Marginal Quality Video (Chroma Key Overlay) VSX5

[cmyer1234]

-VideoStudio X5 Service Pack 1
-Canon Vixia HF R20 Camera, video file downloaded to computer as MTS file (variable bit rate, Dolby audio 256 kbps) via USB
-Project Properties:
NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 16:9
Rendering AVCHD 1920x1080p

I am trying to create a series of product videos for upload to YouTube. So far, the results are simply of lesser quality than what I expect. Details on what I am doing:

I am using a simple 1920x1080 JPG image as my background. That can be found at:

http://www.cyberauto.com/tmp/CyberautoTelevision.jpg

For my raw footage, I am using this clip:

http://www.cyberauto.com/tmp/00017.MTS (About 80 MB)

Here is what my studio setup looks like:

http://www.cyberauto.com/tmp/StudioSetup.jpg

As you see, not too shabby a setup. Decent muslin cotton backdrop, stretched fairly taught, reasonably well lighted with softbox lighting. Using a Canon Vixia HF R20 camera on a tripod. White Balance is custom set, and I have the focus set on a point on the edge of the subject.

To produce this video, I simply drop the CyberautoTelevision.jpg on the Video Track, put my raw input video on the overlay track, select "Attributes", select "Apply Overlay Options", use the dropper tool to select from the green backdrop. I've found I get the best results from the very brightest-lit part of the backdrop. I then adjust the color similarity for the best results. The default is 70, but at that level I and the seat pretty much disappear. I work very hard to get the lighting on the backdrop perfectly even, and am able to get my best results at a similarity setting of 24 (in this particular case.)

Here is the resulting processed video:

http://www.cyberauto.com/tmp/9JanTry3Raw17.m2t (about 37 MB)

As you see, there remains a green aura around the edges, and portions of my skin are transparent. This sort of has me boggled, because those seem like two opposing extremes. I can't increase the similarity number or else I will become more transparent. I can't decrease it or the aura will increase. Just as disappointing, the resulting video does not have the same HD look as the raw video. The seat itself somehow takes on a dusty/dirty appearance.

I have played with various filters but have not found they make a huge difference. Likewise, I have played with the color correction and don't see much benefit there. Keep in mind that I may simply not know how to correctly adjust these.

I have invested a tremendous amount of time and a significant amount of money on this and really need to get better results. What is so discouraging is that when I look at videos describing the Chroma Key process on YouTube, the results look vastly better, despite the fact that the studio setup is positively amatuerish in comparison. One fellow was using green paper stapled to a wall, lit with two handheld shop lights. Another was using a muslin backdrop, but there were incredible wrinkles in it. Nonetheless, their results looked much better. There must be something I am doing wrong. Help!

[pvreditor]

I tried doing a chromakey with VideoStudio (version x3, I think) and was not blown away by the results. Like you, I fiddled with the settings to make it as best I could, but nothing made it look as good as I see elsewhere. Like you, I hope someone will come along to spell out the settings for a spot-on chromakey, since I would use it more if it was cleaner.

One suggestion I do have for you is to use a microphone for better audio. Perhaps you plan to use a mic and this test was just to demonstrate the quality of your chromakey. However, if you weren't planning to use a lavalier mic, you should. I got two Audio-Technica ATR3350 lavalier mics from Amazon for about $24 each, and they make for MUCH more professional sound in a shot like this. Here's a video I did where I'm standing in my yard, about 15 feet from the camera -- I used the Audio-Technica mic and recorded it on a small audio recorder. I took that audio file and synced it with the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAY52OUraMI

The ATR3350 mic has about 20 feet of cord and it's terminated with a standard 3.5mm mini-phone connector. It will plug right into your Canon camcorder and give you much more professional sound. I've used the mics on a dozen or more projects and they are still on the original "button" batteries.

Hope that helps!

Bob Kovacs
http://www.bobkovacs.com

[cmyer1234]

Yes, since I am still in the "get Chroma Key" working phase, but on my "to do" list in front of me is "microphone", which I wrote a couple weeks back. I definitely appreciate the recommendations--thanks!

Chris

[Ken Berry]

Just playing around a little, I wonder if you put your background image on overlay track 1, then the video on overlay track 2, and adjust both their sizes, then apply chroma key, whether the results would be any better? I can produce less green outline that way, with a much higher (70+) similarity setting. Sorry I can't post anything by way of image sample as I have no access to an upload site for the moment.

EDIT: I've been playing around with your videos a little more overnight. I tried them in Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 12 and if anything got a slightly worse result. The problem seems to be the irregular lighting of the green background cloth which changed the shades of green.

I also happen to have New Blue's Video Essentials I - IV filters, and in pack II there is a chroma key filter with more - and more sensitive -- controls. (I confess I had never noticed it before as my normal chroma keying with the inbuilt VS filter worked fine for titles!) Just a little playing around with this filter produced what I think is a very good result, with almost no noticeable green around your head. There was some pixelation on the auto seat and carpet, but I suspect that if I played around with the sensitive New Blue controls a little more, those problems could be eradicated.

New Blue allows people to test their filters, so you may want to think about that option...

[cmyer1234]

Thanks for the input. I have downloaded the VideoEssentials that has the ChromaKey filter in it. Not very intuitively obvious, instructions not much better, but after an hour or so of playing with it I got pretty good results. Here's the problem--if I have to pay $129 (less a 15% discount) to make Corel VideoStudio do what it is advertised to do then I would probably be better advised to invest my money in a product that works out of the box, no? I hate to sound harsh, and I am a really big fan of Corel products, but this is pretty disappointing.

Anyone have anything else I can try?

[cmyer1234]

Ok, so I contacted Corel technical support (I'm still within my 90-day purchase window.) They wanted to help, and the fellow spent quite a bit of time with me on the phone--with no improvement in results. He went higher for help and they recommended I use Pinnacle Studio. So, I downloaded the trial of version 16 and bang, right out of the box and with virtually zero tweaking, it works far better than VideoStudio X5. I know that the one side-by-side review I have seen of PS and VS has indicated that VS was better, but that was comparing PS v15 to VS X4. I would have to say that PS is a vastly better product. Not quite as easy to use, but much more capability and more professional results, at least for my application.

[canuck]

I don't think there is a single video editing/authoring program that will have all the features you want, at least not at this beginners level for that price. I have 4 different programs and each one has strength and weaknesses. I don't think I would ever say that one program is superior to any other.