Video stabilization software good or bad?

[goddi]

Hi Gary,

...My experience with Mercalli on my PC have been very good, usually analyzing and rendering short videos in less than 1 minute...

Thanks,

Tom

I did a test with my new Mercalli 3 SAL.

I opened a PTE MP4 file in Mercalli. Mostly still images with some video clips. Yes, that does not make sense but I wanted to see how long it would take for it to analyze and to export a long 'MP4 video file' in a 34 bit OS (Win 8.1).

The PTE's MP4 files is 8 minutes. Mercalli took 8 minutes to analyze the file and 8 minutes to export it. So it seems my fear that a 32 bit OS would take an excessive about of time to process a video file in Mercalli does not seem to be a concern.

But, it is interesting that the original PTE MP4 is 234 MB, with a bit rate of 3.8 Mbps. The Mercalli exported MP4 file comes to 706 MBs (at medium quality) with a bit rate of 12 Mbps. The Mercalli exported MP4 (at low quality) export is 263 MBs and a bit rate is 4.5 Mbps. I don't see a difference between the 'low' and 'medium' quality MP4 export.

I also took a screenshot of a frame of the video. I have attached a screen shot of the original (shown Windows Media Player) and then a screen shot comparing the same frame as it shows in Mercalli and also after it was exported (shown in Windows Media Player). I think the exported screenshot does show a little softening of the image...but just slightly.

If anyone can do a similar test using a 64 bit OS, I'd be interested to hear if the analysis and export will take half the time, or not. So far I am pleased with the results from Mercalli 3 SAL, especially with video that does not have excessive shake.

Gary

[orizaba]

Hi Gary,

I have Mercalli V3 SAL 64-bit which I use when I want a "Rock-Steady" stabilization (equivalent to a fixed camera).

Otherwise , as said before, I use SONY VEGAS MOVIE STUDIO, because stabilization is usually good enough and I can apply sharpen effect at same time (which Mercalli does not allow).

I assume that you used a 8 minute MP4 file (slides mixed with video) just for time measurement purposes.

In fact, you should never stabilize such kind of files (everything mixed, slides and videos, even a sequence of videos).

You should stabilize video clips, one at a time, and if necessary triming them before stabilization, trying to reduce zoom effect to a minimum.

Concerning "timings"... what is the hurry?

Building a slideshow project takes its time! And needs patience, lots of it.

If your system is 64-bit you should have a 64-bit Mercalli.

And you should always use export maximum quality, because at lower qualities we can not see (?) loss of quality but it is really there...!

Just an opinion...

Regards,

Jose

[goddi]

Hi Gary,

I have Mercalli V3 SAL 64-bit which I use when I want a "Rock-Steady" stabilization (equivalent to a fixed camera).

Otherwise , as said before, I use SONY VEGAS MOVIE STUDIO, because stabilization is usually good enough and I can apply sharpen effect at same time (which Mercalli does not allow).

I assume that you used a 8 minute MP4 file (slides mixed with video) just for time measurement purposes.

In fact, you should never stabilize such kind of files (everything mixed, slides and videos, even a sequence of videos).

You should stabilize video clips, one at a time, and if necessary triming them before stabilization, trying to reduce zoom effect to a minimum.

Concerning "timings"... what is the hurry?

Building a slideshow project takes its time! And needs patience, lots of it.

If your system is 64-bit you should have a 64-bit Mercalli.

And you should always use export maximum quality, because at lower qualities we can not see (?) loss of quality but it is really there...!

Just an opinion...

Regards,

Jose

Greetings Jose,

Yes, I used the PTE's MP4 just for measurement purposes. It is too bad that my main PC is 32 bit. All of this adds to the amount of time needed to produce a good slideshow, but the stabilization of videos with even the slightest movement is really necessary. Makes a big difference. Mercalli seems to work pretty well so far.

Thanks... Gary

[tom95521]

Just playing around with Mercalli 2 Rock-Steady Camera option (stationary hand held capture) and PicturesToExe 3D Rotate X for perspective correction of building. The combination works great together.

For still photo perspective correction you could use PicturesToExe 3D X rotate, Photoshop, or the free German software ShiftN.

Tom

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Tom

Maybe you should write that up for the manual, never tried correcting perspective in video.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[tom95521]

Hi Eric,

About a year(?) ago DG tested 3D X axis perspective correction with good results. I think he was testing just images but it seems to work just as well with video. I did not find a How To for perspective correction. Probably a good idea if DG or Lin have time to add an example under 3D parameters or the How To section. I am a terrible writer.

Tom

[Barry Beckham]

That is impressive and if you knew you had to use it, presumably you would not fill the frame quite so much to allow for the cropping

[tom95521]

Hi Barry,

Yes. I learned a lesson. It is important not to crop the subject too tight when you are not using a tripod in case you want to use video stabilization software.

I wasted about an hour of time trying to do video stabilization in PTE by adding keyframes and selecting a fixed object on the screen near the border of the image (rotation near center is very hard to detect). The lower frequencies were easy to remove but the higher frequency vibration is very hard to remove by manual keyframe pan/rotate adjustments. It takes math and a computer to stabilize video.

Tom

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Eric,

About a year(?) ago DG tested 3D X axis perspective correction with good results. I think he was testing just images but it seems to work just as well with video. I did not find a How To for perspective correction. Probably a good idea if DG or Lin have time to add an example under 3D parameters or the How To section. I am a terrible writer.

Tom

Hi Tom

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[JudyKay]

I'm sure you all saw this: http://www.wired.com/2014/08/killer-software-that-finally-stabilizes-shaky-gopro-videos/

and this (which is not software): http://gizmodo.com/5993678/this-new-camera-stabilizer-could-change-cinematography-forever

[goddi]

I'm sure you all saw this: http://www.wired.com/2014/08/killer-software-that-finally-stabilizes-shaky-gopro-videos/

Very Cool! Here is a link that shows how to do Hyperlaspe the 'hard way'. I hope the Microsoft app will be easier! But interesting.... I've never heard of it before.

But there seems to be a difference in the Hyperlapse mentioned in your link and the links I have posted. The 'Windows app' seems to be for already-taken video that takes out every 10th frame, and stabilizes it. This is different from the Hyperlaspe that these Youtube videos shown below where it is created in the camera, not later.

Gary

[tom95521]

I'm sure you all saw this: http://www.wired.com/2014/08/killer-software-that-finally-stabilizes-shaky-gopro-videos/

and this (which is not software): http://gizmodo.com/5993678/this-new-camera-stabilizer-could-change-cinematography-forever

Hi Judy,

Cool. I am hoping the Panasconic FZ1000 with 5 axis stabilization will help reduce vibration.

Thanks,

Tom

[tom95521]

Hi Gary,

I will have to experiment with hyperlapse. It reminds me of stop motion claymation but with people. Maybe I should get a good monopod first instead of a ball head video tripod.

Thanks,

Tom