Historically, these visual elements were difficult to compress. The "grain" of film (or the added digital noise in modern Westerns to simulate that look) creates a challenge for video encoders. Every tiny particle of dust or sand requires data to render. In the past, compressing a Western often resulted in "banding" in the clear blue skies or "blocking" artifacts during fast-paced shootouts.
The era of the Wild West, spanning roughly from the late 1840s to the late 1880s, has been immortalized in history and popular culture for its lawlessness, pioneering spirit, and iconic figures known as gunslingers. These individuals, often skilled in the use of firearms, have become legendary for their roles in the exploration, settlement, and conflicts that characterized the American frontier.
x265 supports CTUs up to 64×64 (vs. 16×16 in H.264). For desert horizon shots, large uniform areas (sky, sand) are encoded in a single CTU, drastically reducing bitrate. Parameter: --ctu 64
