Help in regards to my MP4 Video Quality

[TheAlmighty]

Hello Forum,

I would like to seek the opinion of those who can offer some expertise with regards to the quality of my MP4 video. I have here a link to a screenshot where I have a red square indicating to some sort of artifacts in which I would like to eliminate if it can be done (You must view it Full Size). I used MeGUI for converting. I have also provided my .AVS script just below.

http://img526.imageshack.us/i/blockyartifacts.png/

# Set DAR in encoder to 37 : 20. The following line is for automatic signalling
global MeGUI_darx = 37
global MeGUI_dary = 20
DGDecode_mpeg2source("C:\Users\Lucky\Videos\Samura i Shamploo V1\VIDEO_TS\SCE2.d2v")
Load_Stdcall_Plugin("C:\Program Files\MeGUI\tools\yadif\yadif.dll")
Yadif(order=1)
crop( 0, 6, 0, -4)

Lanczos4Resize(720,560) # Lanczos4 (Sharp)

VobSub("C:\Users\Lucky\Videos\Samurai Shamploo V1\VIDEO_TS\SCE2Subs.idx")

If anyone can provide me with some help, it would be much appreciated.

Thanks, TheAlmighty

[guns1inger]

I suspect there isn't a lot you can do about it. You could try giving it more bitrate, but otherwise it is a function of video compression.

[jagabo]

Some of that artifacting is probably in your MPEG 2 source. You may be able to reduce it a bit with a deblocking filter. The rest may be from too little bitrate in your encoding. Dark areas are the first lose quality when there's not enough bitrate. Make sure your decoder has its deblocking filter enabled during playback.

By the way, when you post sample images it's best to leave them at their actual size, 720x560 in this case. Otherwise it's hard to tell which defects were in the image and which were caused by resizing it.

[TheAlmighty]

Thanks for quick replies.

By the way, when you post sample images it's best to leave them at their actual size, 720x560 in this case. Otherwise it's hard to tell which defects were in the image and which were caused by resizing it.

The image was a print screen at full size, and all I did was simply get rid of the black bars. In other words what you see in that image is a direct image of what "I" see in the movie. All in all though I really focus on watching the movie itself and not really recognising those artifacts. If its not going to improve that much, and I have tried enabling the MPEG2Deblocking feature in MeGUI aswell, then I suppose I should be happy with the content? Perhaps some recommendations on some filters that may help and I can test them out.

Also I use the x264: Unrestricted 2pass Anime_Toons Insane encoder setting and the default bitrate is set to 1000. What bitrate should I try it at. I also read somewhere (and correct me if I am wrong) that 1000 is a standard of some sort. I'm not entirely sure of this, perhaps someone could enlighten me.

Thanks for the help so far

Regards, TheAlmighty

[jagabo]

The image was a print screen at full size, and all I did was simply get rid of the black bars. In other words what you see in that image is a direct image of what "I" see in the movie.

Yes, and we can't be sure which of the artifacts were in the video file and which were caused by the player enlarging the image.

I use the x264: Unrestricted 2pass Anime_Toons Insane encoder setting and the default bitrate is set to 1000. What bitrate should I try it at.

Forget bitrate and switch to constant quality encoding with a quantizer around 18 or 20 (lower quantizers give higher quality). Every frame gets the quality you specify. The file comes out at whatever size (average bitrate) is necessary to maintain that quality.

I also read somewhere (and correct me if I am wrong) that 1000 is a standard of some sort.

That's a nice round number but that's all.

[guns1inger]

I also read somewhere (and correct me if I am wrong) that 1000 is a standard of some sort.

The number of metres in a kilometre ?
The number of grams in a kilogram ?
The height of a 1000 foot building (in feet) ?

Video/audio encoding wise, it has no significance.

[Xpenguin17]

Maybe not officially, but a bitrate around one megabit was a symbol in the earlier days when it was every pirate's dream for DVD quality to be possible at CD bitrates, which is just barely possible now with x264 if the movie is 90 minutes or shorter. So a bitrate of 1000 for anime should be a standard IMO as it could achieve HQ 576p rips.

To me, it looks like your source sucks and the problem is banding, not blocking artifacts.

[TheAlmighty]

Look. I've done a little bit of research and have come to the conclusion that it is 'Banding'. But I am having some difficulty trying to implement this (GradFun2DBmod) filter into my AVS Script. I have downloaded all other filters required being;

Masktools v2.0a35
Removegrain v1.0PR
GradFun2db v1.0
AddGrainC v1.4

In relation to those filters, these are the DLL applications in my AVISynth plugins folder;

AddGrainC.dll
gradfun2db.dll
mt_masktools-26.dll
RemoveGrainSSE3.dll
RepairSSE3.dll
RSharpenSSE3.dll
GradFun2DBmod.v1.3.avsi

Just making sure I have all the necessary applications

Now this is my current AVS without having added any of the filters as I am unsure of where to implement them.

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\NNEDI.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\YadifMod.dll")
global MeGUI_darx = 15
global MeGUI_dary = 8
MPEG2Source("C:\Users\Lucky\Videos\Samurai Shamploo V1\VIDEO_TS\SCE2TEST.d2v")
YadifMod(edeint=NNEDI())
Crop( 0, 10, 0, -6)

I am aware that my script isn't a very complexed one. If someone could please help me finish off this script then I would over the moon.

Thanks, TheAlmighty

[jagabo]

I recommend you post a short sample of your source video.

[TheAlmighty]

I have here a 40 second clip of the video.

http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=515219

Here are some clips of the original source.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7458/originalsource1.png
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5986/originalsource2.png

Thanks, TheAlmighty

[poisondeathray]

Typically the debanding filter would go at the end

That isn't a sample your original source

[TheAlmighty]

Maybe I should elaborate a bit more on perhaps what I mean. I don't really have any issues in terms of been able to figure out some settings. There are a few I've seen on some forums for example GradFun2DBmod(thr=1.6,thrC=1.2,str=0.8,strC=0.4). I want to know more on how to write it into the AVS script. And if someone can extend my small script into how they would demonstrate the process of adding in the command line. Do I need to load those extra plugins into the script?

[jagabo]

Put the GradFun2DBmod.avsi file in your AviSynth plugins folder. Then just add the line to your script:

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\NNEDI.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\YadifMod.dll")
global MeGUI_darx = 15
global MeGUI_dary = 8
MPEG2Source("C:\Users\Lucky\Videos\Samurai Shamploo V1\VIDEO_TS\SCE2TEST.d2v")
YadifMod(edeint=NNEDI())
Crop( 0, 10, 0, -6)
GradFun2DBmod(thr=1.6,thrC=1.2,str=0.8,strC=0.4)

Before (huge levels adjustment to bring out all the details):



After GradFun2DBmod():


But I think you're going to find that once you recompress the video most of that banding will come back unless you use a really high bitrate.

[lordsmurf]

Animation naturally has banding from compressed MPEG and XVID encoding.

[Gavino]

mt_masktools-26.dll

Unless you are also using the (still experimental) version 2.6 of Avisynth, you should be using mt_masktools-25.dll.