9 x265 has a number of predefined :option:`--preset` options that make
10 trade-offs between encode speed (encoded frames per second) and
11 compression efficiency (quality per bit in the bitstream). The default
12 preset is medium, it does a reasonably good job of finding the best
13 possible quality without spending enormous CPU cycles looking for the
14 absolute most efficient way to achieve that quality. As you go higher
15 than medium, the encoder takes shortcuts to improve performance at the
16 expense of quality and compression efficiency. As you go lower than
17 medium, the encoder tries harder and harder to achieve the best quailty
18 per bit compression ratio.
20 The presets adjust encoder parameters to affect these trade-offs.
22 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
23 | | ultrafast | superfast | veryfast | faster | fast | medium | slow | slower | veryslow | placebo |
24 +==============+===========+===========+==========+========+======+========+======+========+==========+=========+
25 | ctu | 32 | 32 | 32 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 |
26 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
27 | bframes | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
28 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
29 | b-adapt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
30 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
31 | rc-lookahead | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 40 | 60 |
32 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
33 | scenecut | 0 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
34 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
35 | refs | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
36 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
37 | me | dia | hex | hex | hex | hex | hex | star | star | star | star |
38 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
39 | merange | 25 | 44 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 92 |
40 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
41 | subme | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
42 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
43 | rect | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
44 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
45 | amp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
46 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
47 | max-merge | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
48 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
49 | early-skip | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
50 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
51 | fast-intra | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
52 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
53 | b-intra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
54 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
55 | sao | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
56 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
57 | signhide | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
58 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
59 | weightp | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
60 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
61 | weightb | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
62 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
63 | aq-mode | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
64 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
65 | cuTree | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
66 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
67 | rdLevel | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
68 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
69 | deblock | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
70 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
71 | tu-intra | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
72 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
73 | tu-inter | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
74 +--------------+-----------+-----------+----------+--------+------+--------+------+--------+----------+---------+
76 Placebo mode enables transform-skip prediction evaluation.
83 There are a few :option:`--tune` options available, which are applied
88 The *psnr* and *ssim* tune options disable all optimizations that
89 sacrafice metric scores for perceived visual quality (also known as
90 psycho-visual optimizations). By default x265 always tunes for
91 highest perceived visual quality but if one intends to measure an
92 encode using PSNR or SSIM for the purpose of benchmarking, we highly
93 recommend you configure x265 to tune for that particular metric.
95 +--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
97 +==============+=====================================================+
98 | psnr | disables adaptive quant, psy-rd, and cutree |
99 +--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
100 | ssim | enables adaptive quant auto-mode, disables psy-rd |
101 +--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
102 | grain | improves retention of film grain. more below |
103 +--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
104 | fastdecode | no loop filters, no weighted pred, no intra in B |
105 +--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
106 | zerolatency | no lookahead, no B frames, no cutree |
107 +--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
108 | cbr | --pbratio 1.0 --ratetol 0.5 |
109 +--------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
115 :option:`--tune` grain tries to improve the retention of film grain in
116 the reconstructed output. It helps rate distortion optimizations select
117 modes which preserve high frequency noise:
119 * :option:`--psy-rd` 0.5
120 * :option:`--psy-rdoq` 30
124 --psy-rdoq is only effective when RDOQuant is enabled, which is at
125 RD levels 4, 5, and 6 (presets slow and below).
127 It lowers the strength of adaptive quantization, so residual energy can
128 be more evenly distributed across the (noisy) picture:
130 * :option:`--aq-mode` 1
131 * :option:`--aq-strength` 0.3
133 And it similarly tunes rate control to prevent the slice QP from
134 swinging too wildly from frame to frame:
136 * :option:`--ipratio` 1.1
137 * :option:`--pbratio` 1.1
138 * :option:`--qcomp` 0.8
140 And lastly it reduces the strength of deblocking to prevent grain being
141 blurred on block boundaries:
143 * :option:`--deblock` -2