Realtime capture - 3ivX (Q=2) vs. HDX4 (Q=1) vs. Xvid(Q=2) vs. MPEG2 (5000)

[Livesms]

What codec should I prefer for realtime capture
Frame 768*576*25

- 3ivX (Constant Qual Q=2, HalfPixel enabled, No - MPEG, FourVect, AQ)
- HDX4 (Q=1, High ME, No - QPel, MPEG)
- Xvid(Q=2, ME - 4 High, CME, NO - VHQ, BVOPS, AQ, Trellis)
- InterVideo MPEG2 (720*576, 5000kbit/sec, 32 vect motion, 15:3)

I'm running AMD Sempron 3000 x64.

[guns1inger]

If you care about quality - none of them.

Do you intend to edit this or put it to DVD ?

If so, use either an uncompressed or lossless compression codec, or DV. If you are going to put it to DVD, encode it after capturing.

What I am saying is that the purpose of the video will drive the codec. So what is your purpose ?

[Livesms]

If you care about quality - none of them.

Do you intend to edit this or put it to DVD ?

If so, use either an uncompressed or lossless compression codec, or DV. If you are going to put it to DVD, encode it after capturing.

What I am saying is that the purpose of the video will drive the codec. So what is your purpose ?

It deppends from material. Something i will watch and delerase. Someth. i will reencode using x264 and save. The main problem is SIZE. I'm trying to fit 1 hour into 2Gb max and get best Quality.

[TBoneit]

But best quality on what? Standard DVD Video On TV, Standard Divx/Xvid for player on TV?

Portable player?

Play only on Computer?

Also source matters too.

If for example from VHS either DV AVI into computer for further processing or DVD Recorder.

From a Direct HDTV stream?

IOW more details.

[Livesms]

But best quality on what? Standard DVD Video On TV, Standard Divx/Xvid for player on TV?

Portable player?

Play only on Computer?

Also source matters too.

If for example from VHS either DV AVI into computer for further processing or DVD Recorder.

From a Direct HDTV stream?

IOW more details.

I'm capturing from TV tuner and store it into my HDD.

All of that I will watch on Pc. Maybe in future on standal. DVD player.

[RabidDog]

what software are you using to capture
what is the hardware description?
what is the source .. terrestial (digital or analogue), satellite(ergo), cable or VCR

mpeg2 (9800kbs) or xvid(1500k no bvops or gmc or qpel) the others are shot.(shoot me down) :P

[Livesms]

what software are you using to capture
what is the hardware description?
what is the source .. terrestial (digital or analogue), satellite(ergo), cable or VCR

Software - BeholdTV - software for Behold 507RDS TV tuner.
So source - analogue TV - as for ordinary TV set.

HardWare:
CPU: Sempron 3000+ x64
MB : Asus K8N-E
RAM: Samsung 1Gb DDR400
HDD: Samsung 160Gb SP1614N
AGP: MSI ATi Mobility Radeon 9600 128Mb/128Bit
PCI: BeholdTV 507RDS
PCI: Creative SB Live! 5.1 Digital
PSU: FSP ATX-300PNF

mpeg2 (9800kbs) or xvid(1500k no bvops or gmc or qpel) the others are shot.(shoot me down) :P

Is it your suggestion?

[jagabo]

Divx's "fastest" preset is faster than Xvid's "realtime" preset. Xvid will give smaller files though (using constant quantizer compression).

You'll probably drop lots of frames with any MPEG 4 codec. DV and MJPEG codecs will give you lower CPU utilization (fewer dropped frames) but they won't compress as well.

[Livesms]

Divx's "fastest" preset is faster than Xvid's "realtime" preset. Xvid will give smaller files though (using constant quantizer compression).

You'll probably drop lots of frames with any MPEG 4 codec. DV and MJPEG codecs will give you lower CPU utilization (fewer dropped frames) but they won't compress as well.

Dix and Xvid at fatest standart gives rather huge ammount of artifacts.

3ivX makes video washed-out, as after smoother.

HDX4 - gives rather good picture, but it is unable to limit video bitrate (for example not nomre then 10000kbit/s).

MPEG-2 - gives only constant bitrate and not a cont quality.

[jagabo]

Dix and Xvid at fatest standart gives rather huge ammount of artifacts.

Not in constant quantizer mode with a low quantizer. In constant quantizer mode the output is always the quality you ask for. The file size will be larger if you use the less motion search precision (faster settings). In any case, the faster modes are the only hope for real-time encoding.

MPEG-2 - gives only constant bitrate and not a cont quality.

Many MPEG2 encoders support constant quality. TMPGEnc for example.

[TBoneit]

As I understand it then you are capturing using the tuner card software? Then you want to convert to something to store it on the hard drive?

If so then convert to Xvid or Divx since that is a standard format that many DVD player are now supporting. Divx/Xvid will yield smaller file sizes than MPEG2 for the same quality.

Thus when you say "Maybe in future on standal. DVD player. "

MPeg2 that is encoded in DVD specs or the DIVX/XVID options become the best bet as You can buy Divx players now that also play DVDs. DVDs will probably be the longest supported format for home players of course having much more product out there.

