Best Video Format ?

[PowerFalcon]

What is the best video format, if need be compress good or has the best HQ if no compression is needed ?

1. Quicktime
2. AVI
3. MPEG-2 I-Frame SD and HD

[edDV]

What is the best video format, if need be compress good or has the best HQ if no compression is needed ?

1. Quicktime
2. AVI
3. MPEG-2 I-Frame SD and HD

Quicktime and AVI are containers not codecs.

"Best video format" depends on your intended use. Explain how this file will be used and the types of source files that you want to re-compress. Any re-compression will lower quality.

The most generic "high compress" codecs are h.264 with AAC or AC3 audio in an mp4 container.

If it needs to play on an old DVD player, you are forced into MPeg2/AC3 or if supported SD dvix/xvid.

[PowerFalcon]

There may be times I need to write 720p video to a codec from 32-bit TIFFS or EXR files (sometimes, targas). From their I may compress it further which I would go with h.264. I want a codec that will keep the quality has high as possible. I know I can write AVI uncompressed with doesn't do any compression, but AVI seems to lack even at uncompressed something that I can't put my finger on it, maybe it's nothing and I'm over reacting but maybe there is ?

[edDV]

Uncompressed AVI will be large and mostly unplayable without RAID. What is your frame rate?

If the source is progressive, then h.264 is typical for 720p source. For interlace source it gets more complicated.

[PowerFalcon]

Uncompressed AVI will be large and mostly unplayable without RAID. What is your frame rate?

24 or 29.97 fps.

[jagabo]

I know I can write AVI uncompressed with doesn't do any compression, but AVI seems to lack even at uncompressed something that I can't put my finger on it, maybe it's nothing and I'm over reacting but maybe there is ?

Uncompressed AVI will output bit-for-bit what went in. You can also use lossless codecs like HuffYUV or Lagarith or MSU Lossless Be aware of colorspace. If your source is RGB you want to compress it as RGB (assuming you want perfect output), not YUY2 or YV12, or some other subsampled chroma YUV format. Make sure the compression software or codec isn't converting to YUV. And lossless codecs usually don't give you a lot of compression. Real world video gets reduced to about 1/2 to 1/3 the uncompressed size. Cartoons and Anime can get much more compression because of the low amount of detail.

[PowerFalcon]

Strictly speaking about AVI input/output from what I read Lagarith is the best codec for the job as HuffYUV has some flaws. As you mentioned HuffYUV is probably best for cartoons. Are those two options your personal recommendation ? You are excluding out QT and MPEG-2 any reason for that ? I know QT can have issues.

[lordsmurf]

Strictly speaking about AVI input/output from what I read Lagarith is the best codec for the job as HuffYUV has some flaws.

Whatever you read was probably bullcrap propaganda.
Lagarith is a bad capture codec, because it's more resources intensive. Huffyuv is not.
Lagarith is fine for use with an editor, I use it sometimes.

[jagabo]

The only problem with HuffYUV is that ffdshow's HuffYUV is incompatible with the original HuffYUV. Stick to one or the other and you'll be ok.

[edDV]

... You are excluding out QT and MPEG-2 any reason for that ? I know QT can have issues.

I second Huffyuv for RGB still frame source. That converts it to playable video with no loss.

Later you will load this into an editor or encode directly to distribution formats. That is when you convert to MPeg2 (for DVD or BluRay) or h.264/AAC for Youtube or whatever your distribution goal.

[PowerFalcon]

I installed Huff. Exporting from XVid4PSP with HUFF Codec (HUFF 2.1.1) doesn't work the files encoded are blank ?

Settings
Colorspace: YV12
YUY2
RGB32