Why are HD1080 Bit Rates Limited to 20K ?

[Paul33]

Probably today's dumb question but always happy to learn the hard way !

Why can I not create 1080HD 30fps 30,000Kbps output in Videostudio ..... or can I ? The highest customised settings stop at 20,000kbps and won't let me go higher !

If I actually shot with those settings, would "save as first clip" allow me to render with them ?

Bit confused here !

[lata]

Hi what format are you using, MTS goes to 60Mb

MPEG Transport-Stream Files
24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 25 fps
Frame-based
(HDMV-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 60000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Ok so you are using Mpeg4, i assume
Try using Settings Movie Profile Manager - Mpeg4 - Add
will allow you to select your video file, that may use the higher data rate.
Save the profile, do not edit or change the profile

Then Share Mpeg4 should have your new profile available to use

As i say it may retain the higher data rate.

[Paul33]

Good idea but ...... even when identifying my source file, it capped the bitrate. I could then edit the profile but hit the 20000kbps cap again !

Perhaps if I explain what I'm trying to do - or test for as I'm having a play here - then maybe I'm heading the wrong way.

I shoot with a mobile phone and my projects are a mix of 80% off back camera and 20% off front. As with most (all?) mobile phones, the front camera has a lower spec than the back so I end up with 4K off the back camera and 1080HD off the front which means rendering the final project in 4K means upscaling the 1080HD files and making them look a bit dodgy as a result.

I could just shoot with bog standard 1080HD but my projects are outdoors and contain a lot of moving detail which doesn't look good in 1080HD when viewed on a 2K monitor or 4K TV ..... lots of "fizzing" where there is moving detail containing such as leaves or grass.

So, my dilemma is how do I get the absolute max out of a 1080HD setting which is why I was trying to experiment with the bitrate. I shoot via Filmic Pro which has an extreme bitrate setting which will capture clips upwards of 50000kbps so figured that would be worth checking out.

Open to alternative ideas here !

[tletter]

If I actually shot with those settings, would "save as first clip" allow me to render with them ?

Perhaps you could try it and let us know the results. However, you don't provide any details about the smartphone video clip properties. Guessing that they're probably VFR so their CFR may be less than 20,000 kbps.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[lata]

Try using Settings Movie Profile Manager - Mpeg4 - Add
will allow you to select your video file, that may use the higher data rate.

Save the profile, do not edit or change the profile

Then Share Mpeg4 should have your new profile available to use

As i say it may retain the higher data rate.

If you add your video file, do not edit the profile and it should retain the higher data rate.
If you try to edit the profile it will revert to the lower rate.
If it does not do that then VS does not like your video and Same as First Clip may not be available either

You need to check that for yourself
If same as first clip works then problem solved as you can render to the higher data rate for all your projects.

[Paul33]

The test clip was shot as 1080HD 30fps with the highest bit rate setting (doesn't give a number - just "extreme" !).

The resulting mp4 file showed 1920x1080, 30fps VFR (max 43, min 23) and a bitrate of 75Mb/s.

If I add a new profile via Movie Profile Manager, it shows .........

MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 30.073 fps
Frame-based
H.264 Baseline Profile Video: 74979 Kbps
48000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 256 Kbps

But, if I then go back into Movie Profile Manager then the profile shows ........

MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 30.073 fps
Frame-based
H.264 Baseline Profile Video: 9443 Kbps
48000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 256 Kbps

so clearly it is overriding the original bitrate albeit not sure where it gets 9443 Kbps from. Needless to say, when looking to render with that profile, it still shows 9443 Kbps.

[lata]

Hi Paul
I would assume the main issue Video Studio has with your video is the variable frame rate, Video Studio just does not like VFR
You could try using a small program called Media Info
https://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo
This tool should give a more accurate results regarding your video properties and data rate

Even so you may have to convert your videos to edit with Video Studio.

You should try rendering to one of the standard Mpeg4 profiles to see how VS performs and test the quality
MPEG-4 AVC (1920 x 1080, 30p, 15Mbps)

Does the phone have any other settings that use a constant frame rate

[Paul33]

I had already rendered 1080 projects using existing presets and wasn't happy with the results. I have mediainfo and use it - that's where the data above came from.

I can try using handbrake to level out the framerate but I've never really bought the "VS hates VFR" argument before as I've used VFR clips for two years or more without any real problems. You can get very slight audio sync issues that conversion to CFR via Handbrake DOES resolve but that's about it ..... VS seems quite okay otherwise.

I will go and try getting rid of the VFR and see what happens.

[Paul33]

Thank you Trevor once again ..... I may not "get it" but it worked !

Ran the file through Handbrake, set a 30fps CFR and a 60,000kbps average bitrate and VS seemed okay with the resulting file ..... in so much as the Movie Profile Manager grabbed the data AND kept it when I checked back. Rendered a project with it and it did look good at 1080HD and a high bitrate so my only testing now will be to try and find how low I can drop that bitrate without losing significant visible quality.

Thank you for your help !

[pvreditor]

FWIW, my cameras produce 4K at a claimed 100 Mbps, which works out to around 95 Mbps when I actually check the data rate. In older versions of VideoStudio (x8 and x9), the only MP4 choice to render is 40 Mbps -- I've tried to make a custom profile, but it wouldn't go higher than 40 Mbps. Unless I checked the "Save as first clip" choice... then it would render at 105 Mbps! I did use that occasionally for things that I would be rendering again, or for clips that I processed for a stock video site (like Pond5).

[Robcabob1]

This is way late to the party but is for the 2020 version.
I use nvidia shadowplay to record my videos. I record in 4k 60fps at about 80mbps. reviewing the actual video is just fine; though recent updates cause minor stutter.
(photo 1 from recommended program)

my specs
Ryzen 3900x
32gb 3600mhz ram
1tb nvme gen4 x4 (storage, non os drive)
RTX 3090

I've noticed the longer my videos are, the more the bitrate gets hurt. my most recent video goes from 86mb to 96k (photo 2).

I can get some of the loss back, but most all the quality is lost.
is there something that's a permanent fix?

[lata]

Certainly Media Info shows the data rate as 86.4Mb/s I would assume that to be correct, just that Video Studio does not appear read the properties correctly with the lower data rate of 908Kb/s is very low

I also notice that Media Info shows the video as Pal which should be using 50fps yet the video is recorded using 60fps which is an NTSC standard.
Maybe the difference here is causing Video Studio to be confused?

Are you able to record a short sample set to Pal at 50fps or Ntsc at 60fps.

Media Info can show more details and identify if the data rate is constant or variable, even so I would not expect variable to reduce as far as 908Kb/s. (change Media Info view to show in Tree)

Hopefully others on the forum will have ideas regarding the video.

[Paul33]

Gave up on Videostudio bugs and bizarre shortcomings and moved to Premiere Pro and have not looked back since !