OK. As promised here is the first round of encoding tests. This test uses footage from the start of the film where the Tantive is swallowed up and we first see 3P0 and R2. I will also try the same tests on a desert scene, a cantina scene and maybe a battle of Yavin Scene if time permits.
First Download the source file, a 1.8 GB 59 second clip Pro Res Quicktime:
http://we.tl/OpnATUbsDZ
This is not a re-encode of the MKV that was released - this is straight from the master. (I don’t have the full master, yet, just some clips to test with)
And then compare it to the encoded files here:
http://we.tl/lHuDPvG6Aj
Let’s start with the settings we used for our MKV.
StarWars_Opening_TN1.m4v
Encoded with a recent build of ffmpeg using a command very similar to this one (here the audio is ommitted):
ffmpeg -i G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov -c:v libx264 -level 4.0 -pix_fmt yuv420p -preset veryslow -tune grain -crf 19 -g 24 -threads 6 -x264opts bluray-compat=1:vbv-bufsize=20000:vbv-maxrate=30000 -an -y “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_TN1.m4v”
Next up: StarWars_Opening_Ru08.m4v
If I recall correctly, RU.08 simply wanted us to use the same settings, but make the CRF value 16, I apologize if there were other tweaks suggested by RU.08 that I missed, but that seemed to be the main change being requested:
ffmpeg -i G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov -c:v libx264 -level 4.0 -pix_fmt yuv420p -preset veryslow -tune grain -crf 16 -g 24 -threads 6 -x264opts bluray-compat=1:vbv-bufsize=20000:vbv-maxrate=30000 -an -y “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_Ru08.m4v”
Next: StarWars_Opening_Jan.264
Jan sent us to this page: http://www.x264bluray.com/home/1080i-p so those are the settings I tried:
x264-64.exe --bitrate 24000 --preset veryslow --tune grain --bluray-compat --vbv-maxrate 40000 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --level 4.1 --keyint 24 --open-gop --slices 4 --colorprim “bt709” --transfer “bt709” --colormatrix “bt709” --sar 1:1 --pass 1 -o “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_Jan.264” G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov && “d:\Firefox Downloads\x264-64.exe” --bitrate 24000 --preset veryslow --tune grain --bluray-compat --vbv-maxrate 40000 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --level 4.1 --keyint 24 --open-gop --slices 4 --colorprim “bt709” --transfer “bt709” --colormatrix “bt709” --sar 1:1 --pass 2 -o “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_Jan.264” G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov
Chouonsoku. This command produced my own personal preference. Now that Chouonsoku has a good source clip perhaps this can be tweaked more, but even as is, it produces a very fine looking clip in my opinion, also one of the smaller ones, and fastest encodes. So unless anyone can find a frame where this encode looks worse than all the others, this is probably the way we’ll go with future encodes.
StarWars_Opening_Chouonsoku.264 was created using this command:
x264-64.exe --level 4.1 --bluray-compat --preset veryslow --bitrate 24000 --deblock -2:-2 --open-gop --slices 4 --ipratio 1.2 --pbratio 1.2 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --vbv-maxrate 40000 --qcomp 0.7 --no-mbtree --psy-rd 1.10:0 --no-dct-decimate --no-fast-pskip --colorprim bt709 --transfer bt709 --colormatrix bt709 --aq-mode 3 --pass 1 -o “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_Chouonsoku.264” G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov && “d:\Firefox Downloads\x264-64.exe” --level 4.1 --bluray-compat --preset veryslow --bitrate 24000 --deblock -2:-2 --open-gop --slices 4 --ipratio 1.2 --pbratio 1.2 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --vbv-maxrate 40000 --qcomp 0.7 --no-mbtree --psy-rd 1.10:0 --no-dct-decimate --no-fast-pskip --colorprim bt709 --transfer bt709 --colormatrix bt709 --aq-mode 3 --pass 2 -o “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_Chouonsoku.264” G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov
and I also doubled the bit-rate to see what this would look like on a BD 50 for StarWars_Opening_Chouonsoku_DL.264:
x264-64.exe --level 4.1 --bluray-compat --preset veryslow --bitrate 40000 --deblock -2:-2 --open-gop --slices 4 --ipratio 1.2 --pbratio 1.2 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --vbv-maxrate 40000 --qcomp 0.7 --no-mbtree --psy-rd 1.10:0 --no-dct-decimate --no-fast-pskip --colorprim bt709 --transfer bt709 --colormatrix bt709 --aq-mode 3 --pass 1 -o “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_Chouonsoku_DL.264” G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov && “d:\Firefox Downloads\x264-64.exe” --level 4.1 --bluray-compat --preset veryslow --bitrate 40000 --deblock -2:-2 --open-gop --slices 4 --ipratio 1.2 --pbratio 1.2 --vbv-bufsize 30000 --vbv-maxrate 40000 --qcomp 0.7 --no-mbtree --psy-rd 1.10:0 --no-dct-decimate --no-fast-pskip --colorprim bt709 --transfer bt709 --colormatrix bt709 --aq-mode 3 --pass 2 -o “G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\tests\StarWars_Opening_Chouonsoku_DL.264” G:\Uploads\FullRez_SilverScreenClips\StarWars_Opening.mov
Finally, I also tested out an older version of Cinemacraft HDe (ver 1.14.02.00, built in Nov 2011). From what I have read on the internet (so it must be true), Cinemacraft HDe may have been bought by Sirius Pixels. In any case, StarWars_Opening_CCHDe_3_pass was produced using this build, as a 3 pass VBR encode with an average bitrate of 24000 to match that of StarWars_Opening_Chouonsoku.264 for a fair comparison.
CCHDe was also the fastest encode despite making 3 passes, but that could have been because it only works with uncompressed sources.
Anyway, as time permits I will encode and upload some more scenes for you to examine with your magnifying glasses, and look forward to reading your conclusions.
For the less technically savvy who would also like to check these clips out, I recommend you download the Combined Community Codec Pack which will install a player called Media Player Classic Home cinema, that will play the .264 files nicely. On my system, I found Windows Media Player could also play them, but they were sped up.
For the source clip you will need Quicktime Player and possibly the Pro-Res decoder for windows
After all the belly aching about the original Encode* I expect to see page after page of magnified screen comparisions pushing for your favorite settings, otherwise we’re just going to take Chouonsoku’s advice and ignore the rest of you 😃
- Which were all valid points