Mpeg 4 exports from Mep 15 plus have become pixelated recently? H. 264

Couldbeclearer wrote on 7/21/2011, 2:48 AM

I have previously converted a finished edit to a export in mpeg 4(H.264) format but recently it has produced terrible results as if the bitrate were so poor as to make it pixelated and jerky. I have then tried the same thing on the original clip and exported it with quicktime and it then works perfectly well.

I have tried resetting the system and it still does the same thing. And supplementary, does anybody know what the best exports are for the various uses of video. Is mpeg4 the best for online and what is the best if you were to then burn to Dvd? I'm happy to make different versions of my edits but it would be nice to know which is the best setting.

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 7/21/2011, 7:18 AM

What is the source file(s) format, bitrate and resolution?

For DVD I use MEPs default DVD burn settings except I increase the quality to maximum and the bitrate to maximum possible - MEP will complain if it unable to fit movie on DVD and ask you to adjust the bitrate.

To burn as Blu-ray onto a DVD disc use the BD burn option.

John

Couldbeclearer wrote on 7/21/2011, 2:02 PM

MPEG4 Export (MP4):
Video: 1920x1080 ; 29.97 Frames/s; H.264 600 kbit/s
Audio: 48000 Hz; Stereo; AAC
Size estimate: 3009 kByte

This is a copy of the setting for my mpeg4. I wonder if something is adrift in the advanced settings even though I've reverted to default.

The strange thing is that previously any clips I exported to mpeg4 worked and for some strange reason they now don't. I wonder if I've touched a setting somewhere. I've reverted to defaults and even original settings.

blubb444 wrote on 7/22/2011, 4:23 AM

Wow, 600 kbit/s for a Full HD video? If it isn't all plain text then of course it will be extremely pixelated! I normally use 16000 kbit/s at this resolution/framerate! So yeah, the bitrate is definitely too low. But what about your source video, is it even Full HD? If not then it makes no sense encoding it as such.

johnebaker wrote on 7/22/2011, 12:16 PM

If this spec

MPEG4 Export (MP4):
Video: 1920x1080 ; 29.97 Frames/s; H.264 600 kbit/s
Audio: 48000 Hz; Stereo; AAC
Size estimate: 3009 kByte

Is your source video then you never will get a good HD output - as blubb444 said this bitrate is far too low for HD

If your output settings then your video is being highly compressed and therefore there is a lot of video information missing hence the pixelation

John

Couldbeclearer wrote on 7/23/2011, 2:28 AM

I've reset the bitrate and the quality improves. I have no idea how it slipped to such a low setting as I don't generally seek to compress my videos to such a level as they are usually posted. Does anybody know what the best bitrate and other setting would be to get the ultimate quality in mpeg4 ? I've raised it quite high and obviously the file size increases but it still doesn't seem to compare to the quality of a exporting as a quicktime( .mov) file. Obviously, there are various other settings that can be changed. Has anybody found the optimum for Mpeg4 ? Of course if I were to convert my original source files( h.264) into quicktime then edit then export into quicktime would the quality be even better. At present I allow mep to convert it into a file then reconvert it back to Mpeg4

If anyone knows the best option, please post. My system isn't fast enough to work directly with mpeg4 in an edit so I have to convert.

Thanks for all your help.

johnebaker wrote on 7/23/2011, 3:04 PM

My system isn't fast enough to work directly with mpeg4 in an edit so I have to convert.

Thanks for all your help.

This may your problem - in converting you are reducing the resolution of your video probably down to 720 * 576 and then trying to upscale again to 1920 * 1080 - you have lost the detail in the down conversion, hence the pixelation when trying to upscale.

What is your target device for the video? If HD TV then you would probably be better off burning to standard DVD at the highest quality and bitrate settings and then let the DVD player/Tv do the upscaling.

Re Quicktime being better than mp4 - are you comparing like for like in resolution etc.

John

johnebaker wrote on 7/24/2011, 12:56 PM

Using MEP17+ HD the Vimeo export gives the following settings (for PAL land) for these definitions:

Standard definition (SD)

Video:    AVC codec bitrate 851 kb/s max 1500kb/s
   640*360 (16:9) 25fps progressive PAL
Audio:    AAC codec bitrate 128kb/s, sample rate 24kHz

HD 720p

Video:    AVC codec bitrate 1965 kb/s max 20 Mb/s
               1280*720 (16:9) 25fps progressive PAL
Audio:    AAC codec bitrate 128kb/s, sample rate 44.1kHz

Full HD 1080p

Video:    AVC codec bitrate variable max 20Mb/s
               1920*1080 (16:9) 25fps progressive PAL
Audio:     AAC codec bitrate 128kb/s, sample rate 44.1kHz

This is for 16:9 video.

HTH

John