Reduce Video Noise With ffmpeg command?

[sonicdeth]

Ok, so I had an old home movie recorded in 1992 with a home video camera. It's been transferred and I imported it into a program called Openshot (I'm using Linux - Ubuntu OS) to use the "Brightness" effect to up the bright a bit as much of it was very dark. I do this and export the video with the "DVD" high quality profile in the simple tab. However, upon doing this, the exported .DVD file has lots of noise in the video (not audio noise, video noise). Even before I export it really... Does anyone know the best way to try and reduce this video noise as much as possible of the exported file? I read somewhere that an ffmpeg command with hqdn3d may be able to do this...... Any help would be much appreciated.

[poisondeathray]

You can use ffmpeg hqdn3d, but doesn't openshot have denoise filters?
http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#hqdn3d

It's hard to tweak the settings in ffmpeg, you can't see the result

Another option, you can try avidemux, it has several denoise filters (at least there is a preview you can see the effect of the filter settings)

[Selur]

It's hard to tweak the settings in ffmpeg, you can't see the result

one could use ffplay for that (filter usage should be the same)

[sonicdeth]

You can use ffmpeg hqdn3d, but doesn't openshot have denoise filters?
http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#hqdn3d

It's hard to tweak the settings in ffmpeg, you can't see the result

Another option, you can try avidemux, it has several denoise filters (at least there is a preview you can see the effect of the filter settings)

I know, kinda hard when you can't see the preview. Oh, I do have avidemux, maybe that would work... wonder if it would take my .dvd file that openshot exports? It's really just a DVD ready mpeg2 file.

[poisondeathray]

It's hard to tweak the settings in ffmpeg, you can't see the result

one could use ffplay for that (filter usage should be the same)

yes, that would work for a preview (but still a bit harder than using a GUI IMO)

You can use ffmpeg hqdn3d, but doesn't openshot have denoise filters?
http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#hqdn3d

It's hard to tweak the settings in ffmpeg, you can't see the result

Another option, you can try avidemux, it has several denoise filters (at least there is a preview you can see the effect of the filter settings)

I know, kinda hard when you can't see the preview. Oh, I do have avidemux, maybe that would work... wonder if it would take my .dvd file that openshot exports? It's really just a DVD ready mpeg2 file.

Yes avidemux will accept mpeg2 as input. But - ideally you want to use the original video and only 1 round of lossy compression. Otherwise you will add compression artifacts on top of the noise.

Here you are going original video=> open shot=> re-encode to MPEG2 => import to avidemux & apply filters => re-encode (again) to MPEG2

Ideally you want to encode only once to MPEG2 for DVD

[sonicdeth]

It's hard to tweak the settings in ffmpeg, you can't see the result

one could use ffplay for that (filter usage should be the same)

yes, that would work for a preview (but still a bit harder than using a GUI IMO)

You can use ffmpeg hqdn3d, but doesn't openshot have denoise filters?
http://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#hqdn3d

It's hard to tweak the settings in ffmpeg, you can't see the result

Another option, you can try avidemux, it has several denoise filters (at least there is a preview you can see the effect of the filter settings)

I know, kinda hard when you can't see the preview. Oh, I do have avidemux, maybe that would work... wonder if it would take my .dvd file that openshot exports? It's really just a DVD ready mpeg2 file.

Yes avidemux will accept mpeg2 as input. But - ideally you want to use the original video and only 1 round of lossy compression. Otherwise you will add compression artifacts on top of the noise.

Here you are going original video=> open shot=> re-encode to MPEG2 => import to avidemux & apply filters => re-encode (again) to MPEG2

Ideally you want to encode only once to MPEG2 for DVD

Ok, I got ya now. So I will import the original AVI into AVIDEMUX, then encode the 1 time to MPEG2. How do I apply the filters to de-noise the video? I'm not sure how to go about this. If you could help me out I'd appreciate it. I need to have this video ready by Friday. Thanks so much

[poisondeathray]

But do you have other things (like editing) you have to do in videoshot? Because avidemux isn't really an editor, you can do simple cuts, that sort of thing

You just load the video, set video=> mpeg2, filters=>noise , and select one of the filters, adjust the settings to your tastes. If you had to adjust the brightness you can do that first as well

I don't really use avidemux for cleaning up video (there are better , free, alternatives in windows e.g avisynth filters, vdub filters) .

