Help Building FFmpeg and/or Handbrake with Special "Flavor" of x264

[simon744]

Doubt if bounty able to convince Kieran or someone else to work on PAFF in x264 will be lower than https://www.mainconcept.com/ffmpeg#buy-now .

Why would it be any higher or the same in price as the "AVC Broadcast Encoder Plugin", though? As far as I know, base x264 does almost everything offered by that plugin, for free! It's not even like PAFF support is what really is giving that product its price tag. Especially not, considering there are modified x264 forks with PAFF support that could do the same job if one managed to find them. More than likely, the "Pre-configured encoding and multiplexer profiles for professional Sony and Panasonic cameras" give it the hefty price tag.

You probably no need commercial license for broadcast AVC encoder - there is fundamental difference between x264 and Mainconcept products - you get warranty and proven broadcast (x264 is proven but without warranty). Don't get me wrong - using x264, no need to use Mainconcept and no need to have PAFF.

Yeah, but the thing is, I don't need a "broadcast encoder", and also, the PAFF implementation doesn't need to be broadcast quality, either. I'm pretty sure x264 MBAFF isn't broadcast-targeted, if that makes sense.

Try to raise some action, collect at least 4..5 figures bounty and convince someone to create broadcast PROVEN PAFF for x264, soon there will be need to create interlace support for x265 (h.265 formally is progressive but left some backdoor for interlaced content) so perhaps this can be extended on both.

Would love to organize all of that, but not sure if I have the skills or the outspokenness (maybe?) to. Besides, as I have already mentioned, there already are modified x264 builds out there with PAFF support, and I'm assuming they're not based on Kieran's fork since they're above "core 155" (that's what his fork's "version" is at). The fact that some people were able to successfully somehow squeeze or neatly place PAFF into more recent x264 builds makes me skeptical of the claim that the devs would need something close to "4..5 figures" to put it in there officially. Once again, I will be glad to make not one, but even a few modest donations in the future if they show willingness to fulfill the request, but they probably really won't need anything near the price point you suggested. If anything, they're going to need willingness.

I will be posting links to a few files encoded with the modified x264 builds for y'all to take a look at shortly.

[simon744]

Link 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G9_AjpyLyA--raQe3pn0h21cCura8dOx/view?usp=drive_link

MediaInfo:

Video
ID                             : 1
Format                         : AVC
Format/Info                    : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                 : High 4:2:2@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC         : Yes
Format settings, RefFrames     : 3 frames
Codec ID                       : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration                       : 4 min 34 s
Bit rate mode                  : Constant
Bit rate                       : 25.9 Mb/s / 25.9 Mb/s
Width                          : 1 920 pixels
Height                         : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio           : 16:9
Frame rate mode                : Variable
Frame rate                     : 59.940 (59940/1000) FPS
Original frame rate            : 29.970 (30000/1001) FPS
Color space                    : YUV
Chroma subsampling             : 4:2:2
Bit depth                      : 8 bits
Scan type                      : Interlaced
Scan type, store method        : Separated fields
Scan order                     : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)             : 0.208
Stream size                    : 840 MiB (84%)
Writing library                : x264 core 142
Encoding settings              : cabac=1 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=4 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=12 / lookahead_threads=3 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=tff / 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=0 / keyint=24 / keyint_min=2 / scenecut=0 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=20 / rc=cbr / mbtree=1 / bitrate=25899 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=25899 / vbv_bufsize=12950 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Default                        : Yes
Forced                         : No
Color range                    : Limited
Color primaries                : BT.709
Transfer characteristics       : BT.709
Matrix coefficients            : BT.709

Link 2 : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ayX7amtsCKHr3tKCbdJngdIYbiHnfQdk/view

MediaInfo:

