Magic buttons for audio/video enhancement

[snafubaby]

I use Gimp for photos. It's an amazing program, almost as good as Photo Shop, but, of course, it's free. There is a magic button that many people already know about, to improve the clarity of photos. It's called Unsharp Masking. I use it all the time with my various digital images taken with my cameras. Anyway, are there any magic bullets out there that will do the same for videos? Let's say you take a video, and it looks like a great video, as far as the content goes, BUT it's a bit blurry, and could use a little lightening. Does anyone know of any such software that will clean up the video and make it a bit more clear, lighter, less grainy, or whatever? I know Adobe has software which costs well over $100 that will do the trick, but are there any software titles that cost UNDER $100? Are there any freebies? I appreciate any suggestions.

[poisondeathray]

I use Gimp for photos. It's an amazing program, almost as good as Photo Shop, but, of course, it's free. There is a magic button that many people already know about, to improve the clarity of photos. It's called Unsharp Masking. I use it all the time with my various digital images taken with my cameras. Anyway, are there any magic bullets out there that will do the same for videos? Let's say you take a video, and it looks like a great video, as far as the content goes, BUT it's a bit blurry, and could use a little lightening. Does anyone know of any such software that will clean up the video and make it a bit more clear, lighter, less grainy, or whatever? I know Adobe has software which costs well over $100 that will do the trick, but are there any software titles that cost UNDER $100? Are there any freebies? I appreciate any suggestions.

There are many sharpening filters you can use in vdub

e.g. unsharpmask for vdub , almost same thing as the one for photoshop
http://neuron2.net/unsharp/unsharp.html

There are dozens of sharpeners and microcontrast enhancers in avisynth as well

But "clean up video", "clear", "lighter", "less grainy" suggest different manipulations than sharpenening alone. If you can't describe what needs to be done, then consider posting a short sample . There isn't really a "magic bullet", because often different things need to be done, and many different ways to do it (some better than others)

[snafubaby]

Thanks for the links and suggestions! I'll post a video later tonight, and maybe you could suggest a way to improve it.

[budwzr]

So you're looking for a de-blurrer, and a lightener?

[poisondeathray]

So you're looking for a de-blurrer, and a lightener?

WTF.... did devil dude go on steroids ?!!

[poisondeathray]

So you're looking for a de-blurrer, and a lightener?

WTF.... did you put devil dude on steroids ?!! Illegal emoticon alert !!!

>>

[poisondeathray]

Triple post meltdown

translation: damn I can't delete my posts

[budwzr]

Hahaha, that's rich. Regular devil-dude doesn't have the gravitas necessary to properly enunciate my posts, therefore I "went big".

Meet "Senor Diablo El Gordo".

[El Heggunte]

I prefer this one:

[budwzr]

Ummm... let's stick to the topic please or I'll have to file an incident report.

[smrpix]

If your project is more complex than VDub can handle easily, unsharp mask is in all of the decent <$100 NLE's -- Vegas Movie Studio, Adobe Premiere Elements, Pinnacle 16.

[sanlyn]

Before anyone makes further suggestions, I'd suggest we await a sample of the video. If the O.P. needs instructions on how to create a short sample, this would be the place to ask.

[enim]

I'd suggest we await a sample of the video. If the O.P. needs instructions on how to create a short sample, this would be the place to ask.

we should.

In general, I use GiMP and i like it. I would not dare compare GiMP with AP as for GiMP there is a long way to go.

Every single filter has it's own pros and cons. Moderate use may help some times. Here I am quoting abuse of over sharpening.

Original Image


Over Sharpen (abused) Image

It could be more worse even in case of motion videos.

[sanlyn]

....adjust levels and saturation. No sharpener used. It could use a touch of denoising, though. VirtualDub.

[budwzr]

Hey, while we're waiting, I went to the fair yesterday and shot this:

[sanlyn]

Cool. Hey, who's singin' Hank Williams' Jambalaya? Can't think of the name.

[budwzr]

No clue. Found this in the "Misc" folder. It goes good with this video though, hahaha.

[smrpix]

Shazam says John Fogerty.

[sanlyn]

I must be getting old. I watched him do that number at South Street Seaport in NYC, and used to have his CD somewhere. Time flies. Thanks for joggin' my old memory logjam.

[El Heggunte]

Ummm... let's stick to the topic please or I'll have to file an incident report.

Look who's talking

Cool. Hey, who's singin' Hank Williams' Jambalaya? Can't think of the name.

I'm pretty sure it was NOT "Miss Dynamite"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJoUHUfJc1Y

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1efsBtrl-s

[budwzr]

Oh really? I like John Fogerty.

[enim]

....adjust levels and saturation. No sharpener used. It could use a touch of denoising, though. VirtualDub.

you made it really...i mean really better. SONY will definitely hire you for sure.

[snafubaby]

....adjust levels and saturation. No sharpener used. It could use a touch of denoising, though. VirtualDub.


[Attachment 18976 - Click to enlarge]

Wow! That's a pretty nice improvement. Tell me what you used to get such an improvement with v-dub. Thank you!

[sanlyn]

Levels (built-in) ==> overall gamma, white level
Gradation Curve ==> Black level, contrast, RGB 240 cap
ColorMill ==> middle point, saturation, zero-black limit
ColorTools 1.4 ==> histogram

[enim]

OP can try applying various filter and sanlyn can teach rest of world (preferably free editor) to make it looks better by preserving maximum details.

[sanlyn]

Sorry, enim. That one isn't usable for video, photo, or printing. Dynamic range too limited by severe clipping. And the background is too busy. Something like a Photoshop forum could point out the mistakes. Hope the O..P.'s videos don't look like that. BTW, where'd he go ....?

[budwzr]

That butterfly reminds me of one of my videos: