x264 bug? +3 additional reference frames per selected no. of ref. frames?

[Terranigma]

Have anyone else noticed this? Whatever value you set for the number of reference frames, the encode will use an additional +3 (according to avinaptic) reference frames, so if you specify to use 5 reference frames, you wound up using 8, 6/9, 7/10, etc.... Yesterday I tried using mainconcept's h.264 avc encoder with 5 reference frames, and it gave me 5 reference frames (again, according to avinaptic). So is this a bug, or a way x264 was designed?

[Dark Shikari]

Are you using --b-pyramid? Maybe this has something to do with b-references?

[Terranigma]

Are you using --b-pyramid? Maybe this has something to do with b-references?

Yes, you're right. After turning off b-pyramid, it shows me now using +1 additional reference frames.

[akupenguin]

--ref selects the number of reference frames, not the DPB size. DPB may be bigger so that the right frames are in it.