If you have access to a windows machine, I'm certain you can get better results

There is a linux port called avxsynth , but not all function and filters are translatable . You can also run avisynth in wine (but again, not all filters and functions work properly)
http://code.google.com/p/avxsynth/

[sonicdeth]

But do you have other things (like editing) you have to do in videoshot? Because avidemux isn't really an editor, you can do simple cuts, that sort of thing

You just load the video, set video=> mpeg2, filters=>noise , and select one of the filters, adjust the settings to your tastes. If you had to adjust the brightness you can do that first as well

I don't really use avidemux for cleaning up video (there are better , free, alternatives in windows e.g avisynth filters, vdub filters) .

If you have access to a windows machine, I'm certain you can get better results

There is a linux port called avxsynth , but not all function and filters are translatable . You can also run avisynth in wine (but again, not all filters and functions work properly)
http://code.google.com/p/avxsynth/

Thanks very much for the response. I do have access to a Windows machine, so I will take your advice on those other programs (any particular one you recommend between the ones that you mentioned?) to fine-tune this video a little better since it's quite an important document I'd like to archive in the best possible quality. However, in the meantime I just need to whip up something quick tonight to make this video somewhat presentable for a Friday (tomorrow) evening viewing. So I'll go ahead with the AVIDEMUX options that I have on hand at the moment. I didn't know I could also adjust bright with AVIDEMUX as well, thanks for that info! Just a couple quick questions if you don't mind - just trying to verify I know exactly what I am doing now as I need to quickly be able to do this when I arrive home from work tonight:

1) I import the large master AVI file into AVIDEMUX and change the mode from "copy" to "mpeg2"

Now, one question I did have is this - The first 10 minutes or so of the video, the bright doesn't need to be raised as much as the rest of the video. So, does AVIDEMUX have the option to apply filters to selected parts of a vid, or does the filter need to be applied to the whole thing? I guess I could always cut the avi into 2 parts under "copy" mode, then import and apply desired brightness & de-noise to each>export each as mpeg2.... I'm sure there is a simple way to combine 2 mpeg2 files after that.
Thanks again for the helpful info. You're a life saver!

[poisondeathray]

Thanks very much for the response. I do have access to a Windows machine, so I will take your advice on those other programs (any particular one you recommend between the ones that you mentioned?) to fine-tune this video a little better since it's quite an important document I'd like to archive in the best possible quality. However, in the meantime I just need to whip up something quick tonight to make this video somewhat presentable for a Friday (tomorrow) evening viewing. So I'll go ahead with the AVIDEMUX options that I have on hand at the moment. I didn't know I could also adjust bright with AVIDEMUX as well, thanks for that info! Just a couple quick questions if you don't mind - just trying to verify I know exactly what I am doing now as I need to quickly be able to do this when I arrive home from work tonight:

There is a big learning curve for avisynth, but there is no question you can get better results. I don't know if you will be able to learn the basics in time . Or if you post a sample, someone might write up a script for you - at least it will help you finish it and you can spend time learning the basics later

Now, one question I did have is this - The first 10 minutes or so of the video, the bright doesn't need to be raised as much as the rest of the video. So, does AVIDEMUX have the option to apply filters to selected parts of a vid, or does the filter need to be applied to the whole thing? I guess I could always cut the avi into 2 parts under "copy" mode, then import and apply desired brightness & de-noise to each>export each as mpeg2.... I'm sure there is a simple way to combine 2 mpeg2 files after that.
Thanks again for the helpful info. You're a life saver!

There is a "partial" button in the video filters that allows you to apply filters to selected parts
http://www.avidemux.org/admWiki/doku.php?id=using:video_filters#partial

On some versions of avidemux it might not work properly (you might have to roll back to an earlier version)

[sonicdeth]

Thanks very much for the response. I do have access to a Windows machine, so I will take your advice on those other programs (any particular one you recommend between the ones that you mentioned?) to fine-tune this video a little better since it's quite an important document I'd like to archive in the best possible quality. However, in the meantime I just need to whip up something quick tonight to make this video somewhat presentable for a Friday (tomorrow) evening viewing. So I'll go ahead with the AVIDEMUX options that I have on hand at the moment. I didn't know I could also adjust bright with AVIDEMUX as well, thanks for that info! Just a couple quick questions if you don't mind - just trying to verify I know exactly what I am doing now as I need to quickly be able to do this when I arrive home from work tonight:

