Stabilizer Sample Clips

bigrock wrote on 2/24/2010, 8:52 PM

To make it easier to find I started this new thread with the sample clips at the top and will add any additional clips to this top post for comparison purposes. Subscribe to BigRockies You Tube Channel.

Please note I did not go to any great lengths to find the sweet spots with these products. I pretty much just used the presets to see how it would respond. Obviously tweaking the settings will improve the results significantly. In this particular case the default settings were enough to clean the video up to my satisfaction. The remaining clips were a sampling of some of the settings not all of which might or might not produce good results for this particular video.

Bonus Clips: I took a video shot from a well mounted camera in a vehicle crusing down the highway that is pretty good stability wise without any stabilizer software. I wanted to see what this stabilizers would do to it and these are the results I got. I wouldn't place a great deal of attention on borders as they can be tweaked, but I would watch the stabilization that is occuring. Watch particulary when the vehicle enters the bridge.

Bonus Clip #1 This is the video with no stabilization at all:

Bonus Clip #2 This is video with pure default settings on the NewBlue Stabilizer:

Bonus Clip #3 This is the video processed with the Mercalli Stabilizer on the Versatile:Precision Profile:

Bonus Clip #4 This is the video with the New Blue Stabilizer on the Static Cam preset with the border fill set to Replicate and Cropping set to 0%:

Bonus Clip #5 This is the video clip stabilized in the free Deshaker:

Original Stabilizer Test Clips.

The version I used for these clips with NewBlue was 1.2 Build 100223.

So far I like clip #2 the best done with the NewBlue Stabilizer Pro with default settings. Anyways on with the show, Here are the clips:

Clip #1 This is the video with no stabilization at all:

Clip #2 This is video with pure default settings on the NewBlue Stabilizer:

Clip #3 This is the video with the New Blue Stabilizer on the Static Cam preset with the border fill set to Fit and Cropping set to 100%:

Clip #4 This is the video with the New Blue Stabilizer on the Static Cam preset with the border fill set to Replicate and Cropping set to 0%. It is possible that increasing the cropping and feathering would improve the result but the point is to see what replicate is doing by itself:

Clip #5 This is the video clip stabilized in the free Deshaker (courtesy John Meyer). The bouncing logo is indication of how much Deshaker is moving the clip around:

Clip #6 This is the video clip stabilized in Mercalli Expert. Profile selected was Versatile: Reliable.

Comments

bigrock wrote on 2/24/2010, 8:59 PM

If there any settings anybody would like me to try in NewBlue Stabilizer and render and post a new sample for comparison consistency, please let me know.

I'd be especially interested to try settings that the NewBlue support person that has been on here would recommend to produce the best result with the product. This video was handheld shot, not too jiggly and the goal is smooth stabilization with a minimum of cropping loss from zooming in.

Jay Gladwell wrote on 2/25/2010, 4:19 AM

"... smooth stabilization with a minimum of cropping loss from zooming in."

Isn't that determined (fixed) by the severity of the camera's wavering motion?

JJKizak wrote on 2/25/2010, 5:03 AM

So far I like the default Deshaker the best.
JJK

Christian de Godzinsky wrote on 2/25/2010, 5:26 AM

Same here!

Out of these samples I also would pick deshaker, it's the best. I did not like the zoom in - zoom out effect that NB caused. Like the cameraman woul have been playing with the zoom control, slightly in - slighty out...

Christian

Jay Gladwell wrote on 2/25/2010, 5:35 AM

"I did not like the zoom in - zoom out effect that NB caused."

Christian, where does this happen? I've not seen this in my tests with NB.

NewBlueFX wrote on 2/25/2010, 5:49 AM

The zoom in / zoom out effect would happen if you are using the "Fit" border fill method. This looks at the camera movement over a span of time and adjusts the cropping to fit it. This is nice in that it automatically figures out optimal cropping.
However, it can create this faux zoom behavior.

For example, if the camera holds still for a while, it pulls out. But, then when there's a sudden camera pan, then the crop has to zoom in to accommodate it.

I personally rarely use this mode because I don't like that zooming behavior. I would suggest that it is most useful in scenarios when there is a lot of camera motion, panning and possibly zooming, and so this relatively subtle camera zooming feels part of the picture. It's biggest advantage is it maximizes your exposure because you don't have to crop for the worst situation.

Anyway, our goal was to give you as many choices as possible to deal with edges, and this is just one of them.

Todor

bigrock wrote on 2/25/2010, 5:59 AM

Todor I think you said it right when that product does give a lot of options and as I mentioned earlier not all are appropriate to a given situation. The help file even says for Fit: "The algorithm tracks motion, so as borders enlarge, it zooms in more", so it is an expected thing.

If you wanted the effect of "Fit" but in more fixed way such as the video is zoomed just enough so borders do not appear but there is no zooming, what would you suggest the settings be or must one just manually adjust the crop to get that.

Jay Gladwell wrote on 2/25/2010, 6:00 AM

That explains it. I haven't used the "Fit" option so far in my tests.

