A question about settings on Xmedia Recode

[anet88]

Hi all, I would like to convert some videos in 1080p H.264 format to 480p H.264 format

I would like to know what the equivalent of hanbrake's fast480p 30 preset on XMedia Recode
because Handbrake on my pc is slow.

I would like to get a DVD quality obviously compressed (480p H.264 format)
Also it is better to use Constant Quality or Average Bitrate two-pass encoding?

[davexnet]

Try starting with constant quality (21), preset medium, Tune - none (although some like the look of "film')
Do a test encode and adjust as necessary

Average bitrate is really intended to be used when you need to be able to predict the output file size.
(Like 20 years ago when they produced 700MB movie rips to be copied to a CD)

[anet88]

In filters/preview in resolution where there is width and height beside there are some parameters: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. What do they mean?

[davexnet]

In filters/preview in resolution where there is width and height beside there are some parameters: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. What do they mean?

If you change the resolution, those small numbers allow the program to round it off to a value cleanly divisible
by the number. For example, if you choose 614 as the width but you choose mod 4, the program will force it up to 616.

In other words it's a quick and dirty way of enforcing a specific "mod" size (important for some color spaces)

Best to stick to mod 4 or greater

[anet88]

In filters/preview in resolution where there is width and height beside there are some parameters: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. What do they mean?

If you change the resolution, those small numbers allow the program to round it off to a value cleanly divisible
by the number. For example, if you choose 614 as the width but you choose mod 4, the program will force it up to 616.

In other words it's a quick and dirty way of enforcing a specific "mod" size (important for some color spaces)

Best to stick to mod 4 or greater

So if I choose a 720x480 resolution is the value 2 okay or should I go to 4 and above?

Does it have any influence on the final quality?

[anet88]

I made a screenshot of the same video converted with both handbrake and xmedia recode I noticed by zooming in on the image that the xmedia recode image is more opaque and blurry, maybe I have to set some other settings to get a video quality similar to Handbrake?

[davexnet]

I made a screenshot of the same video converted with both handbrake and xmedia recode I noticed by zooming in on the image that the xmedia recode image is more opaque and blurry, maybe I have to set some other settings to get a video quality similar to Handbrake?

Best place to start is comparing the x264 settings within each program. For example , the preset and quality value.
Or if you still have the files, open them with mediainfo, put it in text view, and post the info here.

Or you can post a short clip taken from the files themselves.

[anet88]

I made a screenshot of the same video converted with both handbrake and xmedia recode I noticed by zooming in on the image that the xmedia recode image is more opaque and blurry, maybe I have to set some other settings to get a video quality similar to Handbrake?

Best place to start is comparing the x264 settings within each program. For example , the preset and quality value.
Or if you still have the files, open them with mediainfo, put it in text view, and post the info here.

Or you can post a short clip taken from the files themselves.

With Handbrake

Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42 (mp42/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 43.9 MiB
Duration : 3 min 55 s
Overall bit rate : 1 565 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2021-09-19 07:08:30
Tagged date : UTC 2021-09-19 07:08:30
Writing application : HandBrake 1.4.0 2021071800

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3.1
Format settings : CABAC / 4 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 4 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 3 min 55 s
Bit rate : 1 430 kb/s
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Original display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Variable
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Minimum frame rate : 23.974 FPS
Maximum frame rate : 23.981 FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.173
Stream size : 40.1 MiB (91%)
Writing library : x264 core 163 r3059 b684ebe0
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=2 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=hex / subme=6 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=3 / lookahead_threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=1 / b_bias=0 / direct=1 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=1 / keyint=240 / keyint_min=24 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=30 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=20.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=14000 / vbv_bufsize=14000 / crf_max=0.0 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2021-09-19 07:08:30
Tagged date : UTC 2021-09-19 07:08:30
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
mdhd_Duration : 235318
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 3 min 55 s
Source duration : 3 min 55 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 129 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 3.61 MiB (8%)
Source stream size : 3.61 MiB (8%)
Title : Stereo
Language : English
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1
Encoded date : UTC 2021-09-19 07:08:30
Tagged date : UTC 2021-09-19 07:08:30
mdhd_Duration : 235381


With XMedia Recode

Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media
Codec ID : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size : 44.2 MiB
Duration : 3 min 55 s
Overall bit rate : 1 575 kb/s
Encoded date : UTC 2020-07-21 15:20:30
Tagged date : UTC 2020-07-21 15:20:30
Writing application : Lavf59.5.100

