Hello!
I have REALLY been pounding my little head against the wall for some days now and reading until my eyes fall out, but I cannot seem to understand a certain phenomenon that is occuring when I re-encode perfectly playable MKV files, that has played just great on my OPPO BDP-83 as an MKV file. BUT... in my testing of different files and different x264 front-ends (just to get more familiar with the codec and the settings, mainly) I have found that mysteriously in EVERY case with THREE DIFFERENT MKV files and 4 different x264 front-ends, when I try to re-encode the MKV files using what are SUPPOSEDLY Blu-ray 'compliant' settings, in ALL cases, the resulting re-encoded MKV files when I play them on my OPPO, they ALL pixelate in precisely the same way. I cannot for the life of me figure out why. I don't know that maybe by setting the encodes for Blu-ray compatibility and then rendering it as an MKV file (not putting it in the BDMV format in other words) is somehow screwing up my OPPO's playback, or what? I'm just now trying to re-burn a disc as a BDMV folder (blu-ray) and play it that way to so if there is any difference between playing an actual Blu-ray or the MKV file produces any difference. I'm really running out of clues as to why it does this. The same factor in all 3 re-encodes is:
1) the original MKV files played just fine on my OPPO
2) I specifically re-encoded all 3 MKVs to be 'Blu-ray compliant'
3) I used 4 different encoder GUI's (BDRB, Simple x264, Megui, & Stax)
4) ALL the resulting re-encodes pixelated when played back on the same OPPO Blu-ray player
I'll include the encode stats for one of the original MKV files and it's re-encoded MKV file so that HOPEFULLY you guys who are FAR more experienced than I am will be able to see what the heck is going wrong here.
ORIGINAL MKV FILE (DOES PLAY)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cabac=1 / ref=4 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=umh / subme=10 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 /
me_range=24 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 /
threads=9 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=8 / b_pyramid=2 /
b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 /
intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=60 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=3320 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 /
qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
STAX RE-ENCODED MKV FILE (DOES NOT PLAY)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cabac=1 / ref=4 / deblock=1:-1:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=8 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.15 / mixed_ref=1
me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-3 /
threads=6 / lookahead_threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / slices=4 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=1
/ constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 /
weightp=1 / keyint=48 / keyint_min=1 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=48 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 /
crf=19.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=40000 / vbv_bufsize=30000 / crf_max=0.0 /
nal_hrd=vbr / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
As you can see, the original downloaded file has even MORE stringent or stronger settings than my re-encode (such as a higher settings for: subme, me_range, trellis, threads, b_pyramid, & weightp) Now, the supposedly Blu-ray 'compliant' settings of the re-encode DO include some additional settings that the original MKV file does not have, such as: lookahead_threads=1, vbv_maxrate, vbv_bufsize, &nal_hrd=vbr, which I think are SUPPOSED to be there to make sure that it IS Blu-ray compatible, right? Also, a few of the re-encodes settings have slightly different values, such as: qpmin & qpmax, rc_lookahead, keyint, & keyint_min, but, from what I've read, I don't THINK that those in themselves would make the file pixelize while playing on the OPPO.
Do you think that in making it Blu-ray compatible and having the encoder add those 'necessary' settings is somehow screwing up playing it back because it is NOT actually in the Blu-ray format (BDMV) but is an MKV file?
I would sure appreciate any insight on this.
Thank you!
****EDIT
AHA! I think that IS it; I just played the same file, BUT in a BDMV format as an actual Blu-ray by running the file through TSMuxer and burning a 'Blu-ray' disc, and it played beautifully!
