I am having a hell of a time trying to get a nice clean encode of The Simpsons. The original files are captured via my ReplayTV. I have been able to get other shows done nicely but this is my first quality attempt at animation.

I am using the current Optimal Script (before today's changes 6/29). Looking at the source in VirtualDub and MPEG VCR it is obvious that there are 3 or so progessive frames in a row and then two obviously interlaced frames. This pattern is pretty consisten wherever I check in the clip.

I am taking this to mean it has been telecinded.

So I have added Telecide() & Decimate() to the Optimal Script.

I am using the last available KVCD3 template in TMPGEnc. The only changes are the Motion Precision Search to (fast) and checking (closed GOP) for chaptering in VCDEasy. I also add a small audio offset ~100ms in the source range based on DVD2AVI.

I am using DVD2AVI 1.76 and Avisynth 2.52. TOK says I can put three 20 minute episodes on 1 80min CD-R with a CQ of 62.01. Since the episodes vary one to another I have encoded 6 of them all with CQ 60. I also set the GOP to 12 as suggested in the Optimal Script post. No other modifications to the KVCD3 template other than those listed.

The quality sucks. At the beginning of a few episodes there is scrolling white text that jumps along like it is skipping. What looks like scene changes are jerky. When the scene is not panning it plays smooth but there is significant "noise" around lines or in places where colors chage.

At 60 CQ the size is right on. Just about any 3 episodes fit on a CD-R with a little room to spare. (~775 MB). That is 1 hour at CQ 60 with a frame rate of 23.97.

It should not look this weak?

HELP!

Has anyone used the Optimal Script on animation effectively? Am I wrong in assuming The Simpsons are Telecined?

Movies, non-animated TV... both look great. Any help is appreciated.

I posted this here because my gut is telling me this is entirely a script issue and that CQ 60 should be enough.

FYI... I have tried 352x480. It is too blurry. Less noise than the KVCD3 but still more than I expected. The motion is not as much of an issue but is still not smooth. I have also tried 352x240 and it even more blurry but the moition is better. Too blurry to tell about noise or artifacts. 480x480 looks the same as 528x480. I have not tested FieldDeinterlace() instead of Decimate() and Telicide(). I wanted to ask for help before I was several more hours with testing, burning and being annoyed.

Grantman

As for the noise and the Gibbs effects you're getting you should seriously try out mSoften Filter! It's designed for animated movies mostly, and will help you to get rid of that noise I'm sure. However it's a speed killer...

www.avisynth.org/~warpenterprises

__________________
j3llyG0053

hi Grantman.. Morning..

Also, you might want to give those clips another sifting through.

When you sift through the frames, don't assume that it's a "steady"
Telecine patter ie, 3,2 K ??

Usually, when they looks 3,2 if you keep going for another minute, you'll
see the its not entirely 3,2 !! Some frames repeat, while others are like
4,1 and so on and so forth.

There's a MODE= setting that illudes me.. and maybe one other setting for
this.. I think it's THRESHOLD=0 or something like that in the Telecine()
or Decimate() command.

But, first identify that you pattern is complete 3,2 or 4,1 or whathhave you.
You want to see if it's "illregular" and if so, the above might be what you're
looking for, and will probably result in a much better encode.

Hope that helped.
have a good day.
-vhelp