There is a big learning curve for avisynth, but there is no question you can get better results. I don't know if you will be able to learn the basics in time . Or if you post a sample, someone might write up a script for you - at least it will help you finish it and you can spend time learning the basics later

Now, one question I did have is this - The first 10 minutes or so of the video, the bright doesn't need to be raised as much as the rest of the video. So, does AVIDEMUX have the option to apply filters to selected parts of a vid, or does the filter need to be applied to the whole thing? I guess I could always cut the avi into 2 parts under "copy" mode, then import and apply desired brightness & de-noise to each>export each as mpeg2.... I'm sure there is a simple way to combine 2 mpeg2 files after that.
Thanks again for the helpful info. You're a life saver!

There is a "partial" button in the video filters that allows you to apply filters to selected parts
http://www.avidemux.org/admWiki/doku.php?id=using:video_filters#partial

On some versions of avidemux it might not work properly (you might have to roll back to an earlier version)

I tried AVIDEMUX last night and it wouldn't even open the file! Does AVIDEMUX have a size limitation or something? My file is 14 gigabytes. I also tried AVIDEMUX on my Windows PC and same thing "unable to open file." Any idea why this would happen?

Well, I needed to touch this up for a viewing tonight, but will just have to stick with what I've got - it's got lots of noise in it, but it will suffice for now. I am interested in avisynth however, since this video is a very important piece of footage for me. So it's a tad difficult? I'd like to use it to clean up the video - remove the noise and rise the brightness on the dark parts. I'd be willing to give this avisynth a shot and see what I can do since it's FREE and you say it produces nice results. I know they have a wiki, but if there's any site that has a good beginner's guide that you'd recommend, I'd take it.

[poisondeathray]

I tried AVIDEMUX last night and it wouldn't even open the file! Does AVIDEMUX have a size limitation or something? My file is 14 gigabytes. I also tried AVIDEMUX on my Windows PC and same thing "unable to open file." Any idea why this would happen?

No filesize limitation on import . AVI is limited on export unless you have create openDML files in the preferences selected (edit=>preferences=>output tab)

What kind of AVI is your source video? Use mediainfo (view=>text)
http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en/Download

What version of avidemux ?

Well, I needed to touch this up for a viewing tonight, but will just have to stick with what I've got - it's got lots of noise in it, but it will suffice for now. I am interested in avisynth however, since this video is a very important piece of footage for me. So it's a tad difficult? I'd like to use it to clean up the video - remove the noise and rise the brightness on the dark parts. I'd be willing to give this avisynth a shot and see what I can do since it's FREE and you say it produces nice results. I know they have a wiki, but if there's any site that has a good beginner's guide that you'd recommend, I'd take it.

It's difficult to learn at first, but there are many filters, and techniques and you can definitely get better results than the simple filters in avidemux .

I don't know of any good beginner guides, except how to load a script
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Main_Page#New_to_AviSynth_-_start_here

Once you know how to create a basic script, the next step is to identify the type of noise, the pattern, describe it better. Certain filters are specialized for specific types of noise. The idea is to target the noise as best as possible so you retain as much "signal". It's very easy to go overboard with denoiser, you can very quickly errode details and turn everything to mush. You should use histogram() or look at a waveform to adjust levels correctly as well

If you post a video sample, maybe in the restoration subforum, people are helpful and will suggest various techniques and scripts you can try out. Often someone has encountered that specific type of noise issue and might have had a good treatment for it

[sonicdeth]

I tried AVIDEMUX last night and it wouldn't even open the file! Does AVIDEMUX have a size limitation or something? My file is 14 gigabytes. I also tried AVIDEMUX on my Windows PC and same thing "unable to open file." Any idea why this would happen?

No filesize limitation on import . AVI is limited on export unless you have create openDML files in the preferences selected (edit=>preferences=>output tab)

What kind of AVI is your source video? Use mediainfo (view=>text)
http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en/Download

What version of avidemux ?

Well, I needed to touch this up for a viewing tonight, but will just have to stick with what I've got - it's got lots of noise in it, but it will suffice for now. I am interested in avisynth however, since this video is a very important piece of footage for me. So it's a tad difficult? I'd like to use it to clean up the video - remove the noise and rise the brightness on the dark parts. I'd be willing to give this avisynth a shot and see what I can do since it's FREE and you say it produces nice results. I know they have a wiki, but if there's any site that has a good beginner's guide that you'd recommend, I'd take it.

