Mpeg Mode 1 pass

Source video

The first video was filmed in 2.35:1 scope, therefore the DVD video contains horizontal black bars. Because of that, the video compress better and requires a lower video bit rate. The second video instead has a higher video bit rate requirement.

DVD (720x576)

Video 1
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
0:1:1 (0)
 7500 5334
 43m
 (42.79)
 -hispeed
0:1:1 0
 7500 4666
 1h9m
 47.44
 encode2mpeg 0.5.0
0:1:1
 0/1/2
 7500
 4678/3894/3636
 1h31m/1h25m/1h31m
 47.44/47.12/46.94
 very fast
0:2:1 0/1/2
 7500 4614/3857/3607
 2h3m/2h31m/2h16m
 47.62/47.29/47.09
 fast
0:3:1 0/1/2
 7500 3673/3178/3010
 4h15m/3h55m/3h58m
 47.21/46.84/46.63
 high compression
0:4:1 0/1/2
 7500 4678/4001/3789
 5h23m/6h24m/6h56m
 47.78/47.15/47.09
 high PSNR

Video 2
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
0:1:1 (0) 9000 6838
 42m
 (41.31)
 -hispeed
0:1:1 0 9000 4781
 1h1m
 47.07
 encode2mpeg 0.5.0
0:1:1
 0/1/2
 9000
 4791/4173/3859
 1h23m/1h20m/1h23m
 47.07/46.40/46.25
 very fast
0:2:1 0/1/2
 9000 4749/4141/3833
 1h43m/1h59m/2h2m
 47.13/46.50/46.37
 fast
0:3:1 0/1/2
 9000 4010/3549/3308
 4h9m/3h58m/4h19m
 46.36/45.76/45.60
 high compression
0:4:1 0/1/2
 9000 4747/4225/3970
 5h15m/6h53m/7h14m
 47.32/46.58/46.40
 high PSNR

When the video bit rate is high (like for dvd), you can assume that:
-encode n:1:1 is very fast
-encode n:2:1 is fast and has a good PSNR
-encode n:3:1 compress better but has a lower PSNR
-encode n:4:1 has higher PSNR
With 1 B frame the file size reduces about 11-16%, with 2 B frames the reduction is about 16-21%

SVCD (480x576)

Video 1
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 (0)
 2500 2578
 41m
 (39.54)
 -hispeed
4:1:1 0
 2500 2142
 1h0m
 45.46
 encode2mpeg 0.5.0
4:1:1 0/1/2
 2500 2149/1913/1818
 1h13m/1h15m/1h20m
 45.46/45.43/45.28
 faster
4:2:1 0/1/2 2500 2137/1912/1822
 1h46m/1h40m/1h44m
 45.56/45.53/45.39
 fast
4:3:1 0/1/2 2500 1840/1690/1625
 2h37m/2h32m/2h31m
 45.67/45.56/45.41
 better compression and PSNR
4:4:1 0/1/2 2500 2128/1936/1859
 3h26m/4h35m/4h18m
 45.50/45.01/44.99
 do not use

Video 2
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 (0)
 2500 2273
 36m
 (35.11)
 -hispeed
4:1:1 0
 2500 2124 54m
 43.17
 encode2mpeg 0.5.0
4:1:1 0/1/2
 2500 2127/2040/1973
 1h21m/1h15m/1h16m
 43.18/42.92/42.58
 faster
4:2:1 0/1/2 2500 2124/2038/1970
 1h24m/1h33m/1h44m
 43.22/43.03/42.72
 fast
4:3:1 0/1/2 2500 1976/1881/1812
 2h36m/2h44m/2h47m
 43.64/43.58/43.34
 better compression and PSNR
4:4:1 0/1/2 2500 2116/2045/1985
 3h7m/4h7m/4h25m
 43.26/42.74/42.43
 do not use

In case of SVCD the standard vbr (2500) is close to the average vbr required to compress the video. As you can see:
-encode n:1:1 is still faster
-encode n:2:1 is fast
-encode n:3:1 compress better AND has a higher PSNR
-encode n:4:1 does not show any advantage

VCD (352x288)

Video 1
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 (0) 1152 1328
 33m
 (38.34)
 -hispeed
4:1:1 0 1152 1322
 37m
 45.12
 encode2mpeg 0.5.0
4:1:1 0/1/2 1152 1320/1320/1320 0h42m/0h43m/0h52m
 44.93/45.17/44.90
4:2:1 0/1/2 1152 1320/1320/1320 0h48m/0h52m/0h53m
 45.00/45.24/44.98
4:3:1 0/1/2 1152 1320/1320/1320 1h16m/1h16m/1h16m
 44.98/45.23/45.01
4:4:1 0/1/2 1152 1320/1320/1320 1h27m/1h52m/1h55m
 45.06/45.09/44.82

Video 2
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 (0) 1152 1130
 29m
 (34.81)
 -hispeed
4:1:1 0 1152 1128
 33m
 43.45
 encode2mpeg 0.5.0
4:1:1 0/1/2 1152 1127/1127/1127 0h40m/0h40m/0h40m
 43.15/43.46/43.21
4:2:1 0/1/2 1152 1127/1127/1127 0h48m/0h48m/0h50m
 43.19/43.53/43.31
4:3:1 0/1/2 1152 1127/1127/1127 1h16m/1h33m/2h5m
 43.26/43.46/43.29
4:4:1 0/1/2 1152 1127/1127/1127 2h7m/2h46m/2h49m
 43.23/43.36/43.11

VCD has constant video bit rate. The file size will be always the same, it doesn't matter which option you use.
-encode n:2:1 and -encode n:3:1 give the better PSNR and there is no big difference between them.

