TotalCode Studio: optimal settings for VCR encodings?

[vmax]

What are the recommended TotalCode Studio settings when encoding a 4:2:2 15mbps+ MPEG-2 archive copy as outlined by LS? Source material is a video tape captured losslessly.

Here is what I currently use -- any optimization tips would be highly appreciated:

1. Preset "Custom : MPEG-2 422".

2. Video settings as defaults except for changing "Color Range" to "Full", and Rate to "15000kbps". (Please see attachment 1.)

3. Audio settings as defaults. (Please see attachment 2.)
- What about the rate, is the default 224kbps ok, or is a higher value advised?

4. Video Encoder's advanced settings as defaults. (Please see attachments 3, 4, and 5.)
- However, would it be good to change Level from "Main" to "High" or "High 1440" on Advanced Settings tab (please see attachment 4)? LS mentioned elsewhere "MPEG-2 422@HL encode" as something to consider. LS, if you're reading this, is that the setting you refer to by "HL"?

Thanks for any tips!

[themaster1]

High 1440 that's for HD, as far as SD archival; high, 4.2.2, 15 Mbps and most importantly (if you can set it) i frames only so every frame is an i frame (all informations in the each frame) but very inefficient in terms of coding , and big file.

Audio: the high the better , lpcm if you can

[lordsmurf]

There are a lot more tweaks to be made, but it'll be next weekend before I can reply.

[joonas]

Following.

-- merged --

Can anyone discuss about it besides lordsmurf?

[themaster1]

discuss then ...

[joonas]

Well my system for rendering is pretty powerful, that is why I am using P/Q 31. Also I am using "DC Precision" 8-bit to keep it close to original.

Also noting that I am in PAL/(ME)SECAM.

[lollo2]

Quote:

Can anyone discuss about it besides lordsmurf?

I do not see a single reason for encoding to MPEG2 today.

For archive and watching on PC and YouTube upload, I just keep/use the original lossless capture (HuffYUV in my case).

For encoding and watching on TV, I use h264 at crf=17.

[joonas]

Well as I collector of specific theme I want to exchange the files with others so the MPEG2 for us is the general consensus in which we have agreed on.

I also keep backup of my original AVI captures and encode them to h264 if necessary (streaming etc).

[themaster1]

Dc precision= higher is better but old dvd players may be in trouble with 10 bits.
It's more important for cartons i believe. This setting control the transition from full white to full black. 9 bits is fine, 8 is old school

[lollo2]

Quote:

What are the recommended TotalCode Studio settings when encoding a 4:2:2 15mbps+ MPEG-2 archive copy

Quote:

Well as I collector of specific theme I want to exchange the files with others so the MPEG2 for us is the general consensus in which we have agreed on.

In the first question you asked about "archive copy". For me, nothing except the original capture is worth for archiving.

The distribution agreed format between collectors can be whatever you prefer

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vmax

What are the recommended TotalCode Studio settings when encoding

Video is math. When it comes to encoding, the main speed AND quality differentiator is rounding and decimal places. Followed by the search radius, intraframe and interframe, sort of the pre-math dragnet of the facts to run the equations.

Bitrate is only part of it. But most encoders templates everything, so you're not aware of what's happening, or that options even exist.

So let's take MPEG-2 @ 4:2:2 as the example.

Yes, MPEG2 422 custom base setting.

The GOP, I-frame distance, which controls compression and image quality deterioration per frame. Higher gives better compression, better use of the bitrate temporally, but can have visuals break down in a pulsing way. Reduce frames, less pulse/break, but then less efficiency of bitrate allocated. It's content based. I generally leave default, or reduce, never extend.

In MC, the "noise sensitivity" motion setting is really defaulted too high in most cases, set to 3.

I've actually covered most of this before. For example, look at this post:
https://www.digitalFAQ.com/forum/vid...html#post17999

MP2 audio @ 256 or 384 stereo is far more suggested.

The profile really depends on usage. Never 1440, that's for HDV res. Just @422 in most cases.
HL = high
ML = main

Quote:

Originally Posted by themaster1

15 Mbps and most importantly (if you can set it) i frames only so every frame is an i frame (all informations in the each frame) but very inefficient in terms of coding , and big file.

I would never do that. If you want I-only, then 50mbits. Otherwise find sweet spot, balance GOP and bitrate.

Quote:

Audio: the high the better , lpcm if you can

Since LPCM is almost never seen as compliant, never do it. High compression MPEG Layer or AC3 Dolby only.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lollo2

I do not see a single reason for encoding to MPEG2 today.

There are many. A main issue the utter failure for most streaming devices to properly deinterlace H.264. Those mostly expect progress H.264. But there are others, such as MPEG not compromising sharpness (instead adding blocks), while H.264 can turn to mush even at higher CRF/bitrates..

Quote:

I just keep/use the original lossless capture (HuffYUV in my case).

Sometimes it's just not viable, nor even prudent. For example, MPEG can be salvaged with missing data. With the AVI, you're usually screwed, it's fully failed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joonas

Well as I collector of specific theme I want to exchange the files with others so the MPEG2 for us is the general consensus in which we have agreed on.

