VideoHelp Forum
+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2
1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 56
Thread
  1. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    I have a Sanyo VPC-HD1000GXBK camcorder. It records in 1080i 60fps at maximum to mp4 format , I always use that setting, because it looks very good. But there is a significat problem with my camcorder. When I record something that is farther than 70-80 meter in distance, and I play back the video on my computer, the video is blurry. It is by far not sharp, it looks as if the autofocus was incorrect. The interesting is however: when I play back the video on my HDTV by connceting the camcorder to it through HDMI, the video is clear.

    How is this possible, and why isn't the video clear on the computer?

    I have uploaded a sample video here that I have just recorded in the weekend:
    http://www.zshare.ma/16fy012akrpg

    This is the type of my HDTV:
    Philips 32PFL5604H/12

    Maybe the problem is caused by that the video is interlaced?
    Quote Quote  
  2. Your sample is 800x600 progressive, not 1080i. It also looks like it was blend deinterlaced.
    Quote Quote  
  3. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    This is not the original file that the camcorder recorded, but one that was created by converting the original to shrink it. But both is blurry, so if the image is blurry for you, you can have a clue how the image looks in the original file. However I can upload the original one, too, it is just too big, but maybe I will cut out a small portion of it.

    But all in all, the original is in 1080i, and it is only clear when played on HDTV from the camcorder through HDMI, from a pendrive plugged into the HDTV, or from the computer through HDMI on the HDTV. When I play the video simply on the comuter on its own screen, the image is blurry. I have 3 laptops, the image is blurry on all. I wonder what causes it.
    Quote Quote  
  4. It sounds like the transfer software is converting the video on your PC, when you play it from your camcorder it's not being converted.
    When you transfer to your PC is the file 1080i/50? Use MediaInfo to check the properties.
    Quote Quote  
  5. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    Okay, so here is the original. Made with my Sanyo HD1000GXBK, 1080i, 60fps. I copied the file from the SDHC card directly to my computer.

    http://www.zshare.ma/a4zndv5bmpsv

    When I watch it on any of my 3 laptops, the image is blurry. But I have just noticed an interesting thing. The image on my HDTV is very satisfying, except for that there are often fields in the video image, that are flickering. When I watch this video on comupter, the image is blurry, but interestingly there are no such flickerings like on the HDTV. This situation is confusing me very much now. Isn't it possible that both the computer and TV cannot display the data because of the interlacing perfectly, but the HDTV is doing a better job than the compuer?
    Quote Quote  
  6. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    Originally Posted by MOVIEGEEK View Post
    It sounds like the transfer software is converting the video on your PC, when you play it from your camcorder it's not being converted.
    When you transfer to your PC is the file 1080i/50? Use MediaInfo to check the properties.
    Here are the results, this is about the same file I linked in the previous message:

    Codec ID : mp42
    File size : 54.5 MiB
    Duration : 37s 471ms
    Overall bit rate mode : Variable
    Overall bit rate : 12.2 Mbps
    Movie name/More : SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA HD1000
    Encoded date : UTC 2012-04-28 16:24:20
    Tagged date : UTC 2012-04-28 16:24:20
    Origin : Digital Camera
    Video
    ID : 1
    Format : AVC
    Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
    Format profile : Main@L4.0
    Format settings, CABAC : No
    Format settings, ReFrames : 2 frames
    Codec ID : avc1
    Codec ID/Info : Advanced Video Coding
    Duration : 37s 471ms
    Bit rate : 12.0 Mbps
    Width : 1 920 pixels
    Height : 1 080 pixels
    Display aspect ratio : 16:9
    Frame rate mode : Constant
    Frame rate : 59.940 fps
    Color space : YUV
    Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
    Bit depth : 8 bits
    Scan type : Interlaced
    Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.097
    Stream size : 53.7 MiB (98%)
    Language : English
    Encoded date : UTC 2012-04-28 16:24:20
    Tagged date : UTC 2012-04-28 16:24:20
    Audio
    ID : 2
    Format : AAC
    Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
    Format profile : LC
    Codec ID : 40
    Duration : 37s 471ms
    Source duration : 37s 461ms
    Bit rate mode : Variable
    Bit rate : 128 Kbps
    Maximum bit rate : 192 Kbps
    Channel(s) : 2 channels
    Channel positions : Front: L R
    Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
    Compression mode : Lossy
    Stream size : 583 KiB (1%)
    Source stream size : 583 KiB (1%)
    Language : English
    Encoded date : UTC 2012-04-28 16:24:20
    Tagged date : UTC 2012-04-28 16:24:20
    Quote Quote  
  7. The file looks normal to me, I think the problem is the software you are using to view it on your PC's. Use VLC with Yadif(2x) deinterlace or MPC-HC. And yes HDTV's usually do a better job with interlaced material.
    Quote Quote  
  8. It's interlaced video 1920x1080 video. Of course, nobody knows exactly what you're seeing on your screens. But the video is a bit blurry. Not hugely out of the range of a typical inexpensive consumer camcorder though. Is it much fuzzier than this when you play the video on your computer:

    Click image for larger version

Name:	sample.jpg
Views:	616
Size:	295.3 KB
ID:	12245

    You'll probably have to click on the image a three times to see the full resolution of the image.

