Why uses Sony AVC Main instead of High Profile?

Lou van Wijhe wrote on 9/21/2009, 1:43 AM
In the "Blu-ray 1440x1080-50i, 15 Mbps video stream" template, supplied by Sony, the profile defaults to Main. From Wikipedia I learnt that this isn't the primary profile for Blu-ray disc.

QUOTE
Main Profile (MP)
Originally intended as the mainstream consumer profile for broadcast and storage applications, the importance of this profile faded when the High profile was developed for those applications.
High Profile (HiP)
The primary profile for broadcast and disc storage applications, particularly for high-definition television applications (this is the profile adopted into HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc, for example).
UNQUOTE

I did try High Profile and the image quality looks better to my eye, sharper and/or cleaner. Is this imagination?

Lou

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 9/21/2009, 2:26 PM
From Wikipedia, you learned what someone said isn't the primary profile.
Just like last week I sat at WEVA and listened to a Panasonic rep on a large panel drone for 10 mins on how MPEG was never an acquisition format, only a delivery format. He'd never heard of Beta SX....but I drift...

the importance of Main Profile did not "fade" when High Profile was developed. That's straight out of the Panasonic marketing literature.
High Profile has a higher bitrate, ergo a sharper, cleaner image.
That takes longer to decode in editing, longer to encode in authoring.
Both are of equal value, both have their place.
Many pro DVDs are/have been authored in Main Profile.
Codecs plus bitrate determine quality, always.
Lyris wrote on 9/21/2009, 6:27 PM
No DVDs have been authored using AVC. If you mean Blu-ray Disc, then AVC High Profile Level 4.1 is used almost exclusively (although High Profile 4.0 is also valid).

To answer your original question: the default Sony AVC encoder settings in Vegas appear to be geared towards portable devices. Many of these might not support decoding of High Profile.
Lou van Wijhe wrote on 9/22/2009, 1:14 AM
My output is not meant for portable devices, so using High Profile for Blu-ray discs should be OK then. But I'm still wondering if my impression of better image quality using HiP (at the same bitrate) is correct or if my brain is playing tricks with my 70 years old eyes...

Lou
JJKizak wrote on 9/22/2009, 5:22 AM
A lot of older people I know cannot tell the difference between DVD's and High Definition viewed at the same time because of diminished vision skills.
JJK
Spot|DSE wrote on 9/22/2009, 7:29 AM
It's not your eyes. High Profile at identical bitrates may look better, particularly if there is a lot of motion or contrast.
Most of the Focal training DVDs are authored with MainProfile for multiple reasons;
Compatibility
Ability to load into portable devices
Ease of access (not all NLE's support High Profile yet)
Bear in mind that a number of NLE's will likely never support AVCHD in any format without a DI/transcode, so it's an open market for output.
musicvid10 wrote on 9/22/2009, 9:05 AM
"Compatibility

This is especially true dealing with any Apple applications -- Quicktime, iPod, iPhone, etc. In fact a lot of portables still only accept Baseline profiles.

It's like asking why external hard drives come pre-formatted FAT32 -- makes little sense to a PC, but just ask a Mac . . .

Welcome back to the dogpile, Douglas!