Finished video artifacted [Closed, unresolved]

[Jourei]

Greetings!

I have researched for a good while now and just can not figure out any option to get rid of light artifacting.
This is most apparent near text, especially in the video which is visible between the letters. I'm certain this is an issue in the rendering since VLC, MPCHC and Windows Media Player all display the artifacts.

I should be able to provide an example soon enough, currently uploading to YouTube and hoping the video doesn't get modified too heavily in the process. If this doesn't work, I'll cut some bits for download.

I'm filming with a GoPro, uploaded with a USB cable. Video is MP4, 30109 kbps with 128 kbps audio, can not tell audio type.
My preferred setting is AVCHD (1920x1080, 60p) and I use Corel VideoStudio Pro X6 on Windows 7.
Project properties:
NTSC double (60 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 bits, 1920 x 1080, 60 fps
Upper Field First
Intel Indeo® Video 4.5
15 Key frame rate:, 100% Quality
PCM, 48,000 kHz; 16 bits; Stereo

Essential PC specs:
Windows 7, Home Premium 64 bit.
Intel i7-2600K CPU @ 3,40GHz (8 CPUs)
16GB of RAM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
2TB+ of hard drive capacity.

Have you had similar issues? How did, or how would you try to fix it?
Do ask if there is anything unclear. I dearly wish to have this issue gone.

Update: So I upgraded from X6 to X8, partially to bypass this issue. This thread is now closed as unresolved.

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums!

I am a little puzzled, though, about your project settings. Why have you chosen those precise settings, and more specifically why on earth are you setting it for Microsoft AVI files? If this was just because using AVI as the format allowed you to change the Project Settings to what you wanted? If so, there is a much better, and easier, way to go, and one which might also get rid of your artifacts.

I have a GoPro Hero 3 which like yours already films in your preferred AVCHD format, though it uses the .mp4 extension. However, the files are definitely produced with the H.264 codec and so are AVCHD.

First, I make sure, in Preferences > General, to tick the box beside "Show message when inserting first video clip into timeline". Then, when I start a new project and insert my first Hero clip, I get a message asking if I want the Project Properties to match those of the clip. I say yes, and that's it -- your project properties will now be exactly the same as your original video. You then do your editing, add your text and anything else, then when satisfied, select Share > Same As Project Properties. Your resulting video will again have exactly the same properties as the originals. And the artifacts should no longer be there. I do this all the time with my GoPro footage and have never had one single problem.

[Jourei]

Welcome to the forums!

Thank you!

... and more specifically why on earth are you setting it for Microsoft AVI files?

I actually never chose the AVI setting, only first found out about that in the 'Read this before posting'-thread. Can't really explain the project settings beyond this.
Edit: It appears that VideoStudio changes it to AVI itself, when I choose to edit in 60p. I believe this is the only way to create a 60p video, right?

First, I make sure, in Preferences > General, to tick the box beside "Show message when inserting first video clip into timeline". Then, when I start a new project and insert my first Hero clip, I get a message asking if I want the Project Properties to match those of the clip. I say yes, and that's it -- your project properties will now be exactly the same as your original video. You then do your editing, add your text and anything else, then when satisfied, select Share > Same As Project Properties. Your resulting video will again have exactly the same properties as the originals. And the artifacts should no longer be there. I do this all the time with my GoPro footage and have never had one single problem.

Thank you for this tip, will render in project settings next. I though never get the message asking about matching the project properties though I just ticked the box in Preferences.

I now set my previous project to create video with same as first video clip to see if that makes sense.

So the video I uploaded yesterday is now visible and YouTube did it's thing. The artifacts are definitely there. Link!
The issue is most obvious in the beginning, near the FB and twitter handles. Please respect the fact that this video is unlisted.

[lata]

Hi Jourei

I took the approach of looking at your location that seems to be Finland, is that correct.
Finland uses Pal at 25 / 50 fps, so you should have installed the program to use Pal standards.

The properties you provided show as Ntsc / 60fps, I assume that to be the original recordings from the camera.

It is possible that you have rendered / converted the video to the wrong frame rate.

Viewing YT does seem there is a slight jutter when playing the video.

