Here's the results of my comparison test. I used pretty much my standard settings for the test, but with SSIM and PSNR stats enabled. I realise that psy-rd etc affects the SSIM and PSNR stats such that they become 'invalid', but I wanted to do a 'real world' encode comparison, not one with settings that I would never use (basically with psy-rd etc turned off). Differences in the motion estimation will affect all things down stream from it, such as AQ, psy-rd etc, by leaving them enabled even though the results are 'inaccurate' it does potentially show how changes in the settings affect these features.
Settings used, apart from the ME, and where applicable the ME range:
--crf 20 --output-depth 10 --rd 4 --tu-intra-depth 4 --tu-inter-depth 4 --rdoq-level 2 --b-intra --limit-modes --aq-mode 2 --nr-intra 400 --nr-inter 400 --ipratio 1.38 --pbratio 1.28 --max-merge 4 --weightb --analyze-src-pics --bframes 6 --rc-lookahead 45 --ref 6 --keyint 600 --psy-rdoq 1.28 --no-sao --qg-size 8 --limit-tu 3 --ssim-rd --psy-rd 2.00 --ssim --psnr
No avisynth filters were used for the comparison apart from the source filter.
HEX
Code:
x265 [info]: frame I: 33, Avg QP:17.37 kb/s: 5382.71 PSNR Mean: Y:46.296 U:49.536 V:50.818 SSIM Mean: 0.982813 (17.648dB)
x265 [info]: frame P: 474, Avg QP:19.67 kb/s: 1342.77 PSNR Mean: Y:45.543 U:49.001 V:49.778 SSIM Mean: 0.982113 (17.475dB)
x265 [info]: frame B: 1493, Avg QP:25.19 kb/s: 225.04 PSNR Mean: Y:45.006 U:48.783 V:49.559 SSIM Mean: 0.980893 (17.188dB)
x265 [info]: Weighted P-Frames: Y:1.1% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: Weighted B-Frames: Y:0.4% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: consecutive B-frames: 9.7% 0.6% 7.1% 61.5% 10.5% 10.7% 0.0%
encoded 2000 frames in 73.53s (27.20 fps), 575.05 kb/s, Avg QP:23.75, Global PSNR: 46.176, SSIM Mean Y: 0.9812134 (17.262 dB)
STAR
Code:
x265 [info]: frame I: 33, Avg QP:17.37 kb/s: 5377.76 PSNR Mean: Y:46.294 U:49.532 V:50.819 SSIM Mean: 0.982812 (17.648dB)
x265 [info]: frame P: 474, Avg QP:19.67 kb/s: 1340.51 PSNR Mean: Y:45.545 U:49.001 V:49.772 SSIM Mean: 0.982131 (17.479dB)
x265 [info]: frame B: 1493, Avg QP:25.19 kb/s: 225.26 PSNR Mean: Y:45.010 U:48.782 V:49.552 SSIM Mean: 0.980912 (17.192dB)
x265 [info]: Weighted P-Frames: Y:1.1% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: Weighted B-Frames: Y:0.4% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: consecutive B-frames: 9.7% 0.6% 7.1% 61.5% 10.5% 10.7% 0.0%
encoded 2000 frames in 89.92s (22.24 fps), 574.59 kb/s, Avg QP:23.75, Global PSNR: 46.177, SSIM Mean Y: 0.9812321 (17.266 dB)
STAR24 for interest, me range changed to 24 from default 57
Code:
x265 [info]: frame I: 33, Avg QP:17.37 kb/s: 5374.91 PSNR Mean: Y:46.289 U:49.532 V:50.813 SSIM Mean: 0.982800 (17.645dB)
x265 [info]: frame P: 474, Avg QP:19.67 kb/s: 1344.30 PSNR Mean: Y:45.558 U:49.008 V:49.782 SSIM Mean: 0.982175 (17.490dB)
x265 [info]: frame B: 1493, Avg QP:25.20 kb/s: 226.28 PSNR Mean: Y:45.018 U:48.789 V:49.563 SSIM Mean: 0.980951 (17.201dB)
x265 [info]: Weighted P-Frames: Y:1.1% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: Weighted B-Frames: Y:0.4% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: consecutive B-frames: 9.7% 0.6% 7.1% 61.5% 10.5% 10.7% 0.0%