    Keep in mind that TVs are designed to deal with interlaced video and know how to handle it. They also typically apply sharpening filters. Go to your TVs controls and disable the sharpening and edge enhancement filters. Is the picture closer to what you see on the computer?

    Computers monitors generally deal with progressive video and they make no attempt to enhance the sharpness -- normally the picture is already sharp (the Desktop, for example). Any attempt to sharpen the Desktop would make it look worse, not better. Interlaced video sources have to be denterlaced. The quality of the deinterlacing varies from program to program, graphics card to graphics card.

    Other things might make a TV appear sharper than a computer monitor. For example, enhanced contrast will make the video appear sharper. Again, computer monitors are not supposed to change the contrast, but TVs typically do.

    Generally, if you want the computer to display the video more like your TV you'll have to use player software that applies filters similar to those a typical TV uses.

    Is this image more like what you see on your TV?

    Click image for larger version

Name:	filtered.jpg
Views:	467
Size:	396.3 KB
ID:	12246
    Last edited by jagabo; 30th Apr 2012 at 12:58.
    Quote Quote  
  9. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    Yes, this is definately very close to what the TV displays.
    Quote Quote  
  10. Originally Posted by Bencuri View Post
    Yes, this is definately very close to what the TV displays.
    You mean the second image? If so, it's just a matter of the TV sharpening the image and enhancing the contrast. Most media players have the ability to make such adjustments. Or you can make them in your graphics card's setup applet.
    Quote Quote  
  11. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    Yes, it is the second image.

    But why is the image so bad on the machine? I mean was this intentional from the manufacturer that they set the camcorder's focus this way, so the video can be enjoyed 100% on the tv only, or the camcorder might be faulty, and the videos look good now only when you make some efforts to improve them?

    I also have 2 other camcorders, and those doesn't have this issue. A Samsung hmx200 and a JVC hm300. However, those doesn't have as good color as the Sanyo, and the image of the Sanyo is much sharper on the HDTV than the image of the other, too, probably because of the higher megapixel value.

    I wonder if this feature was intentional, or I should visit the camcorder repair service?
    Quote Quote  
  12. As Jagabo and I have tried to explain is there's nothing wrong with your camcorder, it's normal for interlaced video to look like that on a PC. One thing you can do is make sure your monitor is calibrated and use the filters in software players.

    EDIT: I looked at the features for your camcorder and there are adjustments for sharpness, you might play with them to see if it helps:
    http://us.sanyo.com/Cameras-Camcorders-Previous-Models/VPC-HD1000-1080i-HD-Video-30fps...and-4MP-Photos
    Last edited by MOVIEGEEK; 30th Apr 2012 at 15:09.
    Quote Quote  
  13. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    OK. I just asked about the possibility of error, because I was not sure whether the HDTV can handle the faulty videos of the camera, or the videos are recorded this way by factory default. But I understand now.

    What features from the menu do you refer to exactly to set sharpness? You mean trying manual focus or something else? I often use the manual options, but I don't know which option should I modify on the camcorder itself to overcome this problem.

    On the other hand, Jagabo, what software did you use to modify the image, so you got close to the state that is visible on my HDTV, too? You mention here that players can do it or the graphic card applet, but would it be possible to save these settings in the video itself? I am asking this, because I would like to compile a small film about our recent journey, and many of the videos are this blurry. If I upload the film onto Youtube in this state, noone can enjoy it. Most of my friends doesn't have a HDTV. Is it possible somehow to save the custom sharpness and contrast settings?
    Quote Quote  
  14. Member edDV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northern California, USA
    Search Comp PM
    Your player software and display card can make large differences in computer playback quality.

    What is your display card or display chipset?

    Software players can deinterlace to 25i (some blurriness) or to 50p (sharper but with scaling errors). Most display cards don't display 50p natively, but convert to 60p. This causes more error.
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
    Quote Quote  
  15. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    I have a Lenovo b560 machine, i5 processor, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD. The machine also has an Nvidia card, but I cannot use that, because I have Windows Vista on my computer, and that doesn't support the Ndivia card.
    Quote Quote  
  16. Member edDV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northern California, USA
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by Bencuri View Post
    I have a Lenovo b560 machine, i5 processor, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD. The machine also has an Nvidia card, but I cannot use that, because I have Windows Vista on my computer, and that doesn't support the Ndivia card.
    That is a different laptop architecture where the prime video path is from the Intel CPU+integrated GPU (Intel HD) but with an NVidia 310M in a support roll for decode and image processing. A problem for HD video display is a limited 1366x768 pixel screen resolution which means all video must be scaled for display.

