HOT! Need an MP4 Solution...

DMA-P Ops Guy wrote on 6/7/2012, 8:34 PM

We are standing up a new website that requires our video products in MP4 format. I've scrubbed through countless posts in the forum on the best way to achieve good quality at low bit rates, but must confess I still haven't found a solution that will work for my organization.

We currently run Vegas 10.0 and produce news stories between 1:15-2:30 in length. We don't have the luxury of having additional encoding software like Sorensen Squeeze, and we can't use free software like Handbrake due to network restrictions.

So, I'm left to find the best possible render setting straight out of Vegas in MP4... is there a way to share render settings? Or can someone do some screen shots of the best MP4 render setting for our website. I don't have the exact specs of the image size, but I'm guessing around 320x240... oh, and although we have the capability to shoot and edit in HD, we're still using SD video... so that helps keep the file size smaller.

I need real help on this one. I've tried hundreds of settings but just can't seem to get it where it looks good enough. Thanks in advance for your time.

Marty

Comments

amendegw wrote on 6/8/2012, 4:05 AM

Marty,

First, "we can't use free software like Handbrake due to network restrictions" - imho, if you can at all try to circumvent that restriction, you'll be much happier.

Second, I've done a lot of testing on this subject about a year ago. Unfortunately, getting the best quality at the lowest bitrate is very much a trial-and-error process - as it is content dependent. For example, I've been about to get pretty good results at 1280x720 at 1200kbps for busy/motion videos whereas 200kbps looks great for a talking head against a greenscreen. Also, transitions suck up the bandwith, so if your source is cuts only, you can get by with lower bitrates. Also, often times using VBR rather than CBR cuts bandwidth requirements.

Thrid, don't forget the audio specs. If you merely have dialog (rather than music), you can get away with a much lower bitrate - possibly even mono.

Finally, my tests have shown that the MainConcept encoder produces better quality than Sony for a given bitrate. See: http://www.jazzythedog.com/testing/dnxhd/hd-guide.aspx#lbrLow Bitrate Local Playback[/link]

Good Luck!
...Jerry

farss wrote on 6/8/2012, 6:43 AM

"and although we have the capability to shoot and edit in HD, we're still using SD video... so that helps keep the file size smaller."

It doesn't make any difference what you shoot, the size of the encoded file depends on the bitrate and the duration of the clip, nothing else. You could shoot 4K or SD and the size of the file you're streaming will be exactly the same.

As you're only shooting SD I'll hazard a guess you're also shooting interlaced. As you've had no luck getting good MP4 I'd start by getting a good de-interlacer, nothing in Vegas itself does thise well and you'll either end up loosing half your vertical resolution or introducing artifacts which will not help encoding at low bitrates. So download the free YADIF deinterlacer for Vegas from here and follow the instructions.

Next thing is to make certain you're rendering at Best.

Beyond that I'll leave for others but you need to get those two things sorted first.

Bob.

craftech wrote on 6/8/2012, 6:55 AM

You can try the free H.264 Encoder and encode at a bitrate of 300-500 Kbps.

I hope you aren't expecting to enlarge it upon playback. At 320 x 240 it really needs to be played in a window.

John

Steve Mann wrote on 6/8/2012, 7:12 AM

Low Bitrate, Small Filesize, High Quality.
Pick two, because you can't have all three.

amendegw wrote on 6/8/2012, 8:41 AM

+1 for Bob (farss) recommendation of the Yadif deinterlace FX. Be aware that it slows timeline & render performance, but the results are worth the penalty.

...Jerry

Also, when you use it, set your project properties to progressive

JohnnyRoy wrote on 6/8/2012, 2:33 PM

> "I don't have the exact specs of the image size, but I'm guessing around 320x240... oh, and although we have the capability to shoot and edit in HD, we're still using SD video... so that helps keep the file size smaller. "

I would use the Sony AVC encoder and start with the Internet 320x240-30p template. Increase the bit-rate if it doesn't look good enough until it looks the way you expect.

~jr

DMA-P Ops Guy wrote on 6/10/2012, 9:04 PM

This is great feedback thanks for the detailed explanation. I appreciate your time.

altarvic wrote on 6/11/2012, 1:59 AM

Marty, you can try the free Video4YouTube plugin. It produces mp4 files (uploading to YouTube is optional)

Munster1 wrote on 6/11/2012, 3:38 AM

For the best quality achievable at low bitrates for the web, I haven't come across a better encoder than x264. It's the encoder used in Handbrake and some other free software. It's also used in MediaCoder which has a free version and a pay version.

I've never been able to get an mp4 encode straight from Vegas look as good as an x264 encode at low bitrates (~768Kbps).

[r]Evolution wrote on 6/11/2012, 10:00 AM

OP said...and we can't use free software like Handbrake due to network restrictions.

Those sure are some STUPID Network Restrictions to not be able to use LEGALLY FREE software.
______________

* Are these other FREE suggestions truly options for the OP due to these network restrictions?

* I'm also curious if all these other FREE options suggested will plug in and be accessible via Vegas render dialogue as requested by the OP?