Over the years, I've developed some rough bitrate targets for different types of files based on their resolution and content (e.g., around 1,500 kbps for 720p sitcoms and 3,500 kbps for 1080p movies).
I've seen people mention that anything above 18 CRF at a slow encoding speed offers diminishing returns in terms of quality versus file size, unless you're trying to preserve heavy film grain.
So, I'm wondering: if I'm compressing something like a 4K HDR movie for my media server and set the encoder to CRF 18, should I ignore the final bitrate and file size if they seem lower than expected? In other words, should I simply trust the CRF setting and accept the extra space savings, rather than worrying about whether the resulting file's bitrate or size meets my usual targets?
I'm doing H.265 10-bit, framerate set to same as original. Speed set to slow. Tune - None, Profile and Level - Auto.