Yep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by themaster1

Dc precision= higher is better but old dvd players may be in trouble with 10 bits.
It's more important for cartons i believe. This setting control the transition from full white to full black. 9 bits is fine, 8 is old school

Yep, 9.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lollo2

The distribution agreed format between collectors can be whatever you prefer

Nope. Most higher-end groups have minimum standards, not torrent kiddies that upload butchered crap like most. MPEG-2 is an adhered standard to some.

[lollo2]

Quote:

There are many. A main issue the utter failure for most streaming devices to properly deinterlace H.264. Those mostly expect progress H.264.

There are none. A bad handled interlaced h264 is generally because encoding errors by the user, not because the device.
All DVB-S and DVB-T broadcast, addressing then set-up boxes and TVs all around the world, switched since longtime form MPEG2 to MPEG-4 AVC and interlaced programs are still broadcasted and well displayed.

Quote:

But there are others, such as MPEG not compromising sharpness (instead adding blocks), while H.264 can turn to mush even at higher CRF/bitrates.

There can be some boundary exception (that I never met nor seen, if you have any example show it here), but h264 is far superior to MPEG2 in all aspects.

Quote:

Sometimes it's just not viable, nor even prudent. For example, MPEG can be salvaged with missing data. With the AVI, you're usually screwed, it's fully failed.

It is the opposite. If a data corruption occurs, a lossy compressed file like a MPEG2 stream propagates the error to all P-frames and B-frames. Even using I-frames only, the compression of data propagate the error to larger area inside the frame.
For the most important material, a good flow is to run ICEECC or similar on the archive and create 10% parity files in case of future data corruption and store the original files on 2 different hard drives.

Quote:

Nope. Most higher-end groups have minimum standards, not torrent kiddies that upload butchered crap like most. MPEG-2 is an adhered standard to some.

A group of friends can share MPEG1, Divx, MPEG2, MPEG4-AVC or whatever format they wish, I can understand.
For distribution, the better format today is h264. For archive is the original capture.

[vmax]

Thanks for the replies!

For now, I decided to keep the original lossless captures and create high quality playback files in TotalCode Studio using preset "Blu-Ray : BD MPEG-2 Low Resolution".

However, that brought up another question as that preset defaults to using LPCM for audio, but LS wrote: "Since LPCM is almost never seen as compliant, never do it".

The only other options TotalCode Studio provides for this preset are "Dolby Digital" and "Dolby Digital Plus", and neither can be used without buying a costly Audio Pack.

Any suggestions on how to proceed? Should I instead use another preset to create high quality playback files, or is LPCM appropriate in this case?

[Hushpower]

I would have thought Totalcode (which I don't know anything about) would create MP2 or AC-3 audio with the MPEG 2 video files. There should be no need to convert the audio away from LPCM beforehand.

Install Mediainfo and open one of your Totalcode-created files in it. It'll tell you what type of audio you're getting with your BD MPEG files. "Text" view is the best.

[vmax]

I've verified that the audio is in LPCM format (MediaInfo says "PCM").

I suppose the reason why TotalCode Studio only allows LPCM, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital Plus with the "Blu-Ray : BD MPEG-2 Low Resolution" preset is to stay compliant with Blu-Ray standard.

It certainly is possible to use MP2 if one uses DVD preset, for example.

However, with DVD preset video quality would be poorer, so if LPCM isn't advisable, the solution might be to create a custom preset for this use only.

[Hushpower]

Quote:

However, that brought up another question as that preset defaults to using LPCM for audio, but LS wrote: "Since LPCM is almost never seen as compliant, never do it".

Reading the thread top to bottom again, I think LS is referring to MPEG 2 archiving here. Since you're archiving your original lossless captures, that won't apply.

For your case, sharing with your mates, MPEG 2+LPCM (your TC preset) may be OK, but MP4 (H264 + AAC audio) is more efficient, space-wise; the MP4 files end up about half the size of MPEG 2 files, at least.

[vmax]

I suppose that might be the case. The only downside I've so far noticed with LPCM is that Avidemux doesn't seem to be able to handle it properly (at least in TotalCode Studio created files, the right audio channel gets corrupted). But that's likely a bug in Avidemux.

The reason I'm using MPEG-2 instead of MPEG-4 is to avoid any interlacing related issues that some warn about when using MPEG-4 with VCR captures.

[themaster1]

better use staxrip, you can encode in dolby ac3 and also interlaced h264 (x264) if you use the proper command (custom switch)
more infos: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/...MBAFF-Encoding

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vmax

with the "Blu-Ray : BD MPEG-2 Low Resolution" preset
with DVD prese

Don't use a preset. You're not making discs, but archiving. For example, disc formats will constrain to 4:2:0, while you really want 4:2:2 for archive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by themaster1

better use staxrip, you can encode in dolby ac3 and also interlaced h264

Those x264 GUIs usually result in lower quality encodes; Hybrid is the sole exception.

And interlaced H.264 is a problem for almost all devices, regardless of whatever may be claimed somewhere.

MPEG-2 is the standard for SD video, not H.264.
Leave H.264 for computer formats, HD, etc, what it was designed for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hushpower

but MP4 (H264 + AAC audio) is more efficient, space-wise; the MP4 files end up about half the size of MPEG 2 files, at least.

Not everything is about space, especially not in the current era where you can get 16tb+ sized drives for under $300.