Video
ID                             : 1
Format                         : AVC
Format/Info                    : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                 : High@L4.1
Format settings                : 3 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC         : No
Format settings, Reference fra : 3 frames
Codec ID                       : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration                       : 26 min 26 s
Bit rate mode                  : Constant
Bit rate                       : 31.2 Mb/s
Width                          : 1 920 pixels
Height                         : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio           : 16:9
Frame rate mode                : Variable
Frame rate                     : 59.940 (59940/1000) FPS
Original frame rate            : 29.970 (30000/1001) FPS
Color space                    : YUV
Chroma subsampling             : 4:2:0
Bit depth                      : 8 bits
Scan type                      : Interlaced
Scan type, store method        : Separated fields
Scan order                     : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)             : 0.251
Stream size                    : 5.73 GiB (99%)
Writing library                : x264 core 160 r3000
Encoding settings              : cabac=0 / ref=3 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=hex / subme=4 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=16 / lookahead_threads=4 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=tff / 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=0 / keyint=24 / keyint_min=2 / scenecut=0 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=20 / rc=cbr / mbtree=1 / bitrate=31199 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=31199 / vbv_bufsize=15600 / nal_hrd=none / filler=0 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
Default                        : Yes
Forced                         : No
Color range                    : Limited
Color primaries                : BT.709
Transfer characteristics       : BT.709
Matrix coefficients            : BT.709

[poisondeathray]

there already are modified x264 builds out there with PAFF support, and I'm assuming they're not based on Kieran's fork since they're above "core 155" (that's what his fork's "version" is at).

Any links to these other forks ? code repositories ?

[simon744]

there already are modified x264 builds out there with PAFF support, and I'm assuming they're not based on Kieran's fork since they're above "core 155" (that's what his fork's "version" is at).

Any links to these other forks ? code repositories ?

Unfortunately, not a single one that I could find. The whole point of posting all these is pointing out that it is not impossible or an extremely hard, pricey task of x264 devs to incorporate PAFF into the encoder, officially. They just won't do it, for some reason...even if it'd make this thing the best H.264 encoder around. Also, those who have already created forks should take care of them instead of letting them as they are, full of problems and errors.

[simon744]

You should be able to playback MBAFF smoothly with HW or SW decoding - there is something else going on

Intel QSV can encode PAFF too. 10th gen i3 should be able to.

eg.Rigaya's QSVencC . There might be some GUI's for it like StaxRip

Totally clueless as to what really could be behind this?

[pandy]

Yeah, but the thing is, I don't need a "broadcast encoder", and also, the PAFF implementation doesn't need to be broadcast quality, either. I'm pretty sure x264 MBAFF isn't broadcast-targeted, if that makes sense.

Broadcast encoder means all customer decoders should work fine with encoded content - this is more about compatibility and testing than quality (but quality can be also provided).

x264 is commonly used in broadcast mezzanines (or x264 customized forks) anyway if you properly set x264 then it should be broadcast compliant.

Would love to organize all of that, but not sure if I have the skills or the outspokenness (maybe?) to. Besides, as I have already mentioned, there already are modified x264 builds out there with PAFF support, and I'm assuming they're not based on Kieran's fork since they're above "core 155" (that's what his fork's "version" is at). The fact that some people were able to successfully somehow squeeze or neatly place PAFF into more recent x264 builds makes me skeptical of the claim that the devs would need something close to "4..5 figures" to put it in there officially. Once again, I will be glad to make not one, but even a few modest donations in the future if they show willingness to fulfill the request, but they probably really won't need anything near the price point you suggested. If anything, they're going to need willingness.

I will be posting links to a few files encoded with the modified x264 builds for y'all to take a look at shortly.

Well verification if PAFF from Kieran is used by those other PAFF compliant x264 should be quite straightforward - also you can try to promote PAFF patch within regular x264 development process - at least i would contact with x264 developers to get their feedback on this - it should be zero cost from your perspective. If PAFF working patch exist then perhaps it can be combined with official x264 trunk - if not then you may get knowledge why it is not possible.