Video Guides >
Encoding/Converting > MPEG with TMPGEnc Plus
Article last updated January 2, 2009
The Tsunami
MPEG Encoder (TMPGenc Plus) is
identified by many video enthusiasts as being one of the
best MPEG encoders available, due to its advanced options in
filtering and encoding. The MPEG output quality is
excellent, almost as good as high-end commercial encoding
engines such as Procoder and MainConcept. On modern
computers with fast CPUs and excess amount of RAM, the
encoding speeds are also quite speedy. A free trial is
available, and the software itself is only $37 to buy – an
amazing bargain.
Although this guide was built with TMPGEnc
Plus, the
settings and information should still be very similar with
the newer wizard-driven TMPGEnc Xpress and TMPGEnc DVD
Source Creator products. TMPGEnc Plus is still currently
sold by Pegasys, and is the suggested one to use.
Please be sure to use the most current version of TMPGEnc Plus
2.5.x, updates are free with valid serial numbers.
Optimizing Speed
Speed in TMPGEnc will often increase significantly
by
changing just a few settings.
Enable CPU and RAM options.
Enabling
these options make it run faster. Go to OPTION ->
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS -> CPU tab. Enable everything:
Raise Task Priority. This is essentially letting the
computer know how much of the CPU and RAM the TMPGEnc
software can use. Set them both on HIGH and then leave your
computer alone to encode.
Motion Search Precision. Although many will argue
about the meaning and the quality of output by using the
various levels of Motion Search, this setting is not a
direct determination of quality. Making it HIGH or HIGHEST
will not increase quality, but rather control the
instructions that tell the encoder how to produce the MPEG.
An MPEG by its very nature is a motion-searched group of
pictures. While the settings can AFFECT the quality of
output, it will NOT determine it. But even these affects are
limited in reach.
Searching motion for longer periods of time (HIGH and
HIGHEST) generally make no difference in final output,
especially when the bit-rate of the MPEG-2 is set at decent
levels. Beyond those that attempt to squeeze many hours on a
DVD (more than 3 hours) or attempt to convert large files to
a single CD, these options have very little use.
For MPEG-2 DVD files, HIGH provides excellent results without needlessly
adding time to the encode. (Ignore the illustration shown
below. In 2009, the speeds of computers make the different
between ESTIMATE and SLOW almost negligible!)
For MPEG-1 VCD files, HIGH provides the level
of search required for excellent results. Again, without
adding unneeded time.
TMPGEnc has several problems with options, mostly due to its
age and translation issues with the programmers. This
setting is one of those problematic aspects of the software,
because it really is not needed, at least not as it exists.
Most encoders make these determinations based upon your
desired output from the source. While some argue that this
"takes away" your control, it simply makes the best
decision without allowing room for error.
This setting would make more sense if it were labeled
differently. It could easily make them into four settings:
MPEG-2 DVD, MPEG-1 VCD, Mastering (HIGHEST) and Streaming
(LOWEST). Mastering would only be used on DVD footage that
has lots of high-impact, non-stop action (normally racing
movies and sporting events only) and for those that insist
on over-stretching the limitations of their media (the
6-hour DVD and 90-minute VCD scenario).
These settings are reflected in the guides below.
Problem
opening source files
Many people find certain files will not
open for them, but the true problem is that the program is
not yet setup to properly handle that type of input. Raising
the level of DirectShow and the MPEG-2 Codec often fixes
this.
Go to OPTIONS -> ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS -> VFAPI
PLUG-IN tab and alter as needed:
MPEG-2 Encoding Guide
Settings. Do not use the Wizard.
Manually open your video/audio sources, name the output
file, then click SETTINGS.
The settings window will appear. My resolution is set to
352x480 and I use NTSC source from the USA. Alter this as
desired or needed. Please be sure to
read the MPEG-vs-AVI CAPTURE guide for more information
about MPEG and bit-rates when deciding on an MPEG resolution
and accompanying bit-rate!
Most of the profile is standard DVD specifications.
Alter as needed for PAL. DC is set to 8 bits because 9 and
10 offer no improvements in this encoder, instead only
adding time to the final encode.
CQ Mode Settings. CQ mode is an excellent and
fast one-pass VBR format that uses a special method to
maintain quality, and it often rivals VBR output from itself
and other encoding programs. Feel free to change it to CBR
or VBR (but realize VBR adds more time). Some have suggested
that CQ actually means Constant Quantize.
