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Higher qual: H264 or MPEG?

B

Blade_Jones

I'm looking to export video for Amazon Video Direct.

Which is higher quality: H264 or MPEG?

I would use ProRes 422 but I'm using the old Final Cut Studio, which predated ProRes 422.
 
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Depends on your settings and what type of MPEG.

Also, FCP has had ProRes (including 422) for a long time. Are you sure you can't update your Pro Video Formats to get it?
 
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jax_rox said:
Depends on your settings and what type of MPEG.

Also, FCP has had ProRes (including 422) for a long time. Are you sure you can't update your Pro Video Formats to get it?
Click to expand...
According to Wiki Prores 422 was introduced in 2007 with Final Cut Studio 2. I ain't shelling out $600 if I don't have to.

Depends on the settings? Well here's my other 2 choices....

MPEG-2

Supported containers: MPG, MPEG, M2P, M2T, M2TS, TS
Profile: Main
Recommended bitrate for HD Resolution: 80 Mbps
Recommended bitrate for SD Resolution: 50 Mbps
Key frame interval: 1-second or less. I-Frame only preferred.
Audio format: PCM or MPEG Layer II
Recommended bitrate for PCM Audio:◦ 5.1 – Lossless, Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Stereo – Lossless, Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Recommended bitrate for MPEG Layer II Audio:◦ 5.1 – Data Rate: 768 Kbps, Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Stereo – Bitrate: 384 Kbps, Sample Rate: 48 kHz

H.264

Supported Containers: MP4, M2T, TS Note: H.264 video in MOV wrappers isn’t supported.
Profile: High
Recommended bitrate for HD resolution: 30 Mbps
Recommended Bitrate for SD Resolution: 15 Mbps
Key frame interval: 2 seconds (or less)
Audio Format: AC-3 or AAC
Recommended bitrate for AC-3 Audio:◦ 5.1 – Bitrate: 448 Kbps, Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Stereo – Bitrate: 192 Kbps, Sample Rate: 48 kHz
Recommended Bitrate for AAC Audio:◦ 5.1 – Bitrate: 768 Kbps, Sample rate: 48 kHz
Stereo – Bitrate: 320 Kbps, Sample rate: 48 kHz
 
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Test it. Take a view pieces and compare:
dark scene with little action, a scene with a lot of fine details, a scene with patterns in the background like fences or tiles/bricks and a scene with a lot of fast movement.

However, in the past 9 years H264 encoders have become better.
 
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The higher bitrate would have me lean towards MPEG, but MP4 is not bad either. Test both, and look for yourself, I'd suggest you'll probably find they perform quite similarly.

On the topic of ProRes, you should still be able to get 422 by updating your Pro Video Formats... I don't know how Amazon Video Direct works, but if they're re-compressing based on the master you provide I would want to be providing a ProRes 422 than an already compressed version. That said, if they're no re-compressing, or only lightly re-compression then it will be fine.
 
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