Hi Everyone,
I am just now coming up to speed with Vegas Video and the MainConcept encoder. I have run a few experiments to determine the best settings in MainConcept.
My setup:
1. Editor: VV 3.0
2. MPEG2 encoder: MainConcept 1.0
3. Burner software: MyDVD 3.5
4. OS: Win2K
5. Test videos: 30 seconds of panning, 30 seconds of still, 60 seconds combined panning and still.
6. Video: from Cannon Optura (native DV, not originally analog).
7. DVD Player: Toshiba (with bit rate display).
Experiment:
* Vary MainConcept (CBR and VBR) bit rate parameters and compare quality (somewhat subjective)and note average bit rate during play back and bit rate max/min swing.
* Compare bit rate of burned videos with Men In Black video noting average bit rate and bit rate max/min swing.
Questions:
1. When the encode type is set to VBR, does MainConcept do a prescan of the file to determine the bit rate? It doesn't appear to do this. Even when I run batch mode. Most VBR programs make two passes: first pass, to compute where to use the low to high bit rates; second pass, encode using previous computations.
2. When comparing the bit rate with a "professional" production, this example Men In Black, and encoding my video in VBR, I noticed the following:
MIB: the average bit rate was approximately 5Mb/s with a swing from 3Mb/s to 8Mb/s. A swing of 5Mb/s.
My production: VBR settings -- target 5Mb/s, max 8.2Mb/s, min 2.5Mb/s -- measured average bit rate was approximately 5Mb/s with a swing of 4.8Mb/s (min) to 5.1Mb/s (max). A swing of 0.3Mb/s. This was consistent with all types of video: panning, still, and combo. I would expect the combo (which was half panning and half still) to be a higher bit rate during panning and less during the still to average out at 5Mb/s. The bit rate is roughly the same through out both segments. I also encoded using CBR (5Mb/s) and noted approximately the same target and swing range. Variable bit encoding doesn't seem to be very variable. Might as well encode at CBR. Note: I am pretty sure that MyDVD is not re-encoding the videos (don't see any indications and the set target/average bit rate always matches the measured average bit rate). However, in the end it could be re-encoding the files.
Please help.
Thanks,
Dwayne
I am just now coming up to speed with Vegas Video and the MainConcept encoder. I have run a few experiments to determine the best settings in MainConcept.
My setup:
1. Editor: VV 3.0
2. MPEG2 encoder: MainConcept 1.0
3. Burner software: MyDVD 3.5
4. OS: Win2K
5. Test videos: 30 seconds of panning, 30 seconds of still, 60 seconds combined panning and still.
6. Video: from Cannon Optura (native DV, not originally analog).
7. DVD Player: Toshiba (with bit rate display).
Experiment:
* Vary MainConcept (CBR and VBR) bit rate parameters and compare quality (somewhat subjective)and note average bit rate during play back and bit rate max/min swing.
* Compare bit rate of burned videos with Men In Black video noting average bit rate and bit rate max/min swing.
Questions:
1. When the encode type is set to VBR, does MainConcept do a prescan of the file to determine the bit rate? It doesn't appear to do this. Even when I run batch mode. Most VBR programs make two passes: first pass, to compute where to use the low to high bit rates; second pass, encode using previous computations.
2. When comparing the bit rate with a "professional" production, this example Men In Black, and encoding my video in VBR, I noticed the following:
MIB: the average bit rate was approximately 5Mb/s with a swing from 3Mb/s to 8Mb/s. A swing of 5Mb/s.
My production: VBR settings -- target 5Mb/s, max 8.2Mb/s, min 2.5Mb/s -- measured average bit rate was approximately 5Mb/s with a swing of 4.8Mb/s (min) to 5.1Mb/s (max). A swing of 0.3Mb/s. This was consistent with all types of video: panning, still, and combo. I would expect the combo (which was half panning and half still) to be a higher bit rate during panning and less during the still to average out at 5Mb/s. The bit rate is roughly the same through out both segments. I also encoded using CBR (5Mb/s) and noted approximately the same target and swing range. Variable bit encoding doesn't seem to be very variable. Might as well encode at CBR. Note: I am pretty sure that MyDVD is not re-encoding the videos (don't see any indications and the set target/average bit rate always matches the measured average bit rate). However, in the end it could be re-encoding the files.
Please help.
Thanks,
Dwayne