Sharpening/improving a video file pulled from youtube?

[Bruce/Fl]

I came across a youtube video that I'd like to take a crack at improving. Now, my tinkering might actually make it worse, but thought I'd at least try.

I'll be pulling the source file by using the codec info via VLC player, which gives the source file URL, and downloading it. (I haven't done it yet, I'm at work, but I'm pretty sure it'll be .mp4.)

Where it is lacking is, it seems soft. Excessively so IMO. And slightly overexposed possibly too. It doesn't have any other issues, like tracking errors, or jumpiness, etc. I assume it is a DVD rip that was uploaded to youtube. The mastering of the DVD I have no idea about, (was the source, film, video?) nor the properties that whoever ripped it and uploaded it used. The DVD is out of print, I can get it used, but because it's out of print it is more than I'd like to spend. I was just wondering if I could make it better.

Here's a link to the youtube. https://youtu.be/4NdsnFZm0X4?list=RD4NdsnFZm0X4 It is from an old TV special from 1969.

I've learned enough about avisynth to be dangerous, and have MeGUI, QTGMC, Virtual Dub, etc. Also, Vegas Pro13.

If you would, take a look at the video, see the issues I'm seeing, and if there is a process (or 2, 3, etc) I could run it through that might address some of the issues, let me know.

Thank you

(Once I get home and download what youtube has for me, I'll have more of an idea what I am working with, using mediainfo)

[manono]

I don't see much wrong with it besides being soft, and that's mostly a function of the reencoding YouTube does of everything. So, if reencoding it yet again I'd probably use a sharpener on it.

was the source, film, video?

It's progressive 29.97fps so it was probably deinterlaced from a video source at some point, and upscaled to 720p. You might want to boost the blues and greens and lower the black levels a bit.

Others might have different ideas.

[Bruce/Fl]

So, if reencoding it yet again I'd probably use a sharpener on it.

Thank you for looking.

All my work recently been using restoration scripts on old 8mm home movies. I haven't worked with video scripts yet. Is there a sharpener that has a reputation similar to how QTGMC is widely regarded as a premier de-interlacer?

[manono]

Take your pick:

http://avisynth.nl/index.php/External_filters#Sharpeners

I usually use Limited SharpenFaster, but with video as blurred as yours don't expect miracles.

[hech54]

Just buy it:
https://www.amazon.com/Mama-Cass-Television-Program/dp/B002C7ELR2

[Bruce/Fl]

Just buy it:
https://www.amazon.com/Mama-Cass-Television-Program/dp/B002C7ELR2

$81 new or almost $30 used, more than I'm interested in for just about 3 minutes.

I just thought it was a good candidate for me to practice my skills on video, and not (my normal) scanned 8mm films.

[jagabo]

I just thought it was a good candidate for me to practice my skills on video, and not (my normal) scanned 8mm films.

You generally can't sharpen much without creating and exacerbating artifacts. With material like this you can sharpen edges but there's no detail in between those edges. Any small, low contrast detail in the analog tapes has been blurred away by the low bitrate encoding. So when you sharpen everything looks cartoonish, people look like mannequins, etc. This example is overdone but it gives you an idea what happens. Original 720p download on the left, sharpened on the right.


[Attachment 39749 - Click to enlarge]

[johnmeyer]

Try this:

[jagabo]

That's a much better source.

[Bruce/Fl]

I just thought it was a good candidate for me to practice my skills on video, and not (my normal) scanned 8mm films.

You generally can't sharpen much without creating and exacerbating artifacts. With material like this you can sharpen edges but there's no detail in between those edges. Any small, low contrast detail in the analog tapes has been blurred away by the low bitrate encoding. So when you sharpen everything looks cartoonish, people look like mannequins, etc. This example is overdone but it gives you an idea what happens. Original 720p download on the left, sharpened on the right.


[Attachment 39749 - Click to enlarge]

Yes, I know that often times trying to manipulate things does have unintended consequences, which is why in my OP I stated that my "tinkering might actually make it worse".

