Panning shots OK in camera LCD but very jerky on computer

[ianincrete]

I've just bought a fluid head tripod and have been practising with it and getting some fairly smooth results. I've been shooting at a resolution of 1920x1080 at 30fps in MPEG4 AVC/H.264. When I watch the video in the LCD display on the video camera or plug my video camera (Sanyo Xacti FH1) into my 40 inch TV the results look smooth. But as soon as I download them onto my computer and watch them in VideoLan or QuickTime, the results are awful. The picture jerks several times a second throughout the panning shots. I have imported some of the clips into VideoStudio Pro X4, and made smart proxies of them and some but not all of them run smoothly but when I create an MP4 HD file in VS4 the results are just once again awfully jerky. My computer is only a couple of months old: AMD Athlon II X4651 Quad Core and Radion HD6700 series graphics card with 4Gb of ROM running Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit. What I can't understand is why the panning looks so smooth on the camera and on my TV (so it isn't due to the small size of the camera's LCD) but as soon as I download it to the computer it looks so awful. Can anyone explain what is going on and what, if anything, I can do about it? I'm aiming to put up some film clips of archaeological sites in Crete on YouTube and I am due to go round the island shooting video but I can't possibly put results like these on the Internet. What could be causing the difference between what my camera shows and what my computer shows?

[lata]

Hi Ian

Right click the video file and select properties, what are they?

Update Quick Time to the latest version.

The standard templates provided by the program may not be suitable, they don't provide every option.
Use Settings - Make Movie Templates Manager to create a mp4 template using similar settings to the original.
I would use 1280 x 720 frame size for You Tube
The template being available from Share create Video File bottom of list.
---------------------------------

We are taking a week's holiday on Crete from Friday 20th, (Kokini Hani) first time visit, really looking forward to that.

[ianincrete]

Thanks for replying. I checked my Quick Time and it is the latest version. I looked at the properties of the video file and it said things like 1920 x 1080, Data rate 13020 kbps, Total bitrate 13150, Frames 29.

I opened the Make Movies Template Manager. It said there were no templates available. I assume that is normal. I tried to create an MPEG4 template but when it came to frame size it had two choices: standard with a frame size of 352 x 288 and custom. But it wouldn't let me untick the standard and tick the custom instead so I was unable to change the frame size. There must be something wrong there, surely. Or have I misunderstood you. The only things it allowed me to change were the frame rate and aspect ratio. I made a template anyway and saved it and checked that it was at the bottom of the list of templates, which it was. I usually use the MP4 HD template. So I haven't made much progress, I'm afraid. Any further advice would be most welcome. It's driving me crazy watching all these clips with incredibly jerky panning shots on my computer when they look so smooth on my 40" TV! And they are really important for clips of archaeological sites, otherwise you might as well just put up photos, which I have done as well. (http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan)

I was in Kokini Hani ten days ago. The countryside in Crete is looking fantastic at the moment so do try and get out and see some of it. Also there is a nice little Minoan archaeological site near you at Nirou Hani. Half an hour should do it.

[lata]

Hi Ian

A little strange that you are having trouble playing with QuickTime.
If your PC is struggling to play it then Video Studio is going to struggle.
Can you confirm that you are using Smart Proxy and that the proxy files have been created, settings - Smart Proxy Manager
---------------------
Using the MP4 HD template should produce a good video
----------------------------
Did the camera include any software programs, if so install them, they may provide additional codec's.
---------------------------
The video properties may use interlacing, upper or lower field, do the properties indicate one of these, otherwise use Frame Based.

Using the MP4 HD template should produce a good video
---------------------
Make Movie Templates Manager
New
Give it a name
Choose Mpeg4 Files--OK

Compression Tab-Video Type H264 Main
General tab
Frame rate 29
frame size 1280 x 720
---------------------

If all else fails...
Are you able to change the recording settings on the camera to use 1280 x 720 instead of 1920 x 1080.

[ianincrete]

Hi,

Thanks again for your help. As I wrote in a separate post, something strange is happening with my computer. If I drag the smart proxies I've created to the timeline, click on "Clip" and watch them individually there is no jerkiness. But if I click on Project and watch the clips together then they jerk all through the pans. And of course these proxies aren't particularly demanding files, nothing like HD.

And yet my computer is brand new, with a 3Ghz quad core processor and a graphics card with 1Gb VRAM, running Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit. So it is well above the minimum recommended spec for VideoStudio.

Anyway I created the template you suggested and used frame-based as I'd shot in 30p. I used three smart proxy files to create the clip. But when I played it back the jerkiness was still there.

I think there must be an issue with the computer even if I cannot fathom it out, because the files play OK in the camera and on my TV when I plug the camera into it. I've also taken the raw files from my computer, transferred them to a usb stick and plugged it into my TV. The pictures are fine.

