Post Your "Best Settings" here and Why.

[rhester]

It's now part of detelecine, the documentation has not yet been updated.

Rodney

[jweires]

I would like to re-ask my question since I think it got lost in the middle of other conversations... please let me know what you think after reading the below quote.

Thanks Nightstrm...

I am finding that using the Universal setting is taking quite a while to encode... a 2 hour movie is taking 3.5 hours to encode.

Does this sound right? It doesn't seem like it took this long with the Apple TV or iPod Hi-Rez presets that I used to use...

I am using a mac mini 2 ghz with 2 gb of ram...

[nightstrm]

I would like to re-ask my question since I think it got lost in the middle of other conversations... please let me know what you think after reading the below quote.

Thanks Nightstrm...

I am finding that using the Universal setting is taking quite a while to encode... a 2 hour movie is taking 3.5 hours to encode.

Does this sound right? It doesn't seem like it took this long with the Apple TV or iPod Hi-Rez presets that I used to use...

I am using a mac mini 2 ghz with 2 gb of ram...

This is entirely possible as the Universal preset uses CQ/CRF encoding instead of ABR. The Universal preset is about maintaining a level of quality while retaining compatibility across a number of (Apple) devices. It is very similar to the custom preset that I posted earlier in this topic (which I no longer use).

[nickkallis]

No. I worked with the devs on the final design of the Universal preset and I use it exclusively for all non-HD encodes (albeit with decomb+detelceine picture filters enabled). Advances/changes made by the x264 devs no longer encodes using CRF to have as high of values to return output distinguishable from encodes with the higher values on the older builds (with the added bonus of smaller files).

I figured this question would eventually come up, which is why I edited that post a couple days ago with the bold text at the top of it.

Nightstorm,
First off I used to use your old settings and now use Universal (thanks of course!). I have a few questions:

1. You say you add decomb. Do you select default or custom?
-Does this pertain also when you are converting audio and video files ripped from a DVD?
-Similar to the above question...do you use detelcine on all audio and video files ripped from a DVD?
As you can tell I am mainly ripping DVDs and converting and I wanted to know if those settings are also used in that specific situation?

2. Do you increase the constantly quality for specific genres like heavy action movies or animation?

I've been doing a lot of testing and am about to do a large re-rip and was curious.

Thanks!

[TedJ]

1. You say you add decomb. Do you select default or custom?
-Does this pertain also when you are converting audio and video files ripped from a DVD?
-Similar to the above question...do you use detelcine on all audio and video files ripped from a DVD?
As you can tell I am mainly ripping DVDs and converting and I wanted to know if those settings are also used in that specific situation?

Default. The custom setting was there for tuning and testing purposes and has just been removed from SVN. I, like Nightstorm, use detelecine and decomb on all my sources including DVDs.

2. Do you increase the constantly quality for specific genres like heavy action movies or animation?

You shouldn't need to... Since CRF encodes are targeting quality, the heavy action movie will result in a higher bitrate, while most animation will result in a lower bitrate for the same perceptual quality.

[nightstrm]

No. I worked with the devs on the final design of the Universal preset and I use it exclusively for all non-HD encodes (albeit with decomb+detelceine picture filters enabled). Advances/changes made by the x264 devs no longer encodes using CRF to have as high of values to return output distinguishable from encodes with the higher values on the older builds (with the added bonus of smaller files).

I figured this question would eventually come up, which is why I edited that post a couple days ago with the bold text at the top of it.

Nightstorm,
First off I used to use your old settings and now use Universal (thanks of course!). I have a few questions:

1. You say you add decomb. Do you select default or custom?
-Does this pertain also when you are converting audio and video files ripped from a DVD?
-Similar to the above question...do you use detelcine on all audio and video files ripped from a DVD?
As you can tell I am mainly ripping DVDs and converting and I wanted to know if those settings are also used in that specific situation?

2. Do you increase the constantly quality for specific genres like heavy action movies or animation?

I've been doing a lot of testing and am about to do a large re-rip and was curious.

Thanks!

Glad you liked my original preset... I think you will enjoy the Universal one as well!

I've used decomb (default) and detelecine since both filters were introduced in their current forms. So far I have been content using 59% on all encodes as well... more to keep my workflow simple than anything else.

[lone_tree]

Any particular reason you went with 59%?

