Is original/source video file still the best to play on 1080p HDTV?

[tigerb]

I've a video file in 768X432 wmv playing time 40 mins 450MB format and I can play this video file in my Samsung 1080p HDTV (using Samsung's built in player/decoder), however I couldn't seek fast forward/backward in Samsung whereas I can seek fast forward/backward while watching it on my PC using any players (WMP 12/MPC HC, VLC and SMPlayer).

Format : Windows Media
File size : 455 MiB
Duration : 40mn 24s
Overall bit rate mode : Constant
Overall bit rate : 1 574 Kbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 1 565 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-01-18 19:24:58.000
MediaFoundationVersion : 2.112

Video
ID : 1
Format : VC-1
Format profile : MP
Codec ID : WMV3
Codec ID/Info : Windows Media Video 9
Codec ID/Hint : WMV3
Description of the codec : Windows Media Video 9 - 2-pass VBR
Duration : 40mn 24s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 500 Kbps
Width : 768 pixels
Height : 432 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.151
Stream size : 433 MiB (95%)

Audio
ID : 2
Format : WMA
Format version : Version 2
Codec ID : 161
Codec ID/Info : Windows Media Audio
Description of the codec : Windows Media Audio 9 - 48 kbps, 44 kHz, mono CBR
Duration : 40mn 24s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 48.0 Kbps
Channel(s) : 1 channel
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Stream size : 13.9 MiB (3%)

I ran that video file thru both AsfBin and WMP 9 encoder and still couldn't fast forward/backward in my Samsung TV, so it's most likely the player/decoder in my Samsung HDTV doesn't like this particular video file.

I then used Avidemux to convert that wmv video file to mp4/mkv and now the mkv file can seek fast forward/backward in my Samsung HDTV....now someone please correct me if I'm wrong...NO matter what conversion I make (e.g wmv to MP4/MKV or up the resolutions from 768X432 to 1280X720), the original source video file still has the BEST video quality to play on the Samsung 1080p HDTV, since the source file is in 16:9 ratio, the TV automatically plays it in full 1080 mode.

Thanks.

[manono]

Was there a question in all that? Yes, generally speaking the source file will have the highest quality. Of course, you don't really have the source file, do you? You have some poorly recompressed and downloaded video which is itself a shadow of the real source file.

[tigerb]

Was there a question in all that? Yes, generally speaking the source file will have the highest quality. Of course, you don't really have the source file, do you? You have some poorly recompressed and downloaded video which is itself a shadow of the real source file.

Thanks manono, if the "source" means the original file recorded using the video/camcorder, then yes I don't have the "source" file.

What I currently have is the file downloaded directly form the content owner (I downloaded the file twice just to make sure there is no whatsoever corruption during the downloads and they both have the same MD5s).

Is there anyway to "rescue" this file while maintaining the "original quality"?

[guns1inger]

There is nothing to rescue. The seeking limitation is in the decoder/player software in the TV. You could try re-encoding to H264 in an MP4 container at a higher bitrate than the source, which should reduce the quality loss, however there are still no guarantees that the player will handle that format any better. The built-in player in the Samsung TVs has issues with a number of formats.

[manono]

Oh, then I apologize. I thought it came from some retail source that had been reencoded. This thing really records its videos at 768x432? Anyway, by 'rescue', you mean make it so it can be fast forwarded without being reencoded? If so, I don't know the answer to that question, but perhaps someone else around here does.

Any reencoding to another lossy format necessarily means some quality degradation. What you seem to be saying is that there's a lot of degradation, and that probably shouldn't be the case if it's reencoded properly and with a high enough bitrate. For example, when upconverting your 768x432 source to 1280x720, you're encoding 2.777... times more pixels and the bitrate should also be multiplied by a similar amount.

Edit: guns1inger answered while I was composing my reply.

[tigerb]

Thanks again manono and guns1inger.

OK, here is what I do in Avidemux...
1)Video - select MPEG-4 AVC and under "Configure" select Average Bitrate Two Pass and manually change it from 1500 to 2000
2)Format - select MP4

Is this correct?