I hope it isn't anything you would hate to lose. With hard drives it is only when they will die not if they will die.

[Livesms]

Dix and Xvid at fatest standart gives rather huge ammount of artifacts.

Not in constant quantizer mode with a low quantizer. In constant quantizer mode the output is always the quality you ask for. The file size will be larger if you use the less motion search precision (faster settings). In any case, the faster modes are the only hope for real-time encoding.

I'll try the latest DivX 6.2 for Conts Qual of 1 or 2 and compare to 3ivX and HDX4.

MPEG-2 - gives only constant bitrate and not a cont quality.

Many MPEG2 encoders support constant quality. TMPGEnc for example.

I have the only supported MPEG-2 codec - InterVideo MPEG-2 Video Codec which is default for my BeholdTV 507RDS software. In addition I can select any other VfW codec from list (same to VirtualDub codecs list).

As I understand it then you are capturing using the tuner card software? Then you want to convert to something to store it on the hard drive?

If so then convert to Xvid or Divx since that is a standard format that many DVD player are now supporting. Divx/Xvid will yield smaller file sizes than MPEG2 for the same quality.

Yes - I want to capture it and then make 2 pass encoding for best quality i can get. But I use x264 codec to endode for long time storing. I have no standalone DVD player and I'm not going to by it nearest future. So I'm not hunting for "ALL COMPABILITY"

MPeg2 that is encoded in DVD specs or the DIVX/XVID options become the best bet as You can buy Divx players now that also play DVDs. DVDs will probably be the longest supported format for home players of course having much more product out there.

I hope it isn't anything you would hate to lose. With hard drives it is only when they will die not if they will die.

May be - but for storing video for PC view X264 brings far better quality then DivX / Xvid in the same bitrate (after LONG 2-pass - but it is not a problem. I've got 5 PC in my dept for my personal night encoding )

[jagabo]

For storing video on a computer there's no point in using 2-pass encoding. Since files don't have to be a specific size just pick the quality you want an use single pass constant quality encoding.

Try this: encode a video with whatever single pass constant quality setting you want. Then encode with a 2-pass encode and make a file of the same size (ie same average bitrate). You'll see the two look almost identical.

[Livesms]

For storing video on a computer there's no point in using 2-pass encoding. Since files don't have to be a specific size just pick the quality you want an use single pass constant quality encoding.

Try this: encode a video with whatever single pass constant quality setting you want. Then encode with a 2-pass encode and make a file of the same size (ie same average bitrate). You'll see the two look almost identical.

I'll try it

But it is quite starnge to hear about 1 pass and 2 pass the same quality.
What about x264 as a final codec to store in?

And what about subj

[thecoalman]

Yes - I want to capture it and then make 2 pass encoding for best quality i can get. But I use x264 codec to endode for long time storing. I have no standalone DVD player and I'm not going to by it nearest future. So I'm not hunting for "ALL COMPABILITY"

If you're reencoding the video anyway.... Capture to a lightly compressed format such as Huffy then reencode using Divx or whatever it is you want to use. This will increase the quality of your video. To produce high quality video using a high compression you need two things... A good source and time. By forcing the encoder to do it real time you are sacrificing a lot of quality.

[jagabo]

But it is quite starnge to hear about 1 pass and 2 pass the same quality.

2-pass encoding is about getting the best quality for a specific files size/bitrate. That quality may be high or low depending on what size/bitrate you choose.

1-pass constant quality encoding is about getting the smallest file size (lowest bitrate) for the quality you choose.

It shouldn't really come as a surprise that when the two happen to meet (the same file size) that the quality is similar.

[Livesms]

Yes - I want to capture it and then make 2 pass encoding for best quality i can get. But I use x264 codec to endode for long time storing. I have no standalone DVD player and I'm not going to by it nearest future. So I'm not hunting for "ALL COMPABILITY"

If you're reencoding the video anyway.... Capture to a lightly compressed format such as Huffy then reencode using Divx or whatever it is you want to use. This will increase the quality of your video. To produce high quality video using a high compression you need two things... A good source and time. By forcing the encoder to do it real time you are sacrificing a lot of quality.

But the main problem is that I can't (dont want) reencode it at home pc (with TVTuner). I take my video to my work dept. (there are 5 pc for my encoding power ).

So I cant take 70 Gb video for Huff compressed - I've get only 2 Gb USB Driver or 4.7Gb DVD-RW - so I'm trying to fit 1 hour into 2 or 4 hours.

[Livesms]

Is it all???

[RabidDog]

Go for the mpeg2 @ high bitrate then bung it on to a DVD-rw.You should get 2 hours of stuff quite easily per disc.I use the intervideo mpeg2 to capture, I always capture in best quality (about 8000) and sometimes convert to xvid(tuesdays and thursdays) or divx(mondays and fridays) others I just author a dvd image (oversize 6, 7 8gb) then shrink that (wednesdays and weekends)

I think rejig will perform a "shrink" on mpeg streams