MP4 / AVC and PS3

[benderas]

I am a complete newbie to handbrake.

Currently I stream my mp4's recorded in avc by my sony hd hdd video camera.
These files are streamed wireless to my ps3 and play without stutter or problems of any sort. (bitrate is 15mbps).

However when I create mp4s using handbrake based on dvds and using the ps3 preset profile the files stutter like crazy
when streamed to my PS3 from my NAS server. Even though these files only have a bitrate around 2mbps.

Since the "setup" have proven that it can handle files with bitrate up to 15mpbs I assume it is the file itself that somehow causes the stutter.
Therefore I would like handbrake to create a MP4 file as close as possible to the format that my sony handycam does.
I can see there are several differences. But I dont know how to change them. And I dont know which ones could be the ones causing the stutter!
Can anyone help me how to make a handbrake profile that makes a more "genuine" avc mp4 file?

Below is mediainfo on 2 examples (a sony avchd and a handbrake avc):

Sony native AVCHD file:
General
ID : 0
Complete name : D:\MP4\20081224195817.mp4
Format : BDAV
Format/Info : BluRay Video
File size : 202 MiB
Duration : 1mn 44s
Overall bit rate : 16.2 Mbps
Maximum Overall bit rate : 18.0 Mbps

Video
ID : 4113 (0x1011)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
Duration : 1mn 44s
Bit rate : 15.1 Mbps
Width : 1 440 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16/9
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.389

Audio
ID : 4352 (0x1100)
Menu ID : 1 (0x1)
Format : AC-3
Format/Info : Audio Coding 3
Duration : 1mn 44s
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 448 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Surround: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Video delay : -80ms


Handbrake created MP4 file using PS3 profile:
General
Complete name : Y:\MP4\2 Fast 2 Furious.mp4
Format : MPEG-4
Format profile : Base Media / Version 2
Codec ID : mp42
File size : 1.36 GiB
Duration : 1h 43mn
Overall bit rate : 1 886 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2008-08-11 22:09:35
Tagged date : UTC 2008-08-12 01:58:33

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : Main@L4.1
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 1 frame
Codec ID : avc1
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
Duration : 1h 43mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 1 500 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 436 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 2.35
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 25.000 fps
Resolution : 24 bits
Colorimetry : 4:2:0
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.191
Stream size : 1.08 GiB (80%)
Writing library : x264 core 56 svn-665M
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=1 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x1:0x111 / me=umh / subme=5 / brdo=0 / mixed_ref=0 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=0 / 8x8dct=0 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / chroma_qp_offset=0 / threads=1 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / mbaff=0 / bframes=0 / keyint=500 / keyint_min=25 / scenecut=40 / rc=2pass / bitrate=1500 / ratetol=1.0 / rceq='blurCplx^(1-qComp)' / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 / qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40
Encoded date : UTC 2008-08-11 22:09:35
Tagged date : UTC 2008-08-12 01:58:32

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format version : Version 4
Format profile : LC
Format settings, SBR : No
Codec ID : 40
Duration : 1h 43mn
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 384 Kbps
Maximum bit rate : 482 Kbps
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel positions : Front: L C R, Rear: L R, LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Resolution : 16 bits
Stream size : 283 MiB (20%)
Language : English
Encoded date : UTC 2008-08-11 22:09:35
Tagged date : UTC 2008-08-12 01:58:32

Text
ID : 3
Format : Apple text
Codec ID : text
Duration : 1h 43mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Stream size : 500 Bytes (0%)
Encoded date : UTC 2008-08-11 22:09:35
Tagged date : UTC 2008-08-12 01:58:33

[benderas]

I found out a work around.
However that just gave me a new problem

What I did was I created a file using the PS3 preset, chose AC3 sound and subtitles, but instead of creating a MP4 file I created a MKV file.
Then I used GOTSent to turn the MKV file into a AVCHD disc structure.
Then took the M2TS stream and renamed to title.mp4.

And voila.. It was a "perfect" MP4 file that could be streamed from my nas server to my PS3 without stutter.

