subs loses quality after encoding

[evile1690]

Hi,

I don't know if this has been posted before, but I am having a problem with the encoding of my subs.
I've been backtracking but I couldn't find any topics with the same problem as I do.

I've been trying to encode my .ass subs using virtualdub but after I check the finished product, the subs tend to lose quality along with the video itself. I don't know what is causing this problem. By any chance, does my compressor (Xvid) have anything to do with this? If it does, what would you recommend that I do or use instead?

Thanks a whole lot in advance,,

[Baldrick]

You will lose a bit quality by reconverting. What xvid settings are you using?

In Virtualdub under Video->Compression choose xvid and click configuration. You can change/lower the quantizer to improve the quality or if you are using 2-pass/1-pass increase the video bitrate.

[evile1690]

at the moment, I am using it in single pass..
and the target quantizer is in 4.00...
which should I change??

[Baldrick]

Try lower the quantizer value and test convert a short clip.

[evile1690]

ok, trying it at the moment...thanks,,
i tried changing the colors of the subs but it is still losing quality...
it looks fine before I encode it, but kind of blurry after...

[Baldrick]

Can you post a screenshot?

[jagabo]

With all MPEG family codecs colored subs will get blurry because colors are encoded at half the resolution (both dimensions) of the grayscale information.

[evile1690]

^i see, how can i fix that? is it even possible to fix it?

I tried making caps but for some strange reason, they end up looking the same...
but it really looks different once I play it on any media player...

I really want to have the subs in the same quality before and after encoding,,

[jagabo]

To make the blurring less of a problem you can use larger fonts and add black outlines around the letters. Or just use white text with black outlines.

[manono]

Or keep the subs separate from the video.

[evile1690]

I really need to hardsub, so softsubs won't work,,
and I've been using black and white outlines too.
the font size is large enough anyway,

[jagabo]

the font size is large enough anyway,

Obviously not, if the blurring make it hard to read.