Help with TotalCode

[srfscenar]

Hi all,

I have a very demanding film to encode for BD.
It's a restored 1919 B/W film.
I have a 1080p24 ProRes 422HQ file as master and I need to encode in AVC with TotalCode 3.6.4.
It has a lot of noise but that's something we need to keep, and it's mostly 'dark'.

I have done several tests but I always end up with visible artifacts on the very black sections of the image and banding. The bitrate I used is 27avg-36max 2 pass accelerated the 1st.

Unfortunately I do not know the more advanced settings of TC so if anyone has any experience with that kind of films and how to properly encode them I would really really appreciate it if can share a few tips.

Thank you,

[Blue_MiSfit]

Why use TotalCode???

Use x264. It's BluRay compliant.

[srfscenar]

ok, can you provide a link or info of the code to use for a BD compliant encode please?
Thanks.

[Taurus]

@srfscenar:
Did you read the sticky at https://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?f=77

[srfscenar]

I am reading it now actually.
Just one quick if you can tell me, it's obviously a command line, but since there is no .exe file how do I execute it? Do I have to do something first?
Are you using a gui?

[srfscenar]

OK, I am getting there.
I got my command line and everything works fine. File fully compatible with Scenarist and looks good.
2 questions that came up:

1. Can I set the min bitrate so it will not fall below that? I didn't see a minrate command or something similar.
2. What if I want to do a segment encode? I guess that it is not possible. or is it?

Thanks!

[mp3dom]

1. Can I set the min bitrate so it will not fall below that? I didn't see a minrate command or something similar.

You can't.


2. What if I want to do a segment encode? I guess that it is not possible. or is it?
You can't in the sense of a true "segment encode", but you can still redo your encode, and specify the --zones parameter in the command line. This is not segment encode, but you can encode it better (doubling the encode time).

[srfscenar]

Thanks mp3dom!


Do you guys use a gui and if so which one?
And last, where can I find the structure of a timecode file for the —tcfile-in command?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mp3dom]

Personally, I use plain cmd line. If I need to do multiple encodes (i.e. for multi episodes disc) it's just a "copy/paste" into the batch file adjusting some parameters.
If for tcfile-in you intend to specify I frames for chapters purposes, it's not tcfile-in parameter you need to use, but qpfile.

[srfscenar]

Personally, I use plain cmd line. If I need to do multiple encodes (i.e. for multi episodes disc) it's just a "copy/paste" into the batch file adjusting some parameters.
If for tcfile-in you intend to specify I frames for chapters purposes, it's not tcfile-in parameter you need to use, but qpfile.



Hi, yes, it’s for I frames! So what is the qpfile structure, do you have an example? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mp3dom]

You can get the info here (http://www.x264bluray.com/advanced-features/chapters)

[srfscenar]

You can get the info here (http://www.x264bluray.com/advanced-features/chapters)



Thanks a lot! I missed that!
And one last question please, is it actually free or I need to pay for a commercial license?
In the many many pages I read over the weekend I think I saw some writing it’s free and some it’s not.
What is really true as I will need it for commercial discs.

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[poisondeathray]

And one last question please, is it actually free or I need to pay for a commercial license?


You need commercial license. Contact the licensing team with details about your usage scenario and specifics

https://licensing.x264.org/en/

[srfscenar]

You need commercial license. Contact the licensing team with details about your usage scenario and specifics



https://licensing.x264.org/en/



Thanks! I will.

Thanks all of you for the help! Really appreciate it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sneaker_ger]

You need commercial license.
You need an x264 license if you want to integrate x264 into your application but not make it open source (which would violate the GPL). That is usually not the case if all you do is sing x264 on your PC for creating H.264 content. If anything you'd need a license from MPEG LA.

[Cary Knoop]

Hi all,

I have a very demanding film to encode for BD.
It's a restored 1919 B/W film.
I have a 1080p24 ProRes 422HQ file as master and I need to encode in AVC with TotalCode 3.6.4.
It has a lot of noise but that's something we need to keep, and it's mostly 'dark'.

I have done several tests but I always end up with visible artifacts on the very black sections of the image and banding. The bitrate I used is 27avg-36max 2 pass accelerated the 1st.

Unfortunately I do not know the more advanced settings of TC so if anyone has any experience with that kind of films and how to properly encode them I would really really appreciate it if can share a few tips.

Thank you,
Could you Dropbox a few seconds of the original and a few seconds of the resulting H.264 encoding?

[srfscenar]

You need an x264 license if you want to integrate x264 into your application but not make it open source (which would violate the GPL). That is usually not the case if all you do is sing x264 on your PC for creating H.264 content. If anything you'd need a license from MPEG LA.

So, in order to use that encoded file to author a commercial disc with Scenarist I need to get a license from MPEG LA? Note that I am not an individual but working in an authoring house.

[srfscenar]

Could you Dropbox a few seconds of the original and a few seconds of the resulting H.264 encoding?

Unfortunately I cannot upload/share anything of that footage. You understand...

[Cary Knoop]

Unfortunately I cannot upload/share anything of that footage. You understand...
I don't see how a few non-descriptive frames can harm, after all the film is public domain.