Why still a 1.5Mbps max for iPods?

Question

Apple raised the maximum bitrate for H.264 content on iPods to 2.5Mbps a while ago. So why does the iPod setting in Compressor still max out at 1.5Mbps for 640x480 content? I would like to use Compressor due to frame controls, which are second to none as a deinterlacing algorithm. However, the actual compression quality of Apple's H.264 is sadly inferior to free alternatives. These free alternatives have middling deinterlacing options, though. I'd like to raise the bitrate to 2Mbps when formatting video for iPods to offset the quality difference, but I can't do that because Apple, even though they advertise the higher bitrates in their iPod/iPhone specs, will not allow it at all. it's endlessly frustrating for professional software like Compressor to be so dang static on options. I also have very, very limited control over the AAC bitrate and other functions. Attempting to format as a Quicktime H.264 or AppleTV H.264 results in a file that apparently does not conform to Apple's specifications. They will not play on iPods. If I could find some software with deinterlacing quality reasonably close to Compressor's, I would jump ship in a heartbeat.

Answer 1

Well, I stand corrected. I tried transcoding to DV to preserve quality and used the better deinterlacing in frame controls. It looked great...until high motion scenes. Then you literally get blocks of space that show visible interlacing. Literally random squares in an otherwise good looking scene.
There is utterly no excuse for this garbage, Apple. I thought I had found a middle ground by transcoding to DV with frame controls for minimal quality loss, then going to another program for the H.264 compression. You disappoint yet again. This is supposed to be professional grade software that costs a bundle. How in the BLAZES do bugs like this not only get through, but fail to be remedied after several patches??