wmv's 2 pass & non-squared pixels

[zoobie]

I've been happily making wmv's (320x240) for the internet but have always wondered about this 2 pass option and non-squared pixels options in MSP. Anyone have any fact or even opinion on these options for the internet? Offhand, I can't tell any difference.
Thx

[DereX888]

2-pass variable bitrate should give you (at least slightly) smaller file than 1-pass, and same picture quality (if not better - however I don't know WMVs and dont want to know more about it either, so maybe someone else will give you more details).

[zoobie]

sorry to hear you're not having fun with wmv's

actually, I've gotten my 400 lines of hi8 resolution to look crisp and clear with only 400kbps
also found the 2 pass is for higher resolutions and not noticable at lower

just wondering what this other non-squared pixels option was for
I'm thinking squared for the internet and non for TV

thx

[thefiddler]

Like DereX said, you might get a little better filesize and/or image quality with 2-pass, but the tradeoff is rendering takes a lot longer since it must go through twice.

As for non-square pixels: they're for output to TV. Standard DVD resolution is 720x480 regardless of wether it's 4:3 or 16:9. If it's 4:3 (typical CRT TV--squarish), then the pixels are squashed width-wize to about 90% of their height. If it's widescreen 16:9, the pixels are stretched width-wize to about 120% wider than their height. Basically, if you're outputing for playback on a computer, don't worry about it. If you're serious about video for DVD/etc, then research "pixel aspect ratio".

[zoobie]

yes...I guessed right...I guess
alrighty then....thx for the info