Microsoft Expression Encoder 2 Service Pack 1 Release Notes

This document provides information that supplements the Expression® Encoder 2 Service Pack 1 documentation. Expression Encoder 2 Service Pack 1 is available for download from the Download Center.

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Contents

  1. Advanced codec settings
  2. Expression Encoder Express

  1. Advanced codec settings

    Expression Encoder now features advanced codec settings that enable you to precisely refine your encoding options to create a file optimized for your particular playback or streaming scenario. The following are the available settings and a brief explanation of their functions.

    To access the advanced codec settings

    • 1. In the Media Content panel, select the video that you want to process.
    • 2. Click the Encode tab. If the Encode tab is not visible, then, on the Window menu, click Encode.
    • 3. Expand the Advanced Codec Settings category and adjust the options according to the following descriptions:
    • Perceptual Optimizations These settings can significantly affect the quality of the video, especially by helping to maintain the quality of smooth areas of the image at lower bit rates. These settings also have little adverse effect on encoding time.
      • Adaptive Dead Zone Click Off to bypass the optimization. This setting is recommended for high quality, high bit-rate encoding. Click Conservative to apply a lower level of optimization, thereby discarding only a small level of detail, and click Strong to apply a higher level of optimization. The higher the level of optimization, the lower the image detail in highly-textured areas.
      • DQuant (Differential Quantization) Choose Off to bypass the compression of the smooth, gradient, or dark areas at a lower ratio than the rest of the image. Choose any one of the other frame types to apply this optimization to the respective frame type.
      • Maximum QP The threshold applied to the per frame quantization parameter above which a frame will be dropped.
    • Filters These options help refine the look of your video by restricting blocking artifacts and removing noise. You may select any combination of these options. (See the UI tooltips for explanations about these options.)
    • Group of Pictures These settings control how the codec treats the I and B frames of a group of pictures (GOP). A GOP can be either closed or open. A closed GOP does not contain frames that depend on adjacent GOPs. Closed GOPs are mainly used for chapter points on optical discs; they are not required for Windows Media. (See the UI tooltips for explanations about these options.)
    • Motion Estimations These settings control how the codec searches for motion in the frame. These settings can have a significant effect on quality and can also greatly influence encoding time.
      • Chroma search The options in this menu determine whether and to what degree you include chroma in motion estimation. Using chroma in motion estimation can significantly improve the quality of encoded video when chroma changes occur where luma changes do not. For example, motion graphics, cel animation, and screen recordings can be significantly improved with this setting. Choose Adaptive Integer Chroma or Adaptive True Chroma to apply chroma search to only 50 percent of the blocks in the frame. This offers a good compromise between quality and performance. Choose Luma Only or Full True Chroma for the highest quality video, but with decreased performance. Choose Full Integer Chroma for good quality and good performance.
      • Match method The options in this menu specify the search method that is used for motion estimation. Click SAD to achieve the best performance. Click Hadamard to achieve the best quality. Click Adaptive to configure the codec to decide which method to use on each macroblock. This can potentially reduce the load on the processor by performing the computationally-intensive Hadamard transform only when appropriate.
      • Search Range The options in this menu control the size of the area that the codec will search in order to find a frame that has changed since a previous frame. Larger search ranges can better detect fast motion, but require more processing time. Processing time doubles with each search range increase. The chance of false positives also increases as you widen the search range, so make sure that you set a range that’s sufficient for the video size.
    • Encoder These are general settings that control how the codec utilizes machine hardware and defines the output mode for the video stream.
      • Threads Used The options in this menu control the number of threads used internally by the VC-1 encoder.
      • Output Mode The options in this menu define the values for the output mode of the elementary video stream.
        • Raw This option generates output for a container format.
        • Elementary Stream This option generates output for an elementary stream with an entry point start code inserted for each GOP. Sequence start codes are inserted as needed.
        • Elementary Stream Sequence Header This option generates output for an elementary stream with both an entry point and sequence start code inserted for each GOP.
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  2. Expression Encoder Express

    If you are using the trial version of Expression Encoder and you decide not to purchase a license code during the trial period then, when you finish the trial period, you will have the choice of continuing to use a version of Expression Encoder with certain features disabled. This version is called Expression Encoder Express. To enable Expression Encoder Express, select the Continue using the Express version option in the Product Key dialog box. This option appears when you start the program at the end of your 30-day trial period.

    The following features are disabled in Expression Encoder Express:

    • H.264 Encoding
    • Adaptive streaming
    • Advanced video and audio profile settings
    • Preprocessing panel
    • Advanced codec settings panel
    • Ability to create custom XML and PRX profiles
    • All profiles except the following:
      • Source Profile
      • Streaming Broadband
      • Web Server Broadband
      • Streaming 512k DSL
      • Web Server 512k DSL
      • Streaming 256k DSL
      • Web Server 256k DSL
    • MPEG2 import
    • Live encoding
    • A/B compare
    • The ability to open any saved job or preset that contains functionality disabled in the Expression Encoder Express version, or any job that contains files that require MPEG2
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