Can you confirm the original video properties and the settings you used to convert / render your video.

[Jourei]

I took the approach of looking at your location that seems to be Finland, is that correct.
Finland uses Pal at 25 / 50 fps, so you should have installed the program to use Pal standards.

That is correct. I can't imagine that this would affect anything in this case? My videos will never air on TV or elsewhere than YouTube.

The properties you provided show as Ntsc / 60fps, I assume that to be the original recordings from the camera.

It is possible that you have rendered / converted the video to the wrong frame rate.

My GoPro records at 60 FPS, and I'm creating the video with the same framerate too, of course. I usually do not touch the properties or settings when editing a video, so could there be some automated step which might touch the numbers?.

Viewing YT does seem there is a slight jutter when playing the video.

Yes, YouTube does that and I hate it. Original video plays smoothly on all media players.

Can you confirm the original video properties and the settings you used to convert / render your video.

I believe it's mostly identical, excluding the data rate which is limited to 20000 kbps. Original video is almost 30000kbps.

[lata]

Hi

It was just a thought that if your program is installed to Pal then the default templates will use 25fps. Which may cause problems unless we manage the properties ourselves.

The video I viewed on TY looked a little jerky as though frames had been dropped and if its not a frame rate issue it may be the AVI options you have chosen

Using “Show message when inserting first video clip into timeline” as recommended by Ken is the way to go.

[Ken Berry]

My GoPro records at 60 FPS, and I'm creating the video with the same framerate too, of course. I usually do not touch the properties or settings when editing a video, so could there be some automated step which might touch the numbers?

I don't think you have mentioned which exact model of the Hero you have. But my Hero 3 Black Edition can be set to use either PAL or NTSC settings. I set it for PAL 50 fps. In reality, though, especially since you are mostly uploading your finished product to YouTube, it doesn't really matter whether you use 50 or 60 fps as long as the output product matches the original frame rate. That also applies to direct playback of the product on a HDTV via an external hard drive or USB stick drive, and regardless of whether your HDTV is PAL or NTSC.

I also have to add here that originally, in my earlier posts above, I had not noticed that you are using VS X6. Some of my comments above were based on the erroneous assumption that you were using X8. Unfortunately, X6 does not have the ability to automatically match Project Properties to those of the first clip inserted where that clip is high def mp4. That only came with X7 and X8. So you cannot use Share > Same As Project Properties, though 'Same As First Clip" should still be a possibility.

Another possibility would be to make a template based on your GoPro footage using the Make Movie Template Manager in VS under Settings. When you click on that button and the dialogue box opens, ignore the New button (which is the normal way of using this tool) and choose instead the Add button. That brings up a smaller dialogue box with two small windows in it. The top one says File Path with a mysteriously labelled "..." button to its right. The idea is that you click on that button which allows you to navigate to one of your GoPro clips which you select. Its file path should now appear in that window. Below it, you give your new template a name. And OK out of it and the original dialogue box. Then when you have done your editing and want to produce a new video you click on Share, and down the bottom of the dropdown menu of formats, you should see your new Custom format. You choose that and this should produce a new file with precisely the properties of your original video.

A note of caution, though: once you have made that custom template, you cannot edit it. If you do, it reverts to standard def DVD properties and you would have to create a new custom template the same way as above.

[Jourei]

Sorry, my GoPro is a Hero 3 Black. I checked and it is set to record in NTSC.
Also, I would gladly use a newer version of VS, but I understand I can not just upgrade it for free. Not even for a discount, which is beyond me...

I went to give your another possibility a try. Turns out that it does not properly recognize the original GoPro footage. If I change the file type from All Formats to All Files, the videos do show up, but it will give me an error: "File format mismatch". Any idea why this might be?


Going a bit off topic here, but can you explain me why, in Project Properties, choosing MPEG files as Edit file format only goes up to 720x480 and 30 FPS?

[Ken Berry]

Sorry, my GoPro is a Hero 3 Black. I checked and it is set to record in NTSC.

If you look closely at your Black's menu, you will find it really does offer a choice between PAL/NTSC 50/60 fps... I really don't think GoPro manufacture a PAL model and an NTSC model, and you just happened to buy an NTSC one...

Turns out that it does not properly recognize the original GoPro footage. If I change the file type from All Formats to All Files, the videos do show up, but it will give me an error: "File format mismatch". Any idea why this might be?

I got my Hero 3 when I was still using X6 and the only time I got a "file formal mismatch" error was when using an unusual frame size in the Hero e.g. 1280 x 960 (instead of 1280 x 720) or 1920 x 1440 (instead of 1920 x 1080). These also give rise to the same error in X7 and X8. Were you by any chance using one of those frame sizes?

Going a bit off topic here, but can you explain me why, in Project Properties, choosing MPEG files as Edit file format only goes up to 720x480 and 30 FPS?

It's not really going off-topic. It does this because of the same limitation I mentioned in my last post, namely that in X6 you couldn't get a message asking if you wanted the Project Properties to match those of the first clip if that first clip was high resolution mp4. Earlier versions of VS were written at a time before high definition had emerged, and I'm afraid Corel was very slow in updating the basic code, despite high definition emerging around the time they bought Video Studio from Ulead (around the time VS 10 came out). As users we were constantly urging Corel to update the code. We did that on the open forums and some of us also did it as beta testers for consecutive versions. But it wasn't until X7 that Corel finally started listening to us. By then nearly everyone was using high definition cameras, and 4K had also emerged. But for users with earlier versions, including X6, they were stuck with default project properties which were linked almost exclusively to standard definition video...and all sorts of workarounds had to be found to bypass these limitations.

[Jourei]

I got my Hero 3 when I was still using X6 and the only time I got a "file formal mismatch" error was when using an unusual frame size in the Hero e.g. 1280 x 960 (instead of 1280 x 720) or 1920 x 1440 (instead of 1920 x 1080). These also give rise to the same error in X7 and X8. Were you by any chance using one of those frame sizes?

Nope, they're all 1920x1080.

So you mentioned X6 does not properly support HD, but newer versions do. Getting a new one would be one way to certainly fix my issues?

[Ken Berry]

No I didn't say that at all. X6 could certainly edit and produce HD video. But for some formats, it was not a straight-forward process. But then, later versions certainly handle a wider variety of formats in a much more direct (and thus easier) way.

[Jourei]

The suggestion was actually my own idea.

But going back to the original topic, I don't think I still have an idea how to fix the quality and remove the artifacts.

[lata]

Hi

I am away from my pc for a few days I don't have X6 installed to check settings, at the moment using the laptop

some things to check............

Right click a clip in the timeline and choose properties, what are they, sorry if you have already provided those details.

Are you able to set your project properties to match your video files properties?
If not MP4 can you try Mpeg Transport Stream instead of AVI.

Using Make Movie Templates Manager, does the Add option allow you to choose one of your video files, that would create a template using your files properties?
You would use that template to render your files, rendering using the same settings as the original should retain the same quality.

Also when you share, is the option for Same As First Clip available?

Video Studio installation, we established you are in a Pal country, but can I assume the program has been installed using NTSC settings.
Easily done as the installer defaults to Ntsc, not really a problem but nice to know?

[Jourei]

Right click a clip in the timeline and choose properties, what are they, sorry if you have already provided those details.

Plenty of text, so here's an image. Makes it easier for you too:

Are you able to set your project properties to match your video files properties?
If not MP4 can you try Mpeg Transport Stream instead of AVI.

Only AVI or MPEG, whereas AVI restricts to 30 FPS and small resolution.

Using Make Movie Templates Manager, does the Add option allow you to choose one of your video files, that would create a template using your files properties?
You would use that template to render your files, rendering using the same settings as the original should retain the same quality.

We tried this but I get a "file formal mismatch" error. MP4 does not appear supported here?

Also when you share, is the option for Same As First Clip available?

Yep! I've taken the habit to render with that option instead in the future. Re-renders with the video I've presented still left the artifacts there.

Video Studio installation, we established you are in a Pal country, but can I assume the program has been installed using NTSC settings.
Easily done as the installer defaults to Ntsc, not really a problem but nice to know?

Where can I check this to be sure? I'm quite certain the installation was in Ntsc too since I tend to default to that too.

I hope any of these help.