Make the video sharper in CCE SP

[loekverhees]

Hello,

I want to convert a video into het MPEG2 format with CCE SP. The original video is a bit unsharp, a bit blurred. Is it possible to make the video sharper in/with CCE SP? And if so, where in the programm can you do that?

Does someone know how to do that?

Thanks in advance

[guns1inger]

What is the source ? Is it an avi, and mpeg, a mov ?

If I am converting avi's to DVD, I generally use either avisynth or virtualdub to do the resizing. If using virtualdub, I use the unsharp mask filter by Antonnio Foranna and Donald Graft. The default settings are usually too strong, but dropping the diameter back to 3 brings back detail without haloing the edges. You can find this filter at Neuron2.net Use this filter, and frameserve the results to CCE for encoding.

[manono]

Hi-

Can't be done directly in CCE. There are plenty of ways to soften and blur in CCE, but none to sharpen. As guns1inger says, frameserve using AviSynth or VDub, and use one of their sharpening filters.

[loekverhees]

okay, thanx. But do you know how to frameserve from VirtualDub?. I tried, but don't succeed. To frameserve from VD, do you need a special programm then?

[celtic_druid]

You don't need anything extra. I would go the AVISynth route though. Just open the avs that you create and encode from that.

[loekverhees]

but i don't know how to work with avisynth. ( apply the unsharp mask filter and crop and add subtitles) is it possible to 'convert' the settings in VD into an avs-file?

[manono]

Yes, but why bother, since AviSynth also has sharpening filters, Subs Filter, and Crop Fillter? Plus, you don't know how to use it anyway. Nor do you know how to frameserve using VDub. I'd say you're on trouble. Maybe this will help in getting the frameserver going:

http://www.doom9.org/virtualdub_procedures.htm#Frameserving

As for AviSynth, start reading:

http://www.avisynth.org/

[loekverhees]

Okay, but when i use avisynth and apply the vobsub filter, it won't work with CCE. When i open the avs-file with CCE, he quits automaticly, without any reason ?! And when i use the other subtitle filter CCE does the same. Are there other subtitle-filters for Avisynth?. Or do i something wrong?

[manono]

Rather than just opening it in CCE, test the script out first in VDub(Mod). If something's wrong, it'll give you an error message that should help pinpoint where the problem is.

Which subtitle filter you use in AviSynth depends on what format your subs are in. First you load the Plugin at the top:

LoadPlugin("C:\Path\To\VSFilter.dll")

If your subs are in IDX/SUB format, then further down in the script you add:

VobSub("C:\Path\To\Movie.idx")

and if in text format (SRT, SSA and some others), then:

TextSub("C:\Path\To\Movie.srt")

I think it's explained in the docs that come with VobSub.

[loekverhees]

Ok, thanx. About the sharpen filter in Avisynth: What is the best sharpen filter? I can choose between these filters:

aSharp
aWarpSharp
MSharpen
Unfilter (i don't know if this is a sharpen filter)
WarpSharp
XSharpen

Does someone know which of these is the best?

[celtic_druid]

Unfilter can sharpen or blur, it depends whether the values are + or -.

As for best. None of us are qualified to say what you think looks the best. You are simply going to have to experiment.

[loekverhees]

Ok. I've read somewhere that you can use the virtualdub filters in Avisynth, that would be grate. But does someone know how to use them in avisynth?

[offline]

You can use the Avisynth command "LoadVirtualdubPlugin" of course since vdub filters work in RGB you may have to use the ConvertToRGB command first, depending on the colorspace of your source.

You can also use vdfilters.avs which has a number of common vdub filters included - makes it simple if you are using a few.

I suggest you readup on Avisynth and test a few scripts first.

[celtic_druid]

As said you have to convert to RGB24 so you really lose any advantage of using AVISynth, plus I would say using VDub filters that way is harder than using the AVISynth equivs.

[guns1inger]

Just out of curiosity, have you gone into your Virtualdub folder and run the auxsetup.exe to prep the system for frameserving ? It is a one off exercise, but you cannot frameserve from virtualdub until you do this.

[offline]

celtic_druid is correct. There is the issue of speed and sampling plus the fact that some useful VDub filters just won't work with avisynth. Stick with one or another - Avisynth or VirtualDub.

If this all seems too complicated, try SVCD2DVD - you have the option of adding a basic sharpening filter with that and the whole process is pretty automatic. There are other similar tools that may be more appropriate but you never mentioned your source format, so I can't recommend one over another.

BTW CCE 2.64 won't work with Avisynth properly- If that is the version you are using then you'll need to either change it or use a different frameserver.

[guns1inger]

CCE 6.4 ? The current version for both basic and SP is 2.70.x
What is 6.4 ?

[offline]

A typo. 2.64, not 6.4