However now I have found a problem with my work around..
Sometimes the adding of subtitles causes the encoding process to freeze!
Meaning, if I do above work around it freezes. However I choose not to have subtitles it does not freeze.
But I DO want subtitles

How can the adding of subtitles cause the encoding process to freeze?
Anyone had this problem and how did you solve it?

Thanks in advance

[Ritsuka]

Right. So perfect that it isn't even a mp4 file.

[benderas]

I dont care what it is.. As long as it streams perfect from my nas to PS3 and it is encoded in .264 and AC3..

But as a note to the above then it should be said that when I try and encode to a normal MP4 using PS3 preset then it
encodes ok even with subtitles. It is only when I try and encode to a MKV file it freezes..
And it is specifc titles then cannot be encoded in MKV..

[TedJ]

You should be able to save a step by using mkv2vob.

[iiro]

Or you can use tsMuxer and make a .m2ts

http://www.smlabs.net/tsmuxer_en.html

It's for Leopard now.

[nashcity]

If there is indeed an mp4 file that streams well wirelessly to the ps3, I would encourage the makers of handbrake to look into this. Currently, as the original poster explained, the ps3 chokes on mp4/m4v files created with handbrake if streamed wirelessly. I know that this has more to do with the PS3 that it does handbrake as handbrake creates compliant mp4 files, but if adjusting the PS3 preset creates a better streaming PS3 file, why shouldn't this be considered? This is a very big issue for PS3 owners at the moment - to the point where people aren't buying the console until this very issue is resolved.

Sure, we can all start converting our files to mkv and then convert them to m2ts for better streaming, but having the option to create a better streaming mp4 is more desirable as it is much more compatible with other devices and software.

BTW, it seems strange that the native mp4 in the original post contains ac3 audio - I didn't think Sony supported ac3 in the mp4 container as of yet. This leads me to think that it may actually be an m2ts file, which then returns us to the compatibility problem.

[rhester]

people aren't buying the console until this very issue is resolved.

Anyone contemplating purchase of a PS3 solely or primarily to watch streaming video should consider other, more price-effective and feature-rich options. The PS3 absolutely sucks as a media player and Sony's lack of support for standards that have emerged in the past three years has been nonexistent. It's a gimmick.

Rodney

[nashcity]

I appreciate your opinion Rodney. I have all my media set up through the PS3 (using PS3 media server) and I'm thrilled with it, but I'm able to wire it up in my place. I don't agree with your comment about other solutions being more price effective - the ability to also play BD/DVDs and PS3 games actually makes this quite price effective in my opinion - I don't have to buy a blu-ray player and game console along with a unit that provides a better streaming video. For someone like me that wants all of these things, the PS3 fits the bill right now, even though it might not be the best video streaming solution out there.

Anyway, this is getting off topic.

[TedJ]

If there is indeed an mp4 file that streams well wirelessly to the ps3, I would encourage the makers of handbrake to look into this. Currently, as the original poster explained, the ps3 chokes on mp4/m4v files created with handbrake if streamed wirelessly. I know that this has more to do with the PS3 that it does handbrake as handbrake creates compliant mp4 files, but if adjusting the PS3 preset creates a better streaming PS3 file, why shouldn't this be considered? This is a very big issue for PS3 owners at the moment - to the point where people aren't buying the console until this very issue is resolved.

As has already been pointed out in nearly every PS3 related thread for the last 12 months, none of the current developers actually own a PS3, which makes testing and tuning presets for them problematic to say the least. There have been several requests for knowledgeable PS3 owners to test and tune the presets (this also applies to the Xbox360) which have fallen on deaf ears.

As such, there is strong support to drop the PS3 and Xbox presets from the next release.

[randorin]

I would actually be willing to chip in money toward bying one of the developers a ps3 if it would help.... I wonder how many others would do the same to get really on target PS3 presets?

[TedJ]

While I'm sure that the devs appreciate the sentiment, this would be in violation of their policy regarding monetary donations.

http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=389#p2132