Loss Of Quality Rendering 4K 60fps

[si2belldart]

Hi I am using Video Studio Ultimate 2018.

I have a DJI pocket 2 camera which films in 4k 60fps in a format of MP4. I produced a project and use the 'same settings as original' clip option when first importing the video clip on the timeline as Video Studio doesnt allow me to create a template in a high enough quality. This pretty much matches the orginal video file in all but the kbps which shows in the VS project as 99999kbps. The original video file shows a similar bit rate (Sometimes slightly higher sometimes slightly lower) and all the other details appear to match. When I render the project i choose the 'same as project settings' option and enable smart render. When I have finished rendering it to an mp4 file I notice that depsite having set the project settings to match the orignal clip the finished mp4 has a bit rate of 31759kbps which is much lower than the project settings /original footage. I save this to a hard drive and watch it on a Samsung 4K Smart TV. I notice that it can appear grainy at the edge of a road for example. For a while I thought it might be the camera having problems processing the light but having watched raw footage on the same TV it doesn't appear grainy and is better qaulity. I am wondering if this is down to the difference in bit rate bewteen the project/ original footage and the finished MP4 and if there is any way the original bit rate can be reproduced in the finished MP4. Thanks for any help.

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums.

I am wondering if you have tried rendering using "Same As First Clip" instead of "Same As Project Settings", and whether that gives you better quality.

[tletter]

I have a DJI pocket 2 camera which films in 4k 60fps in a format of MP4 ... I notice that depsite having set the project settings to match the orignal clip the finished mp4 has a bit rate of 31759kbps which is much lower than the project settings /original footage.

The DJI Pocket 2 camera uses a variable bit rate codec which may account for what your getting.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[Ken Berry]

tletter -- I would have thought most cameras use a variable bitrate. Or are you talking about variable frame rate?

[tletter]

tletter -- I would have thought most cameras use a variable bitrate. Or are you talking about variable frame rate?

The OP stated that the "finished mp4 has a bit rate of 31759kbps which is much lower than the project settings /original footage." With a variable bit rate codec, the actual recorded bit rate will change depending on the shot. W/O having the properties of the source and rendered clips, is it unreasonable to speculate the reported rendered bit rate of 31,759 Kbps may be correct as opposed to the 100 Mb/s that the OP thinks that it should be?

In any event, as you suggest, the OP should try render using "Same As First Clip" instead of "Same As Project Settings" to see if the quality improves.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[si2belldart]

Welcome to the forums.

I am wondering if you have tried rendering using "Same As First Clip" instead of "Same As Project Settings", and whether that gives you better quality.

Hi Ken Thanks for your reply. I hadnt so took your advice and gave it a try. The good news is it worked the bit rate matched the original and when I viewed it on the 4k TV it was as good as the original. The issue I have is that I often use a colour graphic with titles running over it at the start of my film. This seems to cause an issue when using smart rendering and pixelates heavily. If I dont smart render it takes a long time to render and the quality isnt as good as the original the bit rate reverting to one much lower than the original. Any ideas how I can smart render without this pixelating?

[si2belldart]

I have a DJI pocket 2 camera which films in 4k 60fps in a format of MP4 ... I notice that depsite having set the project settings to match the orignal clip the finished mp4 has a bit rate of 31759kbps which is much lower than the project settings /original footage.

The DJI Pocket 2 camera uses a variable bit rate codec which may account for what your getting.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

Hi Thanks for your reply. Your right it does but its in very similar parameters nowhere near as low as the bit rate produced the rendered clips.

[Ken Berry]

The good news is it worked the bit rate matched the original and when I viewed it on the 4k TV it was as good as the original. The issue I have is that I often use a colour graphic with titles running over it at the start of my film.

In fact, when we say "Same as First Clip" that is just a shortened form of what is really there: "Same as First Video Clip". So it is your first actual video clip which controls the Properties when you use this command, not a colour matte with a title over it. So I wonder, if you use Same As First Video Clip, whether the quality of the opening title improves. I suspect, though, that you would need to experiment with Smart Render both enabled and disabled in order to be able to compare properly.

[si2belldart]

The good news is it worked the bit rate matched the original and when I viewed it on the 4k TV it was as good as the original. The issue I have is that I often use a colour graphic with titles running over it at the start of my film.

In fact, when we say "Same as First Clip" that is just a shortened form of what is really there: "Same as First Video Clip". So it is your first actual video clip which controls the Properties when you use this command, not a colour matte with a title over it. So I wonder, if you use Same As First Video Clip, whether the quality of the opening title improves. I suspect, though, that you would need to experiment with Smart Render both enabled and disabled in order to be able to compare properly.

I used the same as first clip option. One with Smart rendering which produced the pixelation. Then without smart rendering which stopped the pixelation but reduced the quality. I am going to try and use a video clip to open the film and see if that works.