It's difficult to learn at first, but there are many filters, and techniques and you can definitely get better results than the simple filters in avidemux .

I don't know of any good beginner guides, except how to load a script
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Main_Page#New_to_AviSynth_-_start_here

Once you know how to create a basic script, the next step is to identify the type of noise, the pattern, describe it better. Certain filters are specialized for specific types of noise. The idea is to target the noise as best as possible so you retain as much "signal". It's very easy to go overboard with denoiser, you can very quickly errode details and turn everything to mush. You should use histogram() or look at a waveform to adjust levels correctly as well

If you post a video sample, maybe in the restoration subforum, people are helpful and will suggest various techniques and scripts you can try out. Often someone has encountered that specific type of noise issue and might have had a good treatment for it

I'm not sure what version of AVIDEMUX I used, but I also tried it on my Windows machine - downloaded the latest version and still got the same "unable to open" error on that as well. I'd like to post a sample of my video to the forum you mentioned to seek some help on it as I really want to get the best possible quality I can out of this master AVI file, however I've used AVIDEMUX in the past to cut clips, and in this case I can't even import my file into AVIDEMUX. Would you suggest any other program that is easy to cut avi files? I got the info on my AVI file with mediainfo, maybe this can shed some light on why I cannot import it into AVIDEMUX. Here's the info below. Thanks again.
　
General
Complete name : C:\Users\Helios Creed\Desktop\Helios Creed - Khyber Pass Pub Philadelphia,Pa 4-20-92 001.avi
Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
Commercial name : DVCPRO
Format profile : OpenDML
File size : 14.8 GiB
Duration : 1h 13mn
Overall bit rate mode : Constant
Overall bit rate : 28.9 Mbps
Video
ID : 0
Format : DV
Commercial name : DVCPRO
Duration : 1h 13mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 24.4 Mbps
Encoded bit rate : 28.8 Mbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Chroma subsampling : 4:1:1
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Bottom Field First
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 2.357
Stream size : 14.7 GiB (100%)
Audio
ID : 0-0
Format : PCM
Muxing mode : DV
Muxing mode, more info : Muxed in Video #1
Duration : 1h 13mn
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 536 Kbps
Encoded bit rate : 0 bps
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Stream size : 805 MiB (5%)
Encoded stream size : 0.00 Byte (0%)

[smrpix]

That file should open easily in virtualdub. Explore the filters -- there are many options, and you should be able to cut anywhere you want. It's essentially a dv file.

[poisondeathray]

Yes, since you have access to windows, vdub is a good idea

The reason it won't open in avidemux, is this is type1 DV . You could convert type1 to type2 DV (if you want to do this, use search , there are some utilities that can dos this for you) , but it's probaby easier to open in vdub. Vdub has many free 3rd party plugins and filters

eg. there are over 100 on this site alone
http://www.infognition.com/VirtualDubFilters/

[sonicdeth]

Yes, since you have access to windows, vdub is a good idea

The reason it won't open in avidemux, is this is type1 DV . You could convert type1 to type2 DV (if you want to do this, use search , there are some utilities that can dos this for you) , but it's probaby easier to open in vdub. Vdub has many free 3rd party plugins and filters

eg. there are over 100 on this site alone
http://www.infognition.com/VirtualDubFilters/

Ok, cool. I was going to go the AVISYNTH route since you said that gets really nice results, and I'm trying to get the very best I can out of this AVI.... but you think I'd be able to get similar results out of virtualdub? Plus maybe it's a little easier to learn? Do you think I should bother posting a sample at this point on the forum you mentioned, or do you think I should be able to mess around with vdub to get the desired results? Sorry for all the questions, it's just that I am a beginner with video editing, and I really want to get the best possible cleanup as possible with this AVI.

[poisondeathray]

Vdub filters will definitely be easier to use, as they have a GUI and sliders/buttons and you can "see" the results more easily

It depends what exactly needs to be done - You should be able to get similar results out of various vdub filters if used properly - but some things can only be done in avisynth, but some things are easier to do in vdub (eg RGB curves). For the "best" results, many people combine techniques and filters from both

[sonicdeth]

Vdub filters will definitely be easier to use, as they have a GUI and sliders/buttons and you can "see" the results more easily

It depends what exactly needs to be done - You should be able to get similar results out of various vdub filters if used properly - but some things can only be done in avisynth, but some things are easier to do in vdub (eg RGB curves). For the "best" results, many people combine techniques and filters from both

Ok, well maybe I'll post a sample just to get some suggestions on what my best route to take is. Thanks for all the help poisondeathray.

