Vibrating images in slideshow
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lucycocker
Vibrating images in slideshow
In my DVD slideshows (MF3), many but not all images show tiny pulsating movements (vibrations) when played back on computer or TV, almost in time with the backgound music. This seems to occur mostly in photos with fine detail in the background. Is this a bug or a feature?
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heinz-oz
Every week or so we answer a number of posts concerning this very problem. Do a search and see how many threads there are.
I'm getting sick and tired of repeating myself over and over again. Sorry, had to get that off my chest first.
Look here for example:http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... ht=flicker
I'm getting sick and tired of repeating myself over and over again. Sorry, had to get that off my chest first.
Look here for example:http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... ht=flicker
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lucycocker
Vibrating images in slideshow
Thanks for your comment - I'd call it a bug, but I am not sure why you think your solution is valid.
It happens on both computer and TV. My field is lower first. Some photos are fine - it is an unpredictable event.
Since I have no intention of editing all my photos with some filter in PhotoImpact, I guess you would say I am stuck with the problem.
It happens on both computer and TV. My field is lower first. Some photos are fine - it is an unpredictable event.
Since I have no intention of editing all my photos with some filter in PhotoImpact, I guess you would say I am stuck with the problem.
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lucycocker
Vibrating pulsating flicker jitter shimmer in slideshow
After a little research, a lot has been written on flicker problems in DVD slideshows displaying on TV which use interlace scanning technology. It is variably referred to as interfield twitter, interlace flicker or motion or aliasing artifacts. If the software's built-in anti-flicker filter doesn't work too well (as in VideoFactory) the videophiles' accepted work-around is to use a blurring or anti-aliasing filter in their favorite image processing software, at the same time reducing the image clarity.
However some slideshow software may not produce any flicker at all and have good images, as commented by others in this forum (eg. Photodex ProShow Gold). This may be due to effective anti-flicker filtering or perhaps a better sub-sampling algorithm to make DVD resolution from high resolution photos, or perhaps a better mpeg rendering engine?
Since I am not an expert, it is confusing because not all flickering in stills seems to be due to the laws of interface scanning. Some vibrating or pulsating or shimmering effects evident in my VideoFactory slideshows are unpredictable and not even reproducable, seemingly unrelated to thin pixels.
If TV interlace scanning was the only problem, I would expect that 100Hz displays or progressive scan displays or plasmas or LCD displays would be immune to flickering DVD stills. Yet my LCD monitor has the same pulsating problem as my TV.
Some forum users have suggested CBR in place of VBR rendering has improved their still images in VideoFactory.
If all else fails, I may need to give Ulead the flick.
However some slideshow software may not produce any flicker at all and have good images, as commented by others in this forum (eg. Photodex ProShow Gold). This may be due to effective anti-flicker filtering or perhaps a better sub-sampling algorithm to make DVD resolution from high resolution photos, or perhaps a better mpeg rendering engine?
Since I am not an expert, it is confusing because not all flickering in stills seems to be due to the laws of interface scanning. Some vibrating or pulsating or shimmering effects evident in my VideoFactory slideshows are unpredictable and not even reproducable, seemingly unrelated to thin pixels.
If TV interlace scanning was the only problem, I would expect that 100Hz displays or progressive scan displays or plasmas or LCD displays would be immune to flickering DVD stills. Yet my LCD monitor has the same pulsating problem as my TV.
Some forum users have suggested CBR in place of VBR rendering has improved their still images in VideoFactory.
If all else fails, I may need to give Ulead the flick.
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heinz-oz
I fail to see where VBR would give a better result than CBR, since we are talking about stills.
What are your project settings? Do you use frame based settings or field order? What are your image sizes?
You may well be right that there are better programs around to produce slide shows, don't know. I use MSP 7.3 and the things I suggested worked for me. I only author my rendered mpegs to DVD with MF. After all, MF does not claim to be a slide show program nor is it limited to that. If your only concern is with slide shows, you claim to have heard of some programs that do that kind of thing very well, why don't you go for that?
If I had made up my mind about a different program than Ulead, I wouldn't come here looking for confirmation that I'm right. It usually suffices that I think I'm right
What are your project settings? Do you use frame based settings or field order? What are your image sizes?
You may well be right that there are better programs around to produce slide shows, don't know. I use MSP 7.3 and the things I suggested worked for me. I only author my rendered mpegs to DVD with MF. After all, MF does not claim to be a slide show program nor is it limited to that. If your only concern is with slide shows, you claim to have heard of some programs that do that kind of thing very well, why don't you go for that?
If I had made up my mind about a different program than Ulead, I wouldn't come here looking for confirmation that I'm right. It usually suffices that I think I'm right
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lucycocker
Vibrating pulsating flickering images in slideshow
It may come as a surprise to Herr Heinz when I report that exporting my slideshows to CBR mpeg files has apparently fixed the pulsating images. Why is it so?
