Low quality videos encoded in H.265 (NVEnc) even with High Quality and CQ=1

[bookagood]

I tried to encode large video files (200-300 GB) using H.265 (NVEnc) in VidCoder. At first I set the Constant Quality setting to 20 and the quality was much lower than with H.264 (NVEnc), but the file size also became smaller. Then I set the parameter to 1, the quality was still low and the file size was also small (about 60 GB) - the source had a file size of 300 GB and after encoding in H.265 (NVEnc) 60 GB. Why is that? Is this codec still too raw in NVIDIA? The same video encoded with H.264 (NVEnc), but with a setting of 24, was 125 GB in size and the quality was very high.

As I understand it, video in H.265 is encoded longer and the size will be smaller, but the quality should not be lower.

[jagabo]

This usually happens when you set too low a limit on the maximum bitrate, either deliberately via vbv-maxrate and vbv-buffer size, or via the Profile@Level.

[bookagood]

Thank you for your reply.

When I select H.265 NVEnc, I can only select the Automatic and Main profile. I chose the level 6 and the maximum possible - 6.2. I tried to compare H.264 CQ20 and H.265 on 15 min game video with different settings. H.265 has a noticeably lower quality in CQ from 1 to 20. To make quality is comparable with H.264 CQ20, for H.265 I need to manually set the bit rate, which makes the file comparable in size to H.264 CQ.

I didn't enter additional arguments, because I don't know which ones are needed. Sad that VidCoder has limited settings for this codec.

But for some reason, video encoded with level 6 and higher appears in MediaInfo as Level 5

[jagabo]

H.265 has a noticeably lower quality in CQ from 1 to 20.

CQ in x264 and x265 aren't meant to deliver the same quality or file size.

To make quality is comparable with H.264 CQ20 for H.265 I need to manually set the bit rate, which makes the file comparable in size to H.264 CQ.

Or just use a lower CQ. One that delivers the quality you want.

[bookagood]

Or just use a lower CQ. One that delivers the quality you want.

In the case of H.265 NVEnc, when the CQ level is changed from 1 to 20 and higher, the quality remains the same and even the file size remains practically unchanged. As I understand it, this should not happen? In this situation, I see only one plus in H.265 - it is less expensive than H.264 to use Target Size. It's convenient if I need to fit tightly into a fixed size and when there is not enough time to do test encodings to find out what the size will be. In case of H.264 CQ, I can only roughly understand what the size will be and only some time after the start of coding. In this case, H.265 is more beneficial in my opinion. But still, I expected more from H.265 (or VidCoder)

[jagabo]

In the case of H.265 NVEnc, when the CQ level is changed from 1 to 20 and higher, the quality remains the same and even the file size remains practically unchanged. As I understand it, this should not happen?

I don't use NVEnc, but in theory lower CQ levels should deliver better quality and larger files. That's the whole point of using CQ encoding. If that's not happening it's likely there is another constraint -- as I mentioned before. I'm sure this would have been mentioned many times here if it was a problem with NVEnc.

In this situation, I see only one plus in H.265 - it is less expensive than H.264 to use Target Size. It's convenient if I need to fit tightly into a fixed size and when there is not enough time to do test encodings to find out what the size will be. In case of H.264 CQ, I can only roughly understand what the size will be and only some time after the start of coding. In this case, H.265 is more beneficial in my opinion. But still, I expected more from H.265 (or VidCoder)

In theory, h.265 can achieve the same quality as h.264 with half the size (that was the stated goal of the codec). In my experience (again, not with NVEnc) it isn't quite that good -- more like the same quality at 2/3 to 3/4 the file size. But it can vary a lot depending on the properties of the video. Also, many of the improvements in h.265 are much more effective at high resolutions. Low resolution video doesn't benefit as much.

[sophisticles]

The problem may lay with the preset being used, Handbrake, and Vidcoder as far as I know, use predefined presets that are designed to automatically choose the settings used.

Try creating a custom preset or better yet use Staxrip.

[Maestro_Maxx]

I am NOT tech savvy at all. Not one bit. Most of what I read about the different video file formats makes not one bit of sense to me. The only thing I know are the basics about PAL, NTSC, SECAM. As for all the really technical details... I'm an idiot. But I have an issue and I'm hoping someone here can shed some light on this and maybe figure out a way that I can get this to work.

I have an issue with some video files in nearly ALL the various programs I use for ripping and/or burning back ups. In this case, I have a Japanese DVD loaned to me by a friend (because the yen price was rather expensive so I borrowed his to rip to my PC), and I also happen to have a subtitle file (srt) for this movie. I ripped the video (I dunno what you all use but I have Leawo, Acrock Video Converter, Any Video Converter, HD Video Converter and VideoProc. For editing I have Wondershare. So I have 6 different DVD ripping and converting/editing programs.

The original DVD is in MPEG4 at 29.97fps. So, I ripped it in that same format and frame rate. It's also 2.35:1 aspect ratio. So for the aspect ratio, I also left it set to "original aspect".

