AVC encodes worse with AVIDemux than with VD2

[guju]

AVC Settings (both AVIDemux and VD2):
Use advance config: No
Preset: medium
Tuning: grain
Profile: high
IDC level: Auto
Rate control: crf18

Container: MKV

I observed that fine details (structured background)
are competely gone with AVIDemux.
Moreover the file (no audio) is about 15% smaller
than VD2's.

Using v.2.8.1.

[eumagga0x2a]

You should check that you haven't enabled post-processing in Avidemux Preferences. Since a few releases, Avidemux defaults to post-processing being off, but it may have inherited an old configuration.

[guju]

Yes, that was the cause! 

But
I deinstalled previous version before installation the new one today.
(With no shutdown inbetween however).
Is there something missing in the de-install?

Also:
I de-checked both deblocking things.
And encoded again.
==> Same result as before.
Closed AVIDemux.
Re-opened etc.
==> Result as expected.
Another small bug?

Thank you very much however!

[Elstar`]

You should ensure that your preferred "Configuration" profile is actually selected, Avidemux tends to reset it on start.

Basically, VD2 is much easier to setup x264 because it allows selecting standard preset then adding custom options to it. Avidemux on other side, requires setting everything manually if you don't want to stick with all defaults of preset selected. I wonder, why...

You can also compare actual encoding options, they are in plain text, search for "options" in video file. Btw, to preserve fine detail, it should contain "mbtree=0" (--no-mbtree in VD2 and advanced rc->macroblock tree rate control disabled in avidemux), and "psy_rd=0.00:0.00" (--psy-rd 0.00:0.00 in VD2 and analysis->psychovisual rate and trellis 0,00 in avidemux).

[guju]

Thankyou for your hints! 

[eumagga0x2a]

I de-checked both deblocking things.
And encoded again.
==> Same result as before.
Closed AVIDemux.
Re-opened etc.
==> Result as expected.
Another small bug?

No. Default post-processing settings apply on loading a video. You should have either disabled post-processing for the currently loaded video in "Video" --> "PostProcessing" dialog or closed and reloaded the video. Closing the entire application was unnecessary, almost for sure.

Avidemux on other side, requires setting everything manually if you don't want to stick with all defaults of preset selected. I wonder, why...

Because Avidemux doesn't know what particular settings a x264 preset implies (this is internal to the x264 library and would require quite a lot of effort to replicate in the encoder plugin GUI). Simply letting all advanced configuration options be as they are would override the preset and render it more or less useless.

Please note that some settings remain to be accessible even when configuration via presets is chosen.