Custom Encoder Options

Topaz Video AI uses ffmpeg to produce output files and apply different encoding settings.

While the graphical menu for export options includes some of the more popular encoders and containers, there is a way to add custom settings that can be used for more advanced workflows.

The video-encoders.json file can be modified to add additional options for encoding. This file is found in the 'models' folder on both Windows and macOS versions of Video AI:

C:\ProgramData\Topaz Labs LLC\Topaz Video AI\models

As an example of a custom encoder option, we will be updating the "H265 Main10 (NVIDIA)" encoder setting to use the 'slow' preset and B-frame referencing for more efficient compression.

Some of these features are only available on certain GPU models, so it's recommended to research which exact encoder features your specific graphics card supports.

  • Copy the preset that most closely matches the custom option you'd like to create
    • In this case, "H265 Main10 (NVIDIA)" will be duplicated directly underneath the original in the video-encoders.json file
  {
    "text": "H265 Main10 (NVIDIA) - Slow Preset with B-frame referencing",
    "encoder": "-c:v hevc_nvenc -profile:v main10 -preset slow -pix_fmt p010le -b_ref_mode each -tag:v hvc1",
    "ext": [
      "mov",
      "mkv",
      "mp4"
    ],
    "maxBitRate": 2000,
    "transcode": "aac -b:a 320k -ac 2",
    "os": "windows",
    "device": "nvidia",
    "minSize": [129,129],
    "maxSize": [8192,8192],
    "maxBitDepth": 12
  },

In addition to options for the video encoder, this json entry can be edited with a different audio transcode setting, maximum bitrate, bit depth, and OS compatibility to prevent settings being shown on incompatible devices.

It is highly recommended to test any custom video-encoders.json entries with a short video and inspect the result using MediaInfo to ensure that the output matches the expected results.

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