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L3.1
Format settings : CABAC / 2 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames : 2 frames
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 3 min 55 s
Bit rate : 1 442 kb/s
Maximum bit rate : 2 400 kb/s
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Original display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Color space : RGB
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.174
Stream size : 40.4 MiB (92%)
Writing library : x264 core 164 r3059
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=3 / lookahead_threads=1 / 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=0 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=239 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=40 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 / crf=20.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=2400 / vbv_bufsize=14000 / crf_max=0.0 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=3:1.00
Encoded date : UTC 2020-07-21 15:20:30
Tagged date : UTC 2020-07-21 15:20:30
Color range : Limited
Matrix coefficients : Identity
Codec configuration box : avcC

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : mp4a-40-2
Duration : 3 min 55 s
Source duration : 3 min 55 s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 128 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz
Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 3.59 MiB (8%)
Source stream size : 3.59 MiB (8%)
Language : English
Default : Yes
Alternate group : 1
Encoded date : UTC 2020-07-21 15:20:30
Tagged date : UTC 2020-07-21 15:20:30
mdhd_Duration : 235381

[davexnet]

You could try setting video/b-frames/B-pyramid = normal,
that's the only thing I see that deviates from the "medium" preset.

I can't see a difference during normal playback speeds.

If you want to pursue further, you'll have to post some sample of the source and output videos

[abolibibelot]

(Like 20 years ago when they produced 700MB movie rips to be copied to a CD)

Whoever “they” are, “they” are still doing it, those godforsaken bastards, no matter how nonsensical it has become.
And there's demand for that kind of crap. Some people think that a movie rip “should” be a 700MB file, just because.
(Reminds me of a long lost friend who was convinced that a good movie “should” have black bars — referring to letterboxing — and the better the movie, the thicker the black bars.)

You could try setting video/b-frames/B-pyramid = normal,
that's the only thing I see that deviates from the "medium" preset.

Don't know what is the default with “medium” preset for that parameter, but one has “reference frames = 2”, the other “reference frames = 4”. (Unless that's precisely what the “b-frames/B-pyramid” setting is about ?)
Also XMediaRecode seems to be using a more recent version of x264. (But normally that should result in a better efficiency.)

[anet88]

You could try setting video/b-frames/B-pyramid = normal,
that's the only thing I see that deviates from the "medium" preset.

I can't see a difference during normal playback speeds.

If you want to pursue further, you'll have to post some sample of the source and output videos

Here are the pictures zoom in at 150% to see the differences


This with handbrake


[Attachment 60827 - Click to enlarge]



This with xmedia recode

I used the setting you suggested then I changed the reference frames = 2 to reference frames = 4 and I also set this Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

With bilinear scaling mode


[Attachment 60828 - Click to enlarge]

This always with xmedia recode

Same settings as above but I tried changing the scaling mode to bicubic spiline, and it seems that the quality is close to that of handbrake even if it is a bit slower to convert and the final file is bigger than the first two. So at this point I think the problem is in the scaling mode but I'm not an expert, what do you think? What do you suggest?


[Attachment 60829 - Click to enlarge]

[jagabo]

vbv_maxrate 2400 vs. vbv_maxrate 14000 may be an issue.

But both programs are using the same encoder so they will encode at the same speed with the same settings.

[davexnet]

vbv_maxrate 2400 vs. vbv_maxrate 14000 may be an issue.

But both programs are using the same encoder so they will encode at the same speed with the same settings.

I don't know how this program is setting this value, especially with CRF encoding.
Is it based on the profile/level? VBV buffer size seems related to the level.
x264 default is 0, and if it's not specified nothing shows up in mediainfo

[anet88]

So how do I proceed?
It's been almost two weeks and I still haven't figured out how to proceed.

[jagabo]

I don't use the program but this post mentions how to set vbv_maxrate in XMedia Recode:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/384150-encoding-blue-rays-with-xmedia-recode#post2490095

And this site appears to show a dialog where it's set:
https://www.xmedia-recode.de/hilfe/vcodec/h264_bitratensteuerung.php

[davexnet]

I sent a message to the author reporting the somewhat odd behavior of VBV maximum bitrate, the VBV bufsize
is set from the level.
You could set VBV max bitrate to 0 on the "rate control" tab and x264 will use defaults.
Why don't you try some test encodes and see if it does what you want?