AMD “Usage” presets issue and no B frames for h264

[JN-]

TBH I cannot see any way forward. I have used VCEEncC64.exe to prove B frames and presets do work, but not using ffmpeg. I don't know how to render without the 2 red warnings. I use ffmpeg anyway and VCEEncC64.exe has served it's purpose, thanks PDR. This is the link I mentioned earlier https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-intel-nvidia-video-encoding-performance-quality-tested

A few minutes ago I downloaded the latest updates for ffmpeg and AMD Adrenlin software. No change with respect to the presets or B frames output using ffmpeg. Of course I may be doing something wrong. I will keep an eye on this space and post if anything changes.

Thanks for that useful info on quantizers Jagabo.

[JN-]

Also, thanks Pandy and october262 for the very useful links.

[JN-]

I just noticed something. In this link supplied by Pandy https://github.com/rigaya/VCEEnc the same error messages appear near the top of his, Chris Griffiths Commands used for Pre analysis. Two lines beginning with the words Storage. I’ve put a mention of this in post 22.

“ Commands Used for Pre-Analysis
VCEEncC.exe -i big_buck_bunny_1080p24.y4m --trim 0:2880 --video-metadata clear --metadata clear --chapter-copy -c avc --vbr 5000 --bframes 3 --ref 3 --b-pyramid --preset slow --level auto --motion-est q-pel --pe --colorrange tv --avsync cfr -o big_buck_bunny_1080p-vce-5000-bp.mp4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
big_buck_bunny_1080p-vce-5000-bp.mp4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
storage->SetProperty(BPicturesDeltaQP)=6 failed: invalid param..
storage->SetProperty(ReferenceBPicturesDeltaQP)=4 failed: invalid param..

[jagabo]

Have you tried manually setting all three qp values with something like "--cqp 20:22:24"? Or specifying a --b-deltaqp value?

[JN-]

The default is 22:24:27. I tried what you suggested. Same result.

If I enter the following without the bframes entry then the red warnings go away ...
VCEEncC64 --codec h264 --bref-deltaqp 10 --bframes 2 --gop-len 24 --audio-copy -i "%1" -o "Output.mp4"

So this is ok ... VCEEncC64 --codec h264 --bref-deltaqp 10 --gop-len 24 --audio-copy -i "%1" -o "Output.mp4"

But of course it doesn't output B frames.

[pandy]

It would be interesting to see what kind of quantizer factor is used for B frames...
Also request support from AMD - at least they should have ticket in system that someone care about proper VCE work...

[JN-]

I don’t think Amd would be of much use. The Amd card is producing B frames in OBS and also using the Vceenc … util. So they would say that in that regard its working. I am coming around to the belief that its an ffmpeg issue because its not working in it. Same applies to presets. The Amd testing done by Toms hardware also used the Vceenc … util, and had no issues because otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to do the tests.

I borrowed again my buddy’s laptop, not cutting edge but has I guess an Amd apu. Doesn’t support B frames but of the 4 presets, 3 output identical and one was different, using ffmpeg. This was in contrast to using my new gpu which output all 4 presets the same, using ffmpeg. I had used the very latest ffmpeg, but didn’t want to interfere with the display driver. So ill just wait a few months and see what happens.

So far, to summarise using the latest ffmpeg, the latest Amd driver, one of Amds latest gpu's I have observed 3 issues.

No B frame output
All presets are the same, no differentiation between presets.
Av1 outputs 1082 insted of 1080 for AV1 FHD encodes.

[pandy]

I don’t think Amd would be of much use. The Amd card is producing B frames in OBS and also using the Vceenc … util. So they would say that in that regard its working. I am coming around to the belief that its an ffmpeg issue because its not working in it. Same applies to presets. The Amd testing done by Toms hardware also used the Vceenc … util, and had no issues because otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to do the tests.

AMD may provide guidelines how to use ffmpeg and they may also provide AMD ffmpeg build where B frames are supported (they may produce such builds internally even for testing).

[JN-]

I don’t think Amd would be of much use. The Amd card is producing B frames in OBS and also using the Vceenc … util. So they would say that in that regard its working. I am coming around to the belief that its an ffmpeg issue because its not working in it. Same applies to presets. The Amd testing done by Toms hardware also used the Vceenc … util, and had no issues because otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to do the tests.

AMD may provide guidelines how to use ffmpeg and they may also provide AMD ffmpeg build where B frames are supported (they may produce such builds internally even for testing).

I just don't see it as an Amd issue, more an ffmpeg issue.

[JN-]

By adding -max_b_frames it works, up to 3 B frames in AMD h264. Is N/A for hevc. I downloaded the latest ffmpeg static a few days ago. The last build I was using was 25th-May which didn't work like so.