After using Windows Movie Maker (WMM) to edit and author a 60 minute 16:9 ratio home video captured from my camcorder, I had to save the finished video to my PC hardrive so that I can import it into PowerProducer to produce and burn a DVD. Before saving the video, WMM gave me several saving options as far as file size and bit rates to use etc. Not sure which to choose, I copied the same video three times using three different options:
Option 1: High Quality Video (PAL) - 720 X 576 pixels at variable bit rate.
Option 2: Video For Local Playback (PAL) - 720 X 576 pixels at 2.1 Mbps bit rate.
Option 3: High Quality Video (Large) - 856 X 480 pixels at variable bit rate.
After saving all three, the properties of the three videos reads:
(Video saved using option 1): Bit Rate 4737 Kbps, Dimensions 720 X 576, Size 649 MB.
(Video saved using option 2): Bit Rate 2079 Kbps, Dimensions 720 X 576, Size 887 MB.
(Video saved using option 3): Bit Rate 4141 Kbps, Dimensions 856 X 480, Size 591 MB.
Which of the 3 saved files would offer the best quality video and audio? Option 1 having the highest bit rate, Option 2 being the largest file or Option 3 having the most pixels?
Use option 1. Variable bit rate is better than constant bit rate, such as option 2. And as far as option 3 being having the most pixels, that isn't going to matter unless the video has that many pixels.
Originally posted by vtowner: Use option 1. Variable bit rate is better than constant bit rate, such as option 2. And as far as option 3 being having the most pixels, that isn't going to matter unless the video has that many pixels.
Thanks for your reply vtowner. But if option 1 is the better quality, can you explain why option 2 is a much larger file? Like I said, they're both exactly the same video in both content and length...
It's because option 2 has a constant bit rate of 2.1Mbps, meaning that's the bit rate of every frame throughout the video. But with variable bit rate it can use a low bit rate for slower scenes without a lot of movement, and it will use a higher bit rate for scenes with a lot of movement.
But the properties of option 1 saved video says 'Bit Rate 4737 Kbps' compared to option 2 saved video properties which says 'Bit Rate 2079 Kbps'. Wouldn't it make sense that the option 1 video be a larger file than the option 2 video?
Sorry for my persistance vtowner, I'm just trying to learn something here...
