DJi Mavic 1080 video playback issues

[AspectCarl]

Hello all,

Have downloaded the 30 day trial version of Video Studio with the intention of doing some simple editing on my Lenovo laptop while away from home, will purchase the full version once I'm happy my platform is suitable.

I'm using a Lenovo X220 with core i7 2620M, 16Gb of memory, 250gb Samsung msata 850 evo and the inbuilt Intel 3000 HD GPU - all managed by Windows 7 Pro X64.

My media is DJi H.264 1920 x 1080 @29.7fps at a data rate of 36173 Kbps.

The issue I am having is that my media when played back in the preview window as project and also as shared rendered H.264 video suffers from artifacts and stuttering. The artifacts are most visible when the machine has recorded a 360 degree turn and can be observed on the upper left side and top right side.

Issue is NOT present if the preview window is playing back the clip or if I use VLC or Windows Media Player to play back my media - issue only occurs on media preview as "Project" and with finished rendered video. Rendered video is set for 1920 x 1080 at 29.7fps

Any recommendations please?

Carl

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forum, Carl.

Are you sure your video frame rate is 29.7 fps and not 29.97 fps? I ask because 29.97 is part of the international standard for NTSC high definition video, while 29.7 is not. The latter in fact indicates that the Mavic's camera is using a variable frame rate, and Video Studio has difficulty with that as it is designed to edit and produce video which conforms to the international standard.

In circumstances such as these, we advise people to use a video converter program like the freeware Handbrake or Format Factory, and convert to mp4 with much the same properties as the original, but using the standard frame rate of 29.97 fps. You could try it with a short clip to see if, when rendered, it no longer has the stuttering.

[AspectCarl]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the quick reply, yes a typo in my report for the FPS it is indeed 29.970. I've used Handbrake in the past for video conversion so I will follow your guidance.

Thanks again. All the best

Carl

[Ken Berry]

If the original video is 29.7 and the output video 29.97, then you need to follow my advice about conversion.

However, if both videos are 29.97 fps, then I suggest you make sure you have SmartProxy enabled in Preferences. That would create standard def copies ("proxies") of your original high def video. The proxies play smoothly and are easy to edit. But they take a while to create so you need to be patient. But after you are satisfied with the edits, they are applied to the originals which hopefully should also now come out smoothly too.

[lata]

Hi Carl

Just to add a comment regarding Smart proxy.
Once enabled Proxy files will be created for the clips when they are added to the timelines.
For clips already on the timeline or library, right click the clip for Create Smart Proxy Files.
A small double looking icon will show on the clip indicating proxy files are being used.

[AspectCarl]

Sadly despite running this through handbrake and setting a constant frame rate and setting up smart proxy I couldn't get a good result. Thanks everyone for their contributions, I'll try it on the desktop in various applications when I get home tonight.

[coreleire]

I think I have the same or a similar issue.

Not sure if proxy will help as I can playback fine in VS.

Where I see the issue is the exported file (29.97 fps on both) is juttery especially noticeable on panning or yawing but its there all the time.

I use settings from the first clip option so that should have the same settings as the original file.

The original file is buttery smooth on panning so not sure whats going on.

Why cant the output be the same as the original file.

Not happy....

[weaver]

What standards do you use for editing - 25 or 29,97 fps? Maybe there is a conflict.
If you have a problems only by panning etc ( the whole picture is in motion), there is a bandwidth issue between the graphic processor and the source.
In most cases I have to remove the fisheye distortion from the quad videos ( Prodrenalin) after that the video is more stable. I do not have the Mavic yet- but next week I will get one, I will test....

[Ken Berry]

I use settings from the first clip option so that should have the same settings as the original file.

I'm just wondering if you could check whether your output video is in progressive mode or interlaced. If it is the latter, then when you right click on the new clip in VS, its Properties would include Upper Field First. If it is progressive, it would not show an field order i.e. there would not be Upper Field First in its Properties. If UFF is in fact there, I would try outputting a file using 29.97p or even 59.94p (rounded up to 60p) to see if that gets rid of the juddering.

[coreleire]

If you mean progressive mode (NTSC) or interlaced (PAL) then Im on PAL.

I even output to various 1080p settings and it still stutters when panning.

I tried windows movie maker and no stutter at all (like the original) in 1080p and 4k.

Definitely something wrong in Video Studio 2018 ultimate.

[Ken Berry]

If you mean progressive mode (NTSC) or interlaced (PAL) then Im on PAL.

No -- progressive is video where each frame is a full frame -- you get everything all at once, lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and so on. Interlaced means you get half the lines of a frame broadcast first (if Upper Frame First, then lines 1, 3, 5, 7 etc) followed a microsecond later by lines 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. This can lead to extra stutter, especially in fast panning shots.

You say you are in a PAL country -- that uses 25 frames per second, or 50 frames per second, and either can be 25 full frames or 50 interlaced frames, or 50 full frames per second. Yet you seem to be using video which is NTSC (29.97 fps, sometimes called 30 fps, or 60 fps...)

In fact, if your VS is set up with the PAL settings yet you are using NTSC video, then perhaps your output is set to use PAL settings instead of the NTSC of the video. And this too can cause stuttering since to get from 29.97 fps down to 25 fps, VS has to in effect throw away almost five frames per second, which if there is fast action/panning on screen can look erratic (or stuttering) to the human eye...

[coreleire]

I think The problem is sorted.

Searching online there is an issue with DJI footage in several editing applications due to DJI recording with variable frame rate.

When I add the video to an empty timeline the application doesn't ask to change the project settings due to what I can only see as the software not being able to work out the constant frame rate.

When I add a non DJI sample 4k 30fps video to a blank timeline it asks me do I want to change the project settings which when I say yes and even remove the sample clip and add in DJI 4k clips the render is perfect.

I have to choose "SAME AS PROJECT SETTINGS" as the export as using "SAME AS FIRST CLIP" option gives me the stuttery export video.

[weaver]

I do not know what is the problem with the Mavic. The latest Spark is fully compatible with VS.

Here is a video with sequences from Spark (29,97 fps) and a standard PAL HD (25i)

https://youtu.be/Oh7esZOsTT8



And here are the pure shots from Phantom 4 k

https://youtu.be/bZFuJENxtUQ

I do not know, why the major quad manufacturer cannot offer standard video formats for European users. My 3rd quad from Horizon has no problem to create videos with European standards.