Best format to convert HD videos without losing quality?

[fabitos]

Hey guys!

I have some .ts HD videos here (720 and 1080) and I wanted to tag them with my logo, but I don't want to loose quality. What's the best way to do it? I tried to do it and exported the video in mpeg2, but the file size increased a lot. How to keep the same size and tag it?

Thanks!

[hech54]

Adding a logo requires re-encoding and you will lose quality.

[fabitos]

Adding a logo requires re-encoding and you will lose quality.

Yeah, I imagined that... so what's the best solution to not lose that much quality and have a "small" file? (I mean small like around 500mb or less)

[jagabo]

Something with h.264 encoded video.

[jbitakis]

h.264 really compresses the video files. Won't that make you LOSE quality. For example, I have a m2ts video file that I recorded (using my panasonic HD camcorder) that is 258MB and after converting to H.264 the file size dropped way down to 9.6MB! That HAS to decrease the quality, correct?

[fritzi93]

When the OP says he exported it as MPEG2 and the file size increased "a lot"...well, that makes me suspect the original videos are probably encoded as h.264. Which a lot of high definition video is now. But he hasn't given any specifics.

You want to keep the same size? I'd say h.264 then, it's very efficient. And any lossy compression will have a cost in quality regardless.

[jagabo]

All lossy codecs will result in a loss of quality. If you use sufficient bitrate the loss may be acceptable. The process involves first decompressing the original video then compressing it again with the new codec.

As far as file size is concerned:

file size = bitrate * running time

Truly lossless codecs deliver very large file sizes (assuming you're starting with a compressed video). For example, say you have an hour long 1920x1080 30 fps video that's h.264 compressed at 20 Mb/s. That's about a 9 GB file. If you decompress that to uncompressed RGB it will balloon up to about 670 GB. If you then use a lossless compression codec you will get something around 200 to 300 GB.

[jbitakis]

Ok, I am sure the codec used by my Panasonic HD is h.264, but why then I convert it to h.264/mp4 does it compress it even way further?
Here is the properties from my source and the output.

SOURCE:

General
ID : 1 (0x1)
Complete name : C:\Users\Daddy's HP Laptop\Videos\10-20-2011\10-20-2011_171020.m2ts
Format : BDAV
Format/Info : Blu-ray Video
File size : 259 MiB
Duration : 1mn 24s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 25.7 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 28.0 Mbps
Video
ID : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.2
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=30
Codec ID : 27
Duration : 1mn 24s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 24.5 Mbps
Maximum bit rate : 26.0 Mbps
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 59.940 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.197
Stream size : 245 MiB (95%)
Audio
ID : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Mode extension : CM (complete main)
Codec ID : 129
Duration : 1mn 24s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 256 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Compression mode : Lossy
Delay relative to video : -34ms
Stream size : 2.57 MiB (1%)
Text
ID : 4608 (0x1200)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : PGS
Codec ID : 144
Duration : 1mn 23s
Delay relative to video : -34ms



OUTPUT:


General
Complete name : C:\Users\Daddy's HP Laptop\Videos\10-20-2011_171020.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom
File size : 10.8 MiB
Duration : 1mn 23s
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 1 074 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2011-12-03 03:37:13
Tagged date : UTC 2011-12-03 03:37:13
Writing application : Lavf51.12.1
Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Baseline@L1.3
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP : M=1, N=12
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1mn 23s
Bit rate : 916 Kbps
Width : 320 pixels
Height : 240 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 59.940 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.199
Stream size : 9.17 MiB (85%)
Encoded date : UTC 2011-12-03 03:37:13
Tagged date : UTC 2011-12-03 03:37:13
Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1mn 23s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 152 Kbps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 1.52 MiB (14%)
Encoded date : UTC 2011-12-03 03:37:13
Tagged date : UTC 2011-12-03 03:37:13

[edDV]

You are making many spec changes* there.

Start with what you are trying to accomplish? Small file sizes with crap quality?

video bit rate 30% of original
audio sample rate 48 to 44 CD

[jagabo]

Ok, I am sure the codec used by my Panasonic HD is h.264, but why then I convert it to h.264/mp4 does it compress it even way further?
Here is the properties from my source and the output.

According to that your source file was 259 MB and the file you made is 11 MB.

[poisondeathray]

Bit rate : 916 Kbps
Width : 320 pixels
Height : 240 pixels

That is user error

[jbitakis]

That is exactly my point. I know that going from an original source file size of 250mb down to 9mb will GREATLY decrease the quality. A small file size is NOT what I want. I want QUALITY HD VIDEO to be able to play on my bluray player WITHOUT things like the audio & or video stuttering happening.

I just don't understand why when using Full video converter 9 software, when I choose HD h.264/mp4 or ANY of the HD conversions, the file size DRAMATICALLY decreases. When I choose the general video conversions, like AVI, DIVX, MKV etc. the file size and bitrate stay the same or increase. Is it something screwey with this software?

I have figured out that if I slightly decrease the bitrate, from say 26 down to 23, the audio/video stuttering goes away and the quality is not decreased significantly. I just have to place these files into a different container (one that my bluray recognizes), like AVI or DIVX or MKV.

[poisondeathray]

Well you sort of hijacked the OP's thread... but anyway

Maybe you used the wrong settings, or the software sucks ?

Filesize = bitrate x running time

Current blu-ray players do not have to support 1920x1080p59.94. It's not in the blu-ray spec. Just lowering the bitrate doesn't guarentee anything. Consider getting a HTPC or media player like wdtv, asus oplay instead. This way you don't waste time re-encoding, and don't lose any quality

[jagabo]

You will probably have to manually select the frame size (keep it 1920x1080), frame rate (60 fps), codec (h.264), and bitrate (24.5 Mb/s). That will give you the same file size without much quality loss.

[fabitos]

Thanks for all the replies...

The software I'm using to tag the videos and reencode is Proshow Producer. The .ts file I wanted to tag is 300mb and after reencoding it with the tag, the exported mpeg2 was bigger than 1gb...

Wich software would you recomend me to tag (watermark) the video and reencode it to h.264?

[jagabo]

The software I'm using to tag the videos and reencode is Proshow Producer. The .ts file I wanted to tag is 300mb and after reencoding it with the tag, the exported mpeg2 was bigger than 1gb...

file size = bitrate * running time

Since the running time is the same: use the same bitrate if you want a file of the same size. But MPEG 2 will be lower quality than h.264 at the same bitrate.

[jbitakis]

thanks. I am getting a WD TV Live Media player next week, so I will see how the m2ts 1920x1080 60P video files play.

[jagabo]

Some 1080p60 videos play well on my WDTV, some have problems. If you upload a sample I'll try playing it and let you know if it works.

[edDV]

One issue I'm seeing with 1080 60p samples is they play for a few minutes, then lock up. It may be a device memory buffer issue. This happens even at reduced 17 Mbps bit rate.

[_Al_]

thanks. I am getting a WD TV Live Media player next week, so I will see how the m2ts 1920x1080 60P video files play.

just to give you heads up, new model WDTV Live streamer has still major issues regardless playback, I saw WDTV Live plus still on the shelf in Best Buy next to that new one WDTV Live streamer , it can give you some frustrating time before WD fixes that,
Best Buy purchase gives you an opportunity to try it and exchange it or to return easily