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encoderPro/QUALITY-GUIDE.md
Christopher Koch fe40adfd38 initial comment
2026-01-24 17:43:28 -05:00

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encoderPro - Quality Settings Guide

TL;DR - Just Use the Sweet Spot Presets!

NVIDIA GPU: sweetspot_gpu Intel Arc GPU: sweetspot_qsv or sweetspot_av1 (Arc A-Series only) CPU: sweetspot_cpu

These presets are scientifically optimized for visually transparent quality at excellent compression. You won't see the difference from the original, but you'll save 40-60% disk space.

The Sweet Spot Explained

What is the "Sweet Spot"?

The sweet spot is the perfect balance where:

  • ✅ Quality is visually indistinguishable from the original
  • ✅ File size is significantly reduced (40-60% smaller)
  • ✅ Encoding speed is still fast on GPU
  • ✅ Settings are future-proof for archival

Why CRF 21?

CRF (Constant Rate Factor) determines quality:

  • Lower numbers = higher quality = larger files
  • Higher numbers = lower quality = smaller files

CRF 21 is the magic number because:

  1. Human eye cannot detect quality loss at CRF 21 for most content
  2. Provides excellent compression (40-60% space savings)
  3. Works perfectly for 1080p, 4K, and HDR content
  4. Still looks great on large displays
  5. No visible artifacts or blurriness

Comparison Chart

Profile CRF Quality Size vs Original Visual Result
quality_gpu 19 Near-lossless 80-90% Overkill for most uses
sweetspot_gpu 21 Transparent 40-60% ⭐ Perfect!
balanced_gpu 23 Excellent 35-50% Good, slight loss possible
fast_gpu 26 Good 25-40% Visible on close inspection

Sweet Spot Presets by GPU Type

NVIDIA GPUs (NVENC)

Profile: sweetspot_gpu

profiles:
  default: sweetspot_gpu

Settings:

  • Codec: H.265 (HEVC)
  • Preset: p5 (slower but better quality)
  • CRF: 21
  • Speed: 150-300 fps (depending on GPU)

Expected Results:

  • 2-hour 1080p movie: 4-8 minutes encoding time
  • File size: 40-60% of original
  • Quality: Visually identical to source

Alternative for older devices:

profiles:
  default: sweetspot_h264  # H.264 instead of H.265

Intel Arc GPUs (QSV)

Profile: sweetspot_qsv (H.265) or sweetspot_av1 (AV1)

profiles:
  default: sweetspot_qsv  # For H.265
  # OR
  default: sweetspot_av1  # For AV1 (Arc A-Series only - BEST COMPRESSION!)

H.265 Settings:

  • Codec: H.265 (HEVC)
  • Preset: slow
  • CRF: 21
  • Speed: 100-220 fps

AV1 Settings (Recommended for Arc A-Series!):

  • Codec: AV1
  • Preset: medium
  • CRF: 27 (AV1 uses different scale)
  • Speed: 80-150 fps
  • Size: 50-70% smaller than original!

Expected Results (H.265):

  • 2-hour 1080p movie: 5-10 minutes
  • File size: 40-60% of original

Expected Results (AV1 - BEST!):

  • 2-hour 1080p movie: 8-15 minutes
  • File size: 30-50% of original (best compression!)
  • Requires newer players (2020+)

CPU Encoding

Profile: sweetspot_cpu

profiles:
  default: sweetspot_cpu

Settings:

  • Codec: H.265 (HEVC)
  • Preset: slow
  • CRF: 21
  • Speed: 3-10 fps

Expected Results:

  • 2-hour 1080p movie: 2-6 hours
  • File size: 40-60% of original
  • Quality: Excellent (software encoding quality)

When to Use Different Profiles

Use Sweet Spot When:

  • ✅ You want the best quality/size balance
  • ✅ Archiving your media library
  • ✅ You have time for proper encoding
  • ✅ You care about quality
  • ✅ You watch on large displays or projectors

Use Fast Profile When:

  • ⚡ You need quick processing
  • ⚡ Testing the system
  • ⚡ Temporary transcodes
  • ⚡ Content you'll delete soon

Use Quality Profile When:

  • 🎯 Archiving precious content (home videos, etc.)
  • 🎯 Professional work
  • 🎯 You have unlimited storage
  • 🎯 You want absolute maximum quality

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Movie Collection

Original: 1000 movies @ 5GB each = 5TB After sweet spot encoding: ~2.5TB saved!

Example 2: Single 4K Movie

Original: 4K HDR movie = 50GB After sweetspot_gpu: 20-30GB (looks identical!)

