Pixelated Video Hell

[ROBERT BLACK]

Hello. I'm having a problem getting rid of the pixelation in an Mpeg 2 720X 480 DVD compliant video file. It occurs mostly in bright areas during the video. It was converted from a low bitrate SVCD. I have access to TMPGEnc Express 3.0. Are they're settings which will reduce said pixelation? Images linked. I'm on Windows Xp if that matters. Thanks.


http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/152/WebPDVD_011.jpg


http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9536/WebPDVD_009.jpg

[ZippyP.]

If you're re-encoding an SVCD to make it DVD compliant, then it's best to use 352x480 resolution (1/2 DVD) rather than full DVD. Upsizing from 480x480 causes blockiness and bad video. You can use a lower bitrate as well for 1/2 DVD, thereby getting more on a disk. I recommend a minimum bitrate of 2000 Kbps for 1/2 DVD and double that for full DVD, lower if you use VBR.

[ROBERT BLACK]

First, thanks for the response, Zippy.

Upsizing from 480x480 causes blockiness and bad video.

So there's no way to at least reduce pixelation from upsizing to 720x480? The Mpeg 2 file I took the above stills from had a bitrate of 4,500 kbps. According to a VCDtoDVD guide here that's quite an adequate bitrate, for upsizing, from low rez video. I need a fully DVD compliant Mpeg 2 file. 352x480 isn't necessarily compliant for all DVD players.

[johns0]

352x480 is fully dvd compliant and even with a bitrate of 4500 which is considered low for 720x480 dvd will still be worse upsizing from 480x480.Doesnt matter how much bitrate that movie has,those pictures look really crappy.

[ROBERT BLACK]

It's only during a few key moments in the film that it's pixelation is glaringly obvious. (The images posted.) Why it doesn't pixelate more often during scenes of some of the more odd lighting schemes of blue,white and red I don't know. I'm still trying to figure that one out.


I don't believe that 352x480 is that widely compliant. I doubt it would play in a friend's PS2. That sort of thing. But at this point if it's the only alternative to solving the pixelation I'll re-encode the SVCD and try it. Thanks.

[johns0]

I make my dvds at 352x480 and they all play in my ps2,you are wrong in saying that resolution isnt widely dvd compatible cause it is.

[bugster]

I don't believe that 352x480 is that widely compliant.
Thanks.

352x480 is 100% DVD compliant (assuming all other factors are also correct). If it won't play in a particular player, its the player that is non compliant, not the video.

I have played 352*576 (1/2 D1 PAL) in a PS2 without problems.

[macleod]

as others have said, 352x480 is MORE DVD compliant than 480x480 and will play on most/if not all dvd players. If you burn a 352x480 48mhz audio to a dvdr, it WILL play in any dvd player that plays dvdr.

I have played dvdr's at 352x480 48mhz audio in a number of ps2's and they played fine.

You CANNOT improve on the source file, if you are converting from a low rez SVCD, you're best/only bet is to convert DOWN from 480 to 352 and not up to 720 (the ole' cant polish a turd concept). If you want to try something, all I could recommend is a blur filter in TMPENG (more than likely the pixelation is occuring during a high motion scene). If you do this, you'll probably have some other problems, where it smudges something else. Here is what I would recommend. The scene(s) in question encode at 352x480 and then try other methods and see what looks the best.

[ROBERT BLACK]

You CANNOT improve on the source file, if you are converting from a low rez SVCD, you're best/only bet is to convert DOWN from 480 to 352 and not up to 720 (the ole' cant polish a turd concept). If you want to try something, all I could recommend is a blur filter in TMPENG (more than likely the pixelation is occuring during a high motion scene). If you do this, you'll probably have some other problems, where it smudges something else. Here is what I would recommend. The scene(s) in question encode at 352x480 and then try other methods and see what looks the best.

That's exactly what I needed to know. What TMPGEnc filter could reduce pixelation in conjuction with 352x 480 down conversion.(even if it's just a suggestion) The pixelation is occuring during high motion scenes with contrasting light/dark scenes intercutting between each other. Worst case scenario, the blur filter should cause some more artifacting. One of the ghost filter settings should take care of that. Thanks again.