Stop Masking Banding: Why Traditional FGS Fails and How We Solve It
In the encoding industry, there is a persistent approach of trying to mask banding artifacts by simply adding
noise or artificial grain. At Wavelet Beam, we see it differently: if banding occurs, it simply means encoding
standards were not maintained. Attempting to conceal artifacts and denoising flaws through blanket re-graining
ultimately fails to improve the final visual quality.
The challenge is well known, as Netflix highlighted at the Demuxed conference: automated denoising with standard
noise management systems cannot be achieved without loss of fidelity. Consequently, they suggested completely
omitting Film Grain Synthesis (FGS) for such scenes.
The problem with this approach, however, is that it causes a noticeable visual disruption for the viewer, as the
continuous, natural grain experience is broken across the timeline. Generating truly accurate film grain tables
is highly complex and rarely works out of the box.
Pushing Boundaries Instead of Hiding Artifacts
We refuse to accept this status quo. To redefine the boundaries of high-fidelity encoding, we break this cycle.
The solution lies in a perfectly aligned chain of precise pre-processing and intelligent compression. We combine
three technological pillars into one highly efficient pipeline:
IRIS-Denoising: Our high-fidelity noise reduction that precisely analyzes the signal and preserves visual integrity instead of destroying fine details.
Precise AV1 FGS: Advanced analysis to generate exact grain tables, mathematically reconstructing the original look rather than crudely covering up flaws.
Single-pass Dynamic Per-Shot Encoding: Our dynamic, shot-based encoding pipeline that guarantees optimal efficiency and bitrate distribution for every sequence in a single pass.
Become Our Validation Partner
To demonstrate the full potential of this technology, we are actively looking for industry partners to run
comprehensive evaluation tests. If you want to put the combination of IRIS-Denoising, AV1 FGS and our Single-pass
Dynamic Per-Shot Pipeline through its paces and set new benchmarks in encoding quality, let's connect:
info@waveletbeam.com
AV1 is the first video codec with mandatory film grain synthesis. This enables significant bitrate savings while improving image quality, true efficiency instead of artificially measured improvements. Film Grain Synthesis allows for video denoising, enabling lower bitrates during distribution encoding. Netflix reports 30% savings, and we confirm this.
Important: The integrated AV1 denoising (2D Wiener filter) is not sufficient to preserve high image resolution. Professional video noise management is far more than just a filter. Our fully automated HPC solution is based on thousands of lines of CUDA code, optimized for maximum quality. Basic solutions may suffice for user-generated content, but high-end content requires IRIS & IRIS.ANALYST.
The look of film is now available on second screens without internal TV filters. With high-resolution displays and short viewing distances, a higher subjective resolution is achieved, especially for cinematic material, this is a genuine benefit.
Interested rights holders can contact us at info@waveletbeam.com. Among other things, we encoded the Netflix test scene "MERIDIAN" in UHD with AV1 + Film Grain Synthesis at under 6 Mbit/s: 12 minutes at just 536 MB. For internal tests, we are also happy to accept 2-minute samples shot on 16mm or 35mm film.
The codec war is over. Film Grain Synthesis also works with older and future codecs. That's why it makes sense to integrate noise management once into the workflow, regardless of the target codec. Quality is once again the focus, not just bitrate measurement.
Note: The FGS samples currently on our website are outdated. To protect our IP, we present our latest video demos and side-by-side benchmark materials exclusively during direct sessions with selected partners.
16mm 1728x1248 -10bpc (Full HD pixel count), AV1 @1.2 Mbit/s + Film Grain Synthesis, Encoding Test Feb. 2024
16mm 1728x1248 -10bpc (Full HD pixel count), AV1 @2 Mbit/s + Film Grain Synthesis, Encoding Test Feb. 2024
Block-based encoders are unable to correctly preserve film grain at low bitrates. The fine frequencies of the grain are distorted, often visible as flickering or artifacts. PSNR or VMAF cannot correctly detect this.
During decompression, motion vectors are used to reconstruct images from blocks of previous frames. Quantization alters the grain amplitude, leading to modulation over time. The result is artificial-looking, displaced "noise" with no authentic film look.
Conclusion: AV1 + Film Grain Synthesis is the future for high-quality video at low bitrates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Film Grain Synthesis in AV1?
The grain is removed before encoding and described as a compact grain table. The decoder re-synthesizes the grain on playback, so the bitrate is spent on image detail instead of random noise.
Why does traditional film grain synthesis lead to banding?
Standard denoising loses fidelity, and blanket re-graining is then used to hide the artifacts. At Wavelet Beam we see it differently: if banding occurs, encoding standards were not maintained. IRIS-Denoising, precise AV1 grain tables and single-pass per-shot encoding solve this together.
Which bitrates are possible with AV1 and FGS?
We encoded the Netflix test scene "Meridian" in UHD with AV1 and Film Grain Synthesis at under 6 Mbit/s: 12 minutes at just 536 MB.
Can I see current FGS results?
The FGS samples on our website are outdated. To protect our IP, we present our latest demos and side-by-side benchmarks in direct sessions with selected partners. Contact info@waveletbeam.com.
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