Video Playback issues

[snerkler]

I've just bought a new 2011/12 15" MBP with 2.2Ghz i7 CPU, 4GB RAM, hi res screen, and 512MB Graphics card and I'm having a few issues with playback of quite a number of video files. I've been having discussions on another thread about converting mts files to .mov so that I can play them on the Mac, and also use the Mac video editing software.

I decided that clipwrap was the best way forward to rewrap the MTS files to quicktime. However, some are 1080i and some are 1080p. Quicktime plays the 1080p fine but struggles with the 1080i. It's most noticeable when panning or with quick moving objects, it blurs badly seems to break into tiny lines (fairly subtle).

Also I have some AVCHD videos I saved in .mp4. Quicktime won't play these and so I installed MPlayerX from the App store. This has the same issue on playback in that when it pans or images move fast the image doesn't stay sharp and it sort of breaks into tiny lines (if this makes sense).

It's nothing to do with the graphics card is it? I was talked out of going for the upgraded mac with 2.4GHz i7 CPU and 1GB Graphics card as I was advised on here it was unnecessary. The same video files play fine on Windows media player on my PC laptop running a ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500 Series Graphics card (which I've been informed isn't as good as the Mac one), with 2.13Ghz Intel core 2 duo CPU and 4GB RAM

I do hope it's a player issue and I can find one that works. I would like to know if it's the graphics card though, and if getting the upgraded MBP (ie the one with the 1GB Graphics card) would solve this issue as I've only had the MBP for 2 days and can return it with Apples 14 day returns policy.

Any help much appreciated.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Yeah, sorry, forgot to post in that other thread.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with your hardware, but with your camera and the method it records video.
What exact camera model do you have?

Maybe this can help:
720p vs 1080i HD Explained (video)
All About Video Fields

 

[snerkler]

Yeah, sorry, forgot to post in that other thread.

Anyway, it has nothing to do with your hardware, but with your camera and the method it records video.
What exact camera model do you have?

Haha, I didnt want to keep troubling, plus I thought it best to start a fresh thread as I was taking the other off on a tangent.

Anyway, my previous camcorder was the Sony Handycam HDR-SR11, and now just use my Sony DSC-HX9v as I found that the video quality wasn't far off and it saved me lugging 2 cameras around. The SR11 files are 1080i which the Mac seems to struggle with, whereas the HX9V is 1080p which seems fine. Why is it they play ok on windows? Would they play ok if I had a windows partition on the Mac and played the videos on there?

I should point out I'm in the UK so use PAL.

I'll look at those other links later, look interesting.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Haha, I didnt want to keep troubling, plus I thought it best to start a fresh thread as I was taking the other off on a tangent.

Anyway, my previous camcorder was the Sony Handycam HDR-SR11, and now just use my Sony DSC-HX9v as I found that the video quality wasn't far off and it saved me lugging 2 cameras around. The SR11 files are 1080i which the Mac seems to struggle with, whereas the HX9V is 1080p which seems fine.

It is the interlaced footage, which is designed for TVs, as computer displays are made for progressive display.
When you play back the 1080i footage back, even after transcoding or rewrapping and editing, on a TV, you will not see such problems.

 

[snerkler]

It is the interlaced footage, which is designed for TVs, as computer displays are made for progressive display.
When you play back the 1080i footage back, even after transcoding or rewrapping and editing, on a TV, you will not see such problems.

Thanks. I've edited my previous post by the way so don't know if you've seen that?

Can you convert interlaced files to progressive? If TV's are designed for interlaced will they struggle with progressive?