So, just to clarify... why are these encodes 670 mb/episode on average? The source is a grainy 1080i BD. If you compare with other 1080p encodes you can see the video bitrate is supposed to be a lot higher (assuming you're aiming for decent results).

Supposed to be a lot higher? We must've missed the memo they sent out with the BDs detailing their encoding instructions for fansub groups. The person who encoded it isn't online to talk to right now. But considering it looks like there's no real grain in the encode... I'd say they degrained it, which would save a lot of space.

@Doki If you're aiming for quality and detail preservation, then yeah. It's supposed to be higher if you want to avoid artifacts (like I'm seeing in the video right now). There's definitely some guidelines and general x264 settings you're better off following instead of going out on a limb or using crazy filtering. Like I said, compare this with other 1080p encodes like bxyh (or my own for that matter) and see the difference. Most decent 24min 1080p BD encodes end up at 1-2 GB. Check all kinds of Salender/Beatrice/Yousei/Coalgirls/VCB/Philosophy encodes and compare them to the respective BDMVs. Those are good examples. It seems CRF 18.5 was used here, which is quite low and will cause more frequent artifacts, especially given the grainy source. Degraining doesn't cause that kind of decrease in size (unless you go crazy on the filtering which will undeniably cause detail loss). I just think you guys can do better - assuming you care more about quality than file sizes. If not, forget what I said.

Most 24min anime have the high action/detail/movement opening and/or ending sequences that can take up a lot of space. This has no opening and the ending even present so its filesize is going to be lower right off the starting line compared to most. Yeah, it properly could have done with a higher crf rate - I probably would've used higher, but whatever. Comparing filesize to quality is a pretty novice mistake to make in general though. I'd _expect_ something like Kikou Shoujo wa Kizutsukanai to have higher filesizes for example. The above mentioned OP/ED, lots of dark scenes, lots of action - especially during dark scenes, etc. On the other hand, something with no grain, bright colours and lot less movement I'd expect to be smaller filesizes. TLDR; filesize depends on the show. Not on how much you want to bloat it and call it "quality".

@Doki Did you even watch it? This show has plenty of action, grainy details and dark scenes. And no, the CRF needed to be lower, not higher. Lower CRF means higher bitrate and vice versa. And yes, it is a novice mistake. But when pretty much every Doki release I see has much smaller file sizes and more artifacts compared to other raws/fansub groups, I'd say it's fair to point it out. Or are you claiming Doki encodes are superior and most of these raw groups bloat their encodes, despite comparisons clearly showing the difference in quality? Yes, file size depends on the show. Hence why I said 1-2 GB per episode. Pokémon Origins, especially given its grain, is no exception. I encoded it myself, you know. I am very much familiar with the source material. Check bxyh's encode and you will still see some artifacts, despite the average size being 1-2 GB. ''Bloat'' is hardly an argument here. Anyway, I'll leave it at that since it seems you've got it all figured out.

@Scyrous: "It seems CRF 18.5 was used here, which is quite low" Don't correct others when you make the same mistake, Doki was probably just replying in a way you'd understand.

@shaddrag Ah, so you're saying a 0.5 difference in CRF causes the file size to be doubled? Me using CRF 18 wasn't a mistake in the slightest. Look at the actual video bitrate compared to Doki. Compare encodes. It's not rocket science. There is a lot more to encoding settings than just CRF, you know. Anyway, getting off-topic here.

"higher CRF" As in higher end quality. As in lower setting number. It's one of those things that's pretty much implied when talking about CRF without getting all pedantic about it. But whatever. "Did you even watch it?" I assume you mean the part where I compared what I'd expect from a high filesize show and a low file size show with no actual mention of Pokemon origins since it was just an example. Maybe I should've said something like Usagi Drop, but I thought it was kinda obvious. Especially considering the next line. Again, whatever. If you're happy with your release, cool. You don't have to come try justify yourself. I certainly won't be coming to comment on your stuff to try make myself feel better.

Implied... right. Well if you say so. Me having encoded it too is just a coincidence. By all means, ignore everything I said and look at bxyh's encode instead of mine. Forget I even mentioned it. Same things apply. No need to come up with excuses here. I'm only commenting because I know you guys can do better.