Encoding - get the detail you want

So far RF 25 was my main setting for almost everything (except for youtube.com I use RF 28.5 and mono since I have a slow connection).
If you do not understand the RF:xx, read Shrink your video files first.

While encoding and re-encoding HD material RF 25 is fine, when I started  to encode my ABBA DVD to MP4 I ran into some quality problems with RF  25.

The problem is that the material from the ABBA DVD is from the 70th. There is lot of grain and the videos are quite soft.
RF 25 normal just smoothens over all the grain and there is a noticeable loss of fine detail.
This is the DVD original (you can see the black lines top and bottom what HandBrake removes automatically).
Notice the detail in the fur and the face.

original quality

HandBrake Batch Encoder

Re-Encode and shrink hundreds of bloaty AVI files or your digital camera clips with just a few clicks to less than half the size with the same quality.

There is also another solution with lots more options as I just learned, look here

2 pass encoding vs. constant quality encoding

2010.7.28 15.00
and why frame grabs are not always reliable when you want to compare quality.

I tried to grab exactly the same frame every time what proofed to be futile, so this is as close as its get.
Also I made lossless crops from the 1280x720 screen shot  in 640 x 640 pixel that you do not need to click on the picture to see the full size. This size is the maximum Blogger can display in the posting. They are re-compressed by Blogger, but I compared the posting images with my originals and they are comparable.
All grabs are done in GOM player.
Just hit F11 now to go full screen in your browser and it is very easy to just scroll up and down to fast compare the results. When you are finished hit F11 again and your browser is back to normal.

RF:25 190 MB  1100 Kbps

Encoding cartoons in AVCHD

2010.7.25 1.38
How far can we compress a 21 min cartoon in 720p HD and keep a good quality.
Would you believe me that you can reach a file size from 75 MB and it still looks acceptable?

If you do not understand the RF:xx, read Shrink your video files first.

 RF:20, High Profile, 23.5 Mb first minute
Video: 3043 Kbps Audio: Dolby Pro Logic II 160 Kbps
this high encoding results in a ca 500+ MB large file

Shrink your video files

2010-7-19 15.11
Why would you want to re-compress you video files?
Well, I don´t know about you, but with the quality the Sony HX5 gives me in videos, I find myself using the video function more and more. And that shows on my disk. Where before a DVD was enough to archive several years of picture memories including some clips, now a DVD would be filled in a matter of weeks.
So I need a way of keeping the videos I want but if I could get them smaller without loss of visible quality that would be perfect.
After spending several days work to try all kinds of programs and fiddle with the settings to get exactly the results the way I wanted it it is time to share that information with you. In one sentence: You can save 50 to 75% of space and keep a good quality.
 
If you have lots of movement over most of the screen, then re-compression might not save you much. This 3 min clip "Fiesta del Carmen Gran Canaria 2010 - Sony HX5.MP4" in the original is 150 Mb re-compressed with RF:25 (see below) brought the file down to 132 Mb. In a case like this you already got the best compression / quality ratio in the original file.

If you have a mostly static scene like on this 32 second clip a small grasshopper drinking, you can archive a compression from the original 24 Mb to 3.3 Mb at setting RF:25 what is quite a lot for nearly the same quality.

Now, how is it possible to compress one file so much and another nearly not at all?
Coming from over 10 years of getting video clips to the computer starting with VHS-C, the Snappy to grab images out of the videos and the DAZZLE with a parallel port to encode to REAL Media with QVGA in the last Millenium we have come a long way and the two pass encoding in AVI is so yesterday.

AVCHD - encoding the new way

2010-7-9
Video Compression - Size vs. Quality
All the tests are done with Handbrake.
For more info see the Shrink you video files post.
Let us see how we can get the smallest file size with the quality you want.

I did some testing with several blue ray disks.
RF 28 did show some slight problems with compression artifacts in dark areas RF 25 has less.

AVI - encoding the old way

My goal was to find an easy to use free software what converts the Canon SX1 monster files into a good quality format what works with low power hardware.
That is a 1,6 MHz notebook with a Centrino Duo 2 GB and a Nvidia GO 7300 XP SP2 and a 1,6 MHz notebook with an AMD Turion X2 1 GB with an ATI XPress 1100  XP SP2

I liked best so far SUPER it is free, simple and powerful.
Get it here.