But what tyou did does have pros and cons. The trick, which everone here knows is, limiting the cons as much as possible.

John, I suspect that you just tweaked a single pic, (not the video clip and posted a screen cap) in your example, as it appears to be the exact same one jagabo posted. Do you have a script that can duplicate (or come close to) that type of improvement on a clip?

[johnmeyer]

That's a much better source.

Yup, I cheated. I own the DVD.

As hech54 suggested, the OP would save a lot of time and then have an infinitely better result if he started with the DVD. I just did a quick search and it can easily be found for well under $20. My image grab compared to your image from your excellent restoration of the YouTube video shows how much more detail can be had. The audio is also going to be better, something that is very important for a music performance.

[Bruce/Fl]

Lol, perfect.

John, I now don't believe any of the improvements you've shown with your version of Freds script.

(Except I've actually seen it for myself)

Thanks all.

[jagabo]

As hech54 suggested, the OP would save a lot of time and then have an infinitely better result if he started with the DVD.

Though he has since stated he's doing it as a learning experience.

your image from your excellent restoration of the YouTube video

LOL. No it's terrible. I deliberately went overboard to highlight the expected problems. The Hubble Space Telescope scientists were able to do much better (before the repairs) because they started with blurry but not highly overcompressed images. And they knew exactly what was wrong with the telescope's lenses so they could reverse the distortion. And Adobe's un-motionblur algorithm works much better with when the images aren't over compressed.

[Bruce/Fl]

Though he has since stated he's doing it as a learning experience.

Yes. And I would like to play around with it some.

Jagabo, what process/script did you use to get the results you did? I'd like to use it and play with some of the variables to see what it does to the results. It might not make this one as nice as I like, but the process may help me in the future on a different video.

Edit: But yes, as John pointed out, a better source can't help but improve the results.

[jagabo]

I was playing with the script so this may not be the exact settings I used:

LWLibavVideoSource("Joni Mitchell   Both sides now on Mama Cass Show 1969.mp4") 
AddBorders(2,0,0,0) # mod4 width
src=last # remember the source

Spline36Resize(360, 360) # close the real resolution of the video
MergeChroma(last, aWarpSharp(depth=20)) # sharpen chroma
Sharpen(0.7, 0.5) # sharpen everything
Santiag() # antialias
nnedi3_rpow2(4, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=src.width, fheight=src.height) # upscale back to original size
aWarpSharp(depth=10) # sharpen and smooth edges
Sharpen(0.3) # sharpen more
McTemporalDenoise(settings="medium", enhance=false) # denoise 
#TemporalDegrain(SAD1=200, SAD2=150, sigma=8) # alternate denoise
ChromaShift(c=2, l=-2)

StackHorizontal(src,last) # put them side by side, or Interleave()

There's a lot to play with.

[Caiosouza]

I was playing with the script so this may not be the exact settings I used:

LWLibavVideoSource("Joni Mitchell   Both sides now on Mama Cass Show 1969.mp4") 
AddBorders(2,0,0,0) # mod4 width
src=last # remember the source

Spline36Resize(360, 360) # close the real resolution of the video
MergeChroma(last, aWarpSharp(depth=20)) # sharpen chroma
Sharpen(0.7, 0.5) # sharpen everything
Santiag() # antialias
nnedi3_rpow2(4, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=src.width, fheight=src.height) # upscale back to original size
aWarpSharp(depth=10) # sharpen and smooth edges
Sharpen(0.3) # sharpen more
McTemporalDenoise(settings="medium", enhance=false) # denoise 
#TemporalDegrain(SAD1=200, SAD2=150, sigma=8) # alternate denoise
ChromaShift(c=2, l=-2)

StackHorizontal(src,last) # put them side by side, or Interleave()

There's a lot to play with.

I did some tests with the aWarpSharp, and at At a certain depth he started to make his anime proposal clear, making the video cartoons.
aWarpSharp(depth=20) Depth typical for anime.
Of course this will certainly attenuate the artifacts caused by sharpening, but the line between cartoon and natural is very tenuous