Which are the correct profile and leves for H.264 videos ?

[Aug]

Hello.
Thanks for reading my topic.
I see when enconding in H.264 need select and profile and level.
What is the correct profile and level for enconding in H.264 for videos in resolution 240I , 480I , 720P , 1080P 30 FPS and 1080 P 60 FPS ?
If using an profile and level used for 1080P in videos of low resolution as 240 and 480 does issues in quality and compression ?
For videos in low resolution is better use profiles and levels of low value ?

Have an nice week.

[videoAI]

profiles and levels

In FFmpeg, the H.264 codec supports various profiles and levels,
which define the features and constraints of the encoded video.
Here is a list of common profiles and levels, along with how they typically pair together:

Profiles
- baseline: Suitable for low-complexity applications like video conferencing.
- main: Suitable for broadcast and streaming applications.
- high: Suitable for high-definition applications like Blu-ray discs.
- high10: Similar to high but supports 10-bit depth.
- high422: Similar to high but supports 4:2:2 chroma sampling.
- high444: Similar to high but supports 4:4:4 chroma sampling.
- constrained_baseline: A subset of the baseline profile with additional constraints.
- progressive_high: A subset of the high profile with additional constraints.

Levels
- 1: Up to 64 kbps, 960x544 pixels, 15 fps.
- 1.1: Up to 192 kbps, 1280x720 pixels, 30 fps.
- 1.2: Up to 384 kbps, 1280x720 pixels, 30 fps.
- 1.3: Up to 768 kbps, 1280x720 pixels, 60 fps.
- 2: Up to 2 Mbps, 1920x1080 pixels, 30 fps.
- 2.1: Up to 4 Mbps, 1920x1080 pixels, 30 fps.
- 2.2: Up to 4 Mbps, 1920x1080 pixels, 60 fps.
- 3: Up to 10 Mbps, 1920x1080 pixels, 60 fps.
- 3.1: Up to 14 Mbps, 1920x1080 pixels, 60 fps.
- 3.2: Up to 20 Mbps, 1920x1080 pixels, 60 fps.
- 4: Up to 25 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 30 fps.
- 4.1: Up to 50 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 30 fps.
- 4.2: Up to 50 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 60 fps.
- 5: Up to 135 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 60 fps.
- 5.1: Up to 240 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 60 fps.
- 5.2: Up to 240 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 120 fps.
- 6: Up to 240 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 120 fps.
- 6.1: Up to 240 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 120 fps.
- 6.2: Up to 240 Mbps, 4096x2304 pixels, 120 fps.

Pairing Profiles and Levels
- baseline: Typically paired with levels 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 3, 3.1, 3.2.
- main: Typically paired with levels 2, 2.1, 2.2, 3, 3.1, 3.2, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 6, 6.1, 6.2.
- high: Typically paired with levels 3, 3.1, 3.2, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 6, 6.1, 6.2.
- high10: Typically paired with levels 3, 3.1, 3.2, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 5, 5.1, 5.2, 6, 6.1, 6.2.

[_Al_]

levels are shown here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Video_Coding#Levels
notice, it depends on resolution and frame per second, maximum bitrate. Because it has very much to do with buffering.

For example looking at that table, having 1980x1080, 50fps, you should set level at least 4.2 and bitrate should not exceed 50000kb/s. Of course you set profile High for that as well, not Main or Baseline.

Profiles are simply explained in here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Video_Coding#Profiles

[Aug]

Thanks for all replies.
Using profile high with an level more high than need can break the video quality and make issues ?
For example enconding an 240I and 480I using level 4.0 does issues ?

[Sharc]

Thanks for all replies.
Using profile high with an level more high than need can break the video quality and make issues ?

It doesn't break quality but some (HW, TVs) players may refuse to play the video when flagged with too high levels (>4.1 for example)

For example enconding an 240I and 480I using level 4.0 does issues ?

These days very most players will play 4.0 without issues.

[Aug]

Thus being converting 240I and 480I to H.264 profile high and level 4.0 not does any errors ?
I said it to understand if is possible create in video converters an same enconding profile for any video file.

[Sharc]

Thus being converting 240I and 480I to H.264 profile high and level 4.0 not does any errors ?

It's overkill but it does no harm (if your player plays it).

[videoAI]

Use:
Profile = main
Level >=3 & <=4
and you should be good to play video anywhere ..

Thus being converting 240I and 480I to H.264 profile high and level 4.0 not does any errors ?
I said it to understand if is possible create in video converters an same enconding profile for any video file.

[pandy]

Sharc is right - your target level and profile depend on your H.264 decoder capability - commonly consumer equipment support without problems High Profile and level.4.1 (some older HW decoders may work better with 4.0) - to achieve highest quality at lowest bitrate you need use maximum profile and level supported by decoder - if you unsure consult vendor recommendation.