Optimum Settings for Low Bitrate x264?

[Crono]

As I'm running out of disc space, I'm backing up various anime episodes that I encoded a while back (using XviD/DivX and mp3) to CD's and DVD's; and to save space and fit more episodes per disc I'm using 320 kbps x264 for video and 64 kbps vorbis for audio, muxed in an mkv container. I'm using the "High Speed, High Quality" settings in DTS' AVC Quality Guide (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=98247&highlight=x264+optimized), and I'm finding the quality to be acceptable, but I was wondering if anyone could provide tips on increasing visual quality without increasing the time needed per pass beyond 2 hours per pass (max of 3 passes) on a mid-range pc (Sempron 2600+ w/1 GB RAM) or increasing the bitrate.

Since the source files have already been processed, there is no need for noise removal, but if there are any filters that might help (I've tried 2d cleaner optimized to some success) for low bitrates, please let me know. And yes, I know for optimal quality I shouldn't encode previously encoded video, but having to rip hundreds of episodes again is a pain and harder to automate :(

[Sharktooth]

Use Real Anime LE.

[akupenguin]

without increasing the time needed per pass beyond 2 hours per pass (max of 3 passes) You mean, without increasing total encode time beyond 6 hours. With limited encode time, you'll get better results from a 2pass @ 1+5hr than 3pass @ 2+2+2hr.

[Sirber]

Use Real Anime LE.
:helpful: :goodpost: :thanks:

[Chainmax]

I would also recommend RealAnime, but with a caveat. The most time-comsuming part of making a backup is the encoding itself. The rest takes up virtually no time compared to that. I would highly recommend you to do it from scratch, it won't take much more time than just reencoding and will end up looking much better.

[DryFire]

:helpful: :goodpost: :thanks:

lol no shame. But I'd reccomend it too if you're doing a lot of backups, but you'll have to use AAC (unless the new version has vorbis support to). However I'm with chainmax if you still have the DVD's re-rip and re-enocde them, it'll look much better.

[Sirber]

LE has only HE-AAC, since max bitrate is 64kbps.

[edit]

LE a4 supprots D2V btu not audio yet. You will have to launch BeLight from the Tools tab to recode the AC3 into something else. They create scripts to m,erge everything in MKV.

alpha is alpha ;)

[Kostarum Rex Persia]

Crono,why using MKV container,I rather advice AVI container,instead.

Use maximum quality settings in x264 VFW,such as 5 ref frames,3 B frames(of course,Adaptive is on),mixed refs on off,partition decision on 6 RDO,method Uneven Multihexagon.My suggest for bitrate is 400 kbps,and audio 64 kbps MP3(or AAC if you prefer mkv or mp4 container).

With these settings,you should get much better quality.

[Sirber]

@Kostarum Rex Persia

The settings you propose for x264 smells like "medium quality" to me, for anime content. Also, AVI is highly unapropriate for h264 and MP3 at 64kbps sounds like crap. Better use HE-AAC or Vorbis... :sly:

[ChronoCross]

I'v also seen good results with 2,2 on the deblock. still experimenting however and you may even like the results. But once again it's all about testing and your own prefs.

[DryFire]

I usuallly leave the deblock at 0,0. 2,2 is too blurry for my tastes, or it could be some of my filters...

[Sirber]

I use +1 (both). #1 :D

[Crono]

I use +1 (both). #1 :D

Yeah, I use 1,1 too (tried higher and it looked worse). Thanks for all the help guys, I think I'll spend the time and actually back up from dvd's... though I do seem to be missing 2 of my Tenjou Tenge DVD's :( And I've been using RealAnime (and now LE since I only use x264) for quite a while now, and I love it! It crashes occasionally though, but not so much as MeGUI. I particularly like the interface and the Princess Mononoke pic. Loving your avatar as well (though right now I am more of a Bleach fan). Thanks Sirber :thanks:

@ Kostarum Rex Persia: I actually used AVI before, but I found that it was more prone to crashing when converting, and plus occasionally I'll encode a episode with 2 audio tracks (English and Japanese) which AVI can't do. And out of all the audio codecs I've tried I have found Vorbis to be the best (subjectively) at the 45 kbps to 96 kbps range. WMA and HE-AAC, respectively, are close contenders, however.

[Sirber]

HE-AAC is .AAC and can be stored in MKV and MP4. Ain't that closed :)
WMA is only in .WMV. :(