FYI I am using MF3.5 deluxe. My DVD project consists of several video mpegs generated in VS8 and several slideshows comprising a few hundred photos, originally 2048x1536 res. My MF preferences are Anti-flicker filter: On, Resampling: Best. The slideshows have fade transitions (not available in MF4?). The MF mpeg conversion properties are: 24Bits; 720x576; 25fps; DVD-PAL; 4:3; VBR 7k; Audio AC3; Quality setting 80%. My system is P4, 3.2Mhz, 1Gb. 2x160Gb. None of this is relevant to the problem of occasional pulsating images.
I have worked hard to fathom the problem and finally this procedure worked. I exported each slideshow from MF as an mpeg file using both VBR 7k and CBR 6k. The VBR mpeg had the same vibrating images. The CBR mpeg fixed some vibrating images but introduced flickering transitions in one file. After retrying I was able to produce mpegs of my slideshows with no image or transition flickering. Then I created a new MF project with mpegs of movies and mpegs of slideshows and wrote to VOBs using VBR 7k. It worked fine. What does this indicate?
Until someone has experienced this problem, they will find it difficult to comprehend. The evidence points to an unstable mpeg generator in MF - the pulsating slideshow image problem is a bug which is intermittent and unpredictable. It occurs on one computer but not on another using the same slides. It just so happens that I was able to beat it using the procedure I described.
FYI Herr Heinz, the reason I have persisted with MF is that I have used it for a long time, it has features which make life easy for non-professionals and I really did want it to live up to its name - MovieFactory - a production factory for slideshows as well as videos. Unfortunately luck may play a large role in getting a good result.
FYI I am using MF3.5 deluxe. My DVD project consists of several video mpegs generated in VS8 and several slideshows comprising a few hundred photos, originally 2048x1536 res. My MF preferences are Anti-flicker filter: On, Resampling: Best. The slideshows have fade transitions (not available in MF4?). The MF mpeg conversion properties are: 24Bits; 720x576; 25fps; DVD-PAL; 4:3; VBR 7k; Audio AC3; Quality setting 80%. My system is P4, 3.2Mhz, 1Gb. 2x160Gb. None of this is relevant to the problem of occasional pulsating images.
I have worked hard to fathom the problem and finally this procedure worked. I exported each slideshow from MF as an mpeg file using both VBR 7k and CBR 6k. The VBR mpeg had the same vibrating images. The CBR mpeg fixed some vibrating images but introduced flickering transitions in one file. After retrying I was able to produce mpegs of my slideshows with no image or transition flickering. Then I created a new MF project with mpegs of movies and mpegs of slideshows and wrote to VOBs using VBR 7k. It worked fine. What does this indicate?
Until someone has experienced this problem, they will find it difficult to comprehend. The evidence points to an unstable mpeg generator in MF - the pulsating slideshow image problem is a bug which is intermittent and unpredictable. It occurs on one computer but not on another using the same slides. It just so happens that I was able to beat it using the procedure I described.
FYI Herr Heinz, the reason I have persisted with MF is that I have used it for a long time, it has features which make life easy for non-professionals and I really did want it to live up to its name - MovieFactory - a production factory for slideshows as well as videos. Unfortunately luck may play a large role in getting a good result.
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heinz-oz
Peace. Miss Lucy
you can call me just Heinz or, if you prefer, Mr. and you don't have to clapp your heals either. I may have a German name but I'm quite human and live in Australia. There is no Herr Heinz here.
I'm glad you did manage to work out what your problem was. You may even be right that it is a bug. The fact that your approach fixed it for you and my approach fixed it for me and some others, I should add, does not mean that either of us is wrong. It just shows that the problem is a lot more complex than any of us have thought.
Incidentally, I didn't say VBR would be better than CBR, on the contrary. I just couldn't see wher VBR would give a better result, because we were talking about stills. That's neither here nor there of course and we should put it away.
Once again, I'm happy that you were able to sort out your problem, inspite of my "attempt" to help. As you said yourself, It's hard to judge a problem unless you are faced with it.
Good luck and success with your future projects. Have fun.
you can call me just Heinz or, if you prefer, Mr.
and you don't have to clapp your heals either. I may have a German name but I'm quite human and live in Australia. There is no Herr Heinz here. I'm glad you did manage to work out what your problem was. You may even be right that it is a bug. The fact that your approach fixed it for you and my approach fixed it for me and some others, I should add, does not mean that either of us is wrong. It just shows that the problem is a lot more complex than any of us have thought.
Incidentally, I didn't say VBR would be better than CBR, on the contrary. I just couldn't see wher VBR would give a better result, because we were talking about stills. That's neither here nor there of course and we should put it away.
Once again, I'm happy that you were able to sort out your problem, inspite of my "attempt" to help. As you said yourself, It's hard to judge a problem unless you are faced with it.
Good luck and success with your future projects. Have fun.