____________________________________________________________
Encoding
Handbrake 1.8.2 (2024081000)
Video.svt-av1 10 bit fast decode Preset 5 2-pass vbr 1466 kbps
Audio.2.0 opus 128 kbps
FFmetrics
10 min - VMAF 93.65 - vbr 1466 kbps
Ab-av1 - 20 samples - preset 5
crf 32 VMAF 90.07 predicted video stream size 677.15 MiB (2%) taking 2 hours
crf 19 VMAF 93.06 predicted video stream size 3.53 GiB (13%) taking 2 hours
crf 12 VMAF 95.31 predicted video stream size 11.02 GiB (41%) taking 3 hours*
crf 10 VMAF 96.05 predicted video stream size 16.68 GiB (62%) taking 3 hours
____________________________________________________________
File
Video: AV01 1920x1080 23.976fps [V: English [eng] (av1 main, yuv420p, 1920x1080) [default]]
Audio: Opus 48000Hz stereo 3072kbps [A: Stereo opus 128 kbps [eng] (opus, 48000 Hz, stereo) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: English [eng] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Arabic [ara] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Arabic v2 [ara] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Chinese simplified [chi] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Croatian [hrv] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Dutch [dut] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Finnish [fin] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: French [fre] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: German [ger] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Greek [gre] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Hebrew [heb] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Hungarian [hun] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Italian [ita] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Japanese [jpn] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Korean [kor] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Polish [pol] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Portuguese Brasil [por] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Serbian [srp] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Spanish [spa] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Turkish [tur] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Vietnamese [vie] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Romanian [rum] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Russian [rus] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: Swedish [swe] (subrip) [default]]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: No subtitles]
General
Unique ID : 143204037617776085462558353156161623926 (0x6BBC182BF182D724F7DB22062DD35776)
Complete name : Vertigo.1958.bluray.sdr.1080p.av1.subs.vmaf93-Rosy.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4
File size : 1.43 GiB
Duration : 2 h 9 min
Overall bit rate : 1 575 kb/s
Frame rate : 23.976 FPS
Movie name : Vertigo.1958.bluray.sdr.1080p.av1.subs.vmaf93-Rosy
Encoded date : 2024-12-03 01:21:40 UTC
Writing application : mkvmerge v88.0 ('All I Know') 64-bit
Writing library : libebml v1.4.5 + libmatroska v1.7.1
Cover : Yes
Attachments : cover.jpg
Video
ID : 1
Format : AV1
Format/Info : AOMedia Video 1
Format profile : [email protected]
Codec ID : V_AV1
Duration : 2 h 8 min
Bit rate : 1 466 kb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0 (Type 0)
Bit depth : 8 bits
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.029
Stream size : 1.32 GiB (92%)
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
Audio
ID : 2
Format : Opus
Codec ID : A_OPUS
Duration : 2 h 8 min
Bit rate : 118 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 50.000 FPS (960 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 108 MiB (7%)
Title : Stereo opus 128 kbps
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No
____________________________________________________________
Source
Vertigo.1958.BluRay.1080p.DTS-HD.MA.5.1.VC-1.REMUX-FraMeSToR
Video: WVC1 1920x1080 23.976fps [V: vc-1 advanced L3, yuv420p, 1920x1080 [default]]
Audio: DTS 48000Hz 6ch 6912kbps [A: English [eng] (dts-hd ma, 48000 Hz, 5.1(side), s24) [default]]
Audio: Dolby AC3 48000Hz stereo 192kbps [A: Commentary by William Friedkin [eng] (ac3, 48000 Hz, stereo, 192 kb/s)]
Subtitle [S: English [eng] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Chinese (Simplified) [chi] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Chinese (Traditional) [chi] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Danish [dan] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Dutch [dut] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Finnish [fin] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: French [fre] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: German [ger] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Icelandic [ice] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Italian [ita] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Japanese [jpn] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Korean [kor] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Norwegian [nor] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Portuguese [por] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Spanish (Castilian) [spa] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Swedish [swe] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: English (Commentary) [eng] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: French (Commentary) [fre] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: German (Commentary) [ger] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Italian (Commentary) [ita] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Japanese (Commentary) [jpn] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Spanish (Castilian) (Commentary) [spa] (pgs)]
Subtitle [S: Forced Subtitles (auto)]
Subtitle: UTF-8 [S: No subtitles]
General
