While comparing FRIMencoder (v1.24) with QSVenc (v1.27 dd Nov 2014), I noticed that the one has some options for H264 encoding that the other has not, and the other way around.
For encoding to H264, it seems these are not yet implemented or just not shown :
1. Trelis : used to set to perform trelis on just I frames and also on P en B frames. Also looking for b-pyramid mode and an intra-refresh option (enables adaptive I frame insert)
2. Bframes : the number of sequential B-frames.
3. Video processing like de-noise, image detail enhancement, image stabilization,... (all done using Intel HW)
4. Setting encoded video properties like : fullrange or not, video-format (undef, ntsc, component, pal,..), the color-matrix, color primaries, used transfer curve.
These are important for the decoder, but most for rendering.
The renderer needs this info to ensure correct color rendering.
If not available, the only thing the renderer can do is to guess these based on the resolution
Further, using d3d9/d3d11 surface for FRIMenoder is slowing down the encoding to less than 5-10 fps on my system (=Haswell CPU i7-4770 @ 3.7 GHz) ... ?
Is this a normal /to expect behavior ?
Shouldn't it be an advantage to use d3d surfaces ? (for de-interlacing, video processing, ..)
Maybe something to look into for the next releases ?
There are a few more minor things that don't bother me.
Just for completeness and because I thought you probably didn't have time/motivation to download QSVenc, I've included the complete option list from QSVenc.
QSVenc --help gives :
QSVEncC (x86) 1.27 by rigaya, build Nov 20 2014 21:06:30
based on Intel(R) Media SDK Encoding Sample 5,0,461,92695
avi reader: enabled
avs reader: enabled
vpy reader: enabled
Usage: qsvencc [Options] -i <filename> -o <filename>
input can be avi, avs, vpy, raw YUV or YUV4MPEG2(y4m) format.
when raw(default), fps, input-res are also necessary.
output format will be raw H.264/AVC ES.
when output filename is set to "-", H.264/AVC ES output is thrown to stdout.
Example:
QSVEncC -i "<avsfilename>" -o "<outfilename>"
avs2pipemod -y4mp "<avsfile>" | QSVEncC --y4m -i - -o "<outfilename>"
Example for Benchmark:
QSVEncC -i "<avsfilename>" --benchmark "<benchmark_result.txt>"
Options:
-h,-? --help show help
-v,--version show version info
-i,--input-file <filename> set input file name
-o,--output-file <filename> set ouput file name
Input formats (will be estimated from extension if not set.)
--raw set input as raw format
--y4m set input as y4m format
--avi set input as avi format
--avs set input as avs format
--vpy set input as vpy format
--vpy-mt set input as vpy format in multi-thread
--nv12 set raw input as NV12 color format,
if not specified YV12 is expected
--tff set as interlaced, top field first
--bff set as interlaced, bottom field first
-f,--fps <int>/<int> or <float> video frame rate (frames per second)
--input-res <int>x<int> input resolution
--output-res <int>x<int> output resolution
if different from input, uses vpp resizing
if not set, output resolution will be same
as input (no resize will be done).
--crop <int>,<int>,<int>,<int>
set crop pixels of left, up, right, bottom.
--slices <int> number of slices, default 0 (auto)
--sw use software encoding, instead of QSV (hw)
--check-hw check if QuickSyncVideo is available
--check-lib check lib API version installed
--check-features check encode features
--check-environment check environment info
--disable-d3d disable using d3d surfaces
--d3d use d3d9/d3d11 surfaces
--d3d9 use d3d9 surfaces
--d3d11 use d3d11 surfaces
EncMode default: --cqp
--cqp <int> or encode in Constant QP, default 24:26:27
<int>:<int>:<int> set qp value for i:p:b frame
--vqp <int> or encode in Variable QP, default 24:26:27
<int>:<int>:<int> set qp value for i:p:b frame
--la <int> set bitrate in Lookahead mode (kbps)
--la-hrd <int> set bitrate in HRD-Lookahead mode (kbps)
--icq <int> encode in Intelligent Const. Qualtiy mode
default value: 23
--la-icq <int> encode in ICQ mode with Lookahead
default value: 23
--cbr <int> set bitrate in CBR mode (kbps)
--vbr <int> set bitrate in VBR mode (kbps)
--avbr <int> set bitrate in AVBR mode (kbps)
AVBR mode is only supported with API v1.3
--avbr-unitsize <int> avbr calculation period in x100 frames
default 90 (= unit size 9000 frames)
--qvbr <int> set bitrate in Quality VBR mode.
--qvbr-q <int> or set quality used in qvbr mode. default: 23
--qvbr-quality <int> QVBR mode is only supported with API v1.11
--vcm <int> set bitrate in VCM mode (kbps)
--la-depth <int> set Lookahead Depth, 10-100
--la-window-size <int> enables Lookahead Windowed Rate Control mode,
and set the window size in frames.
--max-bitrate <int> set max bitrate(kbps)
-u,--quality <string> encode quality
- best, higher, high, balanced(default)
fast, faster, fastest
--ref <int> reference frames for sw encoding
default 0 (auto)
-b,--bframes <int> number of sequential b frames
default 3 (auto)
--gop-len <int> (max) gop length, default 0 (auto)
when auto, fps x 10 will be set.
--(no-)open-gop enables open gop (default:off)
--strict-gop force gop structure
--(no-)scenechange enables scene change detection
--level <string> set codec level, default auto
--profile <string> set codec profile, default auto
--sar <int>:<int> set Sample Aspect Ratio
--bluray for H.264 bluray encoding
--vpp-denoise <int> use vpp denoise, set strength
--vpp-detail-enhance <int> use vpp detail enahancer, set strength
--vpp-deinterlace <string> set vpp deinterlace mode
enabled only when set --tff or --bff
- none disable deinterlace
- normal normal deinterlace
- it inverse telecine
- bob double framerate
--vpp-image-stab <string> set image stabilizer mode
- none, upscale, box
--input-buf <int> buffer size for input (1-16)
default hw: 3, sw: 1
--log <string> output log to file.
settings below are only supported with API v1.3
--fullrange set stream as fullrange yuv
--videoformat <string> undef, ntsc, component, pal, secam, mac
default: undef
--colormatrix <string> undef, auto, bt709, smpte170m, bt470bg
smpte240m, YCgCo, fcc, GBR
default: undef
--colorprim <string> undef, auto, bt709, smpte170m, bt470m
bt470bg, smpte240m, film
default: undef
--transfer <string> undef, auto, bt709, smpte170m, bt470m
bt470bg, smpte240m, linear, log100, log316
default: undef
settings below are only supported with API v1.6
--(no-)mbbrc enables per macro block rate control
default: off
--(no-)extbrc enables extended rate control
default: off
settings below are only supported with API v1.7
--trellis <string> set trellis mode used in encoding
- auto(default), none, i, ip, all
settings below are only supported with API v1.8
--(no-)i-adapt enables adaptive I frame insert (default:off)
--(no-)b-adapt enables adaptive B frame insert (default:off)
--(no-)b-pyramid enables B-frame pyramid reference (default:off)
--lookahead-ds <string> set lookahead quality.
- auto(default), fast, normal, slow
settings below are only supported with API v1.9
--(no-)intra-refresh enables adaptive I frame insert
--no-deblock disables H.264 deblock feature
--qpmin <int> or set min QP, default 0 (= unset)
<int>:<int>:<int>
--qpmax <int> or set max QP, default 0 (= unset)
<int>:<int>:<int>
Settings below are available only for software ecoding.
--cavlc use cavlc instead of cabac
--rdo use rate distortion optmization
--inter-pred <int> set minimum block size used for
--intra-pred <int> inter/intra prediction
0: auto(default) 1: 16x16
2: 8x8 3: 4x4
--mv-search <int> set window size for mv search
default: 0 (auto)
--mv-precision <int> set precision of mv search
0: auto(default) 1: full-pell
2: half-pell 3: quater-pell
--benchmark <string> run in benchmark mode
and write result in txt file
--(no-)timer-period-tuning enable(disable) timer period tuning
default: enable