Hank's Mpeg-2 Encoder

[unclescoob]

Hello everyone. I do apologize for the temporary hiatus and yes, I am fully aware of the fact that I did not post any video clips and I have a perfectly logical explanation for this: The reason I did not post sample clips is simply because I was proven wrong about HcEnc and felt no need for the comparison. I mean, Windows looks PERFECT, but a couple of you explained that it's not that Windows is bad quality, but that it limits your control of rendering. So there. It has been recognized that Windows DVD Maker does not produce poor quality. I just wanted someone to admit it.

However, I do have a question to follow up on the gentleman Killer's question: IS there a recent guide? Because I gotta admit. I have learned how to use it on my own and yes, again I state, HcEnc is pretty damn good, especially when used with AVStoDVD. However, there is something I'm having trouble with and cannot find a guide for the life of me. Here is my question:

What do I need to tweak in order to eliminate blockyness/pixelation in dark areas? I use the highest bitrate (9800kbps) at 2-pass. I pick "best quality" for rendering at 0 AQ (should I raise this? I thought raising quantization decreases quality). My matrix is at MPpeg2 standard, so I don't tinker with that at all. But I do ensure that it stays at Mpeg2 standard, as this is going on DVD. So, any tips for my problem would be appreciated.

[Nelson37]

"This individual is a complete waste of your time. He/she/it will NOT provide any useful feedback, also they are apparently COMPLETELY UNABLE to either follow instructions, or follow thru on any statements made. Assisting this individual will result in NOTHING other than frustration and aggravation. My advice is to IGNORE him/her/it, totally and completely. Also, they are absolutely clueless, and have the patience of a 6-year-old."

[unclescoob]

"Assisting this individual will result in NOTHING other than frustration and aggravation."

[usually_quiet]

Hello everyone. I do apologize for the temporary hiatus and yes, I am fully aware of the fact that I did not post any video clips and I have a perfectly logical explanation for this: The reason I did not post sample clips is simply because I was proven wrong about HcEnc and felt no need for the comparison. I mean, Windows looks PERFECT, but a couple of you explained that it's not that Windows is bad quality, but that it limits your control of rendering. So there. It has been recognized that Windows DVD Maker does not produce poor quality. I just wanted someone to admit it.

Don't put words in people's mouths. Telling you that if the quality of Windows DVD Maker's video conversion is adequate for you, and it meets your other needs for a DVD converter, then feel free to use it, hardly qualifies as saying that the quality of the video it produces is perfectly fine.

As far as I can tell, nobody but you has said that Windows DVD Maker has an excellent MPEG-2 encoder. I said it lacked some features I needed for putting recorded TV shows on DVD, so I moved on to AVStoDVD without making any attempt to seriously evaluate the quality of its video encoder. While I have Windows DVD Maker, I have no eye for spotting defective encoding, beyond the most obvious stuff. I have no desire to use it again, or create and post videos in your place.

Many of the others here don't even have the program. If you expect any of the people who told you that your assessment of quality of Windows DVD Maker's video encoder is wrong to retract that, then post some samples. Otherwise the question remains unresolved.

[unclescoob]

No, the question is RESOLVED because I figured out the answer. I have moved on. My question is about HcEncoder now.

[unclescoob]

Can someone give me a tip on settings in HcEncoder to avoid blocky/pixelated artifacts in dark regions?

[usually_quiet]

I don't know up from down about HCEnc settings. That is why I use AVStoDVD.

...but didn't chowmein say you could PM for help? Has he not followed through on his offer?

[chowmein]

Try pushing up the luminance gain. Also there is a pdf manual in the installation folder.

As far as matrices go, manono is the man to ask, I'm not too cluey about matrix stuff.... but alas I think you burnt that bridge LOL!

[unclescoob]

Well quiet, you see since everyone here swears by this encoder, and since most people here seem to be willing to fight tooth and nail to maintain the honor of the great and mighty HcEncoder, I figured I'd have a wave of responses on how to correct what seems to be an (ahem) uhm, OBVIOUS video error, if you will?

Surely, after many years of using such a "great" tool , people must have quickly discovered how to perfect it! I guess not. Chowmein seems on point though. He's one of the few who's mature enough not to let my nonsense affect his and my purpose here: To help each other and not take things so personal.

Burning bridges with Manono? I doubt it. I'm sure he or she got over it and would be willing to lend a hand here. Right Manono? Now now, don't give me the silent treatment. Let's be reasonable.

I'm gonna try the luminance gain, chow and see how that works out.

Thanks!

[chowmein]

Burning bridges with Manono? I doubt it. I'm sure he or she got over it and would be willing to lend a hand here. Right Manono? Now now, don't give me the silent treatment. Let's be reasonable.

I think it was when you said you were gonna pinch his li'l nose and keep him all to yourself.

Search doom9 forums for more info on matrices.

[unclescoob]

But he's sooooooooo cute when he's arrogant and misanthropically matter-of-fact!

[dannyboy48888]

@unclescoob:

for 2 pass encodes do the following: under main set profile to Best. under settings1 tab change Quantization AQ to 4. Now under Settings2 change luminave gain to a value beetween 2-4 (depending how "dark" your dark scenes are). This will allocate more bits to dark areas and do more agressive quant tuning.

