You Tube Using Ulead MP4 Plug-in

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:17 pm

Hi Guys

I wonder if anyone can advise on my settings please.
My project file is:
PAL (25 fps)
Video tracks: 7
Microsoft AVI files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 4:3, 25 fps
Lower Field First
DV Video Encoder -- type 1
DV Audio -- PAL, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

My MP4 output settings are:
MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 320 x 240, 30 fps
Frame-based
MPEG-4 SP Video: 1000 Kbps
24000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 128 Kbps

I have two problems. Some of my titles or moving path images go off from the centre to the right in a couple of movies I have put into MP4.

The other problem is that the output looks really good when it plays after rendering but when it's uploaded to You Tube it's blotchy/ pixelated, blurry and there's lines running through any fast movement or any straight edge. I've looked at Steve's tutorial but the Ulead plug-in seems to have different options to those I see there for DivX. Apart from that I wonder if my data rate is too low or something or I should adjust my project settings.

Any ideas or advice?

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:57 pm

YouTube, and all of the online movie houses, re-compress your already compressed movie. If your movie is fairly static it looks ok. But if you have movement, as you know, it makes it very blocky/pixilated. I've found the best compression to use is to render to a mov file (I just used the VS template).

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:18 pm

You have changed the number of frames from 25 (pal) to 30.
Even though the You Tube site suggests 30 Frames try keeping the original 25. I have posted to You Tube and also VEOH and tend to keep to the same number of frames that the video originally had.

I just viewed the sample video you gave me the link for. I would also suggest that you retain the original field order to see if it has any affect on the jagged edges on the trees and other similar upright items. Although it is normally recommended to use frame based for computer viewing the link you sent to me appears to have the classic "wrong field order" problem.

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:47 am

Thanks Steve & Jeff

I'll have a bash at all your suggestions and see if they offer improvements and let the board know for anyone else experiencing these problems. Having seen the excellent quality of many You Tube uploads, it must be within my reach somehow.

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 2:41 pm

I've tried your suggestions.

Jeff's idea of outputing to .mov didn't really take me any further forward. If I used just the MSP mov template, there's no compression and if I load MP4 it still has jagged lines cut through where any movement takes place or there's a straight edge. I wonder if it's better suited to VS (I'm working with MSP8)

Steve's ideas cut out the jagged line problem, but I couldn't change the settings in the MP4 plug-in to lower field first as it only has the frame based option (it doesn't have an MP3 setting either), so I had to change my project setting to frame based. Having said that, the best results only seem to start appearing when I up the MP4 bit rate to 1,200 (which makes a large file).

Although using Steve's suggestions have helped a lot, the final You Tube viewing 'experience' is still more bit blotchy/ pixellated than sharp (when look at the saved MP4 file before uploading it is really sharp and clear). I'm using the DV type 1 at the moment for all my projects and Ulead's MP4 plug-in for making the movies. I wonder if there's a better codec for the projects I want to make into You Tube movies (or whether I should buy the DivX plug-in- especially as Ulead's plug-in doesn't have the MP3 option?)

I do appreciate the recompression issue when my movies are uploaded but I have seen some excellent quality movies - or is it a case the better quality movies on You Tube are simply uploaded with very high bit rates?? I ask this because the animated cartoon Hoyboys just posted on this forum looks like DVD quality. I know it's on a different platform to You Tube, but I assume the principals are the same?

If you're interested a couple of my examples are at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AramQTruaas and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c298w1x4K6w

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:40 am

What I tend to do is create my Videos with MediaStudio wit its more powerful editing abilities and create a AVI (DVD) file.
I then open that DV file wit VideoStudio and convert it to either VEOH or YouTube format using the templates I created here:
Making and Sharing VideoStudio Movie Templates

For some reason I seem to get better internet formats with VideoStudio that I do with MediaStudio, don't know why as I have used exactly the same settings.

Regarding the quality of your video compared to that of the animated cartoon Hoyboys I think this is due to the fact that they are not videos but slides.
You can see what I mean by viewing some of my Ocean Village 2007 videos which contain a mixture of video and slides.
Ocean Village 2007

Gra · Post by **Gra** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:02 pm

Hi Steve

Perhaps I should upgrade from VS8 to VS 11 (which I keep meaning to do) to compliment MSP. Also , if I'm correct, you have the actual DivX MP4 plug-in. Maybe I should get that as well.

Overall, your movies look so much more sharper and natural than I'm achieving at the moment. Are your files very large? My latest You Tube offering is just under 4 mins and runs out at about 34megb (at a bit rate of 1,200).

Thanks for your link as well. I liked your travel-log and really liked your Athens and Pathos movies. It's a great mix of stills and video along with a perfectly complimenting sound track - really just like being there - good stuff!