MainConcept Deblocking Filter?
 

I have a pretty simple question to ask. As I mentioned in another thread I posted here, I use MainConcept TotalCode Studio 3.5 to do all my encoding. I'm typically encoding my Premiere projects using the Blu-ray x264 setting at 1080p.

I've had great success so far, but I'm sort of obsessive over every little setting to try and get the best quality encodes that I can. I'd like to know what the "Deblocking" filter is when using the x264 setting. Does this affect picture quality? Would it be better to set this on or off?

I think I recall someone mentioning that they thought that encoding in 1080p using the MPEG-2 codec yielded better picture quality and he attributed it to the "deblocking" filter that is enabled by default when using x264 settings.

I may be remembering that wrong, however.

Before anyone says it, I know I can just do two encodes one with this setting on and another with it off and compare results. I'm just looking for a better explanation of what this setting is and whether others feel that it affects picture quality.

Thanks.