Anime formats and qualities *Guide*

**Aca** · 07-07-2008 08:29 PM

A short guide to Anime formats, qualities and processes
(updated 12.22.09)

There are 3 main types of quality levels when it comes to encoding anime series.
These are: LQ (low quality), HQ (high quality) and HD (high definition).

Before i explain resolutions are quallity types,i want to add about resolution type or screen resolutions.
There are basically 2 types :

4:3 (this is the ratio between the width [4] and height [3] of pixels on the screen.The resoultions in this type are i.e. 640x480 etc.
16:9 (same thing,except i.e. the resoultion is 1280x720) this is also called WS - Widescreen resolution.

Now,what does this mean? Simple,when u devide (let's say) 640 with 480 u get 1.33,the same number u get when u devide 4 with 3,and if u take 1280 anddevide with 720 u get 1.77 the same number u get from deviding 16 with 9.

Now, the file types that have the lowest and worse graphic quality are the ones that are in LQ – low quality, meaning that the codec used in the container format ( a container format is a computer file format that can contain various types of data, compressed by means of standardized audio/video codecs. The container file is used to identify and interleave the different types of data) has high compression both in audio and in video.So the overall graphic detail (and sound) looks/sound really bad; there is a lot if pixilation (those squares you see during playback ). Also the resolution of the file is really small, usually around 400x300 pixels (meaning that the height is 400 and width is 300 pixels in 100% zoom ).

Here are some samples of a LQ anime, I’ve chosen the anime Naruto (since it is the most popular).(click on the “SPOILER” tag to view the images) and an anime called "5 Centimeters per second" [a personal fav.] These will be used again in the HD examples.

But, LQ has one advantage over the other formats and that’s its file size. An anime that is approximately 22-24 mins is around 50MB when in *.rmvb (the most common LQ format).

So basically LQ format/resolutions are all resolution below 848x480px

On to HQ – high quality, the most common in use when it comes to anime. This is also know as the “DVD format”. Why? Well, DVDs have this level of quality and also the most important thing (I'm sure many of you have noticed) that when an anime episode is in HQ format, it is always around 180Mb. Why? Well, when you have an anime series which consists of 24-26 episodes which are around 22-25 mins. and if each is around 180Mb and less it can be burned/stored to a DVD (4,5 GB – 4500MB) and it fits perfectly. This is one of the main reasons why most anime is in this format; it has a very good level of quality when it comes to graphics/art-work and it can fit on a single DVD.

Most anime in HQ format are Avi and Mkv (others are used but rarely).Avi is usually compressed using codecs like xvid/divx/H.264/mpeg-4, while Mkv is usually compressed with H.264.

So basically HQ is all resolutions in between 848x480px (more commonly known as Dvd format or 480p) and 1024x576px (or commonly known as 576p)

Here are some examples of the HQ.

Finally, HD – high definition (my personal favorite; you’ll see why).
This has the best overall quality both in graphic/artwork and in sound/audio.
HD formats are also the largest. They can vary from 250Mb up to 1+Gb, depending on their encoder type, and also what the container file has (dual audio, synchronized subtitles/multi languages, etc).There are 2 main types of HD : 720p, 1080p. The smaller of the 2 HD formats is 720p which has 1280x720px resolution and the smallest container file size, however it still has better picture quality then the best low compressed HQ formats. These files are normally compressed via H.264 because it does produce the best results . The 1080i format has a resolution of 1280x1080px and the 1080p has a resolution if 1920x1080 which is currently the best format there is; it is called the “true HD” format. The picture quality is best, but the file size is also the largest, it can be up to 1+GB (and above) for a 24min anime episode. The new format 2160p has a monster resolution of 3840×2160, but it will only be available begging of the year 2015 and only in Japan and S.Korea.

So basically Hd formats are 1280x720px up to 1920x1080px for now (commonly known as 720p and 1080p -"true hd")

Here are some samples of a true HD anime 1920x1080px (at 100% zoom) called “5 centimeters per second : a chain of stories about their distance” (also my personal favorite anime overall, from artwork to storyline etc.).
Click on the “SPOILER” tag to view the images (images may take some to load for slow internet speeds).

Here's same examples of a full HD anime,same example as in LQ ,an anime called "5 Centimeters per second" The images are sadly,in 1600x900px,since TinyPic doesn't support 1920x1080px >_> FFS

Well as you can see there is no comparison to HQ and LQ.

Note: this is only for anime. May not be accurate for other types of digital media.
Would also like to thank BlackBlade for his help. Also if you have anything to say about this you can PM me.

And thank you for reading.

~~~ UPDATE SOON (def's for players and other formats and driver's,and more)...

**BlackBlade** · 07-08-2008 02:31 AM

Thanks for all of you hard work with this guide aca! Stickied.

**The Breezy Skeleton** · 07-08-2008 05:00 AM

First of all, you said:

Originally Posted by aca85

you have to use a codec (many have heard of this before, codecs like xvid, avi, mkv and the first to be used of all DIVX) to compress the file make it into a container file.

AVI and MKV aren't codecs, but I'm just assuming you didn't mean this since you properly identify them as being containers later on.

But in what way was DivX the first codec ever used? That just doesn't make any sense.

/end nitpicking

Anyways, this is a fantastic guide for everyone out there. However, I'd just like to add one thing. Just because everyone here no knows what the difference between LQ, HQ, and HD is - it doesn't mean that every one else does out there- even fansubbers.

For some fansubbers out there, HQ and HD are (incorrectly) used interchangeably. Just because something is labeled HD doesn't mean it's HD, and even if it is labeled HQ it might actually end up being HD. Some groups will release an anime as HD even though it was never officially released in HD (either on TV or Blueray/HD-DVD).

What makes matters even worse is that you can't even tell if an anime is HD or HQ simply by looking at the resolution. Some fansub groups have a nasty tendency to upscale anime. That means that they will get a RAW that is 640x480, but release it as 1280x720 or something, needlessly making the file size bigger. The end result would be the same as if you had downloaded a 640x480 and just manually resized the video player window until it was 1280x720- it's the same thing.

With the vast number of fansub groups out there, it is always the best option to try to go with the more experienced groups. The skills of the people encoding anime differ greatly, and the difference in quality of one anime done by two groups (even at the same resolution) can be shocking.

Heck, its not totally unheard of to find an anime that is 640x480 and labeled as HQ that is vastly superior in quality to the same anime done by another fansub group but labeled as 1280x720 HD.

**Aca** · 07-08-2008 10:09 AM

@skeleton : yes Divx was the first commercial codec ^^
And later on i refer to avi/mkv as container files,so as not to confuse ppl.
"wikipedia" was the source ,so i anything is wrong,take it up with them ^^

**alex1_phang3** · 08-05-2008 03:27 PM

I have a question, I have an anime file abt 224mb in .ogm format but it is 640 x 480.

Is it a HQ? Coz, well, the size of the file made it seemed like its HQ but the resolution said otherwise

**mlavx** · 08-07-2008 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by alex1_phang3

I have a question, I have an anime file abt 224mb in .ogm format but it is 640 x 480.

Is it a HQ? Coz, well, the size of the file made it seemed like its HQ but the resolution said otherwise

I think it is something like this

MQ: 1024x576
HQ: 1280x720
HD: 1920x1080

so not HQ... or MQ...
Looking at the filesize + fileformat, you prolly have more than one stream option to select from... maybe a couple of language-tracks?

**Aca** · 08-07-2008 09:20 AM

Everything is the guide above.
Everything was double checked with Wikipedia (so no mistakes,that i know of)

**alex1_phang3** · 08-07-2008 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by mlavx

I think it is something like this

MQ: 1024x576
HQ: 1280x720
HD: 1920x1080

so not HQ... or MQ...
Looking at the filesize + fileformat, you prolly have more than one stream option to select from... maybe a couple of language-tracks?

it has eng dubs and jap dub and eng subs

**Neuvil** · 08-07-2008 08:47 PM

@ alex: It's probably because the anime is older, from the period when 640x480 and avi were HQ (Great Teacher Onizuka). Meaning that if the original is LQ, there is no way that it can become a HQ no matter how big the size of the video is. Higher resolution doesn't always mean that the video is also of high quality.

**alex1_phang3** · 08-08-2008 01:44 PM

Sow . . . . . . I only came across HQ anime once, and thats zero no tsukaima princess no rondo from [ss-eclipse] subs. . . its 300 ++ mb and 1000 ++ x 1000 ++