about crf...

[Terranigma]

Hi, i've been encoding a couple of vids for the past few days, and encountered a few problems with using crf for the 1st pass, and abr for the 2nd or 3rd. The problem is, it seems on some sources, abr, when used in conjunction with crf, sometimes creates macroblocks due to the lack of bitrate for certain areas. I never experienced anything like that from just crf, all frames are always perfect, but this doesn't hold true with abr. Now i'd of thought using the same bitrate or higher for a 2nd or 3rd pass would hold true to crf, but in some cases it doesn't. Heck, I even upped the M.E. range from 12 to 20, and still, macroblocks. Seems like crf 1 pass is superior to abr 3 passes (using the same bitrate). So i guess i'll be using crf 1 pass only from now on. =P

Is it just me, or does it seem that crf is a bit slower than abr?

[708145]

Hi, i've been encoding a couple of vids for the past few days, and encountered a few problems with using crf for the 1st pass, and abr for the 2nd or 3rd. The problem is, it seems on some sources, abr, when used in conjunction with crf, sometimes creates macroblocks due to the lack of bitrate for certain areas. I never experienced anything like that from just crf, all frames are always perfect, but this doesn't hold true with abr. Now i'd of thought using the same bitrate or higher for a 2nd or 3rd pass would hold true to crf, but in some cases it doesn't. Heck, I even upped the M.E. range from 12 to 20, and still, macroblocks. Seems like crf 1 pass is superior to abr 3 passes (using the same bitrate). So i guess i'll be using crf 1 pass only from now on. =P

Is it just me, or does it seem that crf is a bit slower than abr?

Maybe I misunderstood, but how do you use a bitrate with crf?
I'd suggest you use regular 2pass with a crf first pass instead.

[Terranigma]

Maybe I misunderstood, but how do you use a bitrate with crf?
I'd suggest you use regular 2pass with a crf first pass instead.

How do i use a bitrate with crf you say? in ABR, i set the bitrate to 100 and use crf as a custom commandline, then I check the logs to get the final bitrate and use that with a 2nd pass.

[708145]

How do i use a bitrate with crf you say? in ABR, i set the bitrate to 100 and use crf as a custom commandline, then I check the logs to get the final bitrate and use that with a 2nd pass.

Ouch. Don't set a bitrate for 1st pass at all.

[Terranigma]

Ouch. Don't set a bitrate for 1st pass at all.

I got the idea from akupenguin, x264's author. Here's (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=991728#post991728) the thread. Don't tell me he's wrong =P

[Mutant_Fruit]

I think what he was pointing out was that x264 will use CRF mode and ignore the bitrate supplied in the commandline arguments if you supply both a bitrate and a crf.

[Terranigma]

I think what he was pointing out was that x264 will use CRF mode and ignore the bitrate supplied in the commandline arguments if you supply both a bitrate and a crf.

It is what he meant, I set the bitrate at 8000 when he first showed me how to do crf for first pass, and crf at 22.0, and my file came out with a bitrate of 1196 :)

[708145]

It is what he meant, I set the bitrate at 8000 when he first showed me how to do crf for first pass, and crf at 22.0, and my file came out with a bitrate of 1196 :)

with the method from your link you _don't_ set crf for first pass but just note the "equivalent crf" in the output.

[akupenguin]

I meant ("http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=991728#post991728), you can set crf for the first pass, and the purpose of setting both --bitrate and --crf was to work around a limitation in MeGUI that doesn't allow you to omit --bitrate.

[708145]

I meant ("http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=991728#post991728), you can set crf for the first pass, and the purpose of setting both --bitrate and --crf was to work around a limitation in MeGUI that doesn't allow you to omit --bitrate.

OK. But it ignores bitrate then?