mp4 help

R

robertbiferi

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I can convert a DVD to MP4 H264 at a video bit rate of 1,000 kbps and it will have a good comprestion and still look good.

Can I do this with mpeg 2. or do I need a High Bit Rate with MPEG 2 to have good Video picture?
 
For the same visual quality, the mpeg2 bit rate needs to be higher than mpeg4. Compression is better in mp4. I can't tell you by how much and it depends on the amount of action in the video. Maybe 1.5-2x? In your case, 1500-2000?
 
thanks but

Thanks for the help just one more thing?

I convert my DVDs to MP4 so I can put say a fue on my media player and it outputs to TV.

So I convert to MP4 640x480 4:3
I know this is standard TV.
But it looks good for playing them off my media player to TV so it makes a good way to take my DVDs with me.

Now if I ever have a Widscreen movie am I right I can still use the same
640x480 But I have to just use 16:9?
 
While dvds are anamorphic (720x480 or 720x576 is used for every aspect ratio) it is usual to make videos the correct aspect. A 16:9 video should be 16:9, not 4:3 (640x480). That could be 848x480 (divisible by 16) or 854x480 (WVGA) or 640x352 or 624x352. See which works for you.

You have to stretch the dvd video to fill those sizes, no black bars.
 
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Nanobyte said:
For the same visual quality, the mpeg2 bit rate needs to be higher than mpeg4. Compression is better in mp4. I can't tell you by how much and it depends on the amount of action in the video. Maybe 1.5-2x? In your case, 1500-2000?
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, MPEG-4 is XviD? One other thing, I'm pretty sure it's not the file container that makes the compression better, it's the video codec contained inside the file container and all the settings associated etc. But yes, H264 is commonly associated with MP4 and MKV, which is higher quality than XviD and DivX at a lower file size.

This is just from what I know, but I could be wrong :)

Robert, what program are you using to convert these videos? I'd recommend Handbrake or RipBot264, but there are many others.
 
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FATALiiTYz said:
If I'm not mistaken, MPEG-4 is XviD? One other thing, I'm pretty sure it's not the file container that makes the compression better, it's the video codec contained inside the file container and all the settings associated etc. But yes, H264 is commonly associated with MP4 and MKV, which is higher quality than XviD and DivX at a lower file size.
Click to expand...
XviD is an mp4 codec in the MPEG-4 Part-2 (ASP) format and is usually seen in an avi container. The Avi container can hold a wide variety of formats. The mp4 container has much stricter rules and can include MPEG-4 Part-10 (AVC/H.264) as well as MPEG-4 Part-2 (ASP). Video formats have always been a minefield. Very difficult to follow.
 
thanks but

So if I take a widescreen DVD and make it 640x480 and pick aspect ratio of 16:9 this wont work?

I thought is was the ratio that changed the imag?
 
robertbiferi said:
So if I take a widescreen DVD and make it 640x480 and pick aspect ratio of 16:9 this wont work?

I thought is was the ratio that changed the imag?
Click to expand...
You can force the video on to 640x480 size in which case you will have black bars top and bottom. The actual usable video will only be 640x360. The black bars are just wasted video. The "standard" common size for widescreen is 624x352, presumably to get divisible by 16 to assist compression and minimize artifacts.

If you made the video 640x480 anamorphic (with no black bars) it would be a real oddball. The player or TV would have to be set to forced resize to 16:9.

On a technical note, being uniformly black, the bars will not increase the file size hugely as it is constant from frame to frame.
 
robertbiferi said:
I ment if I had a DVD with the black bars top and bottum

This is a widescreen DVD and it will be 16:9
Click to expand...
I don't think you understand. Just because the dvd plays with black bars top and bottom does not mean they are on the video. A standard widescreen video has no black bars on the video, and the video is 720x480. There is information on the dvd that tells the player the aspect ratio and the player stretches the video to that ratio. It is the player that adds the black bars (only if viewing on a 4:3 monitor). If you are viewing on a 16:9 monitor, there will be no black bars.

In some old dvds you may find that the black bars are on the video. The video is actually fullscreen video (4:3) and the actual movie only occupies part of that video. That you have to treat like it is a 4:3 video.

Just to complicate matters, very widescreen such as 2.4:1 is 16:9 video with black bars in the video. Even though it is 2.4:1 you treat it as 16:9 as far as resizing goes.

Looking at the two paras above, if you look at the video information in your dvd player, it will tell you what the aspect ratio of the video is. If it's an old widescreen movie dvd, it may say the video is 4:3. If it's a very widescreen movie, it will say the video is 16:9. The player is looking at the video size not the shape of the movie part.

Are you viewing the movies on a 4:3 or 16:9 monitor or TV?
 
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thanks but

OK I think I did again I some times go on and on I am sorry.

I do know widescreen movies are filmed with film that is wider then Heigh.

And when you play the Origanle widescreen film on a 4:3 TV the TV puts Bars at top and bottum because there is no picture there.

I do know this and I am sorry if I made it sound like I did not.

What I ment is if I takje a widescreen DVD and make it MP4 640x480 and just pick 16:9 ratio it still will look just like the widescreen DVD.

It will play on the 4:3 TV and it will keep it's widescreen?
 
robertbiferi said:
What I ment is if I takje a widescreen DVD and make it MP4 640x480 and just pick 16:9 ratio it still will look just like the widescreen DVD.

It will play on the 4:3 TV and it will keep it's widescreen?
Click to expand...
I have no idea, it depends entirely on what instructions those numbers are attached to. Post a screenshot/s of the settings page/s (readable but not too large). If you can't do that, post the app you are using and I'll try to find the Help online so I can read it. I have no idea why you are trying to make widescreen video 640x480.

Can you answer my previous question about the aspect ratio of the monitor and/or TV you are using?
 
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