A question about video compression?

[Echo090]

I tried earlier to experiment with Adobe encoder with good results as I managed to make a 2GB 10 minute SD video to at least 200MB by H.264 and a youtube SD 480P preset . However, 200MB is bad.

I've tried a bit more tweaking in the settings and managed an 18mb very low quality (almost garbage). I put the video bit rate all the way down to .18mbps and lowered the audio sample rate to 3200Hz and bit rate to 48 (audio is still good though)... I was experimenting, okay?

I often download shows via torrent and gets good quality 40 minute videos that just have 300MB. And obviously, I wonder how that is done. I guess it's in the codec, but I really dont know...

Please dont respond with very technical words. Thanks


EDIT: Had an epiphany moment earlier. It was on avi... So yeah. that was why it was that big.
Original: 159MB (.mp4 converted)
Compressed: 166MB o.O
Tried it on vidcoder with H.264 2MB bitrate and 2 pass encoding.

2nd Compression: 55MB with constant quality settings a bit below the average.

[Baldrick]

They use low bitrates and low resolution.

Try another converter like vidcoder, under the video tab adjust the bitrate/output size and use 2pass encoding. Use around 640x480/352 pixels.

[Echo090]

So what is low bit rate for SD videos?

[sanlyn]

Depends. Standard DVD is usually unplayable at anything below 2000. That would be a ridiculously noisy video. MPEG1 can go lower. With any low bitrate, the video will be cleaner at smaller frame sizes. Most would consider such video to be unviewable on a TV bigger than 8 inches or so. The usual bitrate for standard full-frame DVD would be a 90-minute 2-pass VBR at 6200 target and 9000 max. Some older players might have a problem with a 9000 max bitrate. More motion and more detail requires higher bitrates.

Digital video works with 0' and 1's. The fewer 0'1 and 1's that are present to define an image and the way it changes from frame to frame, the lower the quality. There's no way around it. IMO low-bitrate digital video looks worse than 8-hour VHS.

[Baldrick]

10Mbyte/minute?

[Echo090]

Well I guess my video isnt SD after all. At another try, at 1800 bit rate, my video turned to 80MB and still looks fairly good even at full screen. The 55MB compression is just a bit below the 80MB in terms of quality... Im just confused.

How big should a 10 minute SD or below SD (if there's anything like that) take anyway... cause im really hoping for something like 20-30mb.