sensible *.wmv transcode settings

[chillin]

I'm customizing general settings for batch Windows Media Video file transcodes, and I'm reaching out to see what settings others are using. For any other source (dvd, avi, mpg, etc.), I'm happy with default handbrake settings which produce smaller files of great, good or acceptable quality, but wmv transcodes seem to take longer and the resulting files are often larger than the source. In previous hb versions, I used the now depricated target-filesize (-S), and though quality wasn't ideal, at least I had a file output the size I wanted.

Ideally, the object is to have sensible settings to speed up wmv transcodes that results in a file that is smaller than the wmv source, with the least loss in quality to achieve this or with an acceptable loss in quality.

Source and target platform will be obvious, though should be irrelivant, but here's my script:

<----- BEGIN ----->
#!/bin/sh

handbrake="~/bin/HandBrakeCLI"

quality="20" #-q setting

max="960" #dimensions in pixels  -X $max

may="720" #dimensions in pixels   -Y $may

arate="Auto" #audio samplerate (22.05/24/32/44.1/48 kHz/Auto)

ab="128" #average audio bitrate in kb/s (-B)

mix="stereo" #(mono/stereo/dpl1/dpl2/6ch, default: dpl2)

set="medium" #(ultrafast, superfast, veryfast, faster, fast, medium, slow, slower, veryslow, placebo)

while [ "$1" != "" ]
do
$handbrake -i "$1" -o outputfolder/"$1".m4v -e x264 -q $quality -r 30 --pfr -X $max -Y $may -O -d -5 -7 -8 -a 1 -E copy:acc --audio-copy-mask aac --audio-fallback ca_aac -B $ab -R $arate -6 $mix -4 --loose-anamorphic --modulus 16 -m --x264-preset $set --x264-tune fastdecode --h264-profile high --h264-level 3.1 -x qpmin=4:cabac=0:ref=2:b-pyramid=none:weightb=0:weightp=0:vbv-maxrate=9500:vbv-bufsize=9500
shift
done
<----- END ----->






tl;dr If you often batch transcode wmv files (SD & HD), please reply with your personal custom command string. TIA.

[ty2010]

For wmv I don't use any formula in particular, it's deblocking and whatnot are at odds with h264 so the file sizes are larger. For low bitrate wmv I use HB deblock and the nr= setting for x264, this all varies based on size and quality of wmv content. For good quality SD content I use nr=50-100, for HD I bump it up to 75-150. Moderate quality I add deblock on lighter settings, bad quality I up them and the nr=. Both will decrease file size, adjust to your visual renderer preferences.