If MiniDV is compressed video, how about post-processing?

[Colmino]

Subject says it all, but I'll elaborate. Near as I can tell from my research, MiniDV is a lossy compressed video format not unlike MPEG2. There are ways to reduce the artifacts generated by MPEG2 encoding. So, prompted by my desire to achieve the absolute best quality in transiting from MiniDV to DVD-R, I find myself wondering if there's any software out there that can take DV video and post-process it to reduce the compression artifacts.

Seems pretty clear-cut. And desirable. So there probably is such a beast. But *shrug* who knows? Maybe it was bought out and now subsists solely on the Mac platform... unheard-of though that scenario may be.

[bugster]

Subject says it all, but I'll elaborate. Near as I can tell from my research, MiniDV is a lossy compressed video format not unlike MPEG2.

Sort of. DV, AFAIK, does not use any form of time based compression. So it is similiar to I-Frame only mpeg in that respect. In all other respects it is quite different.

So, prompted by my desire to achieve the absolute best quality in transiting from MiniDV to DVD-R, I find myself wondering if there's any software out there that can take DV video and post-process it to reduce the compression artifacts

Mpeg-2 artifacts are 'reduced' by either increasing bitrate (not possible with DV, it is CBR) or applying filters when encoding (soften, blur etc). The same kind of filters can also be applied to your DV footage by virtualdub or any decent video editing application. If these will improve the material or not is up to you to find out.

[Colmino]

Sort of. DV, AFAIK, does not use any form of time based compression. So it is similiar to I-Frame only mpeg in that respect. In all other respects it is quite different.

Yeah, I had read about its I-Frame approach but didn't know much else about it. I can at least say that the compression artifacts I have witnessed in association with MiniDV video (straight from the camcorder) exhibit much the same qualities as those of MPEG-2. Blockiness and whatnot. That's the main reason I compared it to MPEG-2, and is also the reason I suspect post-processing could produce results justifiable of the effort.

Mpeg-2 artifacts are 'reduced' by either increasing bitrate (not possible with DV, it is CBR) or applying filters when encoding (soften, blur etc).

This seems to conflict with what I've read about it elsewhere. I've come to understand that the post-processing of MPEG video, such as when utilizing the function from within a media player, involves making use of the way the video was encoded (specifically, the interdepenceny between consecutive frames) to anticipate the type and magnitude of artifacts. This is completely different from simply filtering a raw (unencoded) video stream. Besides which, most MPEG post-processors I have seen allow one to specifically target certain characteristic artifacts, such as blockiness and "ringing". I doubt it would be reasonable to expect a basic filter to transparently recognize such artifacts.

Oh well, the question is "Can I post-process DV video?" and if the answer is currently "No" then it's inexplicable (because it's such a no-brainer in the prosumer world, seems to me) but not surprising.

[bugster]

Mpeg-2 artifacts are 'reduced' by either increasing bitrate (not possible with DV, it is CBR) or applying filters when encoding (soften, blur etc).

This seems to conflict with what I've read about it elsewhere. I've come to understand that the post-processing of MPEG video, such as when utilizing the function from within a media player, involves making use of the way the video was encoded (specifically, the interdepenceny between consecutive frames) to anticipate the type and magnitude of artifacts. This is completely different from simply filtering a raw (unencoded) video stream. Besides which, most MPEG post-processors I have seen allow one to specifically target certain characteristic artifacts, such as blockiness and "ringing". I doubt it would be reasonable to expect a basic filter to transparently recognize such artifacts.

You are right when you say that mpeg artifacts can be reduced by post processing that targets

the way the video was encoded (specifically, the interdepenceny between consecutive frames)

and I was wrong to imply otherwise. But DV has no interdepenceny between consecutive frames so the same approach is not possible. Therfore the only methods left open (that I can see anyway) are the 'soften' and 'blur' type filters I suggested. If this kind of method is not approriate to your requirements then the basic answer to your original question is "NO" as you have realised.

Hope this helps.