Variable bit rate renders at "Max bps" setting

AlexanderG wrote on 1/11/2012, 7:21 PM

When I attempt to render at a variable bit rate (in a "Custom" rendering template), the finished, rendered video has a bit rate equal to the whatever the "max bit rate" setting was, instead of the "average bit rate" setting.

This is a problem because I am trying to recompress a 2-hr captured video to fit on a 4.7GB DVD, and 4.2 Mbps CBR looks too jumpy in the high-action segments.

I would appreciate any help anyone could give me on this. Please let me know if you need additional information on my render settings.

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 1/11/2012, 7:38 PM

For a 2-hour DVD, these custom settings (starting with the DVDA template) have withstood the test of time.

AlexanderG wrote on 1/13/2012, 6:39 PM

musicvid,

I wish I *could* render at those settings. I was trying to report a bug. I can't understand why Vegas won't render at the average bit rate setting. It has done it successfully before, and I have made several production DVDs using VBR rendering.

If anyone is having the same problem or knows a solution, I need some help here.

john_dennis wrote on 1/13/2012, 6:46 PM

Could you state your Vegas Pro version?

AlexanderG wrote on 1/13/2012, 6:48 PM

8.0c build 260

musicvid10 wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:09 PM

Those settings work perfectly in Vegas 8.0c, so it's not a bug report.
Perhaps you need to reinstall; or perhaps the way you are determining the finished bitrate is giving you an incorrect number.

MediaInfo is perhaps the most reliable way to determine the actual encoding parameters. Here's one I did last week in 8.0c.Video

AlexanderG wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:21 PM

I determined finished bitrate using Windows 7 Explorer. It says: Data rate: 9500 kbps; Total bitrate: 9724 kbps.

Don't you think this is sufficient information for my purposes?

AlexanderG wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:24 PM

I suppose re-loading Vegas would be easy enough to try. I will try that and get back to you.

musicvid10 wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:31 PM

What does MediaInfo say?
Or you can easily determine ABR yourself.
(File size (MB) x 8) / Time (Sec) = Total Average Bitrate (Mbps)
That includes the audio as well as the video.
;?)

AlexanderG wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:51 PM

Well, well. My 18-second test video has a file size of 9.34 MB, which gives a bitrate of 4.15 Mbps. But Windows Explorer said 9724 kbps. I guess I shouldn't put so much trust in Explorer.

I still need to re-install Vegas, since I had uninstalled it before you replied. I will test some more videos and report back.

Thanks.

musicvid10 wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:52 PM

So Windows Explorer is reporting the maximum allowable bitrate, that's all.

AlexanderG wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:55 PM

Alright, that makes sense.

AlexanderG wrote on 1/13/2012, 9:56 PM

Thanks for your patience, musicvid. I feel a bit sheepish. Vegas was doing exactly what it was supposed to do. The bitrate was fine the whole time.