Pixel or quality ?! "Enemy at the gates" - COMPRESSIBILITY CHAMP??!

[SirTomahawk]

Hello,
my problem is: I try to rip "Thirteen Days" (bad DVD, shit on Kinowelt) and I want a 1-CD of course (its short about 2 hours long). But the quality Index for 576x320 for example is @ 20% VideoSize/FirstPass. I tested all resolutions with a few minutes of the film at the recommended bitrate. I think 480x256 looks like 704x384..., the resolutions between these looks worse. CAN THIS BE? What's best: Full resolution with bad pixels or less pixel with more quality?

My feeling was, that it must be good in balance - less pixels (only a little bit) too get more quality for the rest of the pixels. But where is the perfect point? I know..., it cannot be a rule or a math formular. But when Gordian says "QUALITY SUCKS" @ 704x384 and it looks finally like the 480x256 "QUALITY OK", whats the better option?

My first Rip was "Enemy at the gates". I do it with FlaskMpeg (20 times or more!!!). Finally it was PERFECT at 704x304 with 700,00 MB (2 hours, 5 minutes, 37 seconds). After this motivation-booster I changed to Nanodub and than to Gordian Knot (because the people talking about it - it must be better). I ripped more than 10 films but no of them reaches the quality of "Enemy at the gates". And for example "Exit Wounds" is 30 minutes shorter!! IS THE FILM A COMPRESSIBILITY CHAMP OR WHAT?! Someone else rip "enemy at the gates" with Gordian Knot? Or have a state-file of the compressibility? I WANT TO KNOW THIS! Otherwise I must get it again and rip it with nanodub first pass, to get an answer.

PLEASE HELP, T.

[LotionBoy]

Enemy at the Gates is very compressible. Matrix and X-Men are similar. Dark, action movies compress very well. Thirteen Days is a bright movie with a lot of steady shots. Steady shots = low motion = need more bits to appear right (I know this seems backwards, but it is true. The more motion in a scene, the more the codec can cheat without you noticing, and so, can use lower bitrates). Two Hours is not short. I've just encoded two 2h10min comedies (Chasing Amy and Keeping the Faith) and they have both had to be on 2 CDs because they are just too damn uncompressible. On the other hand, Sleepy Hollow fit on one CD beautifully. Rule of thumb is, unless the movie is going to be highly compressible, you won't get more than 1h40m on a CD, and that is with sound around 112 or 96. You are not going to have Thirteen Days fit on 1CD using any availible video compression and have it be decent quality and decent size. Period.

LotionBoy

[manono]

I'm with Lotion Boy. The most compressible movies I've worked on were Enemy At The Gates, The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, and Unbreakable. All had decent quality at decent resolution.. I'll go as low as 544*xxx on the resolution, but not as low as the 480x256 you're contemplating.

What's the hang up over making 2 CD rips? Go on-spend the extra 25 cents and go for quality. Don't you want to be proud of your rips? Don't you want to amaze your friends? Don't you want them to mistake them for the original DVD?

[xzquala]

is it just me or does this seem extremely like a double post?

[SirTomahawk]

@LotionBoy & manono
Thank you for that. Now I'm feeling even better! :)
Yes Unbreakable is perfect too (Ripped with gknot). 640x272 @ a percentage of 72%!!!

@xzquala
Yes, it is a double post. Sorry for that, but I seems to be ok in both Forums. And I think that nobody visit all Forums because everyone has a quiet favorite. :)

CU, and MAY THE BITRATE BE WITH YOU!!!

or MAY THE KEYFRAME BE WITH YOU?!

T.