[nickkallis]

Nightsrm and TedJ thanks for the turbo replies. I appreciate it and I feel like HB has found the silver bullet with The Universal preset pumping out files at or around 1-2 GBs. I'm going to add telecine and decomb to my personal preset.

Since this is a "Best Settings" thread I'd like to share mine:

WHY: To create a "True Universal" setting
PRIORITIES: Play on Apple TV, iPhone, (stream to/play) Xbox360. (stream to/play) PS3
SETTINGS: I use Universal with the following tweaks
Decomb: Default
Detelcine: Checked
Subtitles: Forced Subtitles
Advance Sting Option: add the following the front of the string....level=40:level=41. The string now looks like this:

level=40:level=41:level=30:cabac=0:ref=3:mixed-refs=1:analyse=all:me=umh:no-fast-pskip=1

I do this to make the plug in even more "Universal" as now my files will play on Xbox360 and PS3. Streaming my files works perfectly on the 360. The PS3 is more finicky with streaming as some stream fine but all work great if put on the hard drive. Obviously that adjustment is not rocket science but it is nice to have my files play everywhere so I wanted to share.

[cvk_b]

level=40:level=41:level=30

Only the last *anything* of a repeated x264 option is observed. Check wikipedia for levels and decoded picture buffer (dpb) if you want to understand what is happening. A player's decoder can only store so many frames. The level setting just sets a flag that says "get prepared to hold this many frames (of a certain size, at a certain framerate) at once". The universal preset wouldn't need more than level 30.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC#Levels
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=133397

[nightstrm]

Any particular reason you went with 59%?

Smaller file sizes and optimizations made to x264 do not require as higher values for the same quality. My previous preset used ~62%, and resulted in similar quality at 59% using the newer x264 build. You can obviously still use higher values if you want, but anything above 62% is wasteful in my opinion.

[JW008]

Nightstrm:

Just to be clear, you select the Apple Universal preset, check detelcine and decomb, and then start ripping. No changes besides that and this will work with the AppleTV, post-5.5G iPods, and both iPhones?

[rhester]

Yes. Hence the name 'Apple Universal'.

Rodney

[nightstrm]

Nightstrm:

Just to be clear, you select the Apple Universal preset, check detelcine and decomb, and then start ripping. No changes besides that and this will work with the AppleTV, post-5.5G iPods, and both iPhones?

I've never personally tried any of my encodes on a post-5.5G iPod, but yes.

OK, I really should be 100% honest... it isn't really that simple. I started with the Universal preset, checked deteleceine and decomb, enabled autoselect and forced subtitles, and enabled DRC for the AAC soundtrack @ 1.50. I also only encode AAC+AC3 if the DVD contains a 5.1 soundtrack; if it is just 2.0, I encode to AAC only.

So, I end up with the following custom presets (based off of the Universal one, and only done for my convenience) using "Source Maximum" for picture size and checking "Use current picture filters" when saving the presets:
- Universal AAC (Universal Preset + Deteleceine + Decomb + AAC with DRC enabled @ 1.5 - AC3 + Autoselect Subtitles + Forced Subtitles)
- Universal AC3 (Universal Preset + Deteleceine + Decomb + AAC with DRC enabled @ 1.5 + Autoselect Subtitles + Forced Subtitles)

Hope that makes sense, and clears up any remaining confusion. I'm glad people liked using my old settings, and hope you also like the new Universal preset. To be perfectly honest, I think the majority of iTunes-centric users would be better off using it to provide compatibility with future hardware purchases while not sacrificing an enormous amount of quality.

[Skillz]

I stumbled upon Handbrake yesterday evening when I was searching the internet/forums for a good Video Converter (for Windows) and after installing the software + configuring Handbrake with the settings "nightstrm" uses, I'm one happy iPhone 3G owner

Thanks all (esp nightstrm) and keep up the great work!

[Skillz]

Hi Nightstrm,

Doesn't the default Universal profile (with audiostream 1 and 2 pre-configured) detect automaticly the correct audio source and set it to AAC or AC3?

[lone_tree]

Being a Universal preset, it includes both audio sources, if available. The output device decides which codec it can use.

Love the Universal preset nightstrm!

[nightstrm]

Hi Nightstrm,

Doesn't the default Universal profile (with audiostream 1 and 2 pre-configured) detect automaticly the correct audio source and set it to AAC or AC3?

Being a Universal preset, it includes both audio sources, if available. The output device decides which codec it can use.

