Resizing Images

[ShaneS]

You guys are the best! Thanks Colin for that conversion test and Dave for the additional information about video conversion.

So far, so good, I have placed 17 slides in the file, tossed in some music (that my husband doesn't like - maybe I will change it, maybe not ) and some transitions and it is looking pretty good. I may test that bit by 'producing' the video and seeing how it looks on the TV tonight before I go any further.

What I find interesting is that the viewing distance really does matter as when I tested the jpegs from a memory stick and I was sitting very close to the TV some of the images looked a bit crispy but as I stepped back they looked great. I will have to test the balance between sharpness and viewing distance with the video now. I sure hope it is OK because I really don't want to go back and resize/re-sharpen all the images again

[Manfred M]

Shane - part of your size issue is the video compression algorithms used for HD video. You are converting to a video, rather than showing individual images, so you are really dealing with two separate processes.

Your first step is in compressing the original file to a jpeg; that will be used as input to the video file. The second step is that the video software will apply a second level of compression that is significantly different that the jpeg compression. In HD video, the compression algorithms take the first frame and then for the next 14 frames (or less) record the differences between the first frame and each subsequent frame. Every 15 frames, a new baseline is established. Normally for North America video is played at 24 frames per second (fps) for movies, 30 fps or 60 fps for broadcast TV, so depending on the framerate, you get a lot of redundant images, just because of the standards. While this is a very efficient way of compressing video; it is a very inefficient way of compressing still images.

All of your careful resizing work is, to a large extent, overridden by the video standards compression that are applied to the jpegs you export to Camtasia and then the video output.

[ShaneS]

A test run of publishing my video slide show to embed on my website caused me some problems that I hope you can help me with...

I think that I am running in the frame per second issue that Manfred suggested above as when I published the file as recommended by YouTube at 30fps in .mov format I found that some of the details in the images remained fuzzy in the video.

When I published the file to an mp4 with Camtasia recommended settings of 5 fps (I think - not at home right now) and played in on my TV it looked great. (The plan was to upload the video to Youtube and then embed in my website that way but I am open to suggestion on better ways on a WordPress platform).

Another change I made was the original slides were 10 seconds in length with fades of 2 seconds in and out. So 2 second fade in, 6 seconds on screen and 2 seconds fade out...over and over for about 20 slides. I reduced this for web viewing to a total of 6 seconds/slide (maintaining the fade in and out at 2 seconds) to account for shorter online attention spans.

So is my issue the format, the fps, the slide timing/transitions or something completely different?

BTW, my test upload to YouTube also got dinged for a copyright issue due to the embedded music which I ended up removing. Any brilliant ideas on how to get decent DRM or copyright fee instrumental music online (for free) that won't annoy YouTube?

I am really looking forward to completing this so I can wrap up 2013 images with a nice bow and call them done

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[dje]

Hi Shane,

Would it be possible for us to have a look at the mov and mp4 files ? This would give a better idea of the problem and what the cause may be.

My guess would be the quality of the video encoding used in the mov file may be low. The mov file extension really just indicates a container format and gives no indication of the video encoding used. I could get more info on that though if I had the file. I'm not familiar with Camtasia but it may have some settings you need to change when publishing in mov format.

Also when you say you look at the mp4 file on your TV, how are you doing that ? Eg are you playing it directly on your TV from a memory stick or is your TV connected to your computer ?

Just as a mater of interest, I usualy use a slide duration time of 6 secs with a transition time of 1 sec.

Dave

[Manfred M]

Shane - I sounds like part of your problem is the really heavy lossy compression algorithms YouTube applies to your uploads. I suspect if you plan to use that host, you are stuck with the mediocre results you are seeing. I've posted some of my work there, shot with a high end HD dedicated video camera and the quality after uploading is pure crap.

As for totally free and totally legal to use music, try the following website:

http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/

You might find something usable there.

[ShaneS]

Thanks Dave and Manfred. I finally got something decent up on YouTube but I think that it still has some issues. Feedback would be appreciated on both the technical and artistic merits of the slide show.

Here is the link: http://youtu.be/3OtXu6_NSXM (just over 2 minutes)

I changed the format to WMV and the quality is better but the transitions look horrible full screen (not bad on the medium screen). I picked some music from the link you provided Manfred. I'm not crazy about it but I'm very tired or searching and playing with the video at this point.

