How to high quality videos from codec x264 without the huge size?

[Guernsey]

Is there a way to get good quality from the x264 without the huge size that comes with using the codec?

[koberulz]

Huge size compared to what?

[Atak_Snajpera]

Prefiltering using MDegrain2 in avisynth

[johnmeyer]

Is there a way to get good quality from the x264 without the huge size that comes with using the codec?

The one and only thing which determines file size, for a given length of video, is the bitrate at which it is encoded. The codec used (in this case h.264), the resolution (e.g., 1920x1080), and the frame rate (e.g., 29.97 fps) do not affect the final files size, at all.

My advice: take 15-30 seconds of video, with lots of movement, and encode that exact same video using different h.264 bitrates. Try something really low, like 1,000,000 bits per second (1 Mbps), and something quite high, like 25,000,000 bits per second. Then try a few in between. Take the resulting videos and view them on the device you use to watch your video (phone, tablet, computer, TV, projector, etc.). The 25,000,000 bps will be twenty-five times larger than the 1,000,000 bits per second encode, but it won't be 25x "better."

After doing this critical viewing, you then decide what tradeoff you are willing to make between file size and quality. (One good thing about doing this test is that it will make you understand what sort of encoding artifacts are introduced each time you encode or re-encode a video.)

Once you decide on your "sweet spot," you can play around with other h.264 settings. If your encoder offers multi-pass encoding, use it. Two-pass will take twice as long as the normal one-pass, but it can produce better-looking video, especially if you choose to use relatively low bitrates, in order to keep the file size small. IMHO, if any time you use low bitrates, you should use multi-pass encoding.

You can also try using a higher profile. Really high profiles take more CPU power to decode, so not all devices can decode them. Again, make tests to ensure that you don't create videos that you can't watch on your preferred device.

These are things you need to decide for yourself. Advice you get here (or in any forum) can only suggest (as I have done) ways to come up with a solution that works for you, it cannot give you a hard-and-fast answer that will work for everyone.

[jagabo]

Encode with x264 at the slow preset, 2-pass, with the bitrate you want. If that's not good enough you'll have to use a higher bitrate. Or just forget it.