Skip to main content
S
si235312002eua
Participating Frequently
March 11, 2022
Question

Confused about export bitrates (software vs hardware encoding)

  • March 11, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 4406 views

I'm trying to make sense of different results I got from exporting the same HD sequence to identical target bitrates (25 mbps) but with different settings. There is a world of differences between these results and I cannot understand why. Only settings that changed were VBR (1 / 2 pass) or CBR and software or hardware encoding. 

 

Here are the average bitrates it generated:

 

- VBR 1 pass (hardware): 8.2 mbps

- VBR 1 pass (software): 22 mbps

- CBR (hardware): 8.5 mbps

- VBR 2 passes (software): 22 mbps

 

Considering I used a target bitrate of 25 mbps (max bitrate of 30 for VBR 2 passes), the software encoded bitrates make sense to me. This was expected. The hardware encoded bitrates however (CBR and VBR 1 pass) don't.

 

Visually all these exported videos look identical when compared at 200% in Premiere, meaning 25 mbps was completely overkill for these jobs, but I'd still like to understand what is happening. What can explain such a huge gap between the target bitrate and end result during hardware encoding? Is it ignoring user set target bitrate and computing its own receipe?

 

My graphics card is a Quadro K4200 if that matters.

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Warren Heaton
Community Expert
Warren HeatonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 11, 2022

 

The resulting files should always be close to the Target Bitrate without exceeding the Maximum Bitrate.

 

With Performance set to Hardware instead of Software, the encode times should be faster while the results are similar if not identical.

 

The difference between Variable Bitrate and Constant Bitrate is temporal, so Spatial differences may not be obvious to the naked eye.

 

For delivery of a 1st generation HD H264 file to social media like YouTube and Vimeo, 1-pass VBR 16 should be fine.  For UHD, it comes up to 2-pass VBR 40.

For source footage in an edit, 35 Mbps is the floor professionally.   

 

 

 

 

    S
    si235312002euaAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 11, 2022

    Warren that's what is puzzling. How do you explain the differences I got in file size between software and hardware encoding? So far, I can't. I don't understand what is happening. These exportations have a lot of static graphical elements so there's that, but why am I getting an exported bitrate so far off the target bitrate when I hardware encode with a Quadro K4200? I'm going to try to test this again on a different system later on.

    P
    Community Expert
    Phillip HarveyCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 11, 2022

    This is only anecdotal because I can't speak to your specific question with any kind of technical confidence because I don't honestly know. It obviously seems like the Hardware Encoding is being a lot more aggressive with the macro-blocking and temporal compression on the unchanging or little changing parts of your sequence. My anecdote is that I personally only use Hardware Encoding for review-quality exports. Particularly when it comes to VFX-related work (not to mention looking at the number of support related issues) I just find that Hardware Encoding is a lot more error-prone than software, both in terms of actual render-stopping errors and render glitches that you find in QC. 

    Joost van der Hoeven
    Community Expert
    Joost van der HoevenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 11, 2022

    Can you please share your system info? Like OS and version, CPU, RAM, GPU vRAM, Pr version? Thanks. Also a screen grab of your issue will be helpful.

    FAQ: What information should I provide when asking a question on this forum?
    https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/faq-what-information-should-i-provide-when-asking-a-question-on-this-forum/td-p/3929027

    S
    si235312002euaAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    March 11, 2022

    Here are the specs of that computer:

     

    Windows 10 Enterprise (1803)

    Media Encoder 22.1.1 (Build 25)

    Premiere 22.1.2 (Build 1)

    16 GB RAM

    Intel i7-6700 3.4Ghz CPU

    Quadro K4200 GPU

     

    As for a screen grab not sure it adds much to the discussion. The issue is actual exported file size vs set target bitrate in export settings.

    These exportations were all done using Media Encoder with a set target bitrate of 25 mbps. 2 were hardware encoded, the other 2 software.

     

     

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices