Color corrections decreasing video quality

[schwizer]

I made a time lapse video which I then saved as a .VSP file. Then i open a new project and import the VSP file as a video. Then I made some color corrections including an extra point or two of saturation, contrast and brightness. After exporting the video as a 1920x1080 WMV or MP4, i notice a significant reduction in quality compared to the ones where i did not make color corrections. The video appears blurrier like it was exported at a lower resolution. Modifying any of the sliders appears to trigger the effect. I duplicated the problem with a time lapse project consisting of just 5 pictures so there is nothing else in the project. No animations, titles or anything.

Any idea why this is happening?

Schwizer

[BrianCee]

I am not sure if I'm reading your post correctly - but you say "I imported the .vsp as a video" -- does that mean you put a vsp into the timeline - WHY ?

a .vsp is not a video it is a text file - if you want to do more work on a project - or if you want to use a previous project then you just go "File >> Open" browse to your project and select it and your previous project will appear in the timeline for editing. if you do not want to overwrite your previous project then "File >> Save as" will allow you to create a new .vsp with a different name which you can do what you want in.

Importing a .vsp into the timeline may well be the source of your problem.

[Kingston]

Do you have any added on graphics cards? The reason I ask is that my display is hooked up (HDMI) to the primary AMD on-chip graphics, but I added an Nvidia PCI-e card for experimentation. No display is hooked up to the Nvidia. When I do color corrections such as you describe, the quality is degraded. If I disable the Nvidia graphics, the quality is not degraded.

[schwizer]

I am following this guide on youtube step for step. I may be using the wrong terminology but the step i'm referring to is at 7:25 in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0uA216CwBI

I don't have an added on graphics card.

Schwizer

[Kingston]

Okay. I believe the problem is that the VSP project settings are by default 720x480 or 720x576. When you insert a VSP project into the timeline, you no longer have "hi-def" images on a timeline. The VSP is treated like a video file with 720x480 or 720x576 frame sizes. As you know, scaling up from 720 to 1920 is going to look not so good. If you are going to insert VSP projects into the timeline, you should change their project settings to hi-def 1920x1080 before you even begin the stop motion sequence.

To change the project settings to 1920x1080, you have to select Settings > Project Properties > Edit File Format: Microsoft AVI Files (instead of MPEG files). Click the Edit button, select the General Tab, change the frame size to 1920x1080. Remember that this is for the VSP file that you will eventually insert into the timeline in a new project.

Much simpler would be to share the time-lapse sequence to a regular video file (1920x1080) file before color corrections, then insert that video file into the timeline of a new project and add the color correction there. The method in the Youtube video is clever, but may or may not be the best way to do it -- you can decide for yourself.

[schwizer]

Thank you that seems to be working. If i export the video as a regular file (1920x1080) and then insert it into the timeline of a new project, make corrections, and export it again, will I reduce the quality of the video by exporting it twice?

Schwizer