[ Resolved] File sizes

[incaroads]

I looked around the forum but didn't see a thread for it, is there a setting that maxes file size? For this TV series I'm doing I've so far used the Realtime 1x setting and 1920 over 1080. One episode will be as large as 5 GB and the very next episode only around 2 GB, and the third episode a whole new size and still less than the largest one. I'm interested in getting the largest file possible if that contributes to best video quality. Thanks for your help

 

[DQ]

While there is a correlation between file size and quality level to say just because a file is larger it is higher quality is not correct. There are lots of factors that contribute to that.

With that said, choosing the res in AS is how you would choose your "quality level". And yes it is normal for their to be variation between episodes. We see this a good bit and while they don't normally vary wildly I would say it is possible.

 

[DeepSpace]

AS can change nothing on the filesize as it downloads the untouched files, there is no conversation happening.
If you want to get lower filesize, you have to set it to a lower resolution, like 720p instead of 1080p. (But since you want to get the largest file possible, as I do, you are not going to do that).

The speed setting has nothing to do with the filesize, only the bitrate (and the resolution you choose) does. As DQ just said, the files can vary. The first episode is slower, the second has more action scenes, so the second one is most likely bigger than the first one.

 

[MuttJunior]

Could the first episode been a two-part one combined into one? I've seen that for some series, Like ST:TNG's first episode of season 1 - "Encounter at Farpoint" is a two-part episode, but P+ has it combined as one episode, therefore, twice as large file size as other episodes, so, of course, when downloaded, it is much larger than other episodes downloaded from that series.

 

[DeepSpace]

Could the first episode been a two-part one combined into one? I've seen that for some series, Like ST:TNG's first episode of season 1 - "Encounter at Farpoint" is a two-part episode, but P+ has it combined as one episode, therefore, twice as large file size as other episodes, so, of course, when downloaded, it is much larger than other episodes downloaded from that series.

That is true, just take a look at the lenght of that title: is it 45 mins or 1.5h?
Since you said one episode is 5 GB and the next only 2, that is entirely possible and most likely the case.

 

[RedFox 1]

There is no setting for max file size, you can choose to download at a lower resolution, worse quality movie or episode and that will give you a smaller file size. We download direct, no changes are to the original download unless you choose to change the max resolution to a lower one. Which would give you less quality but maybe good enough for you. The smaller the screen the less quality you need for a great picture.

 

[DQ]

The smaller the screen the less quality you need for a great picture.

Exactly. Things like "Full House", "Hawaii Five-0" or "The Rockford Files" were never meant to be on an 85 inch screen.

 

[SCChi]

Usually, file size will depend upon 4 key parameters: Duration, Video Resolution (ie 1080p, 720p, 540p, ....), Bitrate and compression rate.
For instance,
For the same duration and same bitrate a movie at 1080p resolution will be 4 time larger than same movie at 540p.
For the same duration and same resolution, a file with 12000 bps bitrate (ie Blu-ray is at 23000 bps) will be almost 4 times larger than a file at 2500 bps

Finally, the last parameter, the compression rate is quite comparable between HBO max and AS, but is different for NF. Going deep, NF claims that their engineers are using an approach to minimize the size of the file maintaining the quality (ie resolution and bitrate). Apparently, it is using a dynamic compression based on similarity of colors in one frame and between frame. It's like using an occurrence matrix in 3-D (ie 2D frame and time). Now depending on the size of the window in 3D, the compression can be successful or a mess. My advice avoid NF movies in big screens (Ie > 55 inches) when file size for a movie of ~ 2 hours at 1080p is lower than 2Gb.

 

[RedFox 1]

My advice avoid NF movies in big screens (Ie > 55 inches) when file size for a movie of ~ 2 hours at 1080p is lower than 2Gb.

I agree.

 

[incaroads]

I killed all the previous files after I got clips from them so I downloaded them again at 1920 and 1x speed (Amazon). TV show no. 1 season 1 episodes 1 and 2 came out at around the same size, more or less 4GB. I had remembered episode 2 being much smaller than episode 1 but maybe I wasn't as careful about choosing resolution back then. TV show no. 2 season 5 I remembered episode 7 being much larger than episode 1, but this time again they come out around the same size again more or less 4GB. One of these I also re-downloaded at 4x instead of 1x, came out exactly the same size. I started downloading season 2 of TV show No. 2, and they're all coming out much smaller at under 3 GB, but maybe that's because Prime gets the smaller content compared to season 5 from the previous network that airs them. So sorry if I wasted anyone's time, it looks like it generated some interesting conversations tho

 

[DeepSpace]

So sorry if I wasted anyone's time

You haven't wasted anyones time (at least for me), the download speed does not make any difference, but as said above the files you get can vary between many circumstances. Today you can get the file at 4 GB, then Amz changes something at the encoding or what and you get a file at 3.5 GB or even 5 GB.
This is one downside of streaming, they can change it at any time and you have no control over it. Especially sad if you want to get the original version and then they put the upscaled or 16:9 version online (as mentioned somewhere with the Simpsons on D+, there is a switch you have to use if you want to get the original 4:3 version).