UNSHARP MASK

[orizaba]

Please confirm: in Project options, Screen, Sharpness control, Unsharp mask, the Unsharp mask effect aplies only to the computer screen or to the published mp4 file as well?

Thanks.

[jt49]

What about making a simple test

[orizaba]

Have you? Can you confirm?

[denisb]

On 9/25/2018 at 5:38 AM, orizaba said:

Please confirm: in Project options, Screen, Sharpness control, Unsharp mask, the Unsharp mask effect aplies only to the computer screen or to the published mp4 file as well?

Thanks.

Yes the USM applies to the mp4 also

[orizaba]

Thank you.

[Lin Evans]

Remember - you can also sharpen with the Blur feature. By using negative numbers in the blur, additional sharpening as well as blur can be done and it can be keyframed so that for zooms you can ameliorate sparkle with a slightly positive number then once the image is at full zoom in or out a change to a slightly negative number can give additional sharpness over the maximum for unsharp mask. This, of course, also applies to the MP4.

Best regards,

Lin

[denisb]

I don't think Blur with negative value is a good approach.

If you look at the last column and the last line of a 1920x1080 picture, you can see difference in brightness .

 

 

Denis

[Lin Evans]

Hi Denis,

Yes,  the reason we have unsharp mask is to provide the best way to sharpen, however there are some images which look better with some negative blur applied than they do when maxed out with unsharp mask.  Also creating a lower resolution video sometimes takes an additional toll on sharpness which can't be overcome by the unsharp feature.

I didn't mention it because it is the best way to sharpen, but rather that is can be used. Whether it is used is something the user must decide.

Best regards,

Lin

[orizaba]

Hi Lin,

And Unsharp applies to all project, while negative blur apply slide by slide, is it not?

Regards, Jose

[Lin Evans]

Hi Jose,

No, actually unsharp applies to individual slides as well.  But remember, a video is generally considered a single slide.  Put in two slide images. Set the first one to 300 and the second one to -100 then check the settings and you will see that they maintain their individual unsharp values. However when we are dealing with a video and since it is almost always a single slide the unsharp value applies to the entire video. The only time a video isn't considered a single slide is when it's used for a background as linked to the master. In such case the values for unsharp or for blur can be varied from slide to slide.

Best regards,

Lin

[orizaba]

Lin, I think I am missing something. I just saw:

1. Slide with a photo: I can see, in the photo properties, the cursor to apply "Sharper/Smoother" (-128/+128), as well as, in Animation, the Blur pssibility. Ok.

2. Slide with a video: I only can see, in the video Animation, the Blur possibility. Not the "Sharper/Smoother" or some "Unsharp mask".

3. In both cases, we can always apply in Project Options, Screen, Sharpness control, Unsharp mask from 0 to 200.

This is the reason of my first question: if this last one (3), the Project one, applies to photos and videos in the published MP4 files. The reply was yes. But, may be, this reply was refering only to the "Sharper/Smoother" effect applied to a photo. Do you confirm?

So, I do not understand when you say "actually unsharp applies to individual slides as well". In fact I can not see how to apply to a video.

[Lin Evans]

Hi Jose,

I think I've confused you because the "unsharp mask" only applies to still images until the images are made into a video by creating an MP4. Then the unsharp mask value which has been applied to individual images is incorporated into the entire video but there is no way to change these values per the completed mp4 video. The video when added as a singe slide can only be blurred or sharpened further via the blur value which applies to the entire video via keyframes UNLESS the video is used as a background. In the case where a video is used as a background, each slide can have this video segment sharpened or blurred via the blur value.

If you apply a negative blur value to a video, unless you use a keyframe to change that value, it will remain for the entire video. But when a video is used as a master and linked videos as a background, you can't set a single blur value which affects each slide. If you change its value on each slide either as the entire slide or for a time by keyframe on that slide only it won't affect the video in the background on other slides - only on the one being manipulated. 

So it's possible to further sharpen or blur an entire video beyond what was done for individual slides via the Unsharp Mask using a singe blur value and if that value is not changed via keyframes, the entire video will be displayed with that amount of sharpening or blur.

But, if you use the video as background and want to sharpen it beyond the Unsharp Mask value, you must apply that value to each slide for the master and linked videos.

Best regards,

Lin

 

 

[orizaba]

Thanks Lin, everything is clear now.

In conclusion, Project options Unsharp mask only applies to photos/stills used along the project, and effect is included in published MP4 file.

For videos included along the project we only can use Blur effect (- or +).

Best regards,

Jose

[denisb]

Hi Jose,

Project options Unsharp mask  applies to photos/stills and videos used along the project, and effect is included in published MP4 file.

Sharper/smoother in O&A applies only to photos/stills

Blur (negative values) applies to photos/stills and videos

Denis

[Lin Evans]

Hi Jose,

No, as Denis says the Project Options Unsharp Mask applies to all. The "Properties" Unsharp Mask which is titled "Sharper/Smoother" applies as you have described. Additionally, you can change the maximum value from the slider which is 200 for the Project Options Unsharp Mask to a greater value if needed. PTE has multiple ways to approach the issues of blur and sharp, etc.

Best regards,

Lin

[orizaba]

Hi Denis and Lin,

Thanks again for your help. Ok, now I think I am clear... at last!

My error in my above conclusions is that I thought "Project Options Unsharp Mask" applies only to photo/stills, the same way "Sharper/Smoother" applies only to photo/stills, since both use the word "sharp". But no, as you explained.

By the way, I should like to understand which is the big difference between "Unsharp Mask" and "Negative Blur", in terms of how they manipulate the image.

All this because I am now making a project using 31 years old "Sony Betamovie videos" (digitized) which are very poor in terms of resolution and definition/sharpness, which I am trying by all means to turn better in terms of image quality.

By the way, concerning old 8mm and Super8 films, I discovered and am using a laboratory in German who digitizes them using the so called HM73-II method and equipment, with a superior and surprising high quality. May be this is a useful information. Laboratory is 

http://www.18-frames.com/index.html

 

More information at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXhF2J9ze2w 

Best regards,

Jose