Picture judder problem in panning scenes

General questions or discussion about HandBrake, Video and/or audio transcoding, trends etc.
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MoonlightsMuse
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 7:40 pm

Picture judder problem in panning scenes

Post by MoonlightsMuse »

Description of problem or question:
I've been successfully using Handbrake to re-encode MKV source files into MP4 files for playback on my TV, using a WD 2.5" USB drive connected to said TV by a Gen 1 WDTV player for the last 2 years. Typically the source files are TV shows or movie downloads. My output files have never had any playback problems until now. Ever since having a new laptop in January this year (old one died), all my HB output files have very noticeable judder during panning scenes when played back on TV via WDTV - but barely noticeable or even no judder when played back on the laptop. The judder isn't ignorable, it's really bugging the hell out of me. This has never happened before.

My TV is 12 years old so isn't a smart TV. It has no USB port to allow direct connection of the WD 2.5" USB Drive, hence the WDTV player. As it's a gen 1 WDTV player, it doesn't stream, it just plays content from USB Drives. It also doesn't play H265, only H264 and it doesn't play any Dolby audio at all. So I have to use HB to re-encode the video files so the WDTV unit will play them with both picture and audio. I realise it's all very out of date tech, but I haven't been able to find a new tv box media player that can play both H264, H265 and Dolby all in one, and until I can it means I need to re-encode.

Once I figured out which settings got the desired playback on the WDTV while I still had my old laptop, I just used the same settings for everything and never had a playback issue. I was probably just lucky with that though.

I can't figure out how to solve the problem and I've been struggling every day, all day for almost a month now. I'm feeling very frustrated, partly because I am really not very technical at all and a lot of technical terms go right over my head. Given my lack of technical expertise, I absolutely think this is something I'm doing, settings that need changing - either that or the fact that this new laptop is only an i5, where I had an i7 before and wondered if maybe that could account for the difference in the output despite the same settings being used? Like maybe the new laptop can't cope or something. (I can't either!!). I could really use some help figuring this out. Please, feel free to explain technical stuff like I'm 5 - I probably need it.

Steps to reproduce the problem (If Applicable):
Many.
-I've tried repeatedly re-encoding the same 8 files (Mandalorian season 2) with different settings, same juddering. Detelecine & Deinterlace detection have historically always been on default with Deinterlace on Decomb Default.
-Tried turning both Detelecine & Deinterlace detection off - judder got much worse), Detelecine on default with Interlace detection off, Detelecine off with Interlace detection default, Detelecine default with Interlace detection at fast, and then at Less Sensitive (still juddery on both).
-I've tried changing Framerate from Variable to Constant as MediaInfo showed the source file was Constant (worse judder), and from Variable to 23.976 Peak Frame rate as that was listed as the FR of the source file in MediaInfo too. Same judder. Granted, I don't understand the rest of what I'm looking at in MediaInfo or the activity logs, so I've been unable to use those to help myself. I've just been randomly changing settings to see if the playback gets any better, and it doesn't - either stays the same or gets worse.
-Tried changing Encoder Preset from my usual medium to slow (same judder), changing Encoder tune from None to Film (very blocky picture and judder), changing Encoder Profile from Main to High and Level from 4.0 to 4.01 (same judder). The highest the WDTV supports is Encoder Profile High, Level 4.1.
-Tried re-encoding completely different files from different TV shows (911 S04E01 & the Doctor Who New Year Special), same judder.
-Tried using the General Preset Fast1080p30 with no modifications instead of my custom preset that always worked before, even worse judder.
-Tried swapping out the HDMI cable, the USB cable and even a different hard drive in case it was those, same juddering. I went back and re-watched some files encoded using my old laptop to see if the judder is now present on those files and it isn't.
-Tried a spare gen 1 WDTV player I have laying around, the same judder is present with the new laptop encodes but not the old laptop encodes. I concluded it's not a fault with my primary WDTV unit or the spare unit wouldn't have it as well.
-Tried changing the Priority level of HB from below normal to low, then to normal, then to above normal. Still same problem.

I am completely out of my depth, totally grasping at straws. I'm really hoping you guys can help me find the cause of the problem.


HandBrake version (e.g., 1.0.0):
When I started this a month ago, I was using HB 1.2.2. I updated to 1.3.3 in the last couple days, still having the same juddering on every output file.



Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, Windows 10 Creators Update):
Windows 10 Home version 20H2, 64-bit OS Build 19042.804, Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.551.0 - been checking for updates every single day and installing them just in case it was an out of date software issue. Nothing's helping.

Laptop now is Dell Inspiron 17-3793, Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1035G1 CPU @ 1.00GHz 1.19 GHz, Installed Ram 8.00 GB (7.77 GB usable). Previously I had a Toshiba Dynabook i7 64-bit with whatever the latest Windows 10 Home version was at the time it died in October 2020, it was fully up to date with all Windows updates, including feature or creators updates.

I've never done the whole activity log upload thing before and never used pastebin before until today. So I apologise if I've not uploaded the pastebin link or the log correctly. Please let me know and tell me the right way to do it. This whole thing makes me feel like an idiot lol

HandBrake Activity Log ***required*** (see How-to get an activity log)

Code: Select all

https://pastebin.com/MMWDxaQD
MoonlightsMuse
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 7:40 pm

Re: Picture judder problem in panning scenes (SOLVED)

Post by MoonlightsMuse »

NO REPLIES NECESSARY - Problem resolved; WDTV Player appears to be at fault intermittently. New HDMI player ordered.
Deleted User 13735

Re: Picture judder problem in panning scenes

Post by Deleted User 13735 »

For smoothest playback on older TVs and Devices, set frame rate at Same as Source, Constant.
This is especially important with WDTV. I ditched mine some time back.
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