Encoding games footage

[Inventive Software]

Hey there! I'm trying to encode a hotlap from Grand Prix 3 that I recorded. The hotlap itself has been put together from the 1654 BMPs that the program captures to. The resolution is 800x600, and the frame-rate is about 19.6 FPS (that's what the hotlap was originally made at, thanks to the shite I call a computer). The problem is the raw file is about 2.1 GB, without audio. Ideally, I need to get it down to about 15 MB. I've tried XviD, and that gives way too many blocks, and post-processing doesn't make things better (if anything, worse). x264 on the other hand makes things seem softer, though I'm waiting on an encode at the moment, with deblocking -1,-2. There is also some colour problems, probably due to the conversion to YV12. Is there a codec that can encode something like this reasonably well, and yet still be compatible with RGB24, so as to avoid the colour-space conversion?

[DarkNite]

You might want to look at this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=106085). Motion blur goes a long way for helping with gaming footage.

Post some pics of the color problem.

[Inventive Software]

The colour problem isn't that noticable, only when encoding to a lossy format. I'm after that supports RGB24, ideally so that I'd avoid the colourspace conversion. Any suggestions? Motion blur doesn't really apply to this...

[unmei]

For one you will have to use a lossy format if you want to compress 2271mb (1654x800x600x3 bytes) down to 15mb.

But i doubt that there is any remotely popular lossy codec that can use rgb24 internally. AFAIK they all use one or the other form of a YUV color space.

If you actually find one that does support rgb24, it's probably good practice to back it up to the same place as the video you encode in it (and also send it to anyone that you send the video ;)

[edit]
ps i don't think the error introduced by a color space conversion would be of any importance in this scenario ,) unless you see it creating visible banding, any other color problem most likely have another cause - maybe you quantizers are simply so high that random colors "pop up" or you have a resolution problem (600 mod 16 != 0), maybe in a filter somewhere.

[SirCanealot]

Forget about 800x600. Resize to 320x240 if you really want 15 megs. Actually, what's the bitrate at 15 megs? You probably won't want to go under 1mbit if you want it to look decent... (assuming high motion game footage)

[Inventive Software]

Yeah, it is pretty high motion. I went for about 1200 Kbits/sec target bitrate, as that seems to get the quality about right. I've given up on finding an RGB24 capable codec, and have settled for x264 instead! Thanks for your help guys!;)