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Cannot get flickering out of scrolling text and images
I cannot get the flickering out of my text and production logo image, SAG logo image, etc once I burn to a DVD in the scrolling end credits.
I export the video from Premiere 5.0 using the settings, Format: MPEG 2, Field Order: None (Progressive), and check Use Maximum Render Quality. The export plays perfectly. There is no flickering whatsoever. However, when I take this MPEG file and try to make a DVD with Encore 6, I get this flickering in my text and images.
I have also tried exporting my video from Premiere using Quicktime, MP4, AVI to no avail.
Just a little background. The movie was shot on a Sony V1U, 1080i. I captured the footage into Final Cut Express (footage is in .mov files), then upgraded to FCP. From there, I XML transferred the project to Premiere 5.0.
The computer I am using to create the DVD is a MacBook Pro Retina, Mid 2012. Processor 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM. OS X 10.8.2 It burns the disc onto a USB Superdrive.
The computer I export the video file from is a Mac Pro Mid 2010. Processor 2 X 2.4 GHz Quad=Core Intel Xeon with 26 GB of RAM. OS X Lion 10.7.5.
Any help I can get is appreciated. Thank you.
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8 Replies
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Since the source video is 1080i, how come you specified Progressive for the DVD? Usually LFF. Was the project edited as 1080i or 1080p? The Progressive output is deinterlacing your video, and that could be what is hurting the scrolls, making them 1/2 resolution in effect.
Thanks
Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers -
Thanks for your response Jeff.
I edited the film using the following sequence settings: HDV 1080i, 29:97, 1440×1080, 16:9, Pixel Aspect Ratio: HD Anamorphic 1080 (1.333), Fields: Upper Field First.
I used a Progressive sequence because that was the only settings I could export from and fix the flickering. However, burning to DVD in Encore re-introduced the flickering. Just so you know, the text also flickers during playback when I view in Premiere before the export.
I tried your advice and did the following export settings from Premiere:
1. Format: Quicktime, Video Codec: H.264, Field Type: Lower First
2. Format: Quicktime, Video Codec: H.264, Field Type: Upper First
3. Format: MPEG2, Preset: 1440x1080i 29.97 High Quality, Field Type: Upper
4. Format: MPEG2, Preset: Custom, Field Type: LowerThese did not work. Text and images still flicker.
Can you please recommend an appropriate export setting based on my sequence settings in Premiere for preparation to burn in Encore?
Thank you.
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Some more info: The text and image end credit scroll are being superimposed over the last scene of the movie before it fades to black. I also noticed that it is flickering in the Project Window when I playback in Premiere before exporting to Encore.
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Hi Dan,
The Export settings may not be the issue at all. Tell me more about the titles. If using Serif fonts (those with thin lines and tails on them), they’re going to flicker unfortunately. It is best to use Sans-serif fonts, as in thicker, block style text.
As you may know, interlaced TV displays split a frame into two fields, one with the odd lines and the other even. When scrolling text, the timing is very rarely perfect – the text does not move up a full scan line each frame, but rather is some in-between decimal, so when you have thin lines in the text, parts of the text appear to “turn on and off” when they fall between scan lines and therefore they flicker. That’s the most basic way to explain it.
I will use a font like Arial for credit rolls and they look just fine. Do a quick test project and see if this helps.
Thanks
Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers -
hey dan,
there are a few issues over here!1. what cam did you use for shooting? was it an HDV-cam, or any cam that uses anamorphic HD (1440×1080)?
2. if you used HDV your native resolution is 1440×1080 – it will be displayed using quicktime-decoder with 1920x1080px. HDV is an MPEG2HD-codec with long GOP.
3. 1080i is declared by spec as upper first, so you need to handle these interlaced lines all the time during your postproduction. if you would like to go progressive, you need to use a “deinterlace”-filter, but you´ll loose half resolution. simply said: don´t do this!
4. if you would like to create a DVD it´s the best way to go to scale down before you encode your video for DVD.
5. DVD-spec allows MPEG2 elementary streams, SD 720×480 for NTSC and 720×576 for PAL. so to use H264 gives you another generation with all it´s loose of quality. you need to create a user-preset within adobe media encoder that use upper field first for MPEG SD NTSC.
6. don´t use dynamic linking from premiere to go to encore.
so the most easy way would be:
a) export selfcontained mov out of FCP (same settings as source-material for yor sequenz)
b) downscale to NTSC SD (using FCP or Premiere or maybe AE)
c) import downscaled MOV into adobe media encoder
d) create M2V + AC3 using adobe media encoder with upper first
e) author your DVD with encore and the previously encoded assetsby the way: you might have a look at your SD-picture-quality of your HD-image. somtimes you need to reduce the picture-quality by using H- or V-blur (filter), as HD-picture is far to sharp for SD DVD and will result into flickering text or graphics.
cheers
danny
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Thank you for your help Jeff. The answer was using a different text.
I was already using a Sans-Serif, Helvetica, and Arial didn’t work well either. But “Poor Richard” did the trick. I can still see some slight flicker but changing the text alone improved my problem by 95%.
Thanks again.
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Hi Dan,
Glad I could help out. I used one of the first RT hardware edit solutions in the late 90s and the included titler was Inscriber CG, and I actually had to do complex math for each credit roll and get the scroll speed just right to achieve decent results or it looked nasty, so I’m no stranger to text issues. Spent many an hour dialing in the correct rates back in the day 😉
Just thought of another tip – don’t use “pure white” for the text, go with 235, 235, 235 instead. Will look slightly gray on computer screen, but looks white on TV. 100% white is too bright for many TVs to handle and makes problems worse.
Regards,
Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers -
Thank you for your detailed process to resolve the issue. Before I got your response, I got some advice to change the text which seemed to do the trick.
That being said, the other contributor and yourself made me take a second look at de-interlacing my footage. I was doing that because I felt I was getting a smoother playback (no interlacing) after I exported, but didn’t realize it was at the cost of reducing the resolution by half.
The record format on my Sony V1U is HDV 1080i and I have been using these settings in my sequence for editing and post-production.
I will try your recommendation of exporting as a MPEG SD NTSC Upper Field First for DVD production in Encore.
Thanks again for your feedback.
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