MPEG 2 vs. H264

[Shane Ross]

MPEG-2…for DVD. SD DVD. Also a GOP format used in HDV, XDCAM.

H.264 (MPEG-4) – web, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, BluRay DVD.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Michael Gissing]

H264 is designed for higher quality at lower bit rates. At bit rates like HDV etc (over 20 mbits) there isn’t such an advantage.

H264 isn’t an editing codec (yet) in FCP but mpeg2 as HDV or XDCam is.

Digital broadcasters use mpeg2.

[Parke Gregg]

MPEG-2 is old as dirt, amazing for what it did way back when, and totally mind-boggling to me that it got a second life (or third) as an acquisition format with HDV. (I hear Sony holds many Mpeg2 related patents, and this explains its longivity.) Today it shines as a medium quality codec that requires little overhead, ie. processing power, for compression and decompression. On a bit to bit data rate comparison it does not hold up in image quality to a modern codec like H.264. The trade off is H.264 requires more processing power to get its pixies to do the pixel magic. (thus more battery juice in some portable situations.)

Just like MPEG-2 in the recent past, processing power for H.264 is less of an issue with all these cores and GPUs we got these days so be on the lookout for a new codec that totally maxes out your computer with crazy resolution and small file sizes. cough, cough, RedRay, cough, cough.

For me, MPEG-2 is an end-of-the-line codec, only for making DVDs. With HDV, I convert it to Prores on ingest. I use H.264 everyday for delivery via web and devices. I have not yet had the opportunity to work with any h.264 files straight from a camera (aka AVC, AVCHD, etc.), but h.264 makes a lot more sense to me as an acquisition format than mpeg-2.

-Parke

——-Stuck On On——–
Audio and Video Post Production

[Chris Babbitt]

When it comes to Blu-Ray, you are limited to MPEG2, if you are encoding with Compressor.

[Rafael Amador]

First we have to understand that MPEG-2 is the mother of MP4.
MPEG-2 have become a part of a wider format.
Any MPEG-2 can be tagged as MP4.
I do not agree with Parke when comparing MPEG-2 with H264.
Simplifying, we could say that H264 beats MPEG-2 when working at low data rates.
When working with acquisition/production-like data rates, H264 shows no much advantages over MPEG-2.
While MPEG-2 still been much more easy to compress and de-compress. It will always be much more easy to edit that any MP4.
MPEG-2 is a robust format with a long life in front of him.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Ed Dooley]

But for lots of us, MPEG-2 (as Program streams in my case)are broadcasters’ preferred format, from 7-9Mbit up to 25Mbit (and beyond).
No broadcaster has ever asked me for an H.264 file.
Ed

[Parke Gregg] “For me, MPEG-2 is an end-of-the-line codec, only for making DVDs.”

[Parke Gregg]

[Ed Dooley] But for lots of us, MPEG-2 (as Program streams in my case) are broadcasters’ preferred format

I forgot about this despite my plea with regional broadcasters to go tapeless… If they do accept files, in our experience, they’ve always wanted to do the Mpeg-2 encoding themselves, and for national spots, we’ve sent it via DG/FastChannel. Do your broadcasters ask for Program streams? If so, what kind of specs do they provide and what tools do you use to make it? Just curious ’cause I’d like to be prepared if I get the same request. –Thanks–

-Parke

——-Stuck On On——–
Audio and Video Post Production

[Gary Bettan]

Matrox has just announced a new product CompressHD that provides massive H.264 acceleration with excellent quality for just $495. It’s a PCIe card that works along with any exisitng I/O hardware. So now Mac users can easily and efficiently export H.264 files for blu-ray, flash, iPod etc.

CompressHD starts shipping in May. At that time Matrox will also be offering their full line of MXO2 products with a MAX option. For $400 more the CompressHD chips and technology are integrated into the MXO2 box. Now you can get H.264 encoding acceleration in the field with laptops as well!

Gary
https://www.videoguys.com/Search/Search.aspx?Query=matrox+max

Videoguys.com 800 323-2325 | We are the desk top video editing and DVD production experts!

[Ed Dooley]

Our regional broadcasters and CATV stations using servers like the VMX server, use Program Streams, and they range from 7-9Mbits for MPEG-2 to a ridiculously low 2.5Mbit for MP4. We don’t do as much broadcast work with regular broadcasters who use Transport Streams.
Ed

[Parke Gregg] “[Ed Dooley] But for lots of us, MPEG-2 (as Program streams in my case) are broadcasters’ preferred format

I forgot about this despite my plea with regional broadcasters to go tapeless… If they do accept files, in our experience, they’ve always wanted to do the Mpeg-2 encoding themselves, and for national spots, we’ve sent it via DG/FastChannel. Do your broadcasters ask for Program streams? If so, what kind of specs do they provide and what tools do you use to make it? Just curious ’cause I’d like to be prepared if I get the same request. –Thanks–“

[Simon Weaver]

‘No broadcaster has ever asked me for an H.264 file.’

Sky News in the UK just asked me for one…

The learning never ends…