Thanks, Todor!

bigrock wrote on 2/25/2010, 6:04 AM

I just added Mercalli Expert as clip #6. Seems to be ok for this video sample as well but it does cost significantly more. I got mine on a Digital Juice offer a year or two ago that I think was half price or something like that.

NewBlueFX wrote on 2/25/2010, 7:24 AM

> If you wanted the effect of "Fit" but in more fixed way such as the video is zoomed just enough so borders do not appear but there is no zooming, what would you suggest the settings be or must one just manually adjust the crop to get that.

Yes, I would recommend one of the other modes and manually setting the Crop level.

Todor

gpsmikey wrote on 2/25/2010, 7:55 AM

This is very interesting - thanks for posting these tests. Bigrock - what music is that you are using for the background track ?? Is that from one of the regular sites ?

Thanks
mikey

bigrock wrote on 2/25/2010, 11:07 AM

Music is a clip from that wonderful incredibly powerful peachy-keen and just all around nice product known as CineScore. Unfortunately that is also now a dead product with no sales and no music available which is a crying shame. No sign of a replacement either which is just completely pathetic. But I will keep using it as long as it keeps working.

Laurence wrote on 2/25/2010, 11:13 AM

I wish it had waited until after a 64bit version before it died.

bigrock wrote on 2/25/2010, 11:23 AM

Me too. It is particularly annoying that it was extensively promoted to us and then just dropped out of the blue, it makes no sense. And they've given us no SCS alternative which really makes one wonder. Sales of the product must have been really bad so maybe a 64 bit project was not justifiable?

rs170a wrote on 2/25/2010, 11:37 AM

And they've given us no SCS alternative which really makes one wonder.

Maybe they plan to introduce something new at NAB?
I guess we'll just have to wait until then.

Mike

Christian de Godzinsky wrote on 2/25/2010, 11:46 AM

Todor,

Would it be possible to add some kind of smooth start and stop of this zooming in/out when you select the fit-method? Now this zoom is quite obvious cause it is quite abrupt, "easying" it in/out by gradually accelerating / deccelerating would make this mode much much more usable!

Christian

gpsmikey wrote on 2/25/2010, 11:53 AM

"Music is a clip from that wonderful incredibly powerful peachy-keen and just all around nice product known as CineScore."

OK, thanks - yeah, CineScore sort of did a "lemming off the cliff" routine.

mikey

bigrock wrote on 2/25/2010, 8:01 PM

You said "Would it be possible to add some kind of smooth start and stop of this zooming in/out when you select the fit-method? Now this zoom is quite obvious cause it is quite abrupt, "easying" it in/out by gradually accelerating / deccelerating would make this mode much much more usable!"

I agree and I think there also needs to be an option related to fit where it zooms automatically to whatever is required to avoid borders and just stays there without going in and out (Mercalli does this). I do like they that Fit has this automatted capability but to lock in automatically is simply a must have.

BudWzr wrote on 2/25/2010, 8:49 PM

That's "Wicked Sarah", right?

Not really dead, Acid Studio is pretty cheap and works great with Cinescore clips and also all the sound packs on the Sony site.

After learning and using Acid for a while now, I realize Cinescore may have been an attempt to get people familiar with looping and samples and then move on up to Acid, and for me IT WAS!

A long time ago I tried the Acid Free version and didn't like it, but last Xmas when Sony cut prices I went ahead and bought a bunch of Cinescore themes for around $3 each, and I snagged Acid for cheap too at that time.

Then as I fooled around I realized how EASY it is to make music with no musical ability using loops.

You just throw down a beat you like, then click on loops one at a time and listen to the preview mix, and just build on the foundation throw in little diddys and even sound effects.

Those crazy sound effects you bought for cheap with the weird tones you thought you'd never use are now valuable "samples"! Hahaha, seriously.

==================================================
CineScore. Unfortunately that is also now a dead product with no sales and no music available which is a crying shame

Laurence wrote on 2/25/2010, 11:43 PM

It's funny because years ago I was a music major in college taking all sorts of composition and arranging classes. I had no idea that all I had to do was grab some loops and stick 'em on a timeline... yeah I'm as guilty of that as anyone these days!

JJKizak wrote on 2/26/2010, 5:09 AM

My .02: Nothing was as easy as Cinescore. And it was rock solid.
JJK

bigrock wrote on 2/26/2010, 11:33 AM

I agree and I plan on using it for years to come. And there is no question as to the royalty free status as there is on occasion with Smartsound.

DGates wrote on 2/26/2010, 1:22 PM

What this should indicate is that you need to be a better camera person. Too many people think they can just fix their crappy handheld video in post, rather than trying to do a better job of shooting.

Laurence wrote on 2/26/2010, 1:41 PM

Stabilization of course works best with footage that is shot well. Good hand-held footage can look just awesome after a bit of stabilization: kind of like autotune works best on a singer who's already almost perfectly on pitch.