[MEncoder-users] Minimize posterization in areas of low contrast when downscaling HD h.264 to mpeg2video

[James Hastings-Trew]

L Lee wrote:
> Also, I discovered through testing that I can greatly improve output quality
> for this process by including a vrc_minrate value along side these
> mpeg2video options:
> vcodec=mpeg2video:vrc_buf_size=1835:vbitrate=9000:vrc_maxrate=9800.
>
> That appears to work mainly by driving up output bitrate. I've been setting
> a vrc_minrate value from 5000 to 5600. But I always get this warning:
> "Warning min_rate > 0 but min_rate != max_rate isn't recommended!"
> I have two questions about that. First, does the warning actually mean
>
> "Warning min_rate > 0 but min_rate <= max_rate isn't recommended!"
>
> and if not, what does "!=" mean?
>   
Generally speaking != means "not equal".  So the warning is saying 
"vrc_minrate and vrc_maxrate should equal each other", which sounds a 
bit whacky. Perhaps someone can explain.