[sonicdeth]

Just one more quick question - Is it possible in VirtualDub to apply certain filters to only selected parts of the video? For example, in my avi the beginning needs to have brightness only adjusted slightly, whereas after about 10 minutes the rest of the video's bright levels need to be raised much more. Is it possible to achieve this in Vdub without having to cut the video in 2 parts, then splicing back together?

[poisondeathray]

Just one more quick question - Is it possible in VirtualDub to apply certain filters to only selected parts of the video? For example, in my avi the beginning needs to have brightness only adjusted slightly, whereas after about 10 minutes the rest of the video's bright levels need to be raised much more. Is it possible to achieve this in Vdub without having to cut the video in 2 parts, then splicing back together?

Yes, using vdub curve editor

There are some tutorials and videos and youtube that show you how to do this

search for "vdub curve editor"

[sonicdeth]

Just one more quick question - Is it possible in VirtualDub to apply certain filters to only selected parts of the video? For example, in my avi the beginning needs to have brightness only adjusted slightly, whereas after about 10 minutes the rest of the video's bright levels need to be raised much more. Is it possible to achieve this in Vdub without having to cut the video in 2 parts, then splicing back together?

Yes, using vdub curve editor

There are some tutorials and videos and youtube that show you how to do this

search for "vdub curve editor"

Awsome, thanks! it looks like Vdub will be my go-to tool for cleaning up this avi. Quick question - I want to post a sample here on the restoration forum to get some advice and tips on exactly what the issues may be with my particular video.... I'm going to cut a clip with vdub tonight... what did you mean by post a sample - an actual sample of the video or just a screen-shot? If a sample of the video, what do people use to temporarily host a little sample clip on so that others on the forum can look at it and give their input?

[poisondeathray]

Awsome, thanks! it looks like Vdub will be my go-to tool for cleaning up this avi. Quick question - I want to post a sample here on the restoration forum to get some advice and tips on exactly what the issues may be with my particular video.... I'm going to cut a clip with vdub tonight... what did you mean by post a sample - an actual sample of the video or just a screen-shot? If a sample of the video, what do people use to temporarily host a little sample clip on so that others on the forum can look at it and give their input?

in vdub, you can use video=> direct stream copy, audio=>direct stream copy (but you don't really need audio for this purpose so you can use audio=>no audio), mark in/mark out using the buttons at the bottom (they are the right most 2 buttons), file =>save as avi

if the clip is <100MB, you can load the clip directly to this site. Or you can use a free 3rd party hoster like sendspace.com, mediafire.com, many others...

[sonicdeth]

Awsome, thanks! it looks like Vdub will be my go-to tool for cleaning up this avi. Quick question - I want to post a sample here on the restoration forum to get some advice and tips on exactly what the issues may be with my particular video.... I'm going to cut a clip with vdub tonight... what did you mean by post a sample - an actual sample of the video or just a screen-shot? If a sample of the video, what do people use to temporarily host a little sample clip on so that others on the forum can look at it and give their input?

in vdub, you can use video=> direct stream copy, audio=>direct stream copy (but you don't really need audio for this purpose so you can use audio=>no audio), mark in/mark out using the buttons at the bottom (they are the right most 2 buttons), file =>save as avi

if the clip is <100MB, you can load the clip directly to this site. Or you can use a free 3rd party hoster like sendspace.com, mediafire.com, many others...

Thanks. I created 3 clips last night with this method and made a new post here of them to see if someone could give me some suggestions. I actually was playing a couple of the dark clips today on Windows Media Player.... and just messing with the video settings on that - I kick up the brightness and contrast a bit and I can actually SEE the performers playing, as oppose to the very dark image that is the default settings.... It also brings out the video noise more when I do that.... So I guess I just need to adjust bright, contrast and de-noise it.... If you happen to know of the best denoiser, and bright/contrast filters for vdub, I'm all ears. I downloaded a filter pack last night and there's multiple denoisers and bright/contrast filters... I guess the trick with the de-noising is to de-noise as much as possible without losing too much detail/sharpness? Sorry, I'm new to this, never had to tweak a video before.