Solved Encoding MP4

Hi Derek and all...

I was recently encoding a 54 minute MP4 and noticed that it was rendering out to over 3Gb on disk. I then noticed the MS 12 template was set to variable bit rate and 192k audio. So I changed the audio down to 128k, and used a fix bit rate.... (its rendering now). Most of what I do is much shorter in duration, so this was a bit of a surprise.

Just wondering what optimal (balance between size and quality) encoding would be.... its a 720 29.97 render.

Comments welcome.

Hi Northwood

If you are making DVDs, then you should only be rendering to MPEG2 Video formats for DVD - not .mp4
If you render to MP4 and then Import this into DVD Architect, the program has to re-render your video all over again from scratch.
The default variable Bit Rates are there for a reason - they will give you the best possible quality for DVD.
192kbs is the default setting for Audio in all DVDs.

I have two articles you can read.
#1 Explains the full workflow for making a DVD the best way.
How do I render a video in Vegas Movie Studio suitable for turning into a DVD using DVD Architect Studio ?

#2 Explains how to "fit a video" onto a DVD when it is too big.
How to Compress and Fit a Long Video onto a DVD

Regards
Derek

Hi Derek, nope, not making a DVD this time, and I've studied those tutorials in the past.... so thanks for those.

I was looking at file size for downloading the MP4 versus the resulting quality of video.... saving some bandwidth without destroying the 720p goodness too much... MP4 was the desired format of the person I was editing for.

Cheers

The way you worded your first message made it sound like you were rendering for a DVD.

"rendering out to over 3GB on disc"

As soon as you said the word DISC, I immediately assumed you meant a DVD disc.

Now that I know you mean something totally different, I will say this.
Finding the balance between the Best Bit Rate versus Best Video Quality, is the Holy Grail of Video Editing.

Using a lower Bit Rate for the Audio Stream barely makes any difference to file size. I personally believe that Audio is the most important part of any video. If your audio sucks, no one is going to watch. Don't go lower than 128 kbps.

The Bit Rate you use for the Video Stream requires tonnes of experimentation.
Here is the general rule:
For fast moving video you need a higher Bit Rate, otherwise you will end up with bad pixelation.
If the video is say an interview with a person sitting in a chair, you can use a much Lower Bit Rate, because the background is still and requires less file size to encode.
When the video contains mixed content - both fast moving and slow, that's when Variable Bit Rate works really well.

In summing up, there is no one size shoe that fits all.
Still to this day, I am always experimenting with different Bit Rates.