Xmedia Recode is converting vids exclusively with 8-bit color

[ara9ond]

I am converting fraps AVI videos to MP4s and I've been using a program called Xmedia Recode -- which is just a shell around FFMPEG for the grunt work -- but I am finding my output videos are "washed out". Most of the time this doesn't bother me, but sometimes it is so ridiculously obvious it positively hurts my eyes with vibrant colours reduced to absolute grey garbage. (Notably the "Shangri-La" in FC4 where the reds are turned into very grey "reds".)

I've done some digging around and found that the reason is the color mode being used: yuv420p. This only provides 8 bits of colour, according to the output. I know I should instead be using "pix_fmt yuvj420p" says someone random. So, I run "ffmpeg -pix_fmts" I get a looooooooong list of options including "yuvj420p". Yay!

Problem is the only option Recode offers me against the "Color Mode" option is one simple "YUV 4:2:0 Planar 12bpp" and there does not seem to be any other option or setting anywhere else in the program to change that.

Is anyone aware of a way of forcing Recode to add a dropdown option in Recode? Or is there some setting I am using that prevents me using any other color mode? Or is Recode just poorly coded and doesn't offer all the options I could have?

The problem, I think, is that I am converting videos using CRF, which gives really good results otherwise, and I think is WAY too complicated for me to try doing using the command line -- I am guaranteed to f(k) that up

Thanks in advance for any help.

For background, my output videos come out with the following settings:

General
Format                         : MPEG-4
Codec ID                       : isom
Overall bit rate mode          : Variable
Overall bit rate               : 1 528 Kbps
Writing application            : Lavf56.40.101

Video
ID                             : 1
Format                         : AVC
Format/Info                    : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                 : Main@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC         : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames      : 2 frames
Codec ID                       : avc1
Color space                    : YUV
Chroma subsampling             : 4:2:0
Bit depth                      : 8 bits
Scan type                      : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)             : 0.517
Stream size                    : 2.36 MiB (88%)
Writing library                : x264 core 148 r2538
Encoding settings              : cabac=1 / ref=2 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x131 / me=hex / subme=7 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=12 / lookahead_threads=2 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=0 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=50 / keyint_min=5 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=20.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=24000 / vbv_bufsize=24000 / crf_max=0.0 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=3:1.00

[sneaker]

ffmpeg's libx264 needs to be compiled for 10 bit. This is probably not the case for Xmedia Recode. But: "vibrant colours reduced to absolute grey garbage" does not sound like a typical 8 bit vs 10 bit problem. That is usually sign of using the wrong matrix or range color conversion. For example output is pc instead of tv range. Unfortunately, I do not know if it is possible to set those using Xmedia. The correct settings may also depend on how you encode the fraps video.
- show MediaInfo of Fraps video
- show your version of Fraps
- show encoding settings of Fraps
- upload a sample (source and re-encode)
- screenshot that shows the problem

Then maybe someone can give you the correct info for conversion. If it is RGB try something like this:
ffmpeg -i "fraps_file" -vf scale=out_color_matrix=bt709:out_range=tv -c:v libx264 -crf 20 -preset medium -c:a aac "output.mp4"

[raffriff42]

>Notably the "Shangri-La" in FC4 where the reds are turned into very grey "reds".

Under the Video tab, Video Usability information, try setting Primaries, Matrix, and Transfer to "BT.709"


With YV12 / 4:2:0 color subsampling you will lose a bit of color saturation in small details. FFmpeg & x264 (command line) support YV24/4:4:4 [which] does not have this problem; however many players can't decode this format. The last time I looked, YouTube also does not. That's probably why XMedia Recode is YV12 only.

If you want to experiment, here's an ffmpeg command line which will convert a Fraps video to YUV444. Line breaks added for web viewing only.

ffmpeg -i "video.avi" 
-c:v libx264  -crf 18.0 -preset veryfast -profile:v high444 
-x264opts "colorprim=bt709:transfer=bt709:colormatrix=bt709" 
-pix_fmt yuv444p
-c:a aac -q:a 0.35
"output.mp4"

[jagabo]

8 bit YUV 4:2:0 isn't your problem. Every DVD, Blu-ray, and broadcast/satellite/cable video you've watched has used it. Your problem is the conversion from your source is being done incorrectly (probably video vs. computer levels). Or your graphics card may not be set up properly for displaying YUV video.

Beware that h.264 with no chroma subsampling (ie 4:4:4) will give you very limited playback possibilities. Little outside a full blown computer can deal with it.

[vhelp]

-x264opts "colorprim=bt709:transfer=bt709:colormatrix=bt709"

Are these param's just flags to embed in the video (to tell the players how to decode correctly) or are they actually changing the image to these color formats ?

[jagabo]

-x264opts "colorprim=bt709:transfer=bt709:colormatrix=bt709"

Are these param's just flags to embed in the video (to tell the players how to decode correctly) or are they actually changing the image to these color formats ?

They're just flags.

[sneaker]

With YV12 / 4:2:0 color subsampling you will lose a bit of color saturation in small details. FFmpeg & x264 (command line) support YV24 / 4:4:4 does not have this problem; however many players can't decode this format. The last time I looked, YouTube also does not. That's probably why XMedia Recode is YV12 only.

Hmm, yes. I didn't think about this when I read the post but with gaming + red colors sub-sampling may indeed be a problem. He should also make sure he's using a decent player (like MPC-HC + madvr) then to make sure the upsampling is done in a decent way.

[jagabo]

I posted a sample of YV12 blurring small colored objects (text in this case) in this post:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/319360-DVD-LAB-PRO-color-map?p=1977264&viewfull=1#post1977264

This effects only small colored object and sharp colored edges. It has no effect on large flat areas and would not make a video look washed out -- unless the video consisted only of small colored objects.