JVC HD camcorder

[Nicolasdec]

So, I bought the JVC GZ-MC500 and it all works fine, exept when i import the video into my MBP. the video dose not look nice (picture below). it looks fine when i link it up to my HD TV via the HDMI but on the mac it dose not. What can i do to improve this?

 

[Nicolasdec]

anyone?

 

[pdpfilms]

What you've identified is called interlacing. In short, it's the way that cameras and televisions alike process visual information.

Many cameras and televisions avoid interlacing by using progressive video. This type of video displays 24 or 30 WHOLE frames per second, rather than half-frames (split into hundred of horizontal lines). Does your camera have a progressive or frame mode? If not, you can use a de-interlace filter in FCE or FCP (not sure if iMovie has one), which takes care of the issue pretty well.

 

[Nicolasdec]

What you've identified is called interlacing. In short, it's the way that cameras and televisions alike process visual information.

Many cameras and televisions avoid interlacing by using progressive video. This type of video displays 24 or 30 WHOLE frames per second, rather than half-frames (split into hundred of horizontal lines). Does your camera have a progressive or frame mode? If not, you can use a de-interlace filter in FCE or FCP (not sure if iMovie has one), which takes care of the issue pretty well.

Thanks for the reply, i dont know if my camera has progressive or frame mode how would i find that out? I also got the wrong model if that matters i have the JVC GZ-HD7EK.

 

[LethalWolfe]

As pdpfilms said, what you are seeing is the result of playing interlaced footage on a progressive display that doesn't know how to handle interlaced footage and unless you are primarily playing back footage in QT on your MBP I wouldn't worry about it. If you do plan on mainly watching it on your MBP you could try adding a de-interlacing filter or transcoding it into a progressive format, but that will cut down the resolution of your video (by up to 50% depending on the quality of the of program used).

also, was that screen shot taken from iMovie in fullscreen mode or from Quicktime player?


Lethal

 

[Nicolasdec]

As pdpfilms said, what you are seeing is the result of playing interlaced footage on a progressive display that doesn't know how to handle interlaced footage and unless you are primarily playing back footage in QT on your MBP I wouldn't worry about it. If you do plan on mainly watching it on your MBP you could try adding a de-interlacing filter or transcoding it into a progressive format, but that will cut down the resolution of your video (by up to 50% depending on the quality of the of program used).

also, was that screen shot taken from iMovie in fullscreen mode or from Quicktime player?


Lethal

the screenshot was from quicktime Pro.

 

[Nicolasdec]

so there is no way of me keeping it in HD with out Interlaceing?

 

[Rod Rod]

so there is no way of me keeping it in HD with out Interlaceing?

1080i60 supposedly converts to 720p60 nicely. I haven't run any experiments but that's what I've heard. Mathematically and resolution wise, 1080i and 720p60 are relatively close.

1080i: 540x1920x60= 62,208,000
720p: 720x1280x60= 55,296,000

Besides, on a consumer camcorder you're not actually resolving 1920x1080 pixels per frame, although that's the number of pixels involved. So there should be no actual loss of resolution in the process.

 

[Nicolasdec]

1080i60 supposedly converts to 720p60 nicely. I haven't run any experiments but that's what I've heard. Mathematically and resolution wise, 1080i and 720p60 are relatively close.

1080i: 540x1920x60= 62,208,000
720p: 720x1280x60= 55,296,000

Besides, on a consumer camcorder you're not actually resolving 1920x1080 pixels per frame, although that's the number of pixels involved. So there should be no actual loss of resolution in the process.

Thanks for the Reply, Im a Newbie at Film and stuff. How can I get rid of the interlacing and keep the HD image and be able to edit it in Imovie?

 

[Rod Rod]

Thanks for the Reply, Im a Newbie at Film and stuff. How can I get rid of the interlacing and keep the HD image and be able to edit it in Imovie?

As far as I know, iMovie cannot handle 720p60. It can do up 720p30 though. I've worked with 720p60 material in Final Cut Pro.

To work with a progressive HD image in iMovie you'd have to transcode to 720p30. MPEG Streamclip or JES Deinterlacer may be able to handle that operation. Just be sure to select Apple Intermediate Codec at 720p30 for your output.

 

[Nicolasdec]

Do you think i should buy Final Cut express? Imovie is to Basic for me.

 

[Rod Rod]

Do you think i should buy Final Cut express? Imovie is to Basic for me.

Sure, why not. However, if you never need more than two video tracks and two audio tracks, you might as well get Avid FreeDV.

Just don't install two NLEs on the same boot drive without knowing that it's risky. iMovie and FCP get along great, but iMovie and Avid FreeDV, or Avid (or Premiere or anything else) and FCP, on the same boot drive could make life difficult.

 

[Peel]

Sure, why not. However, if you never need more than two video tracks and two audio tracks, you might as well get Avid FreeDV.

Just don't install two NLEs on the same boot drive without knowing that it's risky. iMovie and FCP get along great, but iMovie and Avid FreeDV, or Avid (or Premiere or anything else) and FCP, on the same boot drive could make life difficult.

I've had FCP and Premiere installed on the same drive for years, and never seen a problem (that I'm aware of). What sort of problems might you expect to see?

 

[Rod Rod]

I've had FCP and Premiere installed on the same drive for years, and never seen a problem (that I'm aware of). What sort of problems might you expect to see?

I heard the warning from a guy who was or is a consultant for Apple on FCP. He's a credible source. He said you could get QuickTime problems. Maybe they'd pop up if you took say, Premiere captured footage and tried to edit it in FCP. I don't know for sure but he made it sound risky. Maybe the problem isn't between Premiere and FCP but Avid(s) and FCP.

 

[killr_b]

Get Final Cut Express and hang out on some user forums. Look for techniques of de-interlacing, there's a couple ways to do it.

In the end, it is possible to maintain the quality look of your HD footage and only mix out the interlacing.

 

[zioxide]

Sure, why not. However, if you never need more than two video tracks and two audio tracks, you might as well get Avid FreeDV.

Why does he need freedv to do something with more than two tracks?

 

[Rod Rod]

Why does he need freedv to do something with more than two tracks?

There's a difference between "ever" and "never."

Avid FreeDV is limited to two video and two audio tracks. It's more "pro" than iMovie but less capable than Final Cut Express. However, it's free.

 

[zioxide]

There's a difference between "ever" and "never."

Avid FreeDV is limited to two video and two audio tracks. It's more "pro" than iMovie but less capable than Final Cut Express. However, it's free.

oh my bad i read what you said wrong

 

[Nicolasdec]

Get Final Cut Express and hang out on some user forums. Look for techniques of de-interlacing, there's a couple ways to do it.

In the end, it is possible to maintain the quality look of your HD footage and only mix out the interlacing.

When I imported the footage to iMovie it got rid of the interlacing. Now i only get interlacing when i watch the footage in Quicktime.