Standalone Compatibility

[Rodger]

This Thread is meant to discuss settings for x264 that lead to stable playing on stand-alone players.

Hopefully this thread here get´s a sticky !!!

The aim of this Thread should be:
1 - find the fastest settings possible (SPEED)
2 - find the highest quality possible (QUALITY)
3 - find a reasonable setting which combines 1+2 (BEST COMBINED)

I´m not the most qualified h264-encoder, but I´ll do my best to come up with you guys ;)


Here now an example of what Information you should post for other the test/compare:
================================================
I have a SAMSUNG BD-P1400 (EU Firmware 080114_01)

My steps are:
1. (Re-)Encode with Megui
2. Use TS-Muxer to mux h264-Video with ac3-Audio
3. Using TSremux to remux to a blu-ray structure
4. Burn the structure using Nero Burning Rum as UDF 2.5

My current settings are:
--bitrate 6500 --level 4.1 --min-keyint 2 --ref 2 --mixed-refs --bframes 2 --bime --weightb --nf --analyse p8x8,b8x8,i4x4,i8x8 --8x8dct --ipratio 1.1 --pbratio 1.1 --vbv-bufsize 14475 --vbv-maxrate 25000 --qcomp 0.5 --threads auto --thread-input --progress --no-psnr --no-ssim --output "output" "input" --aud --nal-hrd

I guess this is pretty much optimized for 1.(Speed)

[Dark Shikari]

Fastest possible?

--no-cabac --no-dct-decimate --partitions none --subme 1 --me dia --scenecut=-1 --bframes 1 --no-b-adapt --no-deblock --direct none ;)

[Rodger]

this would still be compatible to standalone players?
I don´t think so! While I more likely think that the picture will look like whooohaa...CRAP ;)

[wyti]

i think i'm not far to the best Best quality but with these settings I don't know if you can encode a 100 frame video in less than one day :p

x264 --keyint 10000 --bframe 16 --b-pyramid --ref 16 --pass 1 --stats x264_stats.log --qcomp 0.75 --partitions all --direct auto --weightb --me tesa --merange 4096000 --subme 7 --b-rdo --mixed-refs --bime --8x8dct --trellis 2 --no-fast-pskip --progress --thread-input --non-deterministic -o output.mkv input.avs
x264 --keyint 10000 --bframe 16 --b-pyramid --ref 16 --pass 3 --stats x264_stats.log --qcomp 0.75 --partitions all --direct auto --weightb --me tesa --merange 4096000 --subme 7 --b-rdo --mixed-refs --bime --8x8dct --trellis 2 --no-fast-pskip --progress --thread-input --non-deterministic -o output.mkv input.avs
x264 --keyint 10000 --bframe 16 --b-pyramid --ref 16 --pass 2 --stats x264_stats.log --qcomp 0.75 --partitions all --direct auto --weightb --me tesa --merange 4096000 --subme 7 --b-rdo --mixed-refs --bime --8x8dct --trellis 2 --no-fast-pskip --progress --thread-input --non-deterministic -o output.mkv input.avs

Note : only for general settings.

And i have a question : What's the maximum number that I can specify for merange? i tried 4096000 i think I will never need more :p but i'm curious

[Rodger]

Please don´t shread this thread!
Remember this thread is no contest in posting the most incredible settings for x264 ever, but compatible settings....

The settings you post should be testet by yourself (or at least another person) on a stand-alone player!!!
Like Toshiba XE-1 (HD-DVD) or (in my case) Samsung BD-P1400 (Blu-Ray). Last But not least it´s both the same were burning....a AVCHD.

[Atak_Snajpera]

I use this
--pass 2 --bitrate 1024 --stats "C:\temp\RipBot264temp\.stats" --level 4.1 --sar 1:1 --aud --nal-hrd --vbv-bufsize 14000 --vbv-maxrate 25000 --filter 0,0 --ref 3 --mixed-refs --bframes 3 --b-rdo --bime --weightb --direct auto --subme 6 --trellis 1 --analyse p8x8,b8x8,i4x4,i8x8 --8x8dct --me umh --threads auto --thread-input --progress --no-psnr --no-ssim --output "C:\temp\RipBot264temp\video.264"

[Ranguvar]

this would still be compatible to standalone players?
I don´t think so! While I more likely think that the picture will look like whooohaa...CRAP ;)
Should work, that's super-Baseline video, at the right resolution, it'll play on anything :p

[CruNcher]

Ehh is a GOP of 250 standard compliant with either BD or HD-DVD???
Im not so sure that it is i think the highest GOP for HD-DVD was somewhere @ a GOP of 15 and for BD somewhere @ a GOP of 20 a GOP of 250 seems way to much at least it doesn't seem to be standard compliant for both (BD aswell HD-DVD standard, and its allowed GOP size), even if the Official Player are capable of playing it alot of Software will deny those streams for mastering purposes.

[Atak_Snajpera]

Ehh is a gop of 250 standard compliant with either BD or HD-DVD im not so sure that it is i think the highest GOP for HD-DVD was somewhere @ a GOP of 15 and for BD somewhere @ a GOP of 20 a GOP of 250 seems way to much at least it doesn't seem to be standard compliant for both, even if the Player play it alot of Software will deny those streams for mastering purposes.

PS3 plays mini BluRays with default GOP without problems :)

[CruNcher]

Sure if you just want todo that well ok you can but if you later would like to put that on a BD or HD-DVD Media you will have to transcode it then, because the standards there are more strict and i think mostly every Software that handles those addheres to those restrictions, but now you could also ask the question wich will result in more quality loose transcoding to a Closed Gop of 20 or Encoding with a Closed Gop of 20 from the Start i would guess the later one is more efficient especialy timewise but it's everyones own choice.

[foxyshadis]

this would still be compatible to standalone players?
I don´t think so! While I more likely think that the picture will look like whooohaa...CRAP ;)

Speed and compatibility in HD are really entirely orthogonal. The only thing that affects both is references, and only for HD (>4 for 1080p, >7 for 720p). The rest of the options are either speed/quality tradeoffs, or there to increase compatibility.

For baseline and main decoders, like quicktime, ipod, etc, there's a lot more compatibility crossover, but that's not what you're asking.

So yes, shikari's settings are completely compatible. In fact they're baseline compatible! (Just add --level 3.)

You asked for fastest and slowest, then were surprised that people gave you fastest and slowest. ;) There's already a presets thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1051519#post1051519), that'll probably help you pick your poison. You just apply the required compatibility options to your chosen speed preset.

[Atak_Snajpera]

Sure if you just want todo that well ok you can but if you later would like to put that on a BD or HD-DVD Media you will have to transcode it then,

HD-DVD is dead BTW. I predict that PS3 will be the most popular (and powerfull) BD player used by consumers.