Issues converting ATSC HD (1080i) broadcast recording to H.264

[alex750]

I have some recordings made with my EyeTV Hybrid of 1080i broadcast content, and I want to convert them to H.264 to save some space (so they'll fit on at least a DVD DL, if not a regular DVD). As I have no standalone gear, other than a home theater receiver and speakers, playback outside the computer is a nonissue for now (though Blu-Ray might become a future possibility). I intend to play the files in QuickTime, Front Row, or iTunes, but I don't have the MPEG-2 component installed. (As for iPod playback, EyeTV already handles that flawlessly--but the result, of course, is 640x360; OK for the iPod itself and NTSC TVs, but not for what I had in mind.)

When I used FFMpegX to do such an "H.264 HD" conversion, I got a result (after about 30 hr encoding a 2 hr file), but the video and audio had been demuxed into separate files! Also the video had lots of what I called "frass" (buzzing edges on moving vertical objects, resembling the "audio in video" distortion of yore).

Here are the settings I used:

Input file: MPEG-2 video, Dolby Digital 2.0 audio (384 kbps), 1920 x 1080i, 29.97 fps; total bit rate ~17.5 Mbps. File size was about 15 GB.
Encoder chosen: x264 H.264
Video bitrate: 9.0 Mbps CBR (this would fit on a DVD DL)
Audio: Transcode to AAC, 192 kbps stereo. Nowhere was demuxing mentioned.
Video options: 1920 x 1080, 29.97 frames/sec, 16:9, No anamorphic, No crop, No deinterlace
Encoder options: CABAC ON, B-frames OFF, CBR ON, 2-pass ON, i4x4 ON, trellis ON, QuickTime OFF, No Profile, Qmin 10, Qmax 51, AVC 5.1, Multi-Hexagon

My questions are thus:
(1) How do I keep the video and audio together?
(2) Would choosing "Deinterlace" have prevented the "frass"?
(3) Are the bitrate(s) I've chosen too high, or too low?

[jman98]

Here's a suggestion for another alternative. Sorry, but it does nothing to address your issues, so if you don't like my suggestion that's fine.

I record NBC's _The Office_ in 1080i from the broadcasts. I save them to DVD. I can get 2 typical 22 minute episodes on a single layer DVD. What I have to do though is re-encode one of them. I use HCEnc. I use DVD2AVI to generate a D2V file, pass that through VFAPI, and then feed the VFAPI output file into HCEnc. I set the avg. video bitrate to about 12000 Kbps with a max around 14000 and let it go. It shrinks the file enough that I can put 2 of them on a single layer DVD. I'm OK with the quality. I avoid all the de-interlacing issues and avoid H.264 all together.
I do have to mux the audio and final video together, but I can easily do that with MPEGVCR.

My method at your bitrates would give you something you could burn on a DVD DL disc, but I do think you'd get better quality going with H.264. H.264 is a little cumbersome for me to deal with in 1080i with my current PC setup, hence my desire to stick with MPEG-2.

[-Sandro-]

HI,
American networks that air Tv shows and movies in HD 1080i (nbc example here) or 720p, do they air in 29.90 fps with pulldown or directly in 24p?

Anyway why do they use Mpeg-2 instead of h.264?

[Soopafresh]

American networks broadcast in both 1080i 29.97fps and 720p 59.94 fps

Why do they use Mpeg2? The European standard is newer and more efficient. HDTV over the air in the US is around 5 years old.

[-Sandro-]

American networks broadcast in both 1080i 29.97fps and 720p 59.94 fps

Why do they use Mpeg2? The European standard is newer and more efficient. HDTV over the air in the US is around 5 years old.

What about satellite and cable? Do they broadcast in h.264?

[jman98]

American cable TV still uses MPEG-2. Satellite uses something I've seen referred to vaguely as "MPEG-4" but since I don't have satellite, I can't tell you what it really is. It might be H.264.

[-Sandro-]

And what about PAL HDTV in Europe? Will there always be the 4% speed-up for 24p content even if Blu ray are finally 24p everywhere?