How do I compress large avi files without losing any quality?

[Fieryterminator]

Or at least, as little quality as possible.

I usually use huffyuv when I capture my videos, but the files are always very large, and they take a very long time to upload. Is there an easy way to compress them without losing enough quality to where it's noticeable?

[hech54]

compress them without losing enough quality to where it's noticeable?

h264 is the "latest and greatest" video codec, but there is no guarantee others will be able to play them and there WILL be quality loss. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" applies to "noticeable".

[yoda313]

I see two options you could look into - but hech54 is correct there will be SOME quality loss in the compression, thats unavoidable.

Option 1 - recapture the video in your final destination format at the highest bitrate your media destination will allow (that is if you are destined for a dual layer dvd set your sites for just under 8gbs so you can fit it comfortably on the disc)

Option 2 - recapture the video in h264 with a device like the hauppuage hdpvr at its maximum setting and leave it that way. Size be damned - split if you need to archive it on disc otherwise just buy some large harddrives and you are done. (option 2 is kind of a repeat of option 1 but more specific, option 1 is mentioned if you intend to make a dvd and want mpegs, than capture with a hardware mpeg encoder card like the old standard hauppauge pvr 250 capture card)

Of course you can compress to h264 with something like handbrake or any number of h264 encoders. But it won't look exactly like the original of course.

It would be recommended to use constant quality. The smaller the cq number the better the quality will be but the file size will increase.

[jagabo]

Just reencod using any h.264 encoder with a high quality or high bitrate setting. Like Handbrake, XMediaRecode, Xvid4PSP, MeGui, etc. As noted, you will lose some quality but with the right settings the loss will be unnoticeable.

[Hoser Rob]

Quality is pretty subjective. I'm surprised by some of the video I've seen that others thought was great but I thought was pretty bad. But that's OK for them.

I think downsampling the resolution is probably the best way to compress with good quality.

But I hesitate to call any video encoding 'easy'. Especially with h.264. It really does have the best encoding quality but I've found you need to know how to use the advanced settings to get it. You can always look for good presets.

[yoda313]

but I've found you need to know how to use the advanced settings to get it.

The only problem with that is if you stray too far from a "standard" profile than you can end up having a hard time playing it on a settop or tablet device. Those hardware units tend to like only the "mainstream" profiles with as few changes as possible from the default modes.

If its for pc playback tweak to your hearts content but just be warned if you tinker too much "under the hood".

And level 4 is the max for bluray players and many if not all streaming boxes that play h264. There are always exceptions but thats the rule of thumb these days. ANd limit your reference frames to maximize compatiblity.

[jagabo]

But I hesitate to call any video encoding 'easy'. Especially with h.264. It really does have the best encoding quality but I've found you need to know how to use the advanced settings to get it.

No you don't. You can just use high bitrates or low CRF. Since the OP's sources are huffyuv even a CRF=12 encode will be much smaller and will be hard to tell from the source, regardless of most of the other settings.

[Cornucopia]

I do NOT recommend recapturing using h.264. First, there is the likelihood that the OP's pc may be able to sustain constant realtime encoding of h.264 at the necessary quality settings. Also, assuming nothing went wrong the first time, there should be all the quality that is possible encoded in the HUFFyuv file. Iow, it is already the equivalent of a straight live source, and so should also be the best at retaining quality. You would be wasting more time trying to gain back something you haven't really lost.

Scott

[Fieryterminator]

I've been having a lot of problems with H.264. About three out of four videos I attempt to encode give me an error message that says nothing but "H.264 can't encode (Insert video file name)". When it does work, though, I get a distorted video with the screen covered in green and pink bars. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or what...

[jagabo]

It might help if you said what software you are using.

[Fieryterminator]

I used Lagarith with AmarecTV to capture the test video I just did. It got the error message.

[jagabo]

That doesn't make any sense. You said you were using h.264, now you're saying you were using Lagarith.

Try using a program like Handbrake to convert your Lagarith or Huffyuv video to x264.

[Fieryterminator]

My mistake. I used the link that appears when the text 'h.264 encoder' shows up and used the program that did it separately. I'll try Handbrake, though.