Greetings.
As some of you may remember me, I've been posting questions of late on how to achieve the best possible quality with VideoStudio's MPEG-2 encoder. I thank you all for your input which has been very helpful.
I've done some (exhausting) tests on my own which I'd like to share with the forum in the event it benefits someone, or if it stimulates any further discussion.
I have listed in order, from best to worst, how to get the best quality MPEG-2 encoding with VideoStudio projects. Although quite obvious by comparison, these tests are by no means conclusive or complete, and I'm no expert, but they should serve as insight. We are assuming the specs are DvD compliant and bitrate is reasonably equal for all schemes and reasonably sufficient. The order still applies even when frame-serving to a third party MPEG-2 encoder as well, only quality may be shifted slightly better or worse for all schemes. All assume Smart Render is on.
The first 3 are the best because they work with video clips loaded into the timeline naturally from the file manager.
1) Smart Render. This produces the best quality, but I would recommend avoiding because, without rendering, the streams are unstable and contain time stamp errors and bad GOPs. This is especially true when you use transitions and other complex effects. They will be fine for simple playback but not for other heavier projects.
2) and 3) are tied:
2) Encoding straight from the timeline after project is complete. Simply do your work then Share tab->Create Video File->Same as Project settings -> Render to MPEG.
3) Loading a .VSP version of the project onto the timeline by File -> Open Project, etc. then rendering it with Share tab -> etc. like in 2).
The following apply for a completed .VSP project:
4) Batch convert. Good quality, but you lose something if you don't render from the timeline.
The following 5) and 6) are tied:
5) Loading a .VSP file into the interface's clip manager and dragging it into the timeline and rendering by Share tab -> Create Video File, etc. like in method 2).
6) Right clicking into the timeline and inserting video via a .VSP file and rendering by Share tab -> Create Video File, etc. like in method 2).
Assuming 1) is 100% quality, I have given approximate metrics as such, assuming a high enough bitrate, and equal bitrate for 2-6. My numbers come from tests encoding to MPEG-4 and using quantizers and PSNR/SNR readings, etc. Probably not the best testing, but the values have been consistent after many tests and give some indication. The results are also quite visually apparent as well if you try the 6 schemes.
1) 100% quality. Bitrate is source.
2) 96% assuming high enough bitrate.
3) 96% assuming high enough bitrate.
4) 94% assuming high enough bitrate.
5) 87.5% assuming high enough bitrate.
6) 87.5% assuming high enough bitrate.
So as we can see, it's best to render video that is on the timeline. When you save to .VSP you lose something unless you open it straight to the timeline, and only through File -> Open Project...
Anyway, I have no clue why there's a degradation in quality by just inserting a .VSP into the timeline over opening one into it, but there is. I assure you.
Anyhow, thanks to the forum for all your help so far in my posts. I truly appreciated it. I hope this info benefits some folks here.
Geordie.
Best MPEG-2 Quality Encoding.
Moderator: Ken Berry
Hey Clevo,
Neither I, nor anybody else, can give a clear answer to that when we all have varied ways of capturing the content initially and then burning the finished product in the finale. I personally don't capture or burn with VS, only edit and render the MPEG-2 video in between these stages, so I wouldn't know.
But I can say this. At the editing stage make sure the content was loaded into the timeline naturally - meaning load it into the clip/file manager then drag it on the timeline.
Don't load your video by loading the clip/file manager with a .VSP file of your project/file and then to the timeline, and don't "Insert Video" of a .VSP into the timeline either. Both will have degrading effects in the encoding later on.
And don't use "Batch Convert". That too eats a bit of quality. Encode/render straight from the timeline. If you must use a .VSP file, then load it into the timeline ONLY by File->Open Project...
And if you need to create content for several projects and then batch encode them in one shot you are much better off doing them ALL on the same timeline, or in one .VSP file that you can load and encode later. You can always losslessly cut the bigger file later.
Although I recommend the Smart Render message when loading the video onto the timeline, I don't recommend using Smart Render to finish the video, or for passing this on to an author/burn app. Keep in mind that, although this gives the best quality, the streams will be buggy. I've tested this to the hilt - VS seems to leave "segmentation" or "seams" in the video where it made cuts and transitions when there's no re-rendering, which create headaches in other apps. But I guess if it's only for simple playback, then there's no problem.
Hope it helps.
Neither I, nor anybody else, can give a clear answer to that when we all have varied ways of capturing the content initially and then burning the finished product in the finale. I personally don't capture or burn with VS, only edit and render the MPEG-2 video in between these stages, so I wouldn't know.
But I can say this. At the editing stage make sure the content was loaded into the timeline naturally - meaning load it into the clip/file manager then drag it on the timeline.
Don't load your video by loading the clip/file manager with a .VSP file of your project/file and then to the timeline, and don't "Insert Video" of a .VSP into the timeline either. Both will have degrading effects in the encoding later on.
And don't use "Batch Convert". That too eats a bit of quality. Encode/render straight from the timeline. If you must use a .VSP file, then load it into the timeline ONLY by File->Open Project...
And if you need to create content for several projects and then batch encode them in one shot you are much better off doing them ALL on the same timeline, or in one .VSP file that you can load and encode later. You can always losslessly cut the bigger file later.
Although I recommend the Smart Render message when loading the video onto the timeline, I don't recommend using Smart Render to finish the video, or for passing this on to an author/burn app. Keep in mind that, although this gives the best quality, the streams will be buggy. I've tested this to the hilt - VS seems to leave "segmentation" or "seams" in the video where it made cuts and transitions when there's no re-rendering, which create headaches in other apps. But I guess if it's only for simple playback, then there's no problem.
Hope it helps.