MKV rip to MKV H.264 with RipBot264 -- different versions, different result

[Ramias]

I like to have my videos in MKV so I can watch them with Plex on my TV. I use MakeMKV to rip the BD to disk, but that file is too big so I've been using RipBot264 to transcode them down to size.

With RipBot264 version 1.16.4 and the [HIGH 4.0] HD . BluRay . Consoles profile it works great -- with chapters and subtitles.

I'd like to use version 1.17.4 (with the batch mode and network modes) but can not find a similar quality level at all. I've tried a number of profiles and settings (but I admit I am not an expert here).

I also tried VidCoder and Handbrake but the results were similar to 1.17.4 -- larger file size and massive pixilation artifacts.

Can anybody help with settings for VidCoder or RipBot version 1.17.4 that would be comparable to what I get with 1.16.4?

[yoda313]

In the batch mode in 1.17.4 try high 4 default, default. I believe that should be the same settings as the earlier versions. I don't use batch mode (but I do use 1.17.4) but i do use high 4 and default. Though I did start using the faster presets just recently.

[Ramias]

I just tried that. Same issue.

These are machines I've just recently reinstalled. Could it be my version of ffdshow is bad? I'm running ffdshow v1.3.4513 from 2013-15-25.

Thanks

[Atak_Snajpera]

post screenshot showing "massive pixelation"

[Ramias]

My bad. The original MKVs ripped from the BD were also pixelated when I played them in VLC. I re-ripped the BD using MakeMKV and they were bad again. Then I used DVDFab, then MKV (this is a TV series with 4 episodes per BD) and they were fine. Running those through the newest RipBot264 now to check quality.

One thing though -- file sizes seem bigger when I convert with the Console profile on the newer version of MakeMKV than on the old. I can do a like-for-like test later this week to confirm.

[Atak_Snajpera]

increase CRF value if you do not like file size then.

[Ramias]

Ok I have this all working. RipBot264 is awesome.

Looks like I had bad original rips with MakeMKV (not sure how that happened but that's for a different thread).

I have distributed encoding working over a few machines and now what was 3.5 hours on one machine (with 8 cores) is now only 40 minutes.

Question - when I add batch files, is there a way to get it to automatically include English subtitles as well? I have to manually go back and edit those and add those in. Not a terrible problem, but a way on batch mode to include the sibtitles (for MKV output not MP4) would be cool.

Thanks again for the great program.