What I got from Acrock was a squeezed 1.85:1 within 16x9. How the heck did a 2.35:1 image ripped on "original aspect" become 1.85:1?
Then I went to VideoProc, now I have the 2.35:1 image but it's coming out like it's a video made for a 4:3 TV screen.
The same basic things kept happening with the other programs as well. So, since I want the actual image of 2.35:1 to fill my PC screen (black bars top and bottom, not on the sides) like it does with the actual DVD, I pulled the ripped copy into Wondershare and was able to stretch the image both sideways and top and bottom. I literally made a great 2.35:1 image, as it should be. However.... here's where I get very confused: Why does the size of the aspect ratio also have something to do with the size of the RESOLUTION? In other words, on the original DVD the resolution is something like 720x480. But this resolution, when ripped to an MPEG4 (even tried an MPEG2) makes the image come out like you're going to watch a 4:3 TV (even tho the movie is still correctly 2.35:1, it's just the same as the 2.35:1 of like a 90's letterbox VHS copy of "SPEED". Why does the resolution have to be set so HD just to get a correct aspect ratio? If I put the video through Wondeshare or any of the other programs at it's original resolution, I get the letterbox VHS look for 4:3 screens. When I change the resolution to 1280x720, then I get the correct aspect ratio, but I also get an image that has a weird 'squiggly' effect around people's outlines or outlines of things in the movie. Most especially with bright colors. This same weird affect also happened when I attempted to burn a DVD using Adobe Encore. Here are screen shots to show what I'm trying to explain. (Hopefully they show up). Anyway, can someone tell me how to keep a 2.35:1 aspect ratio WITHOUT having to bump the resolution up to HD?




[Attachment 60346 - Click to enlarge]
[Attachment 60347 - Click to enlarge]

[jagabo]

The original DVD is in MPEG4 at 29.97fps.

Commercial DVDs are never MPEG4. They are MPEG 2. https://www.videohelp.com/dvd

It's also 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

DVDs are always either 16:9 or 4:3 display aspect ratio. They may contain a 2.35:1 movie but it will be letterboxed within the frame.

Since you don't know what you're doing I recommend you use Handbrake. It will handle everything for you and it knows how to deal with DVDs.

[Maestro_Maxx]

"Commercial DVDs are never MPEG4. They are MPEG 2"

When I click to see the 'media info' in 3 programs, it literally says it's MPEG4 and 29.97 fps. I found it odd, but that's what it shows. My intent was to rip it in the same format it's manufactured in.

[Maestro_Maxx]

But I still need to figure out what's causing that 'squiggly' effect around the outline of people and objects in the image.

[jagabo]

"Commercial DVDs are never MPEG4. They are MPEG 2"

When I click to see the 'media info' in 3 programs, it literally says it's MPEG4 and 29.97 fps. I found it odd, but that's what it shows.

Movie DVDs contain IFO, BUP, and VOB files in a folder called VIDEO_TS. The VOB files are the MPEG2 video, the IFO files are the instructions that tell the player how to play the VOB files, the BUP files are a second copy of the IFO files in case an IFO file becomes unreadable.

Explorer view of a VIDEO_TS folder from a typical DVD:

[Attachment 60357 - Click to enlarge]

If your discs contain something else they are not movie DVDs but rather data DVDs. In which case you should be able to just copy the files from the DVD to your hard drive with Explorer.

My intent was to rip it in the same format it's manufactured in.

If their movie DVDs you can use MakeMVK. It will decrypt and remux the VOB contents into an MKV container. Or just decrypt and copy the contents to your hard drive as a VIDEO_TS folder with DVDFab or the old DVD Decryptor.

But I still need to figure out what's causing that 'squiggly' effect around the outline of people and objects in the image.

Those are interlace comb artifacts. How you deal with them depends on what your source is. You need to get that sorted out first.

[Maestro_Maxx]

In this case the source is an actual factory DVD. I've also noticed that strange effect on YouTube uploads. I just watched a trailer on YouTube today that has that weird effect, most especially noticeable when there is motion like an actor moving their hands or walking/running. Would love to know what's causing that and how to get around it.
I've burned a few DVDs in Abode Encore in which that effect shows up on the burned disc but DOES NOT show up in the video file when watching it on VLC Media Player or other program. But bring it into Encore and there it is. It doesn't happen on all burned DVDs, just a few. And NEVER happens on HD Blu-ray burns.

[jagabo]

In this case the source is an actual factory DVD.

Then the DVD does not have MPEG4 video. If you're "ripping" the DVD the resulting files may have MPEG4 video or be in an MP4 container, but the content of the DVD is NEVER MPEG4 anything.

I've also noticed that strange effect on YouTube uploads. I just watched a trailer on YouTube today that has that weird effect, most especially noticeable when there is motion like an actor moving their hands or walking/running. Would love to know what's causing that and how to get around it.
I've burned a few DVDs in Abode Encore in which that effect shows up on the burned disc but DOES NOT show up in the video file when watching it on VLC Media Player or other program. But bring it into Encore and there it is. It doesn't happen on all burned DVDs, just a few. And NEVER happens on HD Blu-ray burns.

Interlaced video is entirely normal. If you create your DVDs or BDs correctly, and playback with a proper player you won't see the combing during playback. You may or may not see the combing in an editor depending on how it's set up. But whether you see it or not while editing, if you create the final result properly it won't be a problem during playback.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlaced_video