How to remove Comets (Dropouts) with Avisynth?

[sanlyn]

There's little or nothing you can do with it after all the previous encoding + uTube's usual destructive "prep". Plugins like DeSpot, DeScratch, etc., are ineffective even if the source was new stuff. And this is from newsfilm shot in the 40's and 50's -- you don't really think it's going to look like a Hollywood BluRay.

[jagabo]

.....I found this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTAO5XjhrVo) on Youtube.
I wonder if, at this stage (it has already been digitalized), AviSynth
can do anything to rid it of these mega glitches/scratches/spots.

That video has many blended frames so scratches appear over more than one frame. But here's a little trick: Throw out every other frame with SelectEven(), use a couple passes of RemoveSpotsMC() to remove scratches (without doing much damage to the picture otherwise), then double the frame rate with motion interpolation (this does produce odd artifacts here and there):

ffVideoSource("Atomic Bomb Blast Effects-1.flv") 
SelectEven()
RemoveSpotsMC()
RemoveSpotsMC()
DoubleFPS2()

But I'd look for a better source. I think archive.org has the video from which that Youtube video was made. I'm downloading it now. http://archive.org/details/0707_Atomic_Bomb_Blast_Effects

[jagabo]

After downloading the MP4 file from archive.org I came up with this:

ffVideoSource("0707_Atomic_Bomb_Blast_Effects_00_00_51_00_dv50.mp4") 
Blur(0,1.0).Sharpen(0,0.6) # blend deinterlace
FixBlendIVTC() # fix blended frames
TDecimate() # remove duplicate
RemoveSpotsMC()
RemoveSpotsMC()
RemoveSpotsMC()
AssumeFPS(24000,1001)

Still some scratches and spots left but much better. 1000 frames from near the start attached. Though, I think the scratches are part of the charm of the film.

[Virtual McCoy]

Jogabo, you're the guy who does!
I inquired further and found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihkD1tfmnhY
It seems the dude on the link downloaded, like you, the "original" from Archive.org.
His results seem to match yours, but he didn't release the script (seems to have lost it).

"He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches. He who cannot teach, becomes a physical education coach" (from a movie by Woody Allen)

[Virtual McCoy]

Houston, we have a problem...
I could not replicate your results.
Two error messages keep poping up:

ffVideoSource("Atomic_Bomb_Blast_Effects.mp4")
Blur(0,1.0).Sharpen(0,0.6) # blend deinterlace
FixBlendIVTC() # fix blended frames. HERE: There is no function named FixBlendIVTC
TDecimate() # remove duplicate
RemoveSpotsMC() # HERE: There is no function named RemoveSpotsMC
RemoveSpotsMC()
RemoveSpotsMC()
AssumeFPS(24000,1001)

Among others, these are the plugins/scripts I have in the AviSynth 2.5/Plugins folder:
Average.dll
FixBlendIVTC.avs
MaskTools.dll
mt_masktools-25.dll (same size, same version)
mt_masktools-26.dll (same size, same version)
RemoveGrain.dll
RemoveSpots.avsi
TIVTC.dll

Someone said somewhere that some plugins depend on some DLLs on the System32 folder:
mfc70.dll
mfc71.dll
mfc80.dll
MSVCP60D.DLL
MSVCP70.DLL
MSVCP71.DLL
MSVCP80.DLL
MSVCR70.DLL
MSVCRTD.DLL

I tried with versions 2.58 a 2.6 of AviSynth on a 32bit OS.

[jagabo]

You left out the most important part: what where the error messages? Did you import FixBlendIVTC.AVS? You need to get RemoveSpotsMC.AVS and import that too. ffVideoSource requires the ffmpeg source plugin for AviSynth.

import AVS scripts (adjust paths to match your system):

import("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\RemoveSpotsMC.avs") 
import("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\FixBlendIVTC.avs")

RemoveSpotsMC:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/357149-Can-someone-create-a-comet-removal-Avisynth-...=1#post2261200

ffmpeg source plugin:
https://code.google.com/p/ffmpegsource/

[sanlyn]

That link for ffms2 can drive you batty if you don't notice the "downloads" tab at the top of the page. Click "Downloads" and you get this: http://code.google.com/p/ffmpegsource/downloads/list

[Virtual McCoy]

Jagabo: "You left out the most important part: what where the error messages?"
ffVideoSource ("Atomic_Bomb_Blast_Effects_00_00_51_00_dv50.mp4")
Blur(0,1.0).Sharpen(0,0.6) # blend deinterlace
FixBlendIVTC() # fix blended frames. There is no function named FixBlendIVTC
TDecimate() # remove duplicate
RemoveSpotsMC() # There is no function named RemoveSpotsMC
RemoveSpotsMC()
RemoveSpotsMC()
AssumeFPS(24000,1001)

Now, after adding the two import lines: "There is no function named "mt_makediff" (FixBlendIVTC.avsi, line 78)
import ("E:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\FixBlendIVTC.avsi")
Import ("E:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\Plugins\RemoveSpotsMC.avsi")
Blur(0,1.0).Sharpen(0,0.6) # blend deinterlace
FixBlendIVTC() # fix blended frames.
TDecimate() # remove duplicate
RemoveSpotsMC() #
RemoveSpotsMC()
RemoveSpotsMC()
AssumeFPS(24000,1001)
Sanlyn: "That link for ffms2 can drive you batty if you don't notice the "downloads" tab at the top of the page......." Thanks, man, I really didn't spot the "Downloads" link.

[jagabo]

Now, after adding the two import lines: "There is no function named "mt_makediff" (FixBlendIVTC.avsi, line 78)

You need MaskTools: http://manao4.free.fr/mt_masktools.html

[Virtual McCoy]

Masktools.dll and masktools2.dll are in the Plugins folder of AvISynth.
Since it is in the default path, I didn't explicitly call it in the script.
But even if I do, the error msg comes back:

"There is no function named "mt_makediff" (FixBlendIVTC.avsi, line 78)

ffVideoSource("Atomic_Bomb_Blast_Effects_00_00_51_ 00_dv50.mp4")
import ("E:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\FixBlendIVTC.avsi")
Import ("E:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\Plugins\RemoveSpotsMC.avsi")
#LoadPlugin ("E:\Program Files\AviSynth 2.5\Plugins\Masktools.dll")
Blur (0,1.0).Sharpen(0,0.6) # blend deinterlace
FixBlendIVTC() # fix blended frames.
TDecimate() # remove duplicate
RemoveSpotsMC() #
RemoveSpotsMC()
RemoveSpotsMC()
AssumeFPS(24000,1001)

[jagabo]

Try mt_masktools-26.dll instead of masktools2.dll.

[Virtual McCoy]

Gonna try it. Googling for mt_masktools-26.dll. Meanwhile......

I found this (http://spotremoverfilter.com/) and used it on a small segment (1:45 min to 2:09 min) of this clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtPIRnBSyt8.
Nice results, but I think you AviSynth expert guys could make it even better.

On a side "comic relief" note......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDNsHA-HUqc

[jagabo]

Gonna try it. Googling for mt_masktools-26.dll.

It's at the same site as the other MaskTools filters, further down the page with all the downloads.