Is panning unclear here because of stabilisation algorithm or low bitrate?

[Bencuri]

Here is a video that I recorded with my camcorder, it is shaky:

http://we.tl/39J4hIprgL (It is around 100mb, but fast service, it downloads in half a minute).

I have several of these, I compiled a 6 minute video of them. I stabilised them in Mercalli V2, and used those files to compile the full length video.

In the final video, I noticed that pannings become quite unclear. By then, the videos were converted 3 times from the original. Actually, even in the original videos, the pannings are a bit unclear, too, but it seems to me in the final video, it is more unclear. But, later I noticed that if I watch the same video with reduced playback window size, like reducing the player window to 60% of the full screen size, the pannings are acceptable regarding clearness. So I started thinking, and I wondered what if the problem was caused by that I chose too low bitrate in the stabilizer software when exporting. Because if the video is clear in smaller window, it might not be a frame problem, but resolution problem.

When I made this problematic 6 minute video, the original camcorder format videos like the one above were stabilized, and then exported from Mercalli in Standard WMV format, in 61Mbps. Is it possible that is not enough? In the final video, I can see loss of quality around clouds for example, even on standing scenes.

I made a test with the video above, stabilized it, and now chose Progressive WMV 489Mbps as output format (these bitrates are presets, this is the one labelled: High Quality). And then I reconverted it to H.264 with Xilisoft converter, into 25 Mbps.

Here is it:

http://we.tl/LHU50EaikK

It seems to me the results are not bad. Do you think this can still be improved, or based on the raw camcorder video, this is the limit? the raw video is also unclear a bit in panning, but not very disturbing, I think.

In Mercalli, there is an option: Pan Shoot Smoothing. I wonder if that can have an effect on the clearness of the panning? I asked the company, they haven't replied yet. I thought that option is only good for reducing shakyness during panning, but who knows. I always set a low value for it, because if I set it high, the video becomes wobbly.

So what is your opinion, is this merely a bitrate problem?

[jagabo]

I haven't seen the videos yet but it's likely you just have motion blur. It becomes much more noticeable after stabilization because you can see it better, and because you wonder why the video blurs when there's no apparent reason for it. Also, part of the stabilization process includes a zoom so that you don't get black borders. That will reduce the sharpness of the video too.

I've see the videos now. I don't think there's anything unusual there. Motion blur isn't much of a problem. The zoom is the reason for the reduced sharpness. See if the software has any choice of resizing filters. Or add a little sharpening after stabilizing. Or, as a test, disable the zoom option (if you can) and let black borders enter the frame. See how much sharper that looks.

[Bencuri]

Previously you told me I shouldn't use WMV as an intermediate format, anyway, but I have done the new 489 Mbps test with it because I have a fresh install of Windows on my computer, and except for the internal codecs of Mercalli, I don't have anything else installed. It only offers Mpeg other than WMV, but on its panel I am not sure which presets results in what setting. So I skipped that now, I didn't want to experiment until I know what the problem is here, that mpeg file it creates is also very very big.

[jagabo]

I would recommend a lossless or near lossless intermediate.