[MPlayer-dev-eng] [RFC] preliminary x264 encoding help text

[The Wanderer]

Torinthiel wrote:

> On Sun, Apr 10, 2005 at 02:57:26AM -0400, The Wanderer wrote:
> 
>>> Nearly all of my comments assume you're using 2-pass. When
>>> comparing options, there are two major reasons for using 2-pass
>>> encoding. First, using 2-pass usually gains around 1.5db PSNR,
>>> which is a very big difference.
>> 
>> Here and throughout: the correct abbreviation for "decibel" is
>> "dB", not "db". I'm not entirely sure why, but TTBOMK it's true.
> 
> Because the unit is Bel, abbreviated B. And 'deci' stands for 'a
> tenth of', and is abbreviated (As always) as 'd'. The same thing like
> meters and kilometers and decimeters (yes, decimeters do exist, only
> are not used often. But litre is a cubic decimeter). Probably any
> physical and/or mathematical tables will show that.

Yes, I'm familiar with the "deci" prefix (and as it happens I've seen
people refer to "deciliters"), but since the word is invariably written
"decibel" not "deciBel" I don't think the fact that the base unit is
capitalized is at all obvious. (I've never actually encountered the base
unit before, as a matter of fact; I'd be curious to know where it comes
from, and where if at all it's used directly these days, though not
curious enough to go research it.)

-- 
       The Wanderer

Warning: Simply because I argue an issue does not mean I agree with any
side of it.

A government exists to serve its citizens, not to control them.