For one pass: do the above and set your I quant to a sane value such as 2 and the P and B to a value of 1.5x. This will eat more bits than would otherwise be used with Adaptive quant and luminace gain disabled, but it will ensure you have uniform picture quality without wasting bit. Also if your DVD player allows set you GOP up to 36. This will cut down on I-frames which will reduce the bitrate or save bits for other areas depending on you encoding choice

[dannyboy48888]

And as far as matrices I have never had a reason to take if off the default one. It seems to be tuned to reatian all the quality presented to it given enough bits are available to it

[unclescoob]

@unclescoob:

change luminave gain to a value beetween 2-4 (depending how "dark" your dark scenes are). This will allocate more bits to dark areas and do more agressive quant tuning.

Right on, Dannyboy!

There's a man who knows his stuff AND knows how to explain it, just like Chowmein!

Ok, enough of my b.s. I'm gonna get on it this evening. Will post results tomorrow, hopefully.

[chowmein]

Also if your DVD player allows set you GOP up to 36

I'm a bit dubious about this, at it will push your DVD out-of-spec (PAL = 15 max, NTSC = 18 max). But I suppose if your DVD player can play it, that's all that matters.

[usually_quiet]

Well quiet, you see since everyone here swears by this encoder, and since most people here seem to be willing to fight tooth and nail to maintain the honor of the great and mighty HcEncoder, I figured I'd have a wave of responses on how to correct what seems to be an (ahem) uhm, OBVIOUS video error, if you will?

Surely, after many years of using such a "great" tool , people must have quickly discovered how to perfect it! I guess not. Chowmein seems on point though. He's one of the few who's mature enough not to let my nonsense affect his and my purpose here: To help each other and not take things so personal.

Burning bridges with Manono? I doubt it. I'm sure he or she got over it and would be willing to lend a hand here. Right Manono? Now now, don't give me the silent treatment. Let's be reasonable.

I'm gonna try the luminance gain, chow and see how that works out.

Thanks!

True, I did say it looked to me like HCEnc did a good job, but I also said I use it with AVStoDVD, which provides appropriate default values for the bulk of HCEnc's settings. AVStoDVD does allow users to specify bitrates up to 9000 Kbps. (While the maximum bitrate for DVD video is 9800 Kbps, it hardly ever gets that high, even on commercial discs. 9000 is actually plenty.)

The low number of responses to your request for hints about using HCEnc is probably explained by you having managed to completely piss off manono, Nelson37 AlanHK and (I suspect) several other people who looked in on this thread that likely do know how to use HCEnc without any help from AVStoDVD.

Anyway, I thought you said you didn't need control over the encoding process (which would include the ability to set a precise bitrate), plus you ruled out every other reason given as to why you should use something other than Windows DVD Maker to do a DVD conversion.

If you already have a DVD converter that does an absolutely perfect job (according to your personal criteria), and provides everything else you want, without any need to specify a bitrate or fiddle with matrices and other settings, why are you still messing around with HCEnc at this point, and why try to use it at an unnecessarily high bitrate?

[unclescoob]

The low number of responses to your request for hints about using HCEnc is probably explained by you having managed to completely piss off manono, Nelson37 AlanHK and (I suspect) several other people who looked in on this thread that likely do know how to use HCEnc without any help from AVStoDVD.

At the same token, chowmein, dannyboy and yourself seem very knowledgeable about this, and are still willing to discuss this with me. Additionally, neither of you three appear to have been pissed off by me. Lesson learned? Doors will open and someone will appreciate you no matter what. Therefore I, nor anyone for that matter, should be made to feel like they have to walk on eggshells with any particular individual(s), regardless of their status or knowledge on a subject. I was nice to them. They got rude an impatient, so I bit back. Are they well-informed and helpful? No doubt! Chowmein told me Manono was quite helpful to him. I did not have the same luck with Manono, and I could care less. At the end of the day, this is a HELP website, not Cuba.


why are you still messing around with HCEnc at this point, and why try to use it at an unnecessarily high bitrate?


Because I'm curious?

[dannyboy48888]

Fair enough Unclescoob. I have been wrong before and took the correction like a man. Only time i get onry is if someone says im wrong in a nasty manner without providing a functional way to do such task. Need anymore help let me know and I'll see what I can do. And yes I usually do some AviSynth magic before feeding Hcenc (i.e. cutting and re-adding "true" black borders on mod16 lines, fluxsmoothST, etc....) and get "subjectively" awesome results in the 1.8-3MBps range depending on the movie content

[sanlyn]

So here it is, 3 months later. No clips posted? Thanks for sharing. We all learn from stuff like this.

[ron spencer]

Lol!!!!!

[unclescoob]

My apologies to everyone for a few things. 1. I was wrong about HcEnc. I think I have already admitted that in another thread. After doing plenty of homework, testing, and reading, looking back at my comparing it to Windows was completely absurd. HcEnc is all I use now and I have actually learned quite a bit about it. 2. Not posting those samples, as I stated. I guess I just decided to figure this out on my own, and I did (well, still AM), but you all get my drift. At this point, I don't really see the reason to post any samples since I pretty much take back everything I said about HcEnc AND figured out how to use it, therefore I don't have the issue anymore with my videos.

Sanlyn, no hard feelings man. Same goes for anyone else here. Truce?