• Compression Techniques

  SD to HD (kind of) workflow

  Posted by Dustin Daniels on November 21, 2008 at 5:48 pm

  Hello everyone,

  We are using the following workflow to produce content for streaming video. I’m posting this to see if there are any recommendations as to how we can become more efficient.

  We are shooting on a JVC GY-DV 5000 / Firestore FS-3, and editing within Premiere Pro 2.0 and CineForm (optional).

  Because the camera doesn’t not offer true 16:9 (it records black bars on the top and bottom of the 4×3 screen), we have to edit the project and then crop out the bars using a third party software like Mpeg streamclip.

  The actual workflow follows:
  1. Export Movie from PPro
  2. Import and crop out bars using Mpeg Streamclip and rendered out to a QT H.264
  3. Imported into FLIX for conversion to a FLV
  4. Uploaded to our server and player.

  Below is a sample of this very clumsy method:
  https://www.iplayerhd.com/player/e7563666-f08d-49fc-9893-9a767c985b30.aspx

  As you can see the quality is not as good as we would like it to be, especailly because our subject is not moving, but as he moves his hand, you can see the pixelation.

  Part of the problem is that we are trying to “uprez” this footage from a SD 16:9 to a player that fits 768×432.

  Thank you,
  -Dustin

  Dustin Daniels replied 17 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Daniel Low

  November 22, 2008 at 10:35 pm

  OK, a couple of things.

  1. Never upscale unless you positively absolutely have to. You don’t. If you have to upscale use only very high quality (i.e expensive) methods.

  2. Deinterlace – the ‘pixelation’ you refer to is in fact interlacing artifacts, not pixelation. You either haven’t applied a deinterlace filter or haven’t set it correctly.

  3.Correct your aspect ratio – you have stretched your footage slightly horizontally, probably in the process of cropping out the black bars.

  My advice to you, considering your content is ‘talking head’. Shoot 4:3 and deliver 4:3. Why give yourself a hard time? Move to 16:9 when you have a decent HD camera

  Lastly beware of legal eagles – the iPlayer name is taken, in a big way; – https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

  __________________________________________________________________
  Please post back saying what solved your problem. It could help others, and saying ‘thanks’ is free!
• 

  Dustin Daniels

  November 22, 2008 at 11:21 pm

  Thanks Daniel. I agree, trying not to upscale…the only reason we are is to fit our content within the iPlayer without the black bars.

  I thought I had the deinterlace feature checked, but now that you point that out, I’ll have to try again.

  I like to do things the hard way. 🙂 Like trying to make SD footage look HD within streaming video! HA!

  The iPlayer not’s mine…I’m just a client.

  Thanks again Daniel.
  -Dustin

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