Best MPEG2 Encoder for G3?

[yonidass]

What's the best quality MPEG2 encoder for a G3, particularly for encoding DV from iMovie to be burned to DVD? I've used ffmpeg and appreciate all the options but I haven't been too impressed with the quality. Any others?

Pismo G3900, OS 10.2.6

[SCB]

I think ffmpegX is pretty much the best encoding app ever. It produces great quality in my opinion; you may just need to play around with the settings a bit.

Anyway, another option would be DVD SP which includes Apple's own MPEG-2 encoder.

Regardless, my advice would be to at least get a G4 if you are going to be transcoding to MPEG-2. If you haven't already figured this out, converting to MPEG-2 is extremely slow on a G3. Even the slowest G4 will be faster than the fastest G3 when it comes to converting to MPEG-2.

[yonidass]

Any suggestions on the best settings for ffmpeg? I've just tried the preset for "high bit rate DVD." I can deal with the slow encoding.

As for DVDSP, I have it but Apple's MPEG2 encoder requires a G4, I believe.

[pixeljammedia]

I have to disagree, innobits' BitVice gives true VBR and quality akin to Compressor or Cleaner at a very acceptable speed. I think the G3 version is available for cheap at www.innobits.se I like ffmpegx alot, and use it often, but even major will admit that it is around the same quality as the Quicktime CBR encoder that comes with DVDSP 1.5. I'd go with Bitvice.

-Ryan

[schwinn]

IMHO suggesting a person buy a new machine should be a reason for getting a warning as far as I'm concerned I just see it much too often. Many of us have learned to live with what we have i'm not saying there aren't times when a new machine maybe required but there really isn't much you can't do on a G3 of reasonable speed.
Apples DVD SP 1.5 works fine with a G3.

[major]

I predict a great future to the new ffmpeg libavcodec mpeg-2 encoder. It has potential to win both on quality, and speed. It just needs some time to become stabler and more compliant to standards. The ffmpeg libavcodec mpeg-1 encoder is already the best quality and fastest mpeg-1 encoder, beating PC's TMPGenc on both sides.

[SIMPLE_THINGS]

Happy to see that a new mpeg2 engine is near to come...
I think your app is a great thing but the quality of the encoding has never fully satisfied me (principally for the colors and for the way to process interlaced input movie...).

But I'm not agree for what you say about the mpeg1 encoding...
You said: "ffmpeg libavcodec mpeg-1 encoder is already the best quality encoder". Well, I suppose u mean the mpeg1 encoder that is ALREADY bundled with ffmpegX...
Sorry Major but I think u've never used seriously TMPGenc!!!

I don't know which is the faster but for the quality I'm sure: no match!
(I think also the many-many-slow Cleaner beats hands down ffmpegX on mpeg1 encoding... But u need some day to finish the process!) :P

[SERBIAN]

Try this:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12715

[major]

But I'm not agree for what you say about the mpeg1 encoding...
You said: "ffmpeg libavcodec mpeg-1 encoder is already the best quality encoder". Well, I suppose u mean the mpeg1 encoder that is ALREADY bundled with ffmpegX...

ffmpegX operates two different mpeg-1 encoders: mpeg2enc in mpeg-1 mode (VCD Preset) and ffmpeg libavcodec mpeg-1 ("fast mpeg-1" preset). I mean about the second one. Please compare it to TMPGEnc on complex clips with slow global motion. It is surely faster, and it is in my opinion also better.

On the other side, mpeg2enc, while being a good mpeg-2 encoder and very compliant to the standards, is not better than QT mpeg-2 encoder.

[galactica]

As long as the g3 is running 10.2 id say most should work, its just a matter of speed. Hopefully you have found one

[SIMPLE_THINGS]

[quote="major"]

ffmpegX operates two different mpeg-1 encoders: mpeg2enc in mpeg-1 mode (VCD Preset) and ffmpeg libavcodec mpeg-1 ("fast mpeg-1" preset). I mean about the second one. Please compare it to TMPGEnc on complex clips with slow global motion. It is surely faster, and it is in my opinion also better.

Just done and you are right! Mpeg1 encoding with fastmpeg1 preset on ffmpegX is faster than Tmpegenc's one but for the quality... Sorry, but there's something to do again!

Maybe, I'm workin' with sources different from yours (principally I encode Anime from old vhs tv recording converted trough a Canopus device)... Libavcodec is not so bad: I think that the difference between the two encoders is principally due to filters available on Tmpeg (for example: no way to add the YUVdenoise from mpeg2enc also on fastmpeg1 encoding?).

Thanks again.

[major]

To evaluate differences between the two encoders, you must use high quality not interlaced sources (ie DVD video like).

[SIMPLE_THINGS]

To evaluate differences between the two encoders, you must use high quality not interlaced sources (ie DVD video like).

Well, also DVD video is interlaced (... all my original DVD disc are PAL interlaced!).
By the way: all I need is an encoder able to work with difficulty sources like my old Vhs recording. For me as no sense to test an encoder with an high quality/clean video source 'cause I'll never rip a dvd on vcd (I have a superdrive and Dvd2one to do that!) :P

[major]

To test the quality of an encoder you must use high quality sources. With low quality sources all you're going to test are at best the filtering capabilities, which are also a good thing, but have nothing to do with the encoder quality.

Concerning interlaced material, which is the case for anime or TV/camera sources, you should note that the mpeg-1 format doesn't support interlacing at all. Interlacing was a feature added to the mpeg-2 format.

So if you're encoding low quality VHS interlaced into mpeg-1, you're probably just ending up testing the deinterlace filter, but again, not the encoder quality (tip: have you enabled "deinterlace" in ffmpeg mpeg-1 filters prior to encoding?).

[SIMPLE_THINGS]

(tip: have you enabled "deinterlace" in ffmpeg mpeg-1 filters prior to encoding?).

Yes! Also because without deinterlace filter the result movie shows jerky motion on every action scene...