encoded 2000 frames in 76.64s (26.09 fps), 576.20 kb/s, Avg QP:23.76, Global PSNR: 46.186, SSIM Mean Y: 0.9812714 (17.275 dB)
STAR35 as above, but 35
Code:
x265 [info]: frame I: 33, Avg QP:17.37 kb/s: 5380.92 PSNR Mean: Y:46.297 U:49.528 V:50.828 SSIM Mean: 0.982821 (17.650dB)
x265 [info]: frame P: 474, Avg QP:19.67 kb/s: 1343.05 PSNR Mean: Y:45.550 U:48.998 V:49.775 SSIM Mean: 0.982151 (17.484dB)
x265 [info]: frame B: 1493, Avg QP:25.20 kb/s: 225.62 PSNR Mean: Y:45.014 U:48.781 V:49.559 SSIM Mean: 0.980931 (17.197dB)
x265 [info]: Weighted P-Frames: Y:1.1% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: Weighted B-Frames: Y:0.4% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: consecutive B-frames: 9.7% 0.6% 7.1% 61.5% 10.5% 10.7% 0.0%
encoded 2000 frames in 82.48s (24.25 fps), 575.52 kb/s, Avg QP:23.76, Global PSNR: 46.181, SSIM Mean Y: 0.9812514 (17.270 dB)
UMH
Code:
x265 [info]: frame I: 33, Avg QP:17.37 kb/s: 5374.79 PSNR Mean: Y:46.290 U:49.529 V:50.821 SSIM Mean: 0.982806 (17.646dB)
x265 [info]: frame P: 474, Avg QP:19.67 kb/s: 1341.79 PSNR Mean: Y:45.541 U:48.998 V:49.775 SSIM Mean: 0.982107 (17.473dB)
x265 [info]: frame B: 1493, Avg QP:25.19 kb/s: 224.90 PSNR Mean: Y:45.007 U:48.781 V:49.558 SSIM Mean: 0.980894 (17.188dB)
x265 [info]: Weighted P-Frames: Y:1.1% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: Weighted B-Frames: Y:0.4% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: consecutive B-frames: 9.7% 0.6% 7.1% 61.5% 10.5% 10.7% 0.0%
encoded 2000 frames in 100.11s (19.98 fps), 574.58 kb/s, Avg QP:23.75, Global PSNR: 46.175, SSIM Mean Y: 0.9812131 (17.261 dB)
SEA
Code:
x265 [info]: frame I: 33, Avg QP:17.37 kb/s: 5378.57 PSNR Mean: Y:46.289 U:49.529 V:50.817 SSIM Mean: 0.982796 (17.644dB)
x265 [info]: frame P: 474, Avg QP:19.67 kb/s: 1341.23 PSNR Mean: Y:45.539 U:49.005 V:49.779 SSIM Mean: 0.982106 (17.473dB)
x265 [info]: frame B: 1493, Avg QP:25.19 kb/s: 224.58 PSNR Mean: Y:45.005 U:48.785 V:49.561 SSIM Mean: 0.980891 (17.188dB)
x265 [info]: Weighted P-Frames: Y:1.1% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: Weighted B-Frames: Y:0.4% UV:0.0%
x265 [info]: consecutive B-frames: 9.7% 0.6% 7.1% 61.5% 10.5% 10.7% 0.0%
encoded 2000 frames in 245.39s (8.15 fps), 574.27 kb/s, Avg QP:23.75, Global PSNR: 46.175, SSIM Mean Y: 0.9812103 (17.261 dB)
SEA was by far the slowest and also had the lowest rated stats. HEX was the fastest, followed by STAR (and of the ME range settings), and UMH.
I thought I'd throw in STAR with different ME ranges to show the difference in speed versus the quality output. I wasn't expecting the lower the ME range the higher the PSNR and SSIM, but there is also a slight increase in bitrate so it make sense. The results for fast motion scenes may be different, and higher resolutions a higher ME range is more important. The video encoded was 712x480, encoding to 2160 the same motion has to travel across significantly more pixels which I would assume would necessitate a higher ME range setting for the same detection.
The weight p and b frames are usually different to those from the clip. I guess it depends on what is in the clip. A full encode is like this (from an full encode):
x265 [info]: Weighted P-Frames: Y:6.4% UV:4.0%
x265 [info]: Weighted B-Frames: Y:4.9% UV:2.5%
Of course, with the figures being different in each encode.