VCD (352x288) variable bit rate

Video 1
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 0/1/2 1152 999/911/876
 0h43m/0h44m/0h45m
 44.93/44.82/44.55
4:2:1 0/1/2 1152 995/914/881
 0h50m/0h51m/0h50m
 45.00/44.90/44.64
4:3:1 0/1/2 1152 902/841/815
 1h11m/1h10m/1h11m
 45.06/44.91/44.58
4:4:1 0/1/2 1152 989/918/891
 1h25m/1h42m/1h49m
 45.03/44.72/44.46

Video 2
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 0/1/2 1152 1032/967/934
 1h5m/1h5m/1h6m
 43.08/42.96/42.52
4:2:1 0/1/2 1152 1030/969/936
 1h14m/1h14m/1h21m
 43.12/43.04/42.65
4:3:1 0/1/2 1152 949/891/859
 1h16m/1h18m/1h20m
 43.28/43.21/42.91
4:4:1 0/1/2 1152 1027/969/940
 1h26m/1h47m/1h55m
 43.16/42.81/42.42

In case your hardware player can play VCD with variable video bit rate add the option -mpeg1vbr.
-encode n:3:1 compress better AND has a higher PSNR
-encode n:2:1 is faster

SVCD (352x288)

Video 1
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 0/1/2 1152 1066/968/929
 0h46m/0h45m/0h44m
 44.83/44.85/44.66
 -svcd 2
4:2:1 0/1/2 1152 1062/969/932
 0h51m/0h54m/0h54m
 44.91/44.94/44.76
 -svcd 2
4:3:1 0/1/2 1152 963/901/874
 1h19m/1h15m/1h15m
 45.11/45.06/44.76
 -svcd 2
4:4:1 0/1/2 1152 1055/977/945
 1h32m/1h50m/1h57m
 44.94/44.77/44.56
 -svcd 2

Video 2
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
4:1:1 0/1/2 1152 1082/1029/994
 0h42m/0h42m/0h42m
 42.90/43.01/42.76
 -svcd 2
4:2:1 0/1/2 1152 1080/1029/994
 0h46m/0h50m/0h52m
 42.95/43.10/42.89
 -svcd 2
4:3:1 0/1/2 1152 1005/960/929
 1h20m/1h16m/1h15m
 43.47/43.65/43.48
 -svcd 2
4:4:1 0/1/2 1152 1077/1032/999
 1h26m/1h48m/1h58m
 43.00/42.89/42.67
 -svcd 2

Instead of a VCD you can create a SVCD with VCD resolution.
It is very similar to a VCD with variable video bit rate, but mpeg2 should give better quality.

DVD (720x576)

Video 1
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
0:1:1
 0/1/2
 7500
 3674/3183/3012
 1h47m/1h45m/1h40m
 45.39/45.07/44.94
 -usesbr 3673/3178/3010
0:2:1 0/1/2
 7500 3674/3184/3013 2h7m/2h23m/2h20m
 45.54/45.17/45.02
 -usesbr 3673/3178/3010
0:3:1 0/1/2
 7500 3673/3178/3010
 4h15m/3h55m/3h58m
 47.21/46.84/46.63
  
0:4:1 0/1/2
 7500 3688/3196/3026
 5h5m/6h11m/6h27m
 45.48/44.76/44.40
 -usesbr 3673/3178/3010
0:3:1 0/1/2 7500 3412/2980/2801
 3h32m/3h18m/3h16m
 46.83/46.48/46.59
 -qmatrix tmpgenc
0:3:1 0/1/2 7500 3411/2983/2802
 4h10m/3h53m/3h48m 45.84/45.42/45.39
 -usesbr 3412/2980/2801
0:3:1 0/1/2 7500 3158/2784/2619
 3h26m/3h14m/3h12m
 46.24/45.92/45.97
 -qmatrix kvcd
0:3:1 0/1/2 7500 3159/2788/2620
 4h26m/4h4m/3h52m
 45.29/44.89/44.83
 -usesbr 3158/2784/2619

Video 2
-encode
 B frames
 -vbr
 size (MB)
 job time PSNR note
0:1:1
 0/1/2
 9000
 3998/3540/3297
 1h41m/1h43m/1h30m
 45.49/44.88/44.72
 -usesbr 4010/3549/3308
0:2:1 0/1/2
 9000 3998/3540/3297 1h50m/2h15m/2h18m
 45.59/45.01/44.85
 -usesbr 4010/3549/3308
0:3:1 0/1/2
 9000 4010/3549/3308
 4h9m/3h58m/4h19m
 46.36/45.76/45.60
0:4:1 0/1/2
 9000 3999/3542/3300
 5h16m/6h36m/6h59m
 45.73/44.91/44.55
 -usesbr 4010/3549/3308
0:3:1 0/1/2 9000 3618/3234/3003
 3h47m/4h9m/3h40m
 45.75/45.17/45.05
 -qmatrix tmpgenc
0:3:1 0/1/2 9000 3606/3225/2993
 3h54m/3h45m/3h51m
 45.34/44.77/44.61
 -usesbr 3618/3234/3003
0:3:1 0/1/2 9000 3298/2962/2750
 3h18m/3h12m/3h14m
 44.83/44.30/44.17
 -qmatrix kvcd
0:3:1 0/1/2 9000 3287/2953/2740
 3h58m/4h4m/4h4m
 44.62/44.10/43.91
 -usesbr 3298/2962/2750

If you need to reduce the size of the mpeg video always use -encode n:3:i or B frames. In order to reduce further the file size use -qmatrix tmpgenc or kvcd.
The usage of -usesbr (and therefore a lower vbr) always has a bad impact on the PSNR.
With 1 PASS encoding, the final file size is not exactly the one specified with -usesbr. For better accuracy you need 2 PASS encoding.