Best cbr for progressive h.264 on broadband cable? at DVinfo.net

Micky Hulse · January 18th, 2010, 04:28 PM

Hi,

Quick question...

Just curious what video bitrate you think is best for h.264 progressive video on a broadband cable connection?

I have heard some folks go as low as 750kbps, but I kinda prefer 1.5mbps (good quality and appears to download well on fast connections).

Do you think 2mbps is pushing the envelope?

Thanks!
Micky

Josh Chesarek · February 4th, 2010, 12:02 PM

Depends on a lot of things but I usually do a nice 2 pass encoding from an HD source @ 750 kbits total Video Audio and it looks very nice @ a resolution of 608*342(16:9). This video seems to play for most people without issue. When I go above that the people on entry level DSL/cable seem to get left out and buffer a bit. One solution I have put in place is using a streaming server that switches between multiple bitrate files which allows the video quality to scale with the internet connection without having to stop and re-buffer on every change.

Ervin Farkas · February 4th, 2010, 12:56 PM

Bitrate is only one of the things to consider. Talking of which, why would you go CBR? VBR is a lot more efficient, getting you higher quality video for the same bitrate, or the same quality for lower bitrate. And by any means, to multi-pass!

Another thing to consider is your content. A "talking head" interview shot from tripods will only need a quarter of the bitrate of an action-packed sports event or rock concert with flashing lights and handheld cameras.

Also take into consideration the size of your online video, the larger it is, the higher the needed bitrate.

Then think of the viewer's computer. The more you compress, the more the viewer will have to decompress (need a more powerful computer).

To "play it safe" - if your target audience is the general audience (e.g. not high tech geeks all with 15Mbps cable and 8-core/24GB RAM computers)... well, you have to keep it between 500 and 700 Kbps...

So there is no easy answer to your question. If you need to go higher for any reason, then so be it - but provide a download link as well for those with slower internet and/or older computers.

Seth Bloombaum · February 4th, 2010, 02:29 PM

Mickey, one thing missing from your original post is any pixel size info.
My recent testing has me headed for the following:
360p (640x360 16:9, square pixels) = 400Kbps
480p (854x480 16:9, square pixels) = 900Kbps

Of course, a lot depends on content - high motion or low motion. I'm providing both the above bitrates so that users can select.

January 18th, 2010, 04:28 PM	#1
Micky Hulse Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA Posts: 213	Best cbr for progressive h.264 on broadband cable? Hi, Quick question... Just curious what video bitrate you think is best for h.264 progressive video on a broadband cable connection? I have heard some folks go as low as 750kbps, but I kinda prefer 1.5mbps (good quality and appears to download well on fast connections). Do you think 2mbps is pushing the envelope? Thanks! Micky __________________ Home: See *"Work"* :) Work: Canon XH A1, CS3/CS4/CS5/Final Cut Studio/Final Cut Express/Premiere Elements

February 4th, 2010, 12:02 PM	#2
Josh Chesarek Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 978	Depends on a lot of things but I usually do a nice 2 pass encoding from an HD source @ 750 kbits total Video Audio and it looks very nice @ a resolution of 608*342(16:9). This video seems to play for most people without issue. When I go above that the people on entry level DSL/cable seem to get left out and buffer a bit. One solution I have put in place is using a streaming server that switches between multiple bitrate files which allows the video quality to scale with the internet connection without having to stop and re-buffer on every change. __________________ Simple Thought Productions - Life @ 30,000 Words per second

February 4th, 2010, 12:56 PM	#3
Ervin Farkas Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta/USA Posts: 2,515	Why not VBR? Bitrate is only one of the things to consider. Talking of which, why would you go CBR? VBR is a lot more efficient, getting you higher quality video for the same bitrate, or the same quality for lower bitrate. And by any means, to multi-pass! Another thing to consider is your content. A "talking head" interview shot from tripods will only need a quarter of the bitrate of an action-packed sports event or rock concert with flashing lights and handheld cameras. Also take into consideration the size of your online video, the larger it is, the higher the needed bitrate. Then think of the viewer's computer. The more you compress, the more the viewer will have to decompress (need a more powerful computer). To "play it safe" - if your target audience is the general audience (e.g. not high tech geeks all with 15Mbps cable and 8-core/24GB RAM computers)... well, you have to keep it between 500 and 700 Kbps... So there is no easy answer to your question. If you need to go higher for any reason, then so be it - but provide a download link as well for those with slower internet and/or older computers. __________________ Ervin Farkas www.AtlantaLegalVideo.com

February 4th, 2010, 02:29 PM	#4
Seth Bloombaum Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 3,420	Mickey, one thing missing from your original post is any pixel size info. My recent testing has me headed for the following: 360p (640x360 16:9, square pixels) = 400Kbps 480p (854x480 16:9, square pixels) = 900Kbps Of course, a lot depends on content - high motion or low motion. I'm providing both the above bitrates so that users can select. __________________ 30 years of pro media production. Vegas user since 1.0. Webcaster since 1997. Freelancer since 2000. College instructor since 2001.