h.264 vs h.265... CHOPPY VIDEO

ExEvo · Oct 30, 2023

FWIW, I just compared Mini 4 Pro H264 and H265 footage of the same scene and to my eye there was no discernible difference in quality…If pressed, I would say that the clarity of the H264 video was maybe a tad better. So not sure I can buy into the DJI claim that both are the same file size because their H265 instead delivers superior image data. In fact, I can't see any point at all in filming in H265.
The below frame grabs are from H264 and H265 footage shot 3 seconds apart (while I changed codec settings) so they aren't identical as the wind was blowing the leaves a bit. Both were shot at 1080p/30 and all other settings were identical. File size is different only because the two clips were different lengths.

dougindy · Nov 4, 2023

Luckyguy9 said:
Mini 4 Pro is producing choppy video. I tried swapping SD cards to no avail. Earlier I asked on this form "what is the best viewer", and tried the suggested VLC Media Player which was even worse!! You couldn't even make out what the subject of the video was.
Then I discovered the problem... my videos at default H.265 setting are basically worthless. (unless I can convert them somehow to H.264)

They look fine on the RC2 controller in the album but when I take the SD card out of the drone, transfer the video file to my computer and open it and view the MP4 files the ones recorded at H.265 are choppy like it's individual photos strung together. Anyone else discover this problem with the M4P. I didn't ave this problem with the mini 2 but I think it only offered H.264.

You really need a computer with a dedicated graphics card to do hardware decoding for h.265, the intel or other integrated video solutions really aren't up to the task. I have a laptop with an nvidia 3060 card and I had to manually set VLC to use the 3060 card instead of the integrated intel graphics. You can do this in the windows settings. It plays the video perfectly now but it was very choppy before I made the change. Any video card that has come out in the last 3-4 years should be able to handle the h.265 decoding.

ExEvo · Nov 4, 2023

I wouldn't bother for DJI's version of H265 because their H264 files are no larger and, imho, no worse quality.

SethB · Nov 4, 2023

ExEvo said:
FWIW, I just compared Mini 4 Pro H264 and H265 footage of the same scene and to my eye there was no discernible difference in quality…If pressed, I would say that the clarity of the H264 video was maybe a tad better. So not sure I can buy into the DJI claim that both are the same file size because their H265 instead delivers superior image data. In fact, I can't see any point at all in filming in H265.
The below frame grabs are from H264 and H265 footage shot 3 seconds apart (while I changed codec settings) so they aren't identical as the wind was blowing the leaves a bit. Both were shot at 1080p/30 and all other settings were identical. File size is different only because the two clips were different lengths.

Still subjects won’t demonstrate the differences between video codecs. The real performance challenge for codec creators is in imagery with every pixel changing color on every frame. Moving water, moving or jerky camera, leaves on a tree or fields of grass blowing in the wind.

Choices of h.264 or h.265 won’t make much difference in the visual quality of many drone recordings. It’s when you’re recording a challenging scene like the ocean that it can make a significant difference.

When you get into camera settings of higher resolution you won’t have a choice:
Up to 4k: h.264 always available
4k to 5.6k: depends on the camera manufacturer, h.264 may be available
Above 5.6k: only h.265 is available

The race to higher resolutions primarily benefits manufacturers. Get that 8k TV and you’ll want an 8k camera, and vice-versa. Manufacturers would like you to be on a 12mo. upgrade cycle, it’s good for business!

ExEvo · Nov 4, 2023

SethB said:
Still subjects won’t demonstrate the differences between video codecs. The real performance challenge for codec creators is in imagery with every pixel changing color on every frame. Moving water, moving or jerky camera, leaves on a tree or fields of grass blowing in the wind.

Choices of h.264 or h.265 won’t make much difference in the visual quality of many drone recordings. It’s when you’re recording a challenging scene like the ocean that it can make a significant difference.

When you get into camera settings of higher resolution you won’t have a choice:
Up to 4k: h.264 always available
4k to 5.6k: depends on the camera manufacturer, h.264 may be available
Above 5.6k: only h.265 is available

The race to higher resolutions primarily benefits manufacturers. Get that 8k TV and you’ll want an 8k camera, and vice-versa. Manufacturers would like you to be on a 12mo. upgrade cycle, it’s good for business!

Fair point and you are better qualified than me to make it. I will only say that I never take photographs so I am only comparing H264 video with H265 video wherein I can see little difference. But I shoot a lot of green being in the countryside and have never filmed an urban landscape which would doubtless tax the codecs more, Leaves move of course, as does the drone, but I don't take off if the wind is blowing above 12mph so any movement is mostly the drone which is usually in Cine mode - with yaw and tilt speeds dialled right down for smoothness.