I didn't use any of the software that came with the camcorder and now I can no longer find the CD it came on.

I shot some test pans on 1280 x 720 but the results were exactly the same. I'll just have to go off and shoot my footage this Spring and Summer and hope that I can come up with a solution that will eventually enable me to use it.

[lata]

Hi Ian

There is some info on the Sonya site regarding Windows 7 compatibility.
Maybe worth a read. http://sanyo.com/xacti/english/support/index.html
From the Support tab
I was looking for any software that Sonya may provide?
To the bottom of the list is a link to QT and I-tunes, have you installed both?
------------------------------
You mention using the Smart Proxy files to create a new video file, Are you referring to your original files not the actual proxy files?
I am still unsure that the problem is a Video Studio issue?

Media Players
As you are having problems playing the video on the pc try VLC player, seems to play most formats
http://wiki.videolan.org/

[lata]

Hi Ian

Just looked through your other posts and i am unsure which version of VS you are using.

Can you install the trial version of X5, the file is a little large so downloading could be on the long side.
I think it is worth trying.

[ianincrete]

Hi,

Thanks for searching for the Widows 7 compatability stuff. I checked it and my camcorder is fully compatible with Windows 7. Because I'm trying to solve a particular problem I just create short film clips to see if the jerkiness is still there. I import three short clips, make smart proxies, drag the smart proxies onto the timeline where I encounter the strange problem of them playing ok as individual clips but playing jerkily as a complete project. I don't do any editing. I simply go to share, I click on create a video file and normally choose MP4 HD. When it finishes rendering I right click on the resulting file and select locate folder and then open the rendered file in both VideoLan and QuickTime.(I haven't installed I-Tunes by the way). It plays jerkily in both of them. I am more and more convinced that it's a computer problem but given the specification of my computer, I don't understand why I should be having any problem at all. I'm using version 4, which I just bought because it was much cheaper than 5 and seemed to offer everything I'd need for making some short MP4 clips for uploading to YouTube. I've already uploaded one and of course it is pretty jerky but as I didn't have a proper tripod at the time I suppose I assumed that was the problem. Now I'm not so sure.

[lata]

Hi Ian

Can you upload your original samples to 4Shared.
Some posters have used this in the past.

We can download to check on my pc, if i find the clips ok then it would seem to point to your pc.

Still a little confused as to the references to Smart Proxy
When you add the original video clip to the timeline a proxy file should be created.
You should then be able to continue editing.

[ianincrete]

I'll try and upload a couple of the raw files. These play ok on my tv but not in VLan or Quick Time. If they play OK on your computer then we'll have learnt something.

I import files by using Add to create a new folder and then I click on the Import File icon at the top of the screen to import files. When I have imported them I select them all and right click one of them and click on Make Smart Proxy. So they are already smart proxies before I drag them to the timeline. Then as I said before I go straight to Share and create an MP4 video file. Editing isn't a problem. I just haven't been editing these particular files because I want to see if they will be jerky or not and editing them isn't going to make any difference to that.

[ianincrete]

I've uploaded a file called armeni.MP4 to 4shared. Unfortunately I cannot access it myself because although I have created an account and I got a message saying that the file had been successfully uploaded, every time I try to access it I get the message: The file link that you requested is not valid plus a link to Check4Sync. I don't know if you can access it.

[lata]

No Sorry cannot find that file.

Try uploading to this folder

http://www.4shared.com/folder/zSWP31GA/ ... dfolderurl

[ianincrete]

Sorry I'm really struggling to get my head around this website. I've now got an account and I've uploaded my file but when I do a search for it I get a message saying it couldn't be found. When I go to the link you gave me I cannot find anything which lets me upload a file there. I'm sorry but all this stuff is new to me.

[lata]

Hi Ian

Ok I have finally managed to download the files, here are the links for anyone interested.

http://www.4shared.com/video/R11ss4BW/armeni.html
http://www.4shared.com/video/Rnmj9vil/armeni01.html
http://www.4shared.com/video/nKL-lVLE/armeni02.html
http://www.4shared.com/video/ZO0joEyp/Untitled.html

Yes the quality of the pan is poor with the video juddering is my best description.

You said that the first three are from the camera yet they all show a different Data Rate, we would expect the same rate for all clips.
The last file is however a composite of the three created in VS

Data Rate 12733 kbps
Data Rate 12906 kbps
Data Rate 13235 kbps
Data Rate 15000 kbps

How are you transferring the video from the camera to the pc.

First Original file properties

[Ken Berry]

Unfortunately, 4shared requires you to open an account in order to download. While I normally resist the urge to join yet another website, I tried in this case. I gave it my hotmail address and it claims to have sent me a msg to confirm my account, but it never arrived. I asked for a reconfirmation email, and that too has not arrived. And yet, I have checked the junk folder...