[MPlayer-users] 3 pass encoding: scaling and bitrate

[The Wanderer]

Thomas wrote:

> Marcos Dione wrote:
> 
>> i thought, and excuse my ignorance here, that scaling from 720x480
>> to 640x416 (or similar) would use less 'bits per frame' (note the
>> quotes), so the movie at a certain bitrate would occupy less @ the
>> second size, so letting me bumping the bitrate a little to fit
>> again the cd size.
>> 
>> hmmm, seems like I should read more... :(
> 
> When encoding in VBR mode downscaling makes the files shorter.

...Smaller, you mean? Because if it becomes shorter, then the time has
to come away from somewhere, and that means either cutting parts out or
speeding the whole thing up.

And regardless, that is the case only if you do *not* keep the same
average/target bitrate. Downscaling means you can keep the same quality
at a lower bitrate, but the exact same bitrate at the same total time
will still result in the same filesize.

-- 
       The Wanderer

Warning: Simply because I argue an issue does not mean I agree with any
side of it.

A government exists to serve its citizens, not to control them.