Unique ID : 73866301028687196469345568774347590167 (0x379221D1845FD03DB0CB7FC5F4288A17)
Complete name : Vertigo.1958.BluRay.1080p.DTS-HD.MA.5.1.VC-1.REMUX-FraMeSToR.mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 4
File size : 30.7 GiB
Duration : 2 h 8 min
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 34.2 Mb/s
Frame rate : 23.976 FPS
Encoded date : 2018-09-24 19:02:26 UTC
Writing application : mkvmerge v25.0.0 ('Prog Noir') 64-bit
Writing library : libebml v1.3.6 + libmatroska v1.4.9
Video
ID : 1
Format : VC-1
Format profile : Advanced@L3
Codec ID : V_MS/VFW/FOURCC / WVC1
Codec ID/Hint : Microsoft
Duration : 2 h 8 min
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Default : Yes
Forced : No
Audio #1
ID : 2
Format : DTS XLL
Format/Info : Digital Theater Systems
Commercial name : DTS-HD Master Audio
Codec ID : A_DTS
Duration : 2 h 8 min
Bit rate mode : Variable
Channel(s) : 6 channels
Channel layout : C L R Ls Rs LFE
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 93.750 FPS (512 SPF)
Bit depth : 24 bits
Compression mode : Lossless
Language : English
Default : Yes
Forced : No
____________________________________________________________
Tools
Ab-av1
FFBitrateViewer
FFmpeg
FFmetrics
Freefilesync
Handbrake
Jackett
Mediainfo
Mkvtoolknix
Qbittorent
Scenerulez
Shutterencoder
VVV-virtualvolumeview
Xnconvert
Xnview mp
===================== AV1 guide v17 ========================
1) TLDR ez recipe
Handbrake
svt-av1 10 bit
Preset 5-7
crf 25
fast-decode
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2) Encoding by vmaf
Step 1 - Check VMAF with Ab-av1
1.1 AV1
Source resolution → crf-search -i "c:\file.mkv" --pix-format yuv420p10le --svt fast-decode=1 --svt tune=0 --preset 5 --min-samples 20 --min-vmaf 98
1080p Downscale → crf-search -i "c:\file.mkv" --pix-format yuv420p10le --svt fast-decode=1 --svt tune=0 --preset 5 --min-samples 20 --min-vmaf 96 --vfilter "scale=-1:1080"
720p Downscale → crf-search -i "c:\file.mkv" --pix-format yuv420p10le --svt fast-decode=1 --svt tune=0 --preset 5 --min-samples 20 --min-vmaf 96 --vfilter "scale=-1:720"
Sample encode → sample-encode -i "c:\file.mkv" --pix-format yuv420p10le --svt fast-decode=1 --svt tune=0 --preset 5 --min-samples 20 --crf 20
1.2 x265
Source resolution → crf-search -i "c:\file.mkv" --encoder libx265 --pix-format yuv420p10le --preset medium --min-samples 20 --enc x265-params=fastdecode=1 --min-vmaf 98
1080p Downscale → crf-search -i "c:\file.mkv" --encoder libx265 --pix-format yuv420p10le --preset medium --min-samples 20 --enc x265-params=fastdecode=1 --min-vmaf 96 --vfilter "scale=-1:1080"
720p Downscale → crf-search -i "c:\file.mkv" --encoder libx265 --pix-format yuv420p10le --preset medium --min-samples 20 --enc x265-params=fastdecode=1 --min-vmaf 96 --vfilter "scale=-1:720"
Step 2 - HandBrake
Summary:
- Container: MKV
Dimensions:
- Cropping: None
- Anamorphic: None
- Borders: None
Video:
- Encoder: AV1 (10-bit SVT)
- Framerate: Same as source
- Preset: 5
- Fast Decode: ✓
- Encoder Profile: Main
- Encoder Level: Auto
- Quality: CRF determined from "ab-av1"(1), or crf 15-20-25
Audio:
- DTS to Opus Conversion:
- DTS 7.1 → Opus @ 512 kbps
- DTS 5.1 → Opus @ 384 kbps
- DTS 2.0 → Opus @ 128 kbps
*When passtrough? lossy codec(opus,aac, ac3, eac3,wma) 768-128 kbps
Step 3 - Subtitles
- Original → passtrough
- Subtitle Translator
- Whisper OpenAI
- Opensubtitles
- Subtitlecat
*If size is an issue don`t use pgs, prefer ass/srt.
____________________________________________________________
3) Encoding by vbr preset 5-7
Step 1 - recommended sizes:
av1 1080p 30min high quality - 400mb
av1 1080p 60min high quality - 800mb
av1 1080p 120min+ high quality - 1500mb
av1 1080p super high quality - 4000mb
av1 2160p 120min+ medium quality - 4gb
av1 2160p 120min+ super high quality - 8gb-12gb
Step 2 - recommended bitrate:
1080p medium quality - 1000kbps
1080p high quality - 1500kbps
1080p high quality - 2000kbps
1080p super high quality - 4000kbps
2160p high quality - 4000kbps
2160p super high quality - 8000-12000 kbps
____________________________________________________________
3) Observations
AV1 presets have a significant impact on both bitrate and quality. For instance, moving from preset 5 to preset 2 can boost VMAF scores by 2-4 points. This behavior differs notably from x265, where higher-quality presets typically increase file size. In AV1, file size often remains unchanged or even decreases as quality improves with lower presets.
A good example is Netflix AV1 rips, which achieve decent quality at 1080p with astonishingly low bitrates of 500-700 kbps. This is likely due to the use of extremely low presets (2, 1, or 0), which require substantial computational power but yield remarkable results.
This demonstrates that bitrate alone is not a reliable indicator of quality. Similarly, relying solely on VMAF scores or subjective visual assessment can be misleading. A balanced approach that combines multiple evaluation methods is essential, particularly when faced with unusual cases, such as low VMAF scores despite high bitrates.
____________________________________________________________
References
1. Dolby, 2023. What are Dolby Vision profiles and levels? [Online]
2. Ozer, J., 2017. Video Encoding by the Numbers: Eliminate the Guesswork from your Streaming Video. Doceo Publishing.
3. Sayood, K., 2017. Introduction to Data Compression. 5th Edition.
4. Ozer, J., 2021. What is CBR, VBR, CRF, Capped-CRF? Rate Control Modes Explained.
5. Rassool, Reza. VMAF Reproducibility: Validating a Perceptual Practical Video Quality Metric.
6. Kah, A. e al. Fundamental relationships between subjective quality, user acceptance, and the VMAF metric for a quality-based bit rate ladder design for over-the-top video streaming services.
7. Boldrin, M. 2008. Against Intellectual Monopoly.