    This is basically a business computer rather than high performance video display.

    See this review.
    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Lenovo-B560-Notebook.45337.0.html

    Compounding your issues is 50Hz (25 fps) video which isn't directly supported by this laptop. It will play the video at 60Hz.
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
    Quote Quote  
  17. Yeah that integrated Intel graphics GPU sucks, nothing you can do about that on a laptop.
    Quote Quote  
  18. Originally Posted by Bencuri View Post
    what software did you use to modify the image, so you got close to the state that is visible on my HDTV, too?
    I used VirtualDub. I applied the sharpen filter and the brightness/contrast filter to pump up the contrast.
    Quote Quote  
  19. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    Originally Posted by jagabo View Post
    Originally Posted by Bencuri View Post
    what software did you use to modify the image, so you got close to the state that is visible on my HDTV, too?
    I used VirtualDub. I applied the sharpen filter and the brightness/contrast filter to pump up the contrast.
    I will try this, thanks a lot!
    Quote Quote  
  20. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    Originally Posted by edDV View Post
    Originally Posted by Bencuri View Post
    I have a Lenovo b560 machine, i5 processor, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD. The machine also has an Nvidia card, but I cannot use that, because I have Windows Vista on my computer, and that doesn't support the Ndivia card.
    That is a different laptop architecture where the prime video path is from the Intel CPU+integrated GPU (Intel HD) but with an NVidia 310M in a support roll for decode and image processing. A problem for HD video display is a limited 1366x768 pixel screen resolution which means all video must be scaled for display.

    This is basically a business computer rather than high performance video display.

    See this review.
    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Lenovo-B560-Notebook.45337.0.html

    Compounding your issues is 50Hz (25 fps) video which isn't directly supported by this laptop. It will play the video at 60Hz.
    Actually I don't care about how the image looks on my laptop, because I can watch everything on my HDTV. But as it is terrible on all my 3 laptops, I mean this Sanyo sample, I thought it might be useful to imrpove the video image of the file a bit, so when I share it on Youtube, my friends can enjoy it. Most of them has older laptops, so I think they will have the same problem.

    I also have a JVC GZ-HM300 camcorder, the long distance videos recorded with that looks sharper on my computer, so that's why I thought the Sanyo videos can be problematic on other computers, as my laptops can play the JVC video well.

    Anyway, when I record something with the Sanyo that is less than 80 meter far, the image is sharp on my laptop, so in that case I have no problem. There, the only problem is the massive jerkiness...

    And on top of this, there is the conversion problem, that no matter into what format I convert, the videos will always be jerky on the computer. Especially the Sanyo videos. Somebody suggested that I should convert to mpeg2 with Avidemux. I tried it, with the BFF Interlaced option. And interestingly that solution worked, but the software is converting the videos very slowly, it converted 500 mb in 6 hours on my i5 Lenovo laptop, so that is not the optimal solution. But the mpeg2 files I got are not that much jerky. They are acceptable, my laptops run these mpeg2 files smoothly. This is the only video conversion solution that worked for me so far. But let me emphasize this again, this is only laptop issue, HDTV is okay.
    Quote Quote  
  21. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    So guys, I have tested these sharpening and contrast things you mentioned, and they really work. Thanks a lot for the info!

    On my HDTV, the image is also blurry when I turn the sharpness down, and I managed to get sharp picture on the computer when I set it higher in the video card controls. So this was the problem, indeed. I didn't try to save these things by Virtual Dub, but I will try that.

    But there is still a slight problem. When I increase the sharpening, occasionally, portions of the video is flickering. Not all the image, but a part. Like the door of a car, a tree, a bunch of grass. It is not visible all the time, but is quite visible when there are much very light and very dark portions together on the image. These are always the dark portions, especially the shadowss and black things that are flickering, and all this happens when I move the camcorder in the video, or my hand is shaking. When the view is fixed, it doesn't happen. Can this flickering be reduced, or this is an unavoidable side-effect of the sharpening?

    This flickering problem also happens with my JVC GZ-HM300 camcorder.

    If the sharpening is down on 0, there is no flickering.
    Quote Quote  
  22. The problem wasn't that your computer wasn't sharpening enough. It was that your camcorder doesn't produce very sharp pictures and your TV is over sharpening. You're adjusting everything else to make up for the camcorder's deficiencies. If you were to watch very sharp video on your TV with the same sharpening settings you will see oversharpening halos and increased noise.

