Blocky SVCD's

[Orcaluna]

Hi
I'm using Adobe P. 6.5 to capture DV from my JVC camcorder. I encode to Mpeg-2 (SVCD) using TMPGE plus and burn using Nero. I have spent a great deal of time reading various sites about using TMPGE and the entire process. Ihave burned many different discs with different encoding settings and burn speeds. I still get ocasional blocky artifacts when viewing on my DVD player. I don't get this when making VCD's from DVD's. Why is this when I know that DV and DVD are two very high quality sources. I have not been able to find one article or post that discusses this issue. Who knows why and what I can do? I hardly see that SVCD's are as good as VCR if I can't get rid of the blocky artifacts.Thanks a lot.

[setarip]

"I'm using Adobe P. 6.5 to capture DV from my JVC camcorder."

1) At what resolution are you capturing?

2) In what format are you capturing?

3) Have you played back the CAPTURED videofile before using TMPGEnc (To determine if that's where the artifacts first appear)?

4) What video bitrate setting are you using under TMPGEnc?

[Orcaluna]

Blocky SVCD's

Hello. Thanks for the reply. I'm capturing in DV. 4:3 interlaced,720X480. The file size is 13 Gb/hr of video. There are no blocky artifacts in the captured video....aside from the affects of interlacing...the video is great. On TMPGE I am using a CBR of 2520. I encode at highest quality 10 bit and try to reduce block noise by adjusting the settings from the default to 80.

[setarip]

Try using a lossless video codec, such as HuffyUV, for capturing...

[Orcaluna]

OK thanks I'll try. Does that codec capture at 13Gb/hr of video or is it larger? I want to try the "noise reduction" filter on TMPGE also but it doubles my encoding time. Does anyone have experience with that option? Is it worth selecting?

[Saiya-Jin]

I would suggest you to use VBR instead of CBR for your SVCD.
Just in case you don't know what they mean, it's Variable bitrate (VBR) and Constant bitrate (CBR).
Constant bitrate would always use the same bitrate for every frame no matter what's on it. Variable on the other hand adjust the bitrate according to the motion on the video, therefore it makes better use of the space and since you're dealing with CDs, it's good to save as much as you can.

Although you are already using a high bitrate (according to SVCD standards) it probably won't change that much since you can't increase it too much...but still try it anyway, just set the maximum bitrate of 3000, the minimum to something like 300 or more if you want to ensure higher quality, and the average to something around 2000 should do it.

Yea, I know I wasn't much help but it seems that you are already capturing at great quality so I'm not sure what more to do.
Try messing around with TMPGEnc settings, on the advanced part, maybe you find something that helps a little.
Hope it helped a little bit. Good luck

[Orcaluna]

Hi
You say to set the max and min bitrates. I don't know how to to that. I don't see it anywhere in TMPGE. The version is TMPGE plus 2.513.53.162. How do I set these values? I's like to try that if I could. Thanks.

[Saiya-Jin]

Ok, just go to settings (one of the three buttons on the bottom right corner) and on the Video tab, you'll see a lot of stuff there, and on the rate control box, select 2-Pass VBR and a settings button right next to it, click it then select the bitrate.

And the settings I was telling you about, are on the Advanced tab.

[Orcaluna]

I tried the VBR and took a long time. Also used noise reduction during that encode and the result was better but not what I would call VCR quality that's for sure. At certain points in the video it looks great.... better than VCR but most of the time it is not. I'm beginning to get discouraged with DV avi. and SVCD's. I don't think it is possible to make one without excepting the fact you will see compression artifacts. Why then is this supposed to be better than Hi8?

Frustrated.....

[setarip]

"I encode at highest quality 10 bit"

If you're referring to "motion search precision", set it to "Normal". I have NEVER seen any benefit from using "Highest quality" or even "high quality" - but it sure takes a great deal longer to process!

"try to reduce block noise by adjusting the settings from the default to 80"

Have you tried WITHOUT selecting "Soften block noise"?

[Orcaluna]

Hi.
The last encode I did, I used 10bit,high quality, soften block noise 80, and selected noise reduction. The bit rate was default CBR for SVCD's. Quality not too bad, but again....faces looked blocky at times(not always) and a couple of the scenes around a river and a pond looked poor. The encoder seems to have trouble with water. In all, I figure I was happy with about 60% of the video. Maybe I'm too picky.....but all I expect is a smooth non-blocky video....I can live with some flaws. I'm sure there are people using TMPGEnc Plus that are a lot more picky than I. I only seem to read good comments about the encoder. I have another question about the Huffyuv codec you mentioned. Will Adobe 6.5 Prem recognize and use this codec. Right now it uses Microsoft DV codec for capture. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the microsoft codec is not great.

[shiny#3]

i might get a lot of "whho hoos"" do not" and so on by other posters when suggesting this......

either you use the tmpeg in multipass encoding and use it in high quality since it really does affect video ( not cbr).... or you switch to the cinema craft encoder..



if your computer is faster than 1.8 ghz you can also capture in
mpeg4 format directly..... the nowadays codecs are good enough to produce very good results......capture at high bitrate(for a mpeg4 codec) of at least 2000 bits.... this would represent an mpeg2 capture of almost 8000 bits!!

I am suggesting this... because I got very good results out of it.....

[setarip]

To Orcaluna

"I have another question about the Huffyuv codec you mentioned. Will Adobe 6.5 Prem recognize and use this codec?"

It should...




I previously made a couple of suggestions to you and you've not indicated whether you've tried them, to wit:


If you're referring to "motion search precision", set it to "Normal". I have NEVER seen any benefit from using "Highest quality" or even "high quality" - but it sure takes a great deal longer to process!


Have you tried WITHOUT selecting "Soften block noise"?

[Orcaluna]

Hi setarip

Thanks for sticking with this.

I used normal when I first started encoding, and I did not use filters or "soften block noise" at the time. The results (marginal) are what lead me here for advice.

I feel the "soften block noise" only takes from the sharpness but the "Noise reduction filter" seems to help. I'll only be using the Normal feature from now on, as you have said, high and highest don't seem to change the outcome.

Looks like I'll have to further explore the HuffyUV codec option you put me onto. I away from my "encoding computer" now, so progress has been put on hold. I can tell you that I have installed the codec on the computer and it does not appear in the drop-down box in Adobe. I can still only capture with microsoft DV. I think I read somewhere that this codec is not as good as others??? Which codec do you use?

If I can get my hands on cinema craft I may try that as well. I'm not sure but I think the cinema craft encoder is a plug-in for adobe but I'll explore this also. Bye for now.

[Orcaluna]

Setarip

I have been reading up on GOP's. Have you ever encoded with I and P pics only, or other combinations. So far I have only used the default setting.