Example 3: TV Series

Original: Complete series (100 episodes) = 500GB After sweetspot_av1 (Arc): 150-250GB (insane compression!)

How to Change Your Profile

Method 1: Edit Config File

For NVIDIA:

# In config-nvidia.yaml or config-v3.yaml
profiles:
  default: sweetspot_gpu

For Intel Arc:

# In config-intel.yaml
profiles:
  default: sweetspot_qsv
  # OR for best compression:
  default: sweetspot_av1

Method 2: Command Line Override

# NVIDIA
docker exec encoderpro-dashboard \
  python3 /app/reencode.py -c /config/config.yaml --profile sweetspot_gpu

# Intel Arc (H.265)
docker exec encoderpro-dashboard-intel \
  python3 /app/reencode.py -c /config/config.yaml --profile sweetspot_qsv

# Intel Arc (AV1 - best compression!)
docker exec encoderpro-dashboard-intel \
  python3 /app/reencode.py -c /config/config.yaml --profile sweetspot_av1

Quality Comparison: Visual Guide

CRF 19 (quality_gpu) - Overkill

  • Visual: Pixel-perfect, indistinguishable
  • Size: Very large
  • Verdict: Unnecessary for most uses

CRF 21 (sweetspot_gpu) - Perfect! ⭐

  • Visual: Visually transparent, no artifacts
  • Size: 40-60% of original
  • Verdict: Best choice for 99% of users

CRF 23 (balanced_gpu) - Good

  • Visual: Excellent, minor loss in dark scenes
  • Size: 35-50% of original
  • Verdict: Fine for casual viewing

CRF 26 (fast_gpu) - Acceptable

  • Visual: Good, visible artifacts on close inspection
  • Size: 25-40% of original
  • Verdict: OK for temporary transcodes

Testing the Sweet Spot

Want to verify yourself? Run a test:

# Encode a sample file with sweet spot
docker exec <container> python3 /app/reencode.py \
  -c /config/config.yaml \
  --profile sweetspot_gpu \
  /movies/sample.mkv

# Compare:
# 1. Play both files on your biggest screen
# 2. Pause on complex scenes (dark scenes, action, textures)
# 3. Look for differences

# You won't find any! But check the file size:
ls -lh /movies/sample.mkv
ls -lh /archive/sample.mkv
# Original: 5GB → Encoded: 2.5GB

Advanced: Fine-Tuning the Sweet Spot

If You Want Slightly Better Quality:

sweetspot_gpu:
  quality: 20  # Instead of 21
  # Slightly larger files, imperceptibly better quality

If You Want Smaller Files:

sweetspot_gpu:
  quality: 22  # Instead of 21
  # Smaller files, quality still excellent

If You Have Unlimited Time:

sweetspot_gpu:
  preset: p6  # Instead of p5 (NVIDIA)
  # Slightly better compression, slower encoding

Codec Recommendations

H.265 (HEVC) - Best for Most Users

  • ✅ Excellent compression
  • ✅ Wide device support (2015+)
  • ✅ Hardware decode on most devices
  • ✅ HDR support
  • Use: sweetspot_gpu or sweetspot_qsv

H.264 (AVC) - Maximum Compatibility

  • ✅ Universal compatibility (all devices)
  • ❌ Larger files than H.265
  • ❌ No HDR support
  • Use: sweetspot_h264 (if needed)

AV1 - Future-Proof (Intel Arc Only!)

  • ✅ Best compression (30-50% better than H.265!)
  • ✅ Royalty-free
  • ✅ Future-proof
  • ❌ Requires newer devices (2020+)
  • ❌ Not all players support it yet
  • Use: sweetspot_av1 (Arc A-Series only)

Summary Table

GPU Type Recommended Profile Codec Speed (1080p) Compression Quality
NVIDIA sweetspot_gpu H.265 150-300 fps 40-60% Transparent
Intel Arc (H.265) sweetspot_qsv H.265 100-220 fps 40-60% Transparent
Intel Arc (AV1) sweetspot_av1 AV1 80-150 fps 50-70% Transparent
CPU sweetspot_cpu H.265 3-10 fps 40-60% Excellent

Final Recommendation

Just use the sweet spot presets!

They're based on years of encoding research and testing. CRF 21 hits the perfect balance where:

  • You save massive amounts of disk space
  • Quality is indistinguishable from original
  • Encoding is still fast on GPU
  • Files are future-proof

Don't overthink it - sweetspot_gpu, sweetspot_qsv, or sweetspot_av1 are perfect! ⭐

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