The Shrink Challenge!!! Is v3.2 Really Better than the Other Transcoders? Let’s Compare.

I use shrink to enhance DD-RB/CCE Basic. I use it to calculate audio file sizes and to analyze extras. In some case I use it to compress the extras leaving the main movie untouched and then I re encode it with the best with DVD-RB and Cinema Craft Encoder. As a Transcoder DVD Shrink increasingly compromises too much over 20%.

 

Sophocles, as you are knowledgable about DVD Shrink 3.2, I have a question. From some of the people involved with Shrink development, I heard the new quality settings don't have much effect until the compression load reaches near 25%. Your analysis has the program having problems over 20%. Does this mean that the new settings aren't effective or just not effective enough for good quality?

 

DVD Shrink compresses the B frame up to about 20% affter that Shrink begins to compress the P frames. On higher compression movies you'll have to do away with the sharpness settings and go for the soft fuzzy settings or take the risk of serious artifacts being introduced such as macro blocking.
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brobear...Part 1 of the Shrink interlace test(referenced in the initial thread) shows a very interesting P, B, and I frame bar graph at the bottom of the page. These actually demonstrate the amount of compression involved. The author goes on in Part 2 to state that he believes there is an improper imbalance of the compression/shrinking of the P's in relationship to the B's and I's.

What I have found with random freeze frame viewing is that I get both a sharp picture (I frame) or a fairly blurred one (P and B). Because of the way our vision works, I believe we "see" the sharpest image and the spaces are then filled in with the rest. I believe this process also produces the softening effect many have mentioned.

When it comes to comparing indivual frames between transcoders, it raises the question of which Shrink/transcoder frames were used. IMO, a frame comparison should involve all 3 types. But in the end, it basically comes down to what is most visually pleasing, and this can only be done with comparing clips.
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Thanks for the info.