Challenging blocky anime encode - I need help!!

[Ginta]

Hello, this is my first time posting on this forum, and I am not completely sure if this is the right place to post this message, since it could apply to avisynth and others as well.

I've been trying very hard to encode Marmalade Boy, a relatively old anime, and since it comes from a HK DVD source, it's been quite a challenge for me to encode.

Well... the source deinterlaces pretty easily, but the problem comes when we should have "pure" colours: we can see a lot of fast-moving blocks spread everywhere, and it seems to me that during the encode, the codec tends to make them even more visible.

I tried very hard to get rid of all this noise: I used SmartSmooth HiQ with a lot of settings, the deblocker of mpeg2dec3, and a lot of other denoisers. Unfortunately, all of them just made the blocks more visible, instead of atenuating it.

The codec I am using for this is Xvid, Koepi's last unstable binary, ME 6. quant H.263, VHQ 4, Chroma motion, Chroma optimizer and Trellis quant on. I am trying to encode 3 episodes / CD, which gives +- 230 MB / 24 minutes' episode with a 640 X 480 resolution (512X384 lacks details and doesnt make the blocks better).

I also put some screenshots here:
http://www.iespana.es/fcreations/Problem01.BMP
http://www.iespana.es/fcreations/Problem02.BMP
http://www.iespana.es/fcreations/Problem03.BMP
http://www.iespana.es/fcreations/Problem04.BMP
http://www.iespana.es/fcreations/Problem05.BMP

What the images fail to show is that the blocks move very fast within the scenes.

And, just in case somebody is interested, I also put a small piece of the vob here:

http://br.briefcase.yahoo.com/apinhobr2001

Does anybody have an idea what I could use to get rid of this noise and make the episode look as good looking as possible?

Thanks in advance!

Ginta

[Ginta]

PS.: I forgot to say: The screenshots are from the source.

[Sirber]

Can you find another server? BMPs takes forever to load... :(

[edit]

Got the first BMp after 20 minutes :devil: Here's my recommendation:

C3D - animeHQ
MSmooth
MSharpen

and finally, RV(8+1) :D

[Ramirez]

Convert your screenshots into PNG format lol! :p

Check this tread out > Tough Cartoon encode (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61851)

[Ginta]

Sorry, the combination BMP + iespana is the worst.
I just converted the pics to .png and uploaded them to Geocities.
Here they are:

http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/Problem01.png
http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/Problem02.png
http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/Problem03.png
http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/Problem05.png
http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/Problem06.png

I also put some screenshots of my encode:

http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/encoded01.png
http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/encoded02.png
http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/encoded03.png
http://www.geocities.com/apinhobr2001/encoded04.png

Thanks guys!

Obs.: since Geocities doesn't allow direct links :devil: you need to copy and paste the links into a new browser window :angry:

Thanks again

[Sirber]

page cannot be viewed.

[Zarxrax]

I have recently encoded this anime, and I got a pretty good result with this script:

MPEG2Source("dvd_01.d2v")
Telecide(order=1, vthresh=0, post=2)
Decimate()
Tweak(cont=1.20, sat=1.2)
awarpsharp(12,3)
VagueDenoiser(threshold=4,method=1,nsteps=6)
Deen("a2d", 5,3,10)
TemporalCleaner(4,6)
Crop(16,8,-16,-8)
BicubicResize(640,480)


You might find this smooths a bit too much... yo might try changing the warpsharp value from 12 down to 10, and the deen radius from 5 to 3.

Your pics arent loading for me right now, but I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about, and there isnt a whole lot you can do about it. The problem with a lot of these HK dvds is that they look like they have had some sort of temporal filter run on them with way too strong settings.

[Ginta]

Thanks a lot, Sirber, Ramirez, Zarxrax.

Well... it seems to me that there isn't really much that could be really done...

I tried it all, and every time I fix one of the problems with the scenes, I create another problem. :(

Zarxrax: your avs script really helped cleaning the image a lot, but at the cost of compromising the motion, and some of the kanjis of the opening sequence appear to be "dancing". It always happens to me every time I use a deinterlacer that is not the Virtual Dub's, maybe I am doing something wrong here... but after the opening sequence, the encode looked pretty nice, except for the scenes with more action... it seems that it cuts some action...

[Teegedeck]

Since the screenshots are all unaccessible, there's one more detail you could give about the encode: how well does that source compress (percentages)?

IF it compresses badly don't use any filters that make it even worse, like sharpening-filters etc.

Also your last post indicates that some of your problems could be helped if you give Avisynth's IVTC-filters another go. They may not be that easy to use but proper IVTC is a must for Anime, I'm afraid.

[Ginta]

Well...
this is my last try to post the shots... :(
hope this time it finally works :devil:

The screenshots of the source:

http://ginta.bravehost.com/Problem01.png
http://ginta.bravehost.com/Problem02.png
http://ginta.bravehost.com/Problem03.png
http://ginta.bravehost.com/Problem05.png
http://ginta.bravehost.com/Problem06.png

The screenshots of my encodes:

http://ginta.bravehost.com/encoded01.png
http://ginta.bravehost.com/encoded02.png
http://ginta.bravehost.com/encoded03.png
http://ginta.bravehost.com/encoded04.png

By the way, the compressibility test says the file is about 65% compressive with my settings.

[Ramirez]

No problems with the screenshots now, but the VOB file on the other hand seem absolutely unreachable. Could you please re-upload it on another server? I'd like to have a look at it.

[Ginta]

It should work by now...

http://br.f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/apinhobr2001/vwp2?.tok=bcjeYYSBbQ_vpMzV&.dir=/Meus+documentos&.dnm=vts_01_1.part1.rar&.src=bc

http://br.f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/apinhobr2001/vwp2?.tok=bcjeYYSB7zs57FJ6&.dir=/Meus+documentos&.dnm=vts_01_1.part2.rar&.src=bc

http://br.f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/apinhobr2001/vwp2?.tok=bcjeYYSBpWcaNvOG&.dir=/Meus+documentos&.dnm=vts_01_1.part3.rar&.src=bc

http://br.f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/apinhobr2001/vwp2?.tok=bcjeYYSBHxlqqimn&.dir=/Meus+documentos&.dnm=vts_01_1.part4.rar&.src=bc

http://br.f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/apinhobr2001/vwp2?.tok=bcjeYYSBABZWQlFU&.dir=/Meus+documentos&.dnm=vts_01_1.part5.rar&.src=bc

[Zarxrax]

Hmmm, I fail to see the problem with those pics you've posted :confused: Those look great to me compared to some areas of the series, like during pans and high motion sequences.

But anyways, it all boils down to you get what you pay for. There's just no way to get good quality out of HK bootlegs that have 9 eps crammed on a DVD5. If you want real quality you have to shell out for the R2s ($800) or wait on a US version.

[Ginta]

Well... at least it still plays fine on TV...:(