    A blurry image (left), sharpened (right):
    Click image for larger version

Name:	sharp.png
Views:	4874
Size:	38.9 KB
ID:	12268

    A sharp image sharpened by the same amount:
    Click image for larger version

Name:	over.png
Views:	4804
Size:	34.2 KB
ID:	12269

    Notice how the transition from dark gray to light gray is no longer smooth. There is an overshoot to black and white -- halos.

    I suspect the flickering you are seeing is from deinterlacing. Or not handling interlaced video correctly. You'll have to post a short sample. In VirtualDub try this:

    Deinterlace -> unfold fields side by side
    Sharpen
    Deinterlace -> fold side-by-side fields together

    In AviSynth:

    SeparateFields()
    Sharpen(0.5) # any number from 0 to 1
    Weave()
    Last edited by jagabo; 2nd May 2012 at 11:58.
    Quote Quote  
  23. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Deep in the Heart of Texas
    Search PM
    Sounds like your camera either has fixed focus (set too close) or faulty auto-focus. Plus you should go out right now and get yourself a tripod and learn how to use it for most of your shots. Or, if not a tripod, at least a monopod.

    And, on a computer, use media players that have better deinterlacing methods, as has been mentioned above.

    Scott
    Quote Quote  
  24. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    I will try to make a sample somwhow, so you can see. But I am not sure that it is the fault of the camcorder, because I also have that other JVC camcorder, that is doing the same. That is also 1080i camcorder with 1080p output. And if you turn sharpening off, there is no flickering.
    Quote Quote  
  25. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    I couldn't find a way to upload a sample of this flcikering, but I guess you can also observe it on your machine. Run the video I linked for the second time: http://www.zshare.ma/a4zndv5bmpsv

    This is the camcorder video.

    Turn on sharpening to maximum. And you will se flickering, I guess. I attached a photo about a moment at 00:37 in the video, I marked where I see the flickering. There are other portions flickering at different moments. I am talking about these.

    You don't have to set that strong sharpening so that the picrute would start flickering, but with this extreme setting you will surely see what I refer to.

    Can these be eliminated?
    Image Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version

Name:	capture.JPEG
Views:	483
Size:	74.2 KB
ID:	12284  

    Quote Quote  
  26. How are you viewing the video? Are you just adding the sharpen filter in VirtualDub and watching in the preview window? Are you deinterlacing? Are you saving to a file and viewing the file?
    Quote Quote  
  27. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    This thing happens when I watch the original mp4 that is lonked above on HDTV, with sharpening on (it is set to 7 out of 1-10), and on my laptop, when I watch the same, original mp4, and I set 'ovveride sharpening settings in programs' to a value of 45-60 (from available setting scale 0-60). On the laptop, this function is in the installed video card control panel selectable from the tray. On laptop I watch in Windows Media Player. I have also Divix Plus Player installed, that can display my mp4 files with the best speed, but if I set sharpening in video card controls, it doesn't have effect on the playback in Divix Plus Player.

    So basically this happens when I set the sharpening on both device.

    By setting sharpening, I can overcome this initial blurring problem. If there wasn't this flickering, I would be very satisfied with the video. But flickering irritates my eyes quite much. It is disturbing me a lot.

    You cannot see this flickering when you turn on sharpening on your computer? Check that portion I marked on the photo, it is at 00:37 in the video.
    Quote Quote  
  28. Does the attached video look flickery to you?

    Code:
    DirectShowSource("SANY2000.MP4") 
     AssumeTFF()
     QTGMC(preset="fast")
     Sharpen(1.0)
     Trim(2700,3000)
    Keep in mind that when your monitor or TV isn't running at the same resolution as the video the video is being resized for the display. And since you're using progressive displays the video has to be deinterlaced. Both of those things can cause flicker with sharp high contrast video.
    Image Attached Files
    Quote Quote  
  29. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Hungary
    Search PM
    I watched this on my computer that has a different resolution (1366x768), it is flickering.

    If I watch it on my HDTV in a way that I connect my computer to that with HDMI, and set the resolution to 1920x1080 on my computer, 60hz, sharpening off on computer and TV, it is still flickering. Is it not flickering for you?
    Quote Quote  
  30. Oops, I just realized I encoded that video at 120 fps. That may be causing some problems. Attached is the original video encoded at 60p and sharpened at 60p. I sharpened a little less this time, Sharpen(0.5), a more realistic amount. I don't see much more flicker than in the original. But the LCD monitor I'm using doesn't have a really fast response time.
    Image Attached Files
    Quote Quote  



Similar Threads

Visit our sponsor! Try DVDFab and backup Blu-rays!