Improving video quality of old tape material

[Craig Seeman]

If only it were possible to “improve” video quality. Unfortunately there are compromises. This is especially so if you want to upscale to HD.

While there are various plugins to do uprez video to HD and fix various issues and remove noise, there’s nothing yet for FCPX.

NeatVideo’s noise reduction plugin will work in Motion 5 though
https://www.neatvideo.com/

Rather than uprez some will put the video in a frame.

[Alan Goodall]

Hi Craig

thanks for your speedy and informative reply! As I said, it is only in my dreams that I hope to ‘transform’ all my legacy material into HD! But, with the wonders of all the new software that is appearing I was hoping to say ‘sharpen’ the clips and make them look as good as possible. I realize that there will always be compromises – if only!

I have just looked at NeatVideo – and the improvements I saw look fine. I did not download Motion – but, I guess I should if you advise. Can I use this on existing clips in my events, in my edited projects – or only when I export?

So, what would be my best workflow method?

I am a ‘newbie’ to FCPX so forgive my ignorance!

PS Is there any news that NeatVideo have a plug in for FCPX in the pipe-line?

[Craig Seeman]

Their comment on FCPX support
https://www.neatvideo.com/news.html

The new 64-bit version of Final Cut Pro itself – FCP X – is not yet supported due to several bugs and missing features in the initial release of FCP X.
We hope that Apple will fix the discovered bugs and will add the missing features in one of the nearest updates of FCP X and then it will become possible to use Neat Video plug-in directly in FCP X. Until then, it is possible to run Neat Video in Motion 5 and then use the results in FCP X.

There’s no Send To Motion in FCPX (yet?) so you’d have to clean up in Motion and then export.

I don’t think there’s an uprezing plugin at all for FCPX. Perhaps RedGiant’s InstantHD will be ported.
https://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/magic-bullet-instant-hd/

[Alan Goodall]

HI Craig

I got the same info from Neat Video (who replied to my email very quickly!) I was not too sure if it would be OK to post their reply – verbatim – as they are so scathing re ‘bugs’ and ‘missing features’ ! However, these seem to be causing a stir everywhere1 I like the Conan video – which is good for a laugh.

The Red Giant info looks GREAT – thanks. I like the sound of ‘Instant HD’ – have my prayers been answered???

How do you suggest I can use this Instant HD? What do you mean when you say ‘Perhaps RedGiant’s InstantHD will be ported’ – do you mean ported so that it could be used in FCPX?

[Craig Seeman]

[Alan Goodall] ” they are so scathing re ‘bugs’ and ‘missing features’ ! “

I’ve heard Apple will finally be releasing APIs to developers. It seems they were either incomplete or buggy but they are taking care of that.

[Alan Goodall] “How do you suggest I can use this Instant HD? What do you mean when you say ‘Perhaps RedGiant’s InstantHD will be ported’ – do you mean ported so that it could be used in FCPX?”

It can be used in FCP7. RedGiant is another developer which I suspect is unhappy about the way Apple handled developer communication and resources.

[Alan Goodall]

Hi Craig

OK _ understand that now! I guess perhaps I can do what we used to call ‘offline’ programs in the ‘old’ days – and hope that all this will be fixed SOON! The I could use RedGiant and maybe my dreams WILL come (at least partially) true!

I am REALLY grateful for all your help and advice – so quickly and on a Sunday!

THANK YOU! I have only just found this Creative Cow site today – and already it has been so useful in showing me tutorials re FCPX, discussions re the many ‘issues’ with FCPX v FCP – and now your great help in improving the quality of my old ‘legacy’ material.

PS – When I final have it as HD – how do I make it 3D???

Just kidding! But, you NEVER know……………

[Craig Seeman]

[Alan Goodall] “PS – When I final have it as HD – how do I make it 3D???

Just kidding! But, you NEVER know……………”

Well, there’s this plugin already available for FCPX.

Stereo3D Toolbox Lite
https://www.dashwood3d.com/stereo3dtoolboxle.php
Compatibility
Stereo3D Toolbox LE is compatible with the latest versions Adobe After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro X, Final Cut Express, and Motion in Mac OS X Snow Leopard or Lion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIvljJdea2I

[David Johnson]

Although I get nothing when I try to go to their website now, around 2002-3, there was a company called Algolith that had some pretty amazing video enhancement technologies. They ported some of the software aspects to After Effects plugins for a short while, but those plugins stopped working somewhere around CS1-CS2. If I had image enhancement needs significant enough to make chasing a possible dead end worthwhile, I’d probably try to find out where Algolith’s technologies went … they were so far and above anything else I had seen that it seems likely they were sold and integrated into some existing product, rather than abandoned. In case your needs warrant looking into something like that, the only other piece of info I have is that Algolith was at one time a subsidiary of Miranda Technologies.

[Alan Goodall]

Thanks David

I will search for that

Craig – you are AMAZING – thanks. I will certainly follow up on that and I am already looking at their new features video.

Not sure yet if this will work on clips shot from a single camera – or if you have to have a sequence of clips which were shot – at the same time on two cameras. Unfortunately I did not have a two camera shoot then!

I have updated my ‘image’ – as you can see my research animals are a bit larger than your ‘image’ – and, at times, more ‘aggressive’ – fortunately though this was mostly bluff!