H.264 Encoder Comparisons

[Andrew Saliga]

I agree, the MC encode should look better, at least according to what I’ve read. I recall reading that article awhile I ago; I think I found it on one of your posts.

I ran some more tests with many variation on the Main Concept encoder. It really only seems to struggle at then end with the fade to black.

I’ll describe the settings (variations only) in these two screenshots in the order of top left, top middle, top right, bottom left, etc.

The top left is the Apple encoder, and the others are the MC encoder.

• Apple Encode (same as before, except enable multi-pass)
• MC Encode (same as before)
• MC Encode – Keyframe every 60 no auto scene change
• MC Encode – Keyframe every 100 auto to 85 frequency
• MC Encode – Keyframe every 100 auto to 50 frequency
• MC Encode – Keyframe every 100 no auto scene change

In retrospect, I may not have varied the keyframe and auto-kf rates enough to show much of a difference. All files weigh in at 4.9MB. (these are iPhone/Pod encodes)

-Andrew Saliga

Steelehouse Productions
http://www.steelehouse.com (undergoing a much-needed redesign)
http://www.vimeo.com/steelehouse

[Daniel Low]

I’d suggest using a forced keyframe setting that is 10x your frame rate and let the codec figure out where best to insert the others. (eg at 30 fps, use a setting of 300)

Forced Keyframe rates of 100 or below are only generally used for HD material.

__________________________________________________________________
“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”
Steve Ballmer To USA Today: 30 April 2007

[Andrew Saliga]

Keyframe every 300. Still doesn’t like the fade at the end.

I may be hitting a brick wall with this now and stick to the Sorenson encoder until I find a solution.

I don’t want to use anymore of your time Daniel, but can you explain why VLC and QT show me totally different frames when playing back the same clip? I assume they have different decoders, but which is “correct”. QT displays what I think I should see, but VLC displays a mess. I tried uploading a portion of the clip (spot hasn’t aired yet) to the COW uploader, but the frames it displays are seconds off.

-Andrew Saliga

Steelehouse Productions
http://www.steelehouse.com (undergoing a much-needed redesign)
http://www.vimeo.com/steelehouse

[Daniel Low]

[Andrew Saliga] “but can you explain why VLC and QT show me totally different frames when playing back the same clip?”

Quicktime uses the Apple decoder, VLC uses open source decoders.

[Andrew Saliga] “I assume they have different decoders, but which is “correct”.”

The correct one is the one that your ‘client’ uses to view your video. QT sometimes does some funky post-processing to make the clip look better (and occasionally worse), VLC doesn’t force post-processing on you, but you have the options there to apply some. VLC sometimes get’s it totally wrong BTW.

__________________________________________________________________
“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”
Steve Ballmer To USA Today: 30 April 2007

[Andrew Saliga]

Makes sense. Thanks Daniel.

I hate to resurrect this thread, so give me a yes or no answer, but do you have any idea why I wouldn’t be able to encode x264 with MP4 container in Squeeze? I can do x264 with QT…

-Andrew Saliga

Steelehouse Productions
http://www.steelehouse.com (undergoing a much-needed redesign)
http://www.vimeo.com/steelehouse

[Daniel Low]

[Andrew Saliga] “but do you have any idea why I wouldn’t be able to encode x264 with MP4 container in Squeeze? I can do x264 with QT… “

It’s probably due to the GPL, the open source licensing laws. If Sorenson allowed x264 to work within their application then they’d have to give up all their source code to the Open source community.

Seeing as Apple don’t charge for Quicktime and they make most of it available as source codec, the same does not apply.

__________________________________________________________________
“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.”
Steve Ballmer To USA Today: 30 April 2007

[Andrew Saliga]

You’re likely right. I can use x264 to encode a MOV though, but it appears I can’t adjust the bitrate.

-Andrew Saliga

Steelehouse Productions
http://www.steelehouse.com (undergoing a much-needed redesign)
http://www.vimeo.com/steelehouse