Thanks again

[dje]

Thanks Dave and Manfred. I finally got something decent up on YouTube but I think that it still has some issues. Feedback would be appreciated on both the technical and artistic merits of the slide show.

Here is the link: http://youtu.be/3OtXu6_NSXM (just over 2 minutes)

I changed the format to WMV and the quality is better but the transitions look horrible full screen (not bad on the medium screen). I picked some music from the link you provided Manfred. I'm not crazy about it but I'm very tired or searching and playing with the video at this point.

Thanks again

Shane I had a look at your YouTube video (set to 1080 HD) on my large monitor and technically it looks pretty good to me. I can't see any problems with the transitions and the music is fine. It's just soothing background music. Artistic merit - very good IMO !

Dave

[Manfred M]

Shane - any issues that you are seeing are 100% YouTube related. I am also watching them on my 27" screen. Unfortunately; I've seen this too many times before. They are using lossy compression and these artifacts you see are the result of this process.

The music; this is the only website I've found where there is legal and free music. I got dinged for copyright issues on two of my videos where the only sources of music is being played by military style bands during public ceremonies but on by govenment agencies that was picked up by the camera's microphone...

For example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyZyatgKuSI

[Richard Lundberg]

My only advice, free and worth every penny, is that you should stick to one aspect ratio. It jars the flow. Very nice work even on YT.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Shane,

Yours is a lot better than most I have seen, but possibly not quite as good as the very best.

Initially I found as I played it a few times, my decoder took its time locking up in sharp resolution on transitions in to/out of some images, then I discovered the decoder was on "Auto" and had decided the 720p was appropriate, so I forced 1080p and most of those issues went away - so beware what the player is doing too!

I have to agree that the aspect ratio changes are best avoided (if nothing else, they lose you 2/3 of the image area).

From a technical standpoint, many of the images are THE most challenging for such multiple compressive processing broadcast, with all that fine detail in trees and wave ripples, etc. So when I say "not quite as good as the very best" above, bear in mind I may be falsely comparing against different (less challenging) images - certainly your close ups, where there is a defined sharp image (e.g. the coconut) and a background that is very out of focus, have far more positive impact than the tree or house shots, where we expect sharp detail, but the various compression systems cannot deliver.


I feel for you, I know how difficult this can be - I got involved in turning broadcast quality video + Powerpoint slides into web quality video a while back and the professional VT editor and we struggled with finding a suitable format and compression ratio that gave a sensible sized file - even without the YouTube 'complications'.

Cheers, Dave

[Cantab]

Shane, I watched the video on an iPad and enjoyed it - any lossy compression issues weren't visible on the small screen (at the risk of probably stating the obvious).

Unlike some others I liked the changes in aspect ratio, perhaps they helped by creating variety.

[ShaneS]

Thank you Richard, Dave and Bruce. I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions. Given that this is meant to be a complication of the best images of the year it was just a tad difficult to have the forethought to avoid aspect ratio changes

I am now working on the black & white images and hope to have that video up soon.

Then I have to go back and put the images on my website (at a different size, of course)...I'm not sure when I will ever have time to take pictures for the 2014 compilation at this rate

[kateveber]

If you don't want to use image editing or resizing tools, simply hire professional photo editors. They'll do these things as beautiful as never before.

[Mike Buckley]

I just now saw this informative thread for the first time. Thanks to the thread, I'll be sure to never create a video.

Given that this is meant to be a complication of the best images of the year

It certainly turned out to be that, though it seems that you've gotten it all sorted out! The Freudian slip is very entertaining.

[ShaneS]

The creation of the compilation was complicated Mike The process made me realize why I 'do' photography and not video production!

Since this thread has been revived I will share the links to the completed video slide shows on my website (BTW embedding the videos on my site was yet another complication but I persevered!):

The color slide show along with a recap of my year in photography: Hawaii in Color 2013

And, the black and white set: Hawaii in Black & White 2013

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions that helped me create these slide shows. I was one frustrated camper for a bit and learned a fair bit from the wisdom that everyone so generously shared.

[Mike Buckley]

You did well in 2013, Shane, and both slide shows prove it. They are so well done that I look forward to your compilations for 2014.

Now that you've got all of the technical stuff down, I'm sure you won't mind if I send you my files so you can create the slide show and embed it in my website.

[Richard Lundberg]

Come back, Shane! (movie reference)