X265 [new] - The Gunslingers

| Codec | Bitrate (Mbps) | VMAF (0-100) | File Size (MB) | Grain Retention (Subjective) | |-------|----------------|--------------|----------------|-------------------------------| | x264 (veryslow) | 8.0 | 93.2 | 300 | Fair (some smoothing) | | x265 (medium) | 4.5 | 94.1 | 169 | Good | | x265 (slow) | 4.5 | 95.8 | 169 | Excellent (near-lossless grain) | | x265 (slow) | 2.5 | 90.5 | 94 | Acceptable (slight banding) |

Abstract: This paper examines the digital encoding of the independent Western film The Gunslingers (dir. Kevin M. White, 2018) using the x265 implementation of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Given the film’s high-contrast cinematography, desert landscapes, and low-light saloon scenes, we analyze how x265’s advanced coding tools—such as flexible block partitioning (CTUs), sample adaptive offset (SAO), and motion-compensated prediction—preserve cinematic detail while reducing bitrate. The paper compares x265’s performance against H.264 (x264) for this specific genre, concluding that x265 achieves a 40–50% bitrate reduction without perceptible quality loss, making it optimal for streaming and archival of independent Westerns. 1. Introduction The Gunslingers is a modern independent Western that relies heavily on visual texture: grain on weathered leather, dust motes in sunbeams, and the gradient of a setting sun over arid plains. Encoding such content for distribution poses challenges: traditional codecs like H.264 often produce blocking artifacts in skies and banding in shadows. x265, an open-source HEVC encoder, offers a solution through larger coding units and improved intra-frame prediction. 2. Source Characteristics & Encoding Challenges | Feature | Description | Encoding Difficulty | |---------|-------------|----------------------| | Resolution | 1920×1080 (2.35:1 aspect ratio) | High (fine detail) | | Grain | Moderate film grain added in post | High (grain confuses motion estimation) | | Lighting | Low-light saloon scenes (shadow detail) | Very high (risk of banding) | | Motion | Gunfights with quick pans & muzzle flashes | Medium (requires high bitrate for temporal stability) | the gunslingers x265

x265 at 4.5 Mbps (slow preset) achieved higher VMAF than x264 at 8 Mbps, a 44% bitrate reduction for equivalent or better quality. 5. Recommended x265 Parameters for The Gunslingers Based on testing, the following parameters balance encoding speed, file size, and perceptual quality for this Western: | Codec | Bitrate (Mbps) | VMAF (0-100)