I haven't posted many BD comparisons to date, but plan to do more.
How do I tell which video codec a particular disc uses?
I don't (yet) have a BD drive in my PC...
Codecs
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Brent_Reid
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Nigel_Badnell
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Re: Codecs
How do you check what's on the disc?I don't (yet) have a BD drive in my PC...
If taken from a review then some (blu-ray.com, DVDBeaver etc.) state the codec.
If/when you get a BD drive then the codec should be one of the disc info returns.
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Alister_Manson
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Re: Codecs
Most BD players will display the audio and video codecs onscreen when you push "display" or "info" while the disc is playing.
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Jari_Kovalainen
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Re: Codecs
Yes, just press "display" (or similar) from your BD player and you should get info about the audio, codec, bitrates, etc. You don't really need any pc-softwares etc (they just might actually confuse you).
Important note: We don't take specs from the back covers or online store sites (which just take the specs from the back covers!). Always personally check the disc or add links to the reviews. Back covers are full of mistakes (or they lack subtitles etc etc).
Important note: We don't take specs from the back covers or online store sites (which just take the specs from the back covers!). Always personally check the disc or add links to the reviews. Back covers are full of mistakes (or they lack subtitles etc etc).
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Brent_Reid
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Re: Codecs
Thanks guys, that was exactly what I needed to know!
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Jari_Kovalainen
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Re: Codecs
Most Blu-ray releases are using AVC MPEG-4 now. A few here and there can still use VC-1, but MPEG-2 compression is pretty much disappeared.
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Eric_Cotenas
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Re: Codecs
It should definitely still be checked though since some smaller companies are not always consistent. Kino Lorber's BARBARA is MPEG-2 while most of their stuff before that has been AVC MPEG-4, Raro's SHOOT FIRST, DIE LATER was VC-1 while all of their others have been MPEG-4, there have been a couple MPEG-2 VCI titles including their most recent ones although they have also used VC-1 and MPEG-4, and Severin started out with MPEG-4 and then put out a couple MPEG-2 tiles before returning to MPEG-4.Jari_Kovalainen wrote:Most Blu-ray releases are using AVC MPEG-4 now. A few here and there can still use VC-1, but MPEG-2 compression is pretty much disappeared.
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Jari_Kovalainen
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Re: Codecs
Of course. And they're super easy to check.Eric_Cotenas wrote:It should definitely still be checked though since some smaller companies are not always consistent.
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Jim_Mcdonaugh
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Re: Codecs
Hell yeah, using MPEG-2 these days is truly gross. 
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Eric_Cotenas
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Re: Codecs
It's certainly put me off grabbing some of the earlier MGM Blu-rays like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.Jim_Mcdonaugh wrote:Hell yeah, using MPEG-2 these days is truly gross.
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Jim_Mcdonaugh
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Re: Codecs
Hah, can't wait when they'll start using Indeo codec.
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Jari_Kovalainen
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Re: Codecs
I still believe that the question you need to ask is that was the mediocre quality of e.g. Silence of the Lambs (was it mediocre? I remember it was called "good but not great") result of the MPEG-2 codec? Or perhaps the master used was simply mediocre to begin with. In another words: If the master/source is mediocre, the codec won't make it any better. Perhaps you get less compression aftifacts etc with AVC, but the transfer will still be mediocre. Blu-ray codec comes AFTER the actual digital master is created (now often in 2K or even 4K). I believe Silence used 50gb BD disc, so there's probably room for MPEG-2 codec.Eric_Cotenas wrote:It's certainly put me off grabbing some of the earlier MGM Blu-rays like SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.
And Silence is obviously a film that WILL BE remastered (new master) at some point - it's a classic. It's also a bleak and dark film (probably somewhat grainy also).
In retrospect, Blu-ray had a rocky start with some of these mediocre releases (and "old" MPEG-2 codec), but at the same time some people constantly said that VC-1 was the s**t. And what happened? Very few releases are using VC-1 anymore, it's all about AVC now. Point? It'll take a few years before companies learn to get the best results out of these new formats/specs.
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Jim_Mcdonaugh
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Re: Codecs
The only good and proper transfer was mastered for that Japanese 2-disc DVD.It's also a bleak and dark film (probably somewhat grainy also).
Those companies only care about investing less money and getting more out their products. Who cares about us? Nobody.It'll take a few years before companies learn to get the best results out of these new formats/specs.