So while I remain convinced that DJI's version of H265 offers no benefits to me, other people in different landscapes may find the opposite.

I just wish that DJI would have given us the option of switching to a regular H265 to give me 70% more storage space - in which case I would be using it all the time.

Transition · Feb 9, 2024

Luckyguy9 said:
Mini 4 Pro is producing choppy video. I tried swapping SD cards to no avail. Earlier I asked on this form "what is the best viewer", and tried the suggested VLC Media Player which was even worse!! You couldn't even make out what the subject of the video was.
Then I discovered the problem... my videos at default H.265 setting are basically worthless. (unless I can convert them somehow to H.264)

They look fine on the RC2 controller in the album but when I take the SD card out of the drone, transfer the video file to my computer and open it and view the MP4 files the ones recorded at H.265 are choppy like it's individual photos strung together. Anyone else discover this problem with the M4P. I didn't ave this problem with the mini 2 but I think it only offered H.264.

I received my New Mini 4 a few days ago and am having the exact same issue! I don't understand why footage from my DJI Osmo 2 pocket camera footage plays fine, as did all my footage from my Mini 2. This is very frustrating...and disappointing. Not sure what to do???

Luckyguy9 · Feb 9, 2024

Transition said:
I received my New Mini 4 a few days ago and am having the exact same issue! I don't understand why footage from my DJI Osmo 2 pocket camera footage plays fine, as did all my footage from my Mini 2. This is very frustrating...and disappointing. Not sure what to do???

Go into settings on controller and change video format to H264. Problem solved!!

ExEvo · Feb 10, 2024

Try running your video from an external SSD drive, eg Samsung 1TB.

jephoto · Feb 10, 2024

It’s either your computer or the drive. H.265 is more processor intensive.
The video is fine.

RogerDH · Feb 12, 2024

ExEvo said:
...
Exporting a DJI H265 video to H264 (using Quicktime Player), the H264 file is much smaller.
Using a short 4K clip from my M4P, the H265 clip weighed in at 160MB.
The same clip exported as H264 weighed only 43MB.
The H264 clip was muddier and less sharp than the H265 clip (on a Retina iMac 5K screen) - see below.
...

It sounds like Quicktime Player might have exported using a bitrate much lower than the original. I believe there's a way to specify the bitrate you want, and if so, then you might try setting it to the same as the original.

clemphrd · Feb 22, 2024

Hello guys, I had the same problem with my Dji Mini 4 Pro

I found the problem at least mine was editing on Premiere Pro and when exporting the image was frozen and it was so bad ... As I don't have a crazy PC, I thought it was the processor etc. but no.

So, I tested on DA VINCI Resolve and unlike Premiere Pro which read the rushes on the timeline, it indicated "OFFLINE" so I found a video that solves the problem and solves the freeze problem on Premiere Pro.

To keep things simple, you need to install Microsoft's HEVC CODEC for problem-free export and playback of rushes, either pay for it (0,99$) or do as in the video.

I can finally edit without any problem...

Good day

Beemer2 · Mar 19, 2024

Luckyguy9 said:
Mini 4 Pro is producing choppy video. I tried swapping SD cards to no avail. Earlier I asked on this form "what is the best viewer", and tried the suggested VLC Media Player which was even worse!! You couldn't even make out what the subject of the video was.
Then I discovered the problem... my videos at default H.265 setting are basically worthless. (unless I can convert them somehow to H.264)

They look fine on the RC2 controller in the album but when I take the SD card out of the drone, transfer the video file to my computer and open it and view the MP4 files the ones recorded at H.265 are choppy like it's individual photos strung together. Anyone else discover this problem with the M4P. I didn't ave this problem with the mini 2 but I think it only offered H.264.

Newbie flyer here but I am aware that H265 places much greater strain on computer when viewing and especially editing.

ralf-mavicpilots · Apr 3, 2024

I experienced the same issue with my just new Mini 4 Pro. Tried to play the video from the sd-card with my VLC-player - totally choppy, not usable. Then I tried to open it with Windows "Medienwiedergabe" and Windows told me that it cannot play it because of H.265 and that I would have to buy an additional codec for 0,99€ at the Microsoft store. I did so and now everything is ok, whilst VLC even with the newest version is not able to play the files.

Droning on and on... · Apr 4, 2024

ralf-mavicpilots said:
I experienced the same issue with my just new Mini 4 Pro. Tried to play the video from the sd-card with my VLC-player - totally choppy, not usable. Then I tried to open it with Windows "Medienwiedergabe" and Windows told me that it cannot play it because of H.265 and that I would have to buy an additional codec for 0,99€ at the Microsoft store. I did so and now everything is ok, whilst VLC even with the newest version is not able to play the files.

You need to configure VLC to use the MS codec you just installed.