Adobe Premiere MPEG-2 encoding help needed

[AirTime]

I was trying to encode DV-Avi video to MPEG2 using the Adobe Mpeg Encoder. The result however was disappointing to say the least. Here's a screenshot:

It's kinda blocky with a lot of artifacts. Should be better with 6,5 Mbps data rate.
Here are my settings:

Codec: MainConcept MPEG Video
Video Type: MPEG-2 Video
Quality: 5.00 (high quality)
TV Standard: PAL
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Frame Rate: 25 fps
Profile: Main Profile
Level: Main Level
Program Sequence: Progressive
Bitrate Encoding: CBR
Bitrate (Mbps): 6.5461 (medium quality)
M Frames: 3
N Frames: 15
Closed GOP every: 1
Macroblock Quantization: 10
VBV Buffer Size (2K bytes): 10
Rate Control Mode: Mode 1
Noise Control: Noise Sensitivity
Noise Sensitivity/Reduction: 5
Write SDE: Do not write
Force VBV Delay: Computed by the Encoder
Progressive Frame: Progressive
Intra DC Precision: 9 Bits
Intra VLC Format - I Frame: Table 1
Intra VLC Format - P Frame: Table 1
Intra VLC Format - B Frame: Table 1
Frame Prediction DCT - I Frame: Use Frame Prediction and DCT
Frame Prediction DCT - P Frame: Use Frame Prediction and DCT
Frame Prediction DCT - B Frame: Use Frame Prediction and DCT
Quantization Scale Type - I Frame: Non Linear
Quantization Scale Type - P Frame: Non Linear
Quantization Scale Type - B Frame: Non Linear
Alternate Scanning Pattern - I Frame: Alternate
Alternate Scanning Pattern - P Frame: Alternate
Alternate Scanning Pattern - B Frame: Alternate
Sequence End Code: Write
Embed SVCD User Blocks: Not Embed
Ignore Frame Interval: 0
Reaction Parameter: 0
Initial Average Activity: 0
Initial Global Complexity Measure - I Frame: 0
Initial Global Complexity Measure - P Frame: 0
Initial Global Complexity Measure - B Frame: 0
Initial Virtual Buffer Fullness - I Frame: 0
Initial Virtual Buffer Fullness - P Frame: 0
Initial Virtual Buffer Fullness - B Frame: 0
Minimum Frame Percentage: 25
Pad Frame Percentage: 90
P Frame Motion Vectors - Forward Search Width: 127
P Frame Motion Vectors - Forward Search Height: 127
B Frame1 - Forward Search Width: 59
B Frame1 - Forward Search Height: 48
B Frame1 - Backward Search Width: 118
B Frame1 - Backward Search Height: 96
B Frame2 - Forward Search Width: 118
B Frame2 - Forward Search Height: 96
B Frame2 - Backward Search Width: 59
B Frame2 - Backward Search Height: 48
Deinterlacing: Disabled
Motion Estimation Type: 11
Do Half Pel Search: On
Online Encoding: Offline
Encoding Level: 31
Automatic GOP placement: On



TIA for any help
Joe

[northcat_8]

Bitrate (Mbps): 6.5461 (medium quality)

Run your Bitrate up to 8000. That will make it high quality. If size is an issue you can always compress later.

I don't care too much for Adobe's MPEG encoder, I always use TMPGEnc Plus to convert AV-AVI to MPEG-2.

When you load the Adobe MPEG Encoder, click the edit button up by the DVD, VCD, SVCD and CUSTOM selection. The first window is on the "Basic Settings" tab.

On the basic settings, change the "video encoder quality" slider to 50 or all the way up. Also, as I said before, I would also change the bitrate to 8000. In the "Video Type" drop box, I would select "PAL DVD" but that is just a set of program presets, so you will want to select this before changing the bitrate and encoder quality sliders. I would also change to a variabled bitrate, on the next tab, but that's up to you. Also make sure you aren't "limiting the output file size".

Like I said, I don't care much for Adobe's MPEG encoder. I almost always have adobe give me uncompressed AVI files then I use TMPGEnc Plus to encode them.

[AirTime]

I previously encoded similar clips with even lower framerates of around 5 mbps, and they had great quality.
So this is not the problem. Filesizes before were around 80 MB for a 2:30 clip, with 6,5 they were up to around 110 MB.

[northcat_8]

Well it doesn't seem to be working now. You used a 6,5 bitrate which is medium quality....and you got medium to poor quality depending on your scource file's quality...maybe changing the settings to HIGH quality will get you better quality.

I suggested you change the bitrate to a higher standard, change the encoder quality to a higher level and try a variable bitrate instead of a constant, and to make sure you are not limiting your file size (even though you dont' seem to have that listed in your settings, there is a setting for it). You might also try turning on de-interlace.

Everything I suggested could potentially have an impact on your output quality. But, since you know what it's not you shouldn't have too many problems figuring out what it is on your own then. Mine works just fine.

[AirTime]

The tip with the presets did the job! Thanks for that.
Now I can again use bitrate lower than 5Mbps and still get great results.

It seems that somehow the settings for the macroblock quantisation and the vbv buffersize got changed. I had vbv at 10 and the PAL preset lists it at 112...