Panning/Zooming on hi-res photos

[RebelTerry]

I'm running VS X5 and I'm trying to make a slideshow with some very high resolution pictures (10,000 x 8,000 pixels) and export to h.264 (1920x1080). When I add a pan/zoom effect, however, the pictures are very "pixelated" when I zoom in, as though they are much, much lower rez. What am I doing wrong?

[lata]

Hi

I don’t think you are doing anything wrong, Video Studio project properties default to standard definition 720 x 576 (480)

When you add the HR image you are displaying it on a low res frame.

You could try setting the project properties to use AVI – no compression – user defined frame size to 1920 x 1080
That may improve the preview screen quality.

Even so zooming in is gonna lose further quality.
You could create a High Res of the zoom area to replace the original by cross fade, that may retain the quality.

The latest version VS X8 may be better having 4K editing? Setting project properties to 4K.
Then it depends on what you are trying to make a standard DVD, Bluray disc or internet use would retain the best quality.

[dtvp]

Excuse me for commentating only partially, as I don't have x5, only the latest software, but in x8 even when I set up a SD project I can zoom into a still photo and the resolution is re-sampled. This is using the Pan and Zoom tool available in the photo tab. I'm only using 4500x2500 pixel pictures.

I've seen this issue before in other software where the user is using an effect intended for video on a still picture. I've also seen issues where a very large photo can cause problems.

So I guess I'm asking what is the actual tool you are using to Pan and Zoom? Have you tried with a more conventionally sized photo?

Does X5 not have HD project settings, by the way?

[lata]

Hi dtvp

In theory you would expect zooming to a HD image would work ok but does seem to have its problems, Maps and retaining the text quality seem to suffer most, so I guess the image content is something to consider.

And yes VS X5 can only set its project properties to use 720 x 576 for Pal, properties are limited to Mpeg2 or AVI there is no option to use AVCHD , Mpeg4 as the project properties.

We can however render the project to 1920 x 1080 AVCHD

From Preferences (F6) set (edit tab) Resampling to Best does seem to improve render quality.

[dtvp]

OK, I thought I do a little experiment, and I see the problem the OP has even in x8. I can use a 4K photo in a Full HD project and zoom into it without losing resolution up to the point where the photo itself is looking grainy. However, I made a composite photo 13000*7500 and you can't zoom into it at all without seeing the "grain" immediately.

http://youtu.be/5Zxg5VPwfRE[url]http:// ... Zxg5VPwfRE[/url]

It seems that above a certain size VS just gives up and re-samples the photo down to the same resolution as the project.

Does anyone know what this limit is?

[lata]

Hi dtvp

Apologies for the delay in my reply, you seem to have summed up the problem with video studio handling HD images.

It does seem that the program strips the detail of images down to the project frame size, for HD 1920 x 1080
I did my own tests on the same lines as yourself creating a composite image 4 1n 1.
Using an image editor or viewer zooming in is no problem, ultimately to the zoomed image shows similar quality as the original.

Do the same in VS and the quality is very poor, it does appear the larger the image the worse the zoom effect, more detail is dropped when first inserting the image……..
I am sure Corel could address this by resampling the original image to re-use the spare pixels as we zoom, if you understand my meaning.

Another thing to consider is our PC monitor resolution, the preview screen does not show the full quality of our video files, only after rendering and playback on tv can we see that.
My monitor is 1680 x 1050, so even my 1920 x 1080 cannot view in full quality.
May be nit picking here……….
When I zoom in past the 1680 x 1050 area my image becomes soft focus, then out of focus to the point pf pixilation. That may be the limit you are referring to, not far to go from 1680.

[asik1]

All this is because VS is not resolution free. Once you set your project resolution this is the "window" VS will use.
Unlike, the now ancient, MS Photo Story 3 which can handle image size 72,300 x 7,200 pixels .
I believe this culprit is one of those things still left from Ulead dayz and will not be corrected by Corel unless a MAJOR re-write is done.

[dtvp]

Neither of these posts seem to acknowledge what I think I see (and show on YouTube). VS seems to work OK on photos larger then the project resolution - up to a certain size. I can use a 4K image and zoom into 2K and still get no degradation in a 2K/Full HD project.

There was a similar bug in Pinnacle Studio a few years ago, where once the photo resoultion got over a size that you wouldn't expect from a camera - in those days not much over what is HD, the program downsized the photo to the project resolution.

[foosinn]

Is there currently any fix availible to this? i have some panorama images that are up to 27136x2927px. I would like to do a scroll from left to right, but the resolution gets downsampled and i can see every pixel.

I use the program mostly for slideshows, so it's more or less useless to me.

Are there other programs that are captible to do that?

Neither of these posts seem to acknowledge what I think I see (and show on YouTube). VS seems to work OK on photos larger then the project resolution - up to a certain size. I can use a 4K image and zoom into 2K and still get no degradation in a 2K/Full HD project.

There was a similar bug in Pinnacle Studio a few years ago, where once the photo resoultion got over a size that you wouldn't expect from a camera - in those days not much over what is HD, the program downsized the photo to the project resolution.

[asik1]

foosinn try this freeware
http://www.photofilmstrip.org/1-1-Home.html

and post your reviews.

[lata]

Hi foosinn

and welcome to the forums....

Are you able to provide sample of the HD pana images?
You will have to upload to a sharing site as they will be larger than the forum will accept.