Question / Help Loseless Local Recording Settings

[SirLegar]

Hello everyone,

I know there are tons of topics about this issue but i feel really lost at this point since everyone says something different. What i want to achieve is, i want to record my desktop at very high quality (*almost* loseless if possible) in 1080p60. Then ill edit the raw recording, export out and encode it in Handbrake using Youtube's preferred settings.

Currently my settings are:

Type: Standard (I'm not really sure if i should use ffmpeg or not)
Format: mp4
Encoder: x264
Rate Control: VBR
Bitrate: Not sure what to use here, but probably high values since i want a good looking raw output to edit on.
CRF: Not sure again but probably ≤ 23.
Profile: High

What do you suggest?

Thanks

EDIT: Also there is "Indistinguishable Quality, Large File Size" option in Simple output mode. Should i prefer this instead of Advanced settings?

 

[Boildown]

Don't get hung up on high quality encoding Presets ("CPU Usage"). If you don't have a really good CPU and you use "too good" of a preset, you'll start lagging frames, and that's one of the worst things that can happen for your video quality. Instead, use a preset that your computer doesn't break a sweat on, and increase the bitrate to compensate. Check OBS' logs to make sure that your lagged frames are nearly at 0 (sometimes it will have some at startup that are unavoidable and don't affect anything).

That said, try to avoid UltraFast preset because it takes some shortcuts that can't be overcome with more bitrate, try to use SuperFast at the worst, unless your CPU just can't do it.

Don't record to MP4 mode, if OBS crashes the entire recording will be unrecoverable. You can losslessly convert to a container that your NLE or Handbrake understands, if needed, afterwards.

Be sure to use Constant Frame Rate and an audio codec that your NLE understands. This usually means AAC mode, not MP3, and might require you to use 44100Hz format instead of 48000Hz, or vice versa. Test before you make a recording you want to use.

Discover the bitrate, CRF, or QP value for your encode that you think looks transparent to you experimentally. It depends on too many factors to tell you a specific value. Don't bother with anything in the single digits (CRF or QP), it'll just waste hard drive space and make editing the file a pain in the ass.

I prefer QP over CRF for computer game footage. CRF robs quality from high action scenes to make low action scenes look better, because in movies, tv shows, and the like, that's preferred. But in computer games, the high action scenes are usually the most important, not the least important. QP doesn't rob quality from high action scenes like CRF does.

 

[SirLegar]

Be sure to use Constant Frame Rate.

Why should i use CFR instead of VBR? I make all my content with VBR and do VBR 2 pass while encoding.

I prefer QP over CRF for computer game footage. CRF robs quality from high action scenes to make low action scenes look better, because in movies, tv shows, and the like, that's preferred. But in computer games, the high action scenes are usually the most important, not the least important. QP doesn't rob quality from high action scenes like CRF does.

I don't make gameplay videos, i record video courses which both include screen capture and camera recordings.

Discover the bitrate, CRF, or QP value for your encode that you think looks transparent to you experimentally. It depends on too many factors to tell you a specific value. Don't bother with anything in the single digits (CRF or QP), it'll just waste hard drive space and make editing the file a pain in the ass.

Hmm, ill experiment then. But i still would like to know what values work fine for people here.

EDIT: I was going to use flv but it does not support multiple tracks per recording.

 

[Boildown]

CFR is a framerate setting, not to be confused (but it looks like you did) with CRF.

If not recording computer games, go ahead and use CRF instead of QP.

If you're recording talking heads, I'd guess that a CRF of 20 would be more than enough. You could certainty go higher without any noticeable loss in quality, but 20 would be a good starting point that is overly conservative (in favor of quality) that you can test higher from.

mkv maybe? I thought that was an option but I haven't looked at that part in a while.