[Ken Berry]

Thanks for doing that. It's strange, though, since what you do is exactly the same as what I always do. Moreover, my computer is also a 4K one and I use 4K mp4, though at 50 fps since I am in a PAL country. While I don't use SmartRender, I use Same As First Clip, yet never get any loss of quality in the opening using a color matte and one of the Corel titles adjust to what I want it to say. Same with mattes and titles throughout the video and at the end...

[si2belldart]

Thanks for doing that. It's strange, though, since what you do is exactly the same as what I always do. Moreover, my computer is also a 4K one and I use 4K mp4, though at 50 fps since I am in a PAL country. While I don't use SmartRender, I use Same As First Clip, yet never get any loss of quality in the opening using a color matte and one of the Corel titles adjust to what I want it to say. Same with mattes and titles throughout the video and at the end...

I am at a total loss on this one. If I add anything at all titles / colour matte and use same as first video clip and smart render then the video starts with the matte pixelating the video runs behind (no picture but there is audio) and the film sticks on the matte pixelating at the top. If i do the same with no smart render then it works fine but the video quality is reduced. Some how if smart render is not used as an option the despite choosing same as first video the bit rate drops right down from the original bit rate producling low quality video. I just don't know where to go from here. It seems I either have to have good quality film with no titles or graphics at all or titles and graphics with low quality video.

[cybernick]

Thanks for doing that. It's strange, though, since what you do is exactly the same as what I always do. Moreover, my computer is also a 4K one and I use 4K mp4, though at 50 fps since I am in a PAL country. While I don't use SmartRender, I use Same As First Clip, yet never get any loss of quality in the opening using a color matte and one of the Corel titles adjust to what I want it to say. Same with mattes and titles throughout the video and at the end...

I am at a total loss on this one. If I add anything at all titles / colour matte and use same as first video clip and smart render then the video starts with the matte pixelating the video runs behind (no picture but there is audio) and the film sticks on the matte pixelating at the top. If i do the same with no smart render then it works fine but the video quality is reduced. Some how if smart render is not used as an option the despite choosing same as first video the bit rate drops right down from the original bit rate producling low quality video. I just don't know where to go from here. It seems I either have to have good quality film with no titles or graphics at all or titles and graphics with low quality video.

Do you have and NVIDIA or AMD GPU?

[lata]

si2belldart.

Are you able to render just the intro / tiltles etc. with no smart render.
Replace the main project intro with the new video then render the complete project with Smart Render should now use 100Mbps data rate.
Unfortunately the program does not fully support the higher data rate with a max of 65Mbps although we can trick the program in using the higher rate of 100Mbps, seems you have found an anomaly in that trick.

Do you have a 100mbps video you can share with us.
It one time I did have a few samples but for the life of me I cannot locate those on my PC.

[si2belldart]

Thanks for doing that. It's strange, though, since what you do is exactly the same as what I always do. Moreover, my computer is also a 4K one and I use 4K mp4, though at 50 fps since I am in a PAL country. While I don't use SmartRender, I use Same As First Clip, yet never get any loss of quality in the opening using a color matte and one of the Corel titles adjust to what I want it to say. Same with mattes and titles throughout the video and at the end...

I am at a total loss on this one. If I add anything at all titles / colour matte and use same as first video clip and smart render then the video starts with the matte pixelating the video runs behind (no picture but there is audio) and the film sticks on the matte pixelating at the top. If i do the same with no smart render then it works fine but the video quality is reduced. Some how if smart render is not used as an option the despite choosing same as first video the bit rate drops right down from the original bit rate producling low quality video. I just don't know where to go from here. It seems I either have to have good quality film with no titles or graphics at all or titles and graphics with low quality video.

Do you have and NVIDIA or AMD GPU?

I have an Intel Iris Plus Graphics

[si2belldart]

si2belldart.

Are you able to render just the intro / tiltles etc. with no smart render.
Replace the main project intro with the new video then render the complete project with Smart Render should now use 100Mbps data rate.
Unfortunately the program does not fully support the higher data rate with a max of 65Mbps although we can trick the program in using the higher rate of 100Mbps, seems you have found an anomaly in that trick.

Do you have a 100mbps video you can share with us.
It one time I did have a few samples but for the life of me I cannot locate those on my PC.

Hi Thanks for your reply. I have tried what you suggested using firstly the same as first video clip setting in rendering. This resulted in the bit rate being low again as the title film I rendered seperatley Im guessing is not able to repoduce the bit rate the film from my camera does. So i tried as projects settings which unsurprisingly produced the low bit rate as it always does. The only way I can render high bit rate is same as first video clip and smart rendering but not with any titles. I do have a small clip I can share with you but sorry I dont how to share that on here. Could you tell me how to do that?