Love the Universal preset nightstrm!

Exactly. My opinion is to discard the AC3 soundtrack if it is only 2.0 -- I'm content encoding to only AAC in this case. If you want to retain the AC3 soundtrack for every encode, you can use only one custom preset instead of two.

Glad the universal preset is working well for you!

[Skillz]

Hey again,

I'm still using the universal profile (tweaked with nightstrm's settings), but now I realize that I'll never use an Apple TV
or the Video out, so my resolution + sound can/should be adjusted to optimal iPhone settings.

What do you recommend? Use the "iPhone" profile in Handbreak or should I adjust some settings
in the "Universal" profile to get the better (iPhone) Video quality?

Thanks

[nightstrm]

Hey again,

I'm still using the universal profile (tweaked with nightstrm's settings), but now I realize that I'll never use an Apple TV
or the Video out, so my resolution + sound can/should be adjusted to optimal iPhone settings.

What do you recommend? Use the "iPhone" profile in Handbreak or should I adjust some settings
in the "Universal" profile to get the better (iPhone) Video quality?

Thanks

If you are NEVER going to output the file on another device, I'd just use the iPhone preset. Otherwise, if there is even a remote chance you'll watch the file somewhere else, keep using the Universal one.

[lone_tree]

If I were you I'd play it safe. If you have the time and hard drive space, do the universal. There may come a time That you get sick of putting DVDs in and our of the player and want to get an ATV or put the video files on an xbox or ps3.

[Skillz]

For that purpose I have my trusty XBox (first gen) with XBMC, that plays about any format you throw at it and makes a perfect "backup" unit

[lone_tree]

For that purpose I have my trusty XBox (first gen) with XBMC, that plays about any format you throw at it and makes a perfect "backup" unit

Good idea, but you may regret the lack of quality of the iPhone preset. I'm just speaking for all of us here who have had similar experiences and regretted doing re-encodes.

[Wateroksnmud]

Looking for a little help. I've been reading a lot of the "Best Settings" thread, but for some reason do not understand this video stuff. I've read the FAQ and read other threads, but i guess video isnt my thing. [Censored] I can even write Java programs.

I'm looking to have ALL of my collection on EXHDD for playback overseas. I'll be playing the movies straight off the external onto a 24" LED screen and that's the only use. I'm more worried about picture quality than file size as I have another 1tb EXHDD on the way.

I've been using the Universal setting with some changes. This is in full.

Format:MP4/Codec:H.264/FPS:Same as/CQ:60%
PictureSettings:Loose/Crop:Auto/Dete:Yes/Deint:no/Denoise:no/Deblock:no/Decomb:Default
Audio:Universal Preset with Forced Subtitles
Create Chapter Markers:Yes
Advanced:Universal Preset

I appreciate all of your help. Movies in downtime overseas makes it not so bad...

[nightstrm]

Looking for a little help. I've been reading a lot of the "Best Settings" thread, but for some reason do not understand this video stuff. I've read the FAQ and read other threads, but i guess video isnt my thing. [Censored] I can even write Java programs.

I'm looking to have ALL of my collection on EXHDD for playback overseas. I'll be playing the movies straight off the external onto a 24" LED screen and that's the only use. I'm more worried about picture quality than file size as I have another 1tb EXHDD on the way.

I've been using the Universal setting with some changes. This is in full.

Format:MP4/Codec:H.264/FPS:Same as/CQ:60%
PictureSettings:Loose/Crop:Auto/Dete:Yes/Deint:no/Denoise:no/Deblock:no/Decomb:Default
Audio:Universal Preset with Forced Subtitles
Create Chapter Markers:Yes
Advanced:Universal Preset

I appreciate all of your help. Movies in downtime overseas makes it not so bad...

These look like good settings to me. I've seen people using CQ values from 59%-62% -- the higher the closer the quality to the source.

[gyrene2083]

Hello All,

I have been following this thread for a while now, and decided to join up so I could post a question, and hopefully one day contribute. I have tried a few of the settings on here and I have settled on nightstrm's settings as they seem to work well with what I want, being Quality, and Size. My question though is, aside from mpeg format being compatible with various hardware, and creating chapters, is there any visual benefit from using Xvid?

The other question, is if your source has AC3/5.1 audio, how could you keep that? Would using Automatic in the audio section preserve that?


-Semper Fi
gyrene2083