So, have I just made a NEWBIE mistake then in setting the re-encodes for Blu-ray compatibility BUT rendering it as an MKV file, and THAT is why these are not playing properly? So then, when I want simply to re-encode MKV files, I should NOT set it for Blu-ray compatibility then, right? Just Level 4.1 for PLAYER compatibility, correct? So, when re-encoding these files then, I can have more of a free hand to just set the settings for like 'Slow' and Level 4.1 and not worry about it, right? GEEZ, what a total NEWBIE... :confused:
I have REALLY been pounding my little head against the wall for some days now and reading until my eyes fall out, but I cannot seem to understand a certain phenomenon that is occuring when I re-encode perfectly playable MKV files, that has played just great on my OPPO BDP-83 as an MKV file. BUT... in my testing of different files and different x264 front-ends (just to get more familiar with the codec and the settings, mainly) I have found that mysteriously in EVERY case with THREE DIFFERENT MKV files and 4 different x264 front-ends, when I try to re-encode the MKV files using what are SUPPOSEDLY Blu-ray 'compliant' settings, in ALL cases, the resulting re-encoded MKV files when I play them on my OPPO, they ALL pixelate in precisely the same way. I cannot for the life of me figure out why. I don't know that maybe by setting the encodes for Blu-ray compatibility and then rendering it as an MKV file (not putting it in the BDMV format in other words) is somehow screwing up my OPPO's playback, or what? I'm just now trying to re-burn a disc as a BDMV folder (blu-ray) and play it that way to so if there is any difference between playing an actual Blu-ray or the MKV file produces any difference. I'm really running out of clues as to why it does this. The same factor in all 3 re-encodes is:
1) the original MKV files played just fine on my OPPO
2) I specifically re-encoded all 3 MKVs to be 'Blu-ray compliant'
3) I used 4 different encoder GUI's (BDRB, Simple x264, Megui, & Stax)
4) ALL the resulting re-encodes pixelated when played back on the same OPPO Blu-ray player
I'll include the encode stats for one of the original MKV files and it's re-encoded MKV file so that HOPEFULLY you guys who are FAR more experienced than I am will be able to see what the heck is going wrong here.
ORIGINAL MKV FILE (DOES PLAY)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cabac=1 / ref=4 / deblock=1:0:0 / analyse=0x3:0x133 / me=umh / subme=10 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 /
me_range=24 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=2 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 /
threads=9 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=8 / b_pyramid=2 /
b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 /
intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=60 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=3320 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=10 /
qpmax=51 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
STAX RE-ENCODED MKV FILE (DOES NOT PLAY)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cabac=1 / ref=4 / deblock=1:-1:-1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=8 / psy=1 / psy_rd=1.00:0.15 / mixed_ref=1
me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-3 /
threads=6 / lookahead_threads=1 / sliced_threads=0 / slices=4 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=1
/ constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=1 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 /
weightp=1 / keyint=48 / keyint_min=1 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=48 / rc=crf / mbtree=1 /
crf=19.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / vbv_maxrate=40000 / vbv_bufsize=30000 / crf_max=0.0 /
nal_hrd=vbr / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:1.00
As you can see, the original downloaded file has even MORE stringent or stronger settings than my re-encode (such as a higher settings for: subme, me_range, trellis, threads, b_pyramid, & weightp) Now, the supposedly Blu-ray 'compliant' settings of the re-encode DO include some additional settings that the original MKV file does not have, such as: lookahead_threads=1, vbv_maxrate, vbv_bufsize, &nal_hrd=vbr, which I think are SUPPOSED to be there to make sure that it IS Blu-ray compatible, right? Also, a few of the re-encodes settings have slightly different values, such as: qpmin & qpmax, rc_lookahead, keyint, & keyint_min, but, from what I've read, I don't THINK that those in themselves would make the file pixelize while playing on the OPPO.
Do you think that in making it Blu-ray compatible and having the encoder add those 'necessary' settings is somehow screwing up playing it back because it is NOT actually in the Blu-ray format (BDMV) but is an MKV file?
I would sure appreciate any insight on this.
Thank you!
****EDIT
AHA! I think that IS it; I just played the same file, BUT in a BDMV format as an actual Blu-ray by running the file through TSMuxer and burning a 'Blu-ray' disc, and it played beautifully!
So, have I just made a NEWBIE mistake then in setting the re-encodes for Blu-ray compatibility BUT rendering it as an MKV file, and THAT is why these are not playing properly? So then, when I want simply to re-encode MKV files, I should NOT set it for Blu-ray compatibility then, right? Just Level 4.1 for PLAYER compatibility, correct? So, when re-encoding these files then, I can have more of a free hand to just set the settings for like 'Slow' and Level 4.1 and not worry about it, right? GEEZ, what a total NEWBIE... :confused: