Target Bitrate for post-processed DSLR video, playback on 2560x1440 monitor

[savvyguy]

as above. i frequently shoot films with my 5d mark 2 DSLR and the source averages 42mbps bitrate. i would like to ask - what's the optimal (balanced size to quality ratio) bitrate for archival so that I can view without much quality loss on my 2560x1440 apple cinema display?

i only understand that for web output such as youtube, 10mbps for 1080p video is more than sufficient. how about just archival's sake? i tested 15mbps vs 40mbps, and the difference seems to be marginal. what have u guys come up with ?

[racer-x]

You should only archive original source clips. 42 mbps is not that high anyway considering how cheap HDD storage is. I usually trim the garbage out losslessly (direct stream copy) out of my clips and archive just the good stuff. You can use free apps like MpegStreamClip or AviDemux as an example.

For distribution, 15 mbps should look just fine.

[savvyguy]

i kind of anticipated this reply when i wrote this question.

my answer to the 'cheap hdds nowadays' reply is : when you shoot every other day and accumulate a large amount of footage (even after editing and throwing the useless portions), the data becomes difficult to manage and backup at the same time. hence, i want to keep the filesizes manageable and easily backed up without too much cost. 100% quality is not my objective here - i just want a balanced quality/size ratio, that's why i'm seeking the opinions of experts here

[hech54]

seeking the opinions of experts here

Cut the junk and buy more HDD space like savvyguy said. "Without much quality loss" is not something that can be judged by strangers on an online message board/forum. It's like asking "how much pain can you stand until you puke or pass out"....only you can answer that question.

[savvyguy]

i understand that the threshold varies for different people, and the target bitrate also varies for different videos.. that's why i'm just getting a sense of what bitrates are comfortable for the masses ( since i'm not the only person viewing my work, others are as well)

[poisondeathray]

Since it's post processed (assuming something like color correction etc...), you have to re-encode , so backing up the original on a HDD or getting more HDD's is really a different topic (but you should back up the original...)

i understand that the threshold varies for different people, and the target bitrate also varies for different videos.. that's why i'm just getting a sense of what bitrates are comfortable for the masses ( since i'm not the only person viewing my work, others are as well)

Why don't you use quality based encoding, instead of fixating on a certain bitrate range ?

The reason is, some material will compress better than others. For example an action sequence with lots of motion will require much more bitrate than say , a static shot, or something with low motion for the same level of "quality" . If you pick an arbitrary number - it might be too much for some content, too little for others . By using quality based encoding, you enter a "quality value" and the bitrate is appropriate and proportional to the content complexity.

[savvyguy]

hmm, i don't keep the originals / raw footage, because after some time (years), i have never found the need to go back to the raws and retrieve stuff.

yup i'm using 2-pass VBR. when talking about target bitrate, i'm using the jargon in NLEs like Premiere Pro, where there's a target and max bitrate that the video should be encoded in. i currently set mine @ 15mbps target, 40mbps max. wondering what's the comfort level for most people.