[MEncoder-users] B-frames and GOP with MPEG-2 for DVD

[Corey Hickey]

Nico Sabbi wrote:
>> So why have a b frames option in the first place, if it only degrades 
>> the quality?  For smaller encodes? 
> 
> supposedly for encodes targeting a low bitrate, but even in cases like 
> that I've only seen overall image degradation with b-frames, both with 
> lavc and with xvid, at any bitrate

I've had good experiences with them, overall, at fairly low bitrates 
(about 0.1 bits per pixel). The important thing with lavc is to use a 
vb_strategy so that you don't end up getting B-frames in high motion 
scenes, which can look quite bad.

I don't typically do high-bitrate encoding, so I have no experience to 
relate there.

-Corey