Use h.264 as video codec

[elieserdejesus]

Test h.264 as video codec to see if is possible reduce the video stream bandwith usage.

ps: use mp4 as container.

[jonjamcam]

Hopefully h.264 can improve image quality too. For example the grid layout shows big squares when fast movements are used.

the old dilema bandwidth v/s quality. 🦄

[elieserdejesus]

the grid layout shows big squares when fast movements are used.

In this case the guilty is not the video codec 😄 . JamTaba is setting the cam to the minimum available resolution. So, we are receiving very small videos (in resolution), but grid layout is resizing/stretching these small videos, so we see these big squares.

I guess the squares will be visible with another video codec too, maybe a little smoother.

[jonjamcam]

Question: from what I read here:

https://www.google.cl/amp/tubularinsights.com/encoding-formats-mpeg4-vs-h264/amp/

I have the feeling that h.264 will use more CPU resources than mpeg4.

So my question is will the "old" jamtaba be compatible? or we'll all have to migrate to the new version?

I ask this because I still use my old laptop which only 2 CPU and ATM video is working fine for me (although the quality is low and the bandwidth usage is high)

[elieserdejesus]

I have the feeling that h.264 will use more CPU resources than mpeg4.

Yes @jonjamcam , I'm working in the h264 in these last days and found some very good news:

1 - The image quality is very nice, I'm doubling the video resolution (grid layout big images are very improved) and using a little higher bps.

2 - The bandwith usage is a bit small in average when comparing with previous version (mpeg) (even using more quality/bps and doubling resolution).

3 - The cpu usage is increased in ~6% in my machine.

[elieserdejesus]

Good news in this issue: I recompiled ffmpeg and x264 codec using all optimizations. The result is fantastic, now the cpu usage is lower than the previous version. So, at moment the result is

• more video quality
• less bandwith usage
• less cpu usage than previous version

I will create a testable PR soon.