties of the resulting DVD Video,
I see that there are also 50 fps.
Erhy

[benwaggoner]

Originally Posted by Erhy

Now I had the idea, to export with 50 fps with MPEGStreamClip.
It works, the quality of the DVD video is good.
Looking to the properties of the resulting DVD Video,
I see that there are also 50 fps.
Erhy

Alas, the DVD spec doesn't support 50p. The closest you can get is to encode a PAL format stream at 25i. That's the only way you can get 50 Hz image output from a spec-compliant DVD. Of course, those discs won't work in a NTSC-only DVD player, of which plenty still exist.

How important is actual mainstream DVD player compatibility to you? Because that is really a very tight constraint, and basically limited to digital versions of analog standard def transmission standards.

[Erhy]

Originally Posted by benwaggoner

Alas, the DVD spec doesn't support 50p.

I'm a little bit confused about the properties listed in various programs of the same .VOB file

VLC:
Stream 0:
Type: Video
Codec: MPEG-1/2 Video (mpgv)
Resolution: 720x576 Frame rate: 50
Decoded format: Planar 4:2:0 YUV
Stream 1:
Type: Audio
Codec: A52 Audio (aka AC3) (a52)
Channels: Stereo
Sample rate: 48000 Hz
Bitrate: 192 kb/s

Avidemux:
Codec 4CC: MPEG
Image Size: 720 x 576 Aspect Ratio: PAL 16:9 (64:45) Frame Rate: 25.000 fps
Total Duration: 00:06:29. 760
Extra Video Properties
ExtIaDataSize: Extra data :
Audio
Codec: AC3
Channels: Stereo
Bitrate: 24000 Bps / 192 kbps Variable Bitrate:
Frequency: 48000 Hz
Total Duration: 01: 12:02.762

Streamclip:
Stream: VTS_01_1.VOB
Path: ...
Type: VOB program stream
Duration: 0:06:29
Data Size: 292.67 MB
Bit Rate: 6.31 Mbps
Video Tracks:
224 MPEG-2, 720 x 576, 16:9, 25 fps, 9.00 Mbps, upper field first

Audio Tracks:
128 AC3 2/0, 48 kHz, 192 kbps


However the input .mp4 file for AVStoDVD is created with 50fps
AVStoDVD Log:
TITLE 1 SOURCE FILES
Video: ---.mp4
Info: AVC - 15604 kbps - 1280x720 - DAR 1,778 - 50 fps (CFR) - Progressive - 6:29 minutes - 19469 frames

AVISYNTH SCRIPT
Import("C:\Program Files\AVStoDVD\Lib\A2DSource.avsi")

Video = A2DVideoSource("---.mp4", CacheFolder="H:\Tmp", FrameRate=50, VFR=false)
Audio = A2DAudioSource("---.mp4", CacheFolder="H:\Tmp")

Video = Video.ConvertToYV12()
Video = Video.Spline16Resize(720,576)
Video = Video.SelectEven()

START VIDEO ENCODING OPERATIONS
Encoding Profile: HCenc VBR 2-pass
Target Video FileSize: 278,2 MB
Encoding Parameters: -ini "H:\Tmp\Test 50Hz500.6000 Average Bitrate V2_0_DSCF1584.HCenc.ini"
HCenc ini file:
*INFILE H:\Tmp\Test 50Hz500.6000 Average Bitrate V2_0_DSCF1584_1.avs
*AVSRELOAD
*OUTFILE xxx.m2v
*LOGFILE H:\Tmp\xxxHCenc.log
*MAXBITRATE 9000
*BITRATE 6000
*PROFILE BEST
*ASPECT 16:9
*PROGRESSIVE
*TFF
*BIAS 60
*DC_PREC 9
*MATRIX MPEG
*AQ 1
*LUMGAIN 1
*SMP
*PRIORITY IDLE
*DBPATH H:\Tmp
*WAIT 2
<>

<16.09.2013 10:43:29>
END VIDEO ENCODING OPERATIONS
Video Source Filter: A2DSource (DirectShowSource)
Created File: H:\Users\gle\Videos\Test 50Hz500.6000 Average Bitrate V2_0_DSCF1584.m2v (278,5 MB)
OUTPUT VIDEO INFO: MPEG-2 Video - 6000 kbps - 720x576 - DAR 1,778 - 25 fps (CFR) - Progressive (TFF) - 6:29 minutes - 9735 frames

It works with my simple DVD-Player and the videos have a good quality.

Erhy

[manolito]

Video = Video.SelectEven()

Looks pretty simple:
What you did with MPEGStreamClip was you were bob-deinterlacing the input file which results in a progressive file with twice the frame rate of the source file.

When you fed this file to AVStoDVD it had to bring it back to 25 fps by throwing away every other frame (SelectEven).


Cheers
manolito

[Erhy]

Originally Posted by manolito

When you fed this file to AVStoDVD it had to bring it back to 25 fps by throwing away every other frame (SelectEven).

Is it possible to create interlaced videos (format 25i) with AVStoDVD?

Just I used 'MPEG Stremclip' to export a video with 50 fps interlaced.
The properties of the resulting .mp4 are the same as with the options for progressive.
And AVStoDVD created a .VOB with blurs on objects.

Erhy

[manolito]

Originally Posted by Erhy

Is it possible to create interlaced videos (format 25i) with AVStoDVD?

Of course it is...

This is even the default behavior of AVStoDVD. If you feed your source file directly to AVStoDVD the first thing it does is to analyze the file with MediaInfo. If MediaInfo determines that the file is interlaced then AVStoDVD will switch to Interlaced Encoding. This means telling the encoder to use interlaced settings and doing all resizing and filtering for interlaced material.

Of course this only works if your source file is correctly recognized as interlaced by MediaInfo. This does not always work. If MediaInfo is wrong about your input file, you can still edit the title properties in AVStoDVD and change it to interlaced.

When you encode interlaced sources for DVD, leaving it interlaced is the preferred method. But AVStoDVD also lets you deinterlace. By default it uses LeakKernelDeint for this task which is not really state of the art these days. But you can of course edit the generated AviSynth script and use any deinterlacer you like best.


Cheers
manolito


//EDIT
It looks like this thread is mainly about AVStoDVD now. Maybe it should be moved to the appropriate thread "One click suites for DVD backup and DVD creation"

[Erhy]

Originally Posted by Erhy

It works with my simple DVD-Player and the videos have a good quality.Erhy

Sorry it wasn't so.
Because my clips audio was with excessive noise mostly it was very late that I noticed that the synchronisation is lost.

Erhy

[manolito]

Why don't you just skip MPEGStreamClip altogether and let AVStoDVD do all the work? It usually handles A/V sync very well, it can correct audio delay automatically.

Could you post the MediaInfo output of the source file? Would be very helpful to better understand your problems... Even better upload a small sample of your unprocessed source file.


Cheers
manolito