Extensive XVid artifacting -- a B&W issue?

[kylara]

Hi,

I'm trying to encode a black-and-white movie using XVid, and I'm getting severe artifacting (to the point where certain shots 'repeat' themselves several times, as the file catches up to itself).

Is this a B&W issue, or should that not matter? My settings line up with many of the recommendations in the export settings thread.

-AzS

[Adub]

It might be a decoder issue. Can you post a small sample?

[kylara]

File's pretty big (even about 20 seconds is nearly 25 mb) -- filesize limit here is 300k for a .zip file...

The artifacts happen primarily on movement... I'm encoding a 720x720 square pixel video (yes, it's a weird size)

Profile is unrestricted, as a result. I'm encoding "single pass" (other encoding types don't work, for some reason -- I get error messages). Target Quantizer is 1 for maximum quality. Quality preset is "General Purpose", though I'm going to try the "Real Time" preset now, too...

-AzS

[setarip_old]

@kylara

Hi!

I wonder if you might be seeing the effects of a multi-angle DVD.

What is the Region and Title of your original DVD?

[kylara]

Nut sure what the region is, though I imagine it's region 1. The movie, though, is from the late 1930s, so I doubt there are multiple angles at work...

I disabled BVOP (not sure what it is), and I'm getting a somewhat smoother picture, but there's still a lot of artifacting (the blocks are smaller, though...)

-AzS

[setarip_old]

I doubt there are multiple angles at workStranger things have been known to happen ;>}

So again, what is the Region (It should be on the DVD and or/the packaging) and the Title of the DVD?

[kylara]

region 1,

it's "It's a Wonderful Life"

[setarip_old]

If you have the original single disc version, play it and you'll note that the film is of poor quality - and this probably leads to the issue you've described.

On the other hand, if you the 2 disc "Collectors' Edition", you have a wonderfully cleaned up version of the B&W film, that should give you the problems you've described, plus a colorized version...

[StainlessS]

Old thread but thanks is in order to Setarip_old for above comment.

I bought a copy of PAL DVD "It's A Wonderful Life" on Wednesday, and as it was a pretty lousy conversion I did search on it and found this thread.
Having seen Setarip_Old comment
On the other hand, if you the 2 disc "Collectors' Edition", you have a wonderfully cleaned up version of the B&W film
I did a search online for the Restored & Colorised version [which is actually the Platinum Anniversary Edition - the title is on blue background (the lousy one is the collectors edition, green tinted greyscale cover picture).
So, yesterday I bought the two disk Platinum Editon and is much better B&W version + colorised verion is done from that better restored B&W.
The lousy version also has two documentaries not found on the Platinum version, so I guess I'm happy to keep that one too.

Here, link to Cex/Webuy (In the UK, 2nd user DVD+Bluray + I.T. related stuff):- https://uk.webuy.com/search?stext=its%20a%20wonderful%20life&view=list&inStock=1
The lousy one is the green tinted one shown first [at time of posting - if not shown, then untick "In Stock Only" to show items no longer in stock].

Here, 3 images of lousy, restored B&W and colorized.
https://i.postimg.cc/KkchT9Dd/IAWL.png (https://postimg.cc/KkchT9Dd)

And again thanks, SO.

EDIT: The colorized one that I have has the title over a blue background but the colorized cover @ above link one is presumably the same (has both B&W and color).
The Lousy one seems to have been converted from NTSC version, rather than directly from the film.
EDIT: Looks like there is a lousy version + a good verion of the BluRay too at above link.

EDIT: From IMDB, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038650/alternateversions?tab=cz&ref_=tt_trv_alt
The film was colorized three times. The first colorized version of the film was produced by Hal Roach Studios (now Sonar Entertainment),
the second by Republic Pictures. A third colorization of the film was produced by Legend Films for Paramount, the film's current copyright holder, in 2007.

The one I have is the 3rd colorized version by Legend Films.
EDIT: This is exactly the one I have, (there seems to be quite a selection of DVD covers/releases):- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Wonderful-Life-James-Stewart/dp/B01LQ7RBTI
Runtime 2:05:29.32 secs PAL speedup. [lousy one 2:10:13.56 PAL]

EDIT: Also got me a restored Anniversary edition of The Wizard of Oz, interesting documentary and good restoration job.