Rendered MPEG Files Images Not Sharp

[dpaterso]

Hi,

I am unable to get sharp images in my rendered MPEG2 files.

For the record my video editing software of choice is Vegas 4 (which uses MainConcept 2 for MPEG encoding).

I capture at 720 x 576 (PAL DVD) YUY2 using Virtual VCR with 48khz audio with or without Picvideo MJPEG compression.

The problem is that although the source AVI file is clear and the images are crisp and clear after rendering (at the highest quality possible) the resultant files images appear to be 'softened' i.e. almost as if a 'soften' effect has been applied.

I have played around with the deinterlace methods, motion blur settings etc. etc. but very little change.

I am able to (using Vegas) apply a 'sharpen' effect which appears to produce results close to what I am looking for i.e. crisp images but is this a common problem and is applying 'sharpen' effects a recognised way of producing better quality video?

I have just purchased a Sony DV camera (but have not been able to try out the DV capture as I could not source a firewire card over the weekend) so I am still capturing using AV In/Out. Would this make a big difference?

[setarip]

(I am not familiar with Vegas4 and the settings available from within that program)

I'd suggest that you perform an experiment on a small portion of your captured .AVI, using TMPGEnc instead for conversion to MPEG2.

If it yields clearer results without any adjustments, switch from Vegas4 to TMPGEnc...

[dpaterso]

Thanks for the prompt response.

Since posting my original message I sat down and spent hours playing around with certain render settings and it seems that the problem lies with the deinterlacing method (blend fields, interpolate fields, or none) and the field order (upper field first, lower field first, or progressive only).

In other words if I do not deinterlace the video and use progessive scan only the images in the rendered MPEG2 (DVD) file appear to be sharper (without having to apply a 'sharpen' effect.

Does this make any sense? Is this possible? Can deinterlacing cause such anomolies?

I also noticed that using a lower quality render setting for the final output file also seems to increase detail but I think I know why - I found some interesting documentation on the web some time ago that actually compares different quality settings and the less detail the picture has the sharper the edges from what I understand. Anyone know if this is indeed the case.

I would appreciate any more help or opinions (I have been at this now for 2 years and am still not happy with the results that I am getting). I have tried other packages such as Ulead Video Studio and the rendered files appear to have the same problem so I do not think that it is Vegas.

Am I expecting too much from these sort of packages? I realise that I am not going to get true DVD quality with equipment that I have but I would have thought that the quality that I could produce would not be noticeably different to the untrained eye particularly when output to a television set but there is definately a noticeable loss in my rendered files.

[setarip]

"In other words if I do not deinterlace the video and use progessive scan only the images in the rendered MPEG2 (DVD) file appear to be sharper (without having to apply a 'sharpen' effect.

Does this make any sense? Is this possible? Can deinterlacing cause such anomolies?"

How shall I put this delicately - If the video source is NOT interlaced, applying a deinterlace filter surely will do nothing to IMPROVE the video image ;>}

[dpaterso]

Hi,

Fair enough - but - my source video is definately interlaced.

Anyway - I just picked up a firewire card and cable so lets see what happens with the digital video capture - I will post the results for future reference.

Thanks.

[setarip]

"The problem is that although the source AVI file is clear and the images are crisp and clear"

If you're not seeing any horizontal lines jutting out to the left and right, and aren't seeing any ghosting, I doubt that the .AVI file contains any interlaced elements...

[Batman]

Interlacing should be clearly evident when you view the avi file on your monitor (horizontal lines).

However, you may be able to divulge more information about your avi file using AVISYNTH or DVD2AVI (Search doom9.org forum for specifics).

When you apply a de-interlacing filter you will lose some quality. There are many de-interlacing filters, each functions a little differently, I would suggest you take a look at the "capture" forum at doom9.org. Searching the postings there should give you a better idea on avi to mpeg2 conversion of DV material.