Rendering Resolution Ranks

[MrShandavio]

Okay, I noticed that when you go to render the animation, you can choose from different resolutions... I wanted a kind of 'list' I guess from worst (as in, lowest quality) to best (as in, highest quality) resolutions.

 

If there is one already here, could someone please give me a link? If it's not already here, could someone write it down? I'd appreciate it.

[ypoissant]

All render resolutions produce the same quality. Smaller resolutions produce smaller images and larger resolutions produce larger images.

[MrShandavio]

Well, it's not like that for me. When I import the .avi into a video editing program, like Pinnacle Studios, and, let's say I chose the resolution to be 'low', it looks like a low-quality Playstation Game. Then I import the same .avi except with a different resolution, and it looks better.

 

If anything, could I have a list from the 'smallest' to the 'largest', then?

[luckbat]

When you choose a resolution from the list, they're already ranked from smallest to largest.

 

It sounds like you don't really understand what "resolution" means...

[MMZ_TimeLord]

Resolution is the number of pixels in height and width of the image. Increased resolution will give the appearance of a higher 'quality' image because it reveals more detail about the scene. In reality the quality is not higher, just the amount of detail in the image.

 

Quality is the amount and type of compression (Codec for movie files) applied to the image. Too high of a compression will lead to artifacts in the image which blur or obscure details and result in lower quality.

 

The best balance is a compression level that keeps 90+% of the image, will little or no artifacts. Motion will greatly affect how good or bad quality is with various compressors.

 

Different compressors will work better with different types of animation.

 

I would recommend staying with quicktime and Sorensen3 codec for animation.

 

Local or personal use, set it to 'Best' or 'Good' quality... for the net, change it to 'Medium' to 'Least'. My personal setting for the net is usually 'Medium' or 'Low'.

 

Hope that halps.

[heyvern]

Resolution is always pixels based on 72 dpi.

 

"low" is 320 x 240 pixels at 72 dpi. That is used primarily for preview renders.

 

Then you have...

 

"VGA".... 640 x 480 pixels at 72 dpi

 

Upwards from there.

 

Standard NTSC television would be around 720 x 540 I am pretty sure.

 

Compression is something else entirely. It is not releated to resolution in any way. You can use the same compression for any resolution... playback on the computer would depend on the computer and graphics card.

 

For the most flexibility in external editors your best off not using ANY compression. Let your external editor add the compression when you save it or export it. This way you can use the same content to create multiple versions using different compression values.

 

You are also better off going with a larger resolution... depending on what your delivery method would be... web... TV... widescreen HD...

 

At the largest resolution you can always go down... at a smaller resolution you can't go up without a loss of quality.

 

There is no... "list" of "best" resolutions per se. You need to know what you want ahead of time. If your Pinnacle Studio "project" is 720 x 540... then you want to render to match that.

 

-vern

[zandoriastudios]

I think NTSC is 720px x 486px