creating videos with new beta

[potwnc]

===============

Ray...

I uninstalled all 5.6 Betas, including Beta 4. Reinstalled Beta4. I reduced a slideshow that worked before down to 10 slides and no music. I tried an SD 800x600 low. Same result. I got all four 'Done' indications; there was no 'Time to end' displayed. Got nothing.

Gary

Gary,

Sorry this didn't work for you. It's worked for me with the last 2 betas when I had exactly the same problem. When I suggested it I assumed you'd be able to re-install any of the previous betas if you needed to.

[goddi]

Gary,

Sorry this didn't work for you. It's worked for me with the last 2 betas when I had exactly the same problem. When I suggested it I assumed you'd be able to re-install any of the previous betas if you needed to.

================

No problem. It sounded like it could solve the problem. Sergey asked for some files and screen prints so he is taking a look at these things. The HD worked with the previous Beta. I'll just wait to see what he comes up with. I've tried several times to make different HD's with this Beta4 but no luck yet.

Gary

[potwnc]

Ray,

Of course.

First an observation on 2-pass encoding: Every other program I've used that supports variable bit rate allows the user to specify the minimum, maximum and average bit rates. When I choose 2-pass encoding with PTE 5.6, what does bit rate mean - minimum, maximum or average?

Next I think there are bugs here. When I choose 1-pass encoding then repeat with the same setting from the same project with 2-pass encoding the output mp4 files are exactly the same size. Usually variable bit rate leads to smaller files when everything else is the same. Are you sure 2-pass encoding is rendering with variable bit rate? Also, it does not matter what I type into fps the output is still 29.97 fps (or 25 fps if I choose 25 from the dropdown).

Ray

[Igor]

Ray,

We always encode H.264 (MP4) video with variable bitrate.

The peak/maximum bitrate now about 40 mbit.

There are many and many settings of H.264 video. You can look at mp4presets.dat file to see how many settings it includes. I'm afraid we will not change it more. In fact quality of created MP4 video already high. In next Beta 7 we even improved it more.

[potwnc]

Ray,

We always encode H.264 (MP4) video with variable bitrate.

The peak/maximum bitrate now about 40 mbit.

There are many and many settings of H.264 video. You can look at mp4presets.dat file to see how many settings it includes. I'm afraid we will not change it more. In fact quality of created MP4 video already high. In next Beta 7 we even improved it more.

Igor,

If you always encode MP4 with variable bitrate why is there the possibility to choose constant bit rate?

Also, do you think it is good design to allow a user to type their own value, for example 23.976, for the fps when in fact the output will not be 23.976 fps? If you want to limit MP4 output to only 25 or 29.97 fps that is your decision, but in that case the user interface would normally be designed so that the user can only select one of these two values in the drop-down box and not type in their own value. Because VideoBuilder cannot yet burn to Blu-ray I would think some users (including me) would want 23.976 because many movies on Blu-ray disc are now encoded at this frame rate. It is one thing to decide not to support that frame rate but it is another to let the user believe they can type this (or some other) value when the output will not be what they typed.

[Igor]

If you always encode MP4 with variable bitrate why is there the possibility to choose constant bit rate?

It's necessary if you want to get predictable size of created video file.

OK, we'll add new FPS presets: 24p, 50, 60.

[JPD]

OK, we'll add new FPS presets: 24p, 50, 60.

I wrote 6 weeks ago :

About frame per second, I made hundred tests on 4 PC, and now, I am sure that it's may be enough for slideshows without anything moving, but for slideshows as Fantaisies florales where there are objects and texts moving, it's not enough, I made tests by steps of 5 fps from 25 to 100 fps, it's correct at 60 fps (of corse the frequency of the screen is at the same value), 50 fps on a 50fps TV is near OK but not perfect. Most of PC can't have less than 60 images per second but a part of them can't go at 100 images per second, so with a video at 50 fps, it's not always possible to have a smooth result, it's easier with 60 fps and on modern TV, at least in France, it's possible to choice between several values as 50 and 60 images per second, so it seem that to have a good result with slideshows with effects, the good value is 60 fps.

I have made many tests with other tools to do MP4 at these differents values, and it's possible to have 60 fps on 1 250 000 pixels format (for instance 1280 x 960), above the power of actual PC isn't enough, it will be probably possible later (1, 2 or 3 years). It would be nice to have this possibility with PTE ( made test at 14400 Kbps). Of course it needs modern PC, that isn't good for old PC

So, I am very happy to.read this good news, many thanks.

[Igor]

Excuse me Jean-Pierre that I missed your this earlier suggestion.

[potwnc]

It's necessary if you want to get predictable size of created video file.

OK, we'll add new FPS presets: 24p, 50, 60.

Can you add 23.976 fps?

[Igor]

Can you add 23.976 fps?

Yes, just 24p is common name.

[Igor]

See Beta 7.

[potwnc]

See Beta 7.

Igor,

I've downloaded Beta 7. None of the .mp4 files I've created are recognized as valid video files by Sony Vegas Pro 8. When created with Beta 6 from the same .pte project Sony Vegas Pro 8 recognizes all of them.

You must be doing something very different (and maybe non-standard?) in the output with Beta 7.

Ray

[Igor]

Ray,

I'm guessing you tried make AVCHD or Blu-Ray disc from MP4 video files? Current presets intended for computer playback only and we didn't test it for Blu-Ray/AVCHD.

I'll think how to solve this situation. Probably we will add new special option "Blu-Ray compliance".

Blu-Ray preset has strict parameters but in current preset we reached better quality on low bitrate video.

[Igor]

Ray,

We discussed this problem and probably the problem in Sony Vegas 8. The key feature of H.264 video so called "B frames" which gives better quality at same bitrate. Blu-Ray profile should support MP4 video with B-Frames. But it seems that Sony Vegas 8 has not this support.

But please couldn't you tell for what you use Sony Vegas? As I know this program re-encode H.264 video file and you loss quality. Probably better use AVI file for your purpose?

[potwnc]

Ray,

We discussed this problem and probably the problem in Sony Vegas 8. The key feature of H.264 video so called "B frames" which gives better quality at same bitrate. Blu-Ray profile should support MP4 video with B-Frames. But it seems that Sony Vegas 8 has not this support.

But please couldn't you tell for what you use Sony Vegas? As I know this program re-encode H.264 video file and you loss quality. Probably better use AVI file for your purpose?

Igor,

I was only trying to open the .mp4 file in Vegas. It can see the audio component but not the video so it can't even open it.

I use Vegas for overlaying multiple video tracks and rendering credit sequences at the end of a show because it is very good at that. I've never had this problem with any other mp4 file.

[potwnc]

Igor,

I just created an avi file using Beta 7 and the x264 encoder/codec with H264 FourCC and B-frames. Vegas opened it and processed it with no problem. So I don't think your B-frames answer is correct. The only difference here is the container.

Vegas is a high-end, professional video production package. If this was really a problem with Vegas I think Vegas users would be screaming already about it.

[Igor]

We just tested with MainConcept H.264 encoder. If MP4 file has been created with "B-Frames" option, Sony Vegas 8 doesn't accept this video file. Otherwise when this option turned off created file can be imported without problem.

So it seems that Sony Vegas 8 doesn't fully support H.264 video format.

B-Frames is a key improvement in H.264 which greatly reduces file size with same quality.