problems with resizing my video

[Betelman]

Hello. I'm using LanczosResize(528, 352) to downscale my current 720X480 vid. Here are my steps:

a) I save it as an AVI on Virtualdub, I make sure to have the "direct stream copy" option.

b) I encode it with Handbrake, I make sure to click on the "keep aspect ratio" opotion, and click "none" for anamorphic.

c) I open the video using Windows Media or VLC and see the results.

Now here's where the confusion goes: When I save the video to an external hard drive and play it on my TV, it's back to the original size! It does not look smaller at all!

What step am I missing here? Am I supposed to add borders after I downscale?

[jagabo]

Your TV's media player (like most other TVs) plays all videos full screen. If it doesn't have a zoom-out feature you'll have to add borders.

[SaurusX]

Your TV is scaling it up to fill the screen. You will have to add borders if you want the video to be window boxed.

[Cornucopia]

I've got to ask: what are you hoping to accomplish by downscaling?

Scott

[ProWo]

Upload a small cut of your current 720X480 vid here. So we can help you.

[Betelman]

I've got to ask: what are you hoping to accomplish by downscaling?

You know, that's a good question. I'm still experimenting with video, but since I did my restoration on this particular video, something in my mind tells me that it will look better when smaller, as whatever "slow crawl" remains present in the video will be less visible. I've got a 40 inch screen, so I feel that a smaller video will look sharper and more detailed. Am I onto something here with my response? Be honest.

[jagabo]

Yes, viewing a small video in a small box will make it looks sharer than viewing it full screen. Many people do that when watching SD videos on an HD screen. Of course, then you're watching a little tiny picture in the middle of your big HDTV.

Which looks sharper the small inset image at the top left or the full image?


[Attachment 52068 - Click to enlarge]

View the image full size. The bigger image is just the small image upscaled. Neither has more detail than the other.

[Betelman]

Right. Put it this way, my video is a 720X480 TERRIBLY TRANSFERRED SD DVD. The source is animation and I believe I did a pretty damn good job at restoring it. But you know how restorations go, nothing is 100%. So I figured that the finishing touch would be to resize it. So Jagabo, can you advise me on a basic script to resize and border which I can then tweak? I ask because I'm trying to add borders to my LanczosResize(528, 352), but it's not working out. I think I miscalculated.

Oh and also, my next question is, if I'm saving my video as an AVI in virtualdub, I've been right-clicking it and changing the AR from "free adjust" to "4:3 frame". But should I change it to "1:1 square pixels" instead?

[Betelman]

VTS_01_1.demuxed.demuxed.m2v

Here's a sample of the UNrestored vid

[manono]

The source is animation and I believe I did a pretty damn good job at restoring it

And you did this all in VDub? No IVTC then? You left it at 29.97fps? Or worse, bobbed it to 59.94fps with Yadif? What kind of AVI? Surely not XviD? And this downsize kept the bad aspect ratio?

I've been right-clicking it and changing the AR from "free adjust" to "4:3 frame". But should I change it to "1:1 square pixels" instead?

That's only how it appears to you in VDub. It has nothing to do with how it's encoded.

[jagabo]

Right. Put it this way, my video is a 720X480 TERRIBLY TRANSFERRED SD DVD. The source is animation and I believe I did a pretty damn good job at restoring it. But you know how restorations go, nothing is 100%. So I figured that the finishing touch would be to resize it. So Jagabo, can you advise me on a basic script to resize and border which I can then tweak? I ask because I'm trying to add borders to my LanczosResize(528, 352), but it's not working out. I think I miscalculated.

Your source was made from 4:3 DAR analog NTSC tape captured with the usual rec.601 properties. You should crop a total of 16 pixels off the left and right edges then scale what's left to a 4:3 frame size, like 640x480 or 480x360. You can add any amount of borders you want. Here's an AviSynth filter that adds letter/pillaxboxing to produce the requested size:

##########################################################################
#
# Add borders to create the requested width and height.
#
##########################################################################

function AddBoxingTo(clip v, int width, int height)
{
    xoff = ((width - v.width) / 4) * 2
    yoff = ((height - v.height) / 4) * 2
    AddBorders(v, xoff, yoff, width-xoff-v.width, height-yoff-v.height)
}

##########################################################################
#
# sample usage:
#
#
##########################################################################

ColorBars()
AddBoxingTo(1920,1080)
Info()

Oh and also, my next question is, if I'm saving my video as an AVI in virtualdub, I've been right-clicking it and changing the AR from "free adjust" to "4:3 frame". But should I change it to "1:1 square pixels" instead?

That option has no effect on the video output. It only changes what you see in the preview window.

This still has a way to go (especially the flickering in the background), but how does it compare to what you're getting?

[Betelman]

Check mine out. I used masks to get a nice grain in dark areas, while applying the tough stuff on brighter pixels. What do you think?

What script did you use, btw?

Preview-1.mkv

[Betelman]

oh and I added borders, but the blasted thing STILL shows up full screen on my TV!

[jagabo]

oh and I added borders, but the blasted thing STILL shows up full screen on my TV!

Try this video.

[Betelman]

I'll try it. Can you please provide the script for the borders ? And that clean-up job you did?

[jagabo]

I don't have the exact script I used in the upscaled video. It was something like this:

Mpeg2Source("VTS_01_1.demuxed.demuxed.d2v", CPU2="ooooxx", Info=3) 
TFM(d2v="VTS_01_1.demuxed.demuxed.d2v") 
TDecimate() 

ConvertToRGB()
RGBAdjust(r=207.0/238.0, b=207.0/240.0) # white balance
ConvertToYV12()

Tweak(sat=0.90, cont=1.1) # legalize colors
ColorMatrix(mode="rec.601->rec.709") # for HD encoding
Stab(range=4)
Crop(10,2,-10,-2)
MCTemporalDenoise(settings="high")
dehalo_alpha(rx=2.0, ry=1.0)

nnedi3_rpow2(4, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=1440, fheight=1080)
awarpSharp2(depth=10)
Sharpen(0.3)

For the black borders I added borders instead of upscaling I added borders (replace the last three lines with):

Spline36Resize(480,360)
AddBorders(720,360,720,360)

The point of the upscaling was to deliver sharper edges than most TVs deliver when upscaling. It still can't create real HD detail, obviously.

[Betelman]

I used a combination of McTemporal and Smdegrain with masks for dark areas.

What does stab do?

[jagabo]

Stab removes some film bounce (small vertical/horizontal shakes).