LimitedSharpenFaster does not increase sharpness

[guns1inger]

Wierd. My test, again with a Divx source, had it averaging 38 - 40 frames per second when running LSF with the following parameters

LimitedSharpenFaster(ss_x=1.50,ss_y=1.50,Smode=2,s trength=10000,soft=30)

And saving as uncompressed avi.

Try processing an avi file instead, just to rule out dgdecode as the problem.

[vertical]

Hi,

I did my best to make LSF (or my machine) working together properly.

I copied all four LSF .DLLs and two .avsi files from the Avisynth > Pluging folder and uninstalled Avisynth. Downloaded another copy (2.5.7 alfa) and installed it. Installed back all .DLLs. No effect at all. It is weird indeed.

Being unable to fix the problem, I decided to try ASharp. It was pretty easy even for a newbie like myself.

The scipt I use is:

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\asharp.dll")
DirectShowSource("D:\WORK-LONG\Hoodwinked-No-Audio.avi")
asharp(1,3,0)

Hoenestly, I do not get what the third parameter is for. Could you please explain in English (simple)?

I played with the 1st and 2nd parameters and the changes are easily visible in VirtualDub. The only problem I have while trying using the script for 2 (split) windows in VirtualDub. Once I try to loas Restoration.avs, it gives me error message:

"Avisynth open failure: Avisynth error: Yv12 images for output must have a width divisible by (use crop)!"

My first impression is LSF and ASharpen are totally different. I am not talking about technical side but just what I see. In my opinon, ASharpen is easy, straightforward and allows to sharpen a picture as much as you need. LSF is a more sofisticated thing and the effect is not so evident but it works miracles on edges. I believe a user can choose one of them depending on the picture and the desired result.

Any ideas who to fix LSF work on my machine would be highly appreciated.

Thank you

[manono]

"Avisynth open failure: Avisynth error: Yv12 images for output must have a width divisible by (use crop)!"

What's the final resolution? Or maybe post the script. The width only has to be divisible by 2, as far as I know. Maybe you put a 1 pixel black bar between the unfiltered and filtered halves of the video?

Any ideas who to fix LSF work on my machine would be highly appreciated.

Didn't you say at some point that you have another encoder, TMPGEnc? Can you try using that?

As for the 3rd parameter of asharp (out of 4), it's explained in the readme. Although the French guy's English isn't so good, it's fairly easy to understand:

Syntax :
asharp(float "T", float "D", float "B", bool "hqbf")

T : unsharp masking threshold. 0 will do nothing. (value clamped to [nothing=0..32])


1 is like 32 with ffdsow/Vdub unsharp mask filter, it'll enhance contrast 1x
default is T=2



D : adaptive sharpenning strength. (value clamped to [disabled=0..16])


set to 0 to disable
if D>0, adaptive thresholding is enabled.
the threshold is adapted for each pixel (bigger for edges)
if adaptive sharpenning is enabled, T acts like a maximum.
default is D=4



B : block adaptive sharpenning. (value clamped to [disabled=0..4])


set to a negative value to disable.
if B>=0, block adaptive sharpenning is enabled.
it acts very simply, by lowering the threshold around DCT-blocks edges.
if you use it, avoid any non mod8 cropping between the decoder and asharp.
(it works only wit adaptive sharpenning, when D>0)
default is B=-1 (disabled)



hqbf : high quality block filtering. (aka block based adaptive thresholding.)


it was painfull to implement in SIMD, but i love it.
try with and without on a blocky video, and you'll understand why ^^
it works only with adaptive thresholding.
default is false (disabled)

Ordinarily sharpeners sharpen everything, and if the video is blocky, it'll sharpen the edges also, making the blocks even more visible and annoying . The idea here (I think) is to keep from sharpening the edges of already existing blocks, and to keep from creating visible edges along the bounderies of the 16 pixel x 16 pixel blocks with which MPEG compression works.

[vertical]

Hi, manono,

Thank you!

I do have TMPGenc but use it on very rare occasions. My idea is to have a couple of scripts to use Procoder as, I believe, I do not need many scripts to use it comparing to CCE.

I agree with you that the manual is written ina simple language but it is from your point of you. Really sorry but I do not know what "blocks" are. "adaptive sharpenning", I can only understand from my experiments that this is sharpening that effects image edges in the frist place.

Do you have any ideas why LSF does not work on my machine properly?

Thank you

[manono]

Well, adaptive sharpening means only that the amount of sharpening done varies depending on the part of the 16x16 block you're in, with less being done at the edges (I think). If I'm wrong, guns1inger will correct me, I hope. Although I'm sure it's a fine sharpener, I've never used asharp.

If I'm right, that also means I was wrong about that 3rd parameter when I said it makes less sharpening at the edges. It lowers the threshold, meaning it's more likely to sharpen at the edges. You're right, the meaning is a little tricky. And if true, you'll probably want to keep that 3rd parameter at 0. Evidently this thing has a tendency to create blocks, which is why there are safeguards in place to keep that from happening.

As for blocks, you've never seen a badly encoded video, not given enough bitrate, where if you pause it during an action scene, the screen is full of blocks? Lucky man. You've never heard the term, "macroblock"? They are 16 pixel x 16 pixel blocks of the video upon which the encoding is based. Look it up, like here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-2
http://meru.cecs.missouri.edu/mm_seminar/shi/sld005.htm

Do you have any ideas why LSF does not work on my machine properly?

No, which is why I suggested trying a different encoder, to try and find out if it's you or Procoder at fault.

[guns1inger]

You seemed to to have dropped out of the loop for a day there. Even just saving to uncompressed avi from virtualdub is getting him less than half a frame per second (about 0.37 fps, if I remember rightly). Whereas I am on a slightly slower machine, getting 100 times the speed for effectively the same script, and much stronger settings. Also, even in virtualdub, once strength gets above around 400, he crashes. I go to 10000+ with no issue. All of this is without ProCoder being involved at all.

[manono]

Yeah, I get around 1 RT in CCE using a Lagarith AVI frameserved via AviSynth. I have an old Intel 2.66@2.85 GHz, I think. When saving to Lagarith, with RePAL, LSF and a few other odds and ends, and a 720x480 resolution from a DVD source, I get 10-12fps or so. The last one I did had a Strength of 1000, which is stronger than I've ever used.

I don't know, maybe he has memory problems. I have 1 GB, but if he has, for example, 512 MB or less, I can see his machine running out of memory when using an intensive script, and maybe having problems. Maybe he has stability problems, perhaps caused by overheating. Not really my speciality, though. In addition, anyone getting into video encoding damn well better have a nice and stable computer. Just because you can play Counterstrike all day long is no indication of how you'll do encoding video. Nothing else is quite as CPU intensive.

[vertical]

manono, thank you for the explanations.

I have fixed the script (Restoration.avs). It must be devided by 4. Now I can use 2-screens option.

The LSF script, Avisynth and plugins have been scrutinized and I believe everything should be OK there. Procoder works fine with any other program and VirtualDub too. This suggests that the problem might be my PC.

But there is enough memory (1024). Two HDs I use during encodings are 80% empty and I defragment them before encoding.

I have 4 industrial-type fans installed for the processor; power unit; video cards and the device that contstantly monitors the temperature and adjusts the fans work. If the processor temperature goes over 50C, it starts screaming. I do not play games at all.

I checked Win Task Manager: system idle process is 98% which shows there is no overload.

What I am not clear about, it is stability and I do not know how to check it. I reinstalled Windows not so long ago and do not like how it works after the reinstallation (too many glucks) but I do not think this would cause the issue.

I have quite a number of programs installed but I do not run them while encoding, which suggests they should not cause the problem.

It is really weird.

[manono]

I don't know then, vertical. Based on what you're saying, your computer sounds fine. If it's store-bought and comes pre-loaded with a bunch of useless programs, then they can clog you up unless you do something about it. A CTRL-ALT-DELETE will tell you what's running and how much memory is being consumed. And a Start->Run->MSCONFIG->OK->Startup will tell you what loads on startup and also might be clogging things up. Encoding machines should always be as lean and mean as possible. But you probably know all this already.

Maybe you'll be forced to give up on LSF, and switch over to a different sharpener, like Asharp. Or you can try different AviSynth sharpening functions, like IIP or See Saw, to see if you have any better luck with them.

[vertical]

Hi, manono,

Thank you! I've got good news: it's up and running.

I cleaned my PC very thouroughly with SystemMechanic Pro and with other stuff and everything is fine now. (I built my PC from scratch. Every part was bought, some here in Canada, some ordered from US).

I can open the script in VirtualDub and can play avi with LSF with the strength of 5000 in real time. Wow! I can't believe it's finally working the way it should be.

manono, could I ask you please to have a look at the following thread: https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1591970#1591970

I stuck with audio desynchonization and do not know how to fix or what I am doing wrong. Your advice would be really appreciated.