Move on to the ADVANCED tab. Be sure your source is
setup properly. Mine is interlaced (top field) capture from
my ATI AIW card. Use 4:3 aspect and I want to view full
screen.
Filters. Add filters as desired. The ones
you'll use most have a BLUE DOT
by them. Comments about each one in red to the side. Adding
filters adds time to the encode.
Noise reduction. This is a nice filter, but
over-doing it will blur the image and add much time to the
encode process. I never use more than the 20-1-20 or 40-1-40
combination.
Remember that MPEG already removes some noise due to the
nature of that format. And the tv will not see all the noise
that the computer monitor will see. However, a tv is already
a blurry device, so it is looks blurry on your monitor, it
will appear worse on a tv set!
High quality mode provides no advantages over the standard
mode. What little it does can double or triple encode times,
and the minor advantage over standard mode will not be seen
on the tv set anyhow.
GOP Structure. This is the structure of the MPEG, and
will make it DVD compatible if followed properly. What is
shown is standard NTSC GOP length. It can go to 18, but 15
is best since tv sets operate off a 60hz, 30fps drop-frame
setup. PAL can be up to 15fps too, so this setting is fine
for PAL users.
I use CLOSED GOP because quite a few authoring packages
(notably DVDit! PE) will reject open-GOP files. It is also
easier to splice Closed GOP files. Detect Scene change to
improve quality (will prevent P or B from appearing at a bad
time).
Quantize settings. This determines several factors of
the MPEG, including some quality from the encoding, some
motion aspects and some anti-macroblock defense.
The DEFAULT MATRIX that comes with TMPGEnc Plus is the best
one. The CG/Animation and MPEG Standard tend to create
macroblocks and problems in shadows. Overall quality issues.
Customizing this (or using special templates like KVCD) will
often create-out-of-spec MPEG files and make them unreadable
by standard DVD players.
"Output YUV as...". This setting makes zero
sense. Arguments erupt from this non-sense setting all the
time on video forums. Simply stated, due to the language
barrier with the TMPGEnc programmers, nobody knows what this
means, as it related to colorspace and RGB/YUV conversion.
Using the ATI AIW from tv source, leaving it UNCHECKED looks
best. Test a few minutes on a CD-RW or DVD-RW on your tv and
computer. Selecting the wrong option will either 1) make
brights turn white and dark turn dark, or 2) it will make
black turn muddy gray and white turn into pastels.
Do not use No Motion Search as it will affect the
fluidity of movement. Only use this is you video is still
images, like a slideshow being converted.
Soften Block Noise should only be used when the
source has macroblocks or when the output is likely going to
have Macroblocks due to potentially insufficient bit-rates
to maintain perfect image stability. This mostly applies to
using low-resolution source and/or encoding to VCD or XVCD.
Audio. Go to the AUDIO tab and select either MPEG
(MP2) audio or PCM (WAV) format. DVD is 48Hz and VCD is
44.1Hz. Stereo is best, and I use 256k on DVD (provides
slightly richer sound than 192 or 224) and VCD is forced to
use 224k.
I would never use use TMPGEnc to edit audio, as it is
not very good.
System. The system tab should show MPEG-2 Program VBR as
the encode header.
MPEG-1 Encoding Guide
The settings for MPEG-1 are not much
different than the settings for MPEG-2. When making VCD, the
main differences are in the resolution and bit-rate found on
the VIDEO tab.
Video settings. VCD has strict standards on MPEG-1
files. They are 352x240 at 1150k bit-rate. Changing this
creates and out-of-spec XVCD that may or may not play or
your player.
Note: Most players do support the
1856k DVD MPEG-1 format on CD as well. Using up to 1856
bit-rate results in superior quality at that resolution in
this format. This will prevent motion problems and
macroblocking as is common of the 1150k VCD video.
Other settings. Beyond the video, you only have
a few other things that can be changed. Pretty much just
look at the MPEG-2 guide and follow its settings.
- The GOP structure of DVD works fine on VCD. Feel free to
lengthen or lower numbers to match other VCD templates that
exist. Keep DVD spec is convenient because you may then
convert VCD to DVD at a later date.
- Audio must be 44.1hz 224k to be true CD audio. Using
anything else creates a XVCD. Most player reject overly-low
or overly-high audio bit-rates and HZ.
- Consider enabling the SOFTEN BLOCK NOISE filter under
Quantize Matrix to prevent macroblocks from becoming visible
if making true VCD or low bit-rate XVCD.
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