Difference in video quality

[infini]

I have 2 mkv files of the same movie, both 1920x1080.
The specs of the first are:
Bit depth: 10 bits
BitRate:14.7Mbps
Format Profile: High 10@L5.1
11 RefFrames

The specs of the second:
Bit Depth: 8bits
BitRate:14Mbps
Format Profile: High@L4.1
4 RefFrames

Which one you think has the best quality?
Thanks!

[jagabo]

The one made by someone who knew what they were doing. Or the one that plays on your intended player.

[yoda313]

I would think essentially they should be "identical" to most people. However the bit depth is the difference since the first one is 10bit and the second is 8bit.

I really don't understand all the tech behind the two. My lamen understanding of it is that it has a higher color palette and therefore would be "richer" in detail than the 8bit version. Though the bitrate is the same so the 8bit shouldn't be terribly inferior in that sense.

the one that plays on your intended player.

that is going to be the problem with the 10bit version. To my knowledge most bluray players that play h264 files play at the 4 or 4.1 profile mode. I don't know that any are able to play 10bit profile 5.1 files.

There may be newer, high end specialty models that specifically play 10bit h264 files. However that is not the norm.

Also you may have problems playing the 10bit file on tablets too - unless its pretty powerful and you can play heavy files in software mode - though some players do have an option for playing 10bit files, but that is probably hit or miss.

[ravishank]

If both are 1920x1080, I would prefer video with bigger size, if format is same.

[infini]

You mean mkv format?

[jagabo]

If both are 1920x1080, I would prefer video with bigger size, if format is same.

Just to have a bigger size? Bigger size doesn't necessarily mean better quality.

[ravishank]

you have written both are mkv, so yes of course, as far as i think go for the one with higher bitrate.. which means first one with 14.7Mbps

[ravishank]

If both are 1920x1080, I would prefer video with bigger size, if format is same.

Just to have a bigger size? Bigger size doesn't necessarily mean better quality.

Its the bitrate and resolution that decide the size and as far as I know bitrate plays the major factor, and more data per second is definitely better - and its for sure, the video with high quality will have higher bitrate. (No offense - throw some light on this, if you have any example to justify your statement)

[jagabo]

Its the bitrate and resolution that decide the size and as far as I know

Only if all else is equal. One of those videos may have started out as a VHS tape, the other with a Blu-ray disc, for all you know. Even if they started with exactly the same source, different encoding settings, aside from bitrate and bit depth) can lead to different quality. The only way to tell which is the better video is to view them both.

And you plan to play the video on your PS3, Xbox 360, Blu-ray player, etc. -- the 10 bit video won't work. So regardless of which is the better quality you'll need the 8 bit video (and even that might not play depending on what settings were used -- 1080p with 11 ReFrames won't play on many players).

The 10 bit video potentially has better quality. But you won't know until you've viewed both.

<edit>
Here's a document of the dozens of x264 settings. Many of them will effect the quality of the resulting video.

http://mewiki.project357.com/wiki/X264_Settings
</edit>