Encoding Discussion Megathread (ffmpeg, Handbrake, AV1, etc...)

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My understanding -- which is limited by the sparse documentation -- is that low_delay_brc allows for better (more responsive, maybe?) control of bitrate during encoding. Meaning if there's a massive shift in bitrate (e.g., a standoff followed by a chaotic bar fight), low_delay_brc enables ffmpeg to adjust to that shift more effectively.

For extbrc there's no real explanation, however, it enables you to use look_ahead_depth which selects LA_ICQ (intelligent constant quality with look ahead) as the determining quality factor for encoding. Look ahead -- again, my understanding -- allows the encoder to keep frames in memory and look ahead in the file (100 frames is the limit in QSV) to assess the best approach to encoding.

I use both of these because I've found that LA_ICQ provides higher quality, smoother transitions during action scenes, and smaller files overall. I'd say it also probably bloats some files that are insanely grainy if they're not denoised properly (I suck at denoising).

EDIT: This is probably a better question to ask nyanmisaka (not tagging since it's not super important).