V.disappointing import quality of HD footage. What am I doing wrong?

raoul-beaman wrote on 1/28/2018, 9:05 AM

Morning everyone. I am new to Magix but enjoying the challenge. I am importing footage for editing from a Sony HD camera PJ340E, NTSL model at 29 FPS but the quality on playback in Magix is very grainy/Noisy and disappointing to view, and that's even before editing. (Playback from camera to screen direct is 100% clean with good definition.) I note that each 'event' upon importing is given is consecutive number with the attachment 'MTS', eg 00045-MTS. I am also using 4K footage from a Sony AX100E which is being reproduced by the MPEG-4 AVC/H264 CODEC - Quality is good on importing. Can anyone help me as to why the HD footage is so disappointing? I thought the MPEG-4 codec would work on both 4K and HD footage, but I am now wondering if the NTSL, HD model needs a different Codec for MTS or am I barking up the wrong tree. Thanks in advance to anyone who could point me in the right direction. I need to drastically improve on the HD import quality as most of my archive at present, is HD. Thanks again. RB Herefordshire.

Comments

emmrecs wrote on 1/28/2018, 9:49 AM

Hi, welcome to the Magix forums.

Is it possible for you to post somewhere, not to this forum since the forum software will inevitably compress the quality, a very short (c. 10 seconds) of footage from your Sony camera that fellow-users can download and test on their machines?

MTS file suffix suggests, I think, that your footage is actually using the AVCHD codec. Were you asked, via an on-screen message, whether you wanted to download/activate this codec? if so, what did you do?

It is also possible, as you surmise, that the Sony footage needs a specific Sony codec or Sony software to be used when importing the files to your computer.

The consecutive numbering of the files is perfectly normal; it is the method by which your computer and MEP can identify each individual file; it needs that information in order to playback the correct part once any "editing" is done. Playback to your TV screen directly from the camera is likely to be seamless since each file will "start" as the previous one is ending.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

yvon-robert wrote on 1/28/2018, 9:53 AM

Hi,

Probably importing 4K from camera the software create a proxy file for editing with computer, proxy is a low quality just for edit, the final quality is regenerated when you compile the projet for exporting or making a Blu-Ray. If you create many mts file is when you stop or pause recording each time you create a file and system name it automatically may be 01.mts, 02,mts, 03.mts. Editing a 4K video directly on computer require a very powerful computer to help editing all video software create proxy file. Normally if you work in HD is not necessary to create proxy because most i7 computer has enough power to handle HD file.

Regards,

raoul-beaman wrote on 1/28/2018, 10:46 AM

Hello Jeff, Forum moderator, and Robert.

Thank you both for replies.

Jeff - re para 2, I went with Magix software after I purchased the Sony 4k AX100, as after many enquiries, Magix were one of the few supporting 4K editing. When installing the system I did get the 'pop up' question asking if I wanted to install the MPEG4/H264 Codec to support 4k. Said 'yes' to this, and importing the 4K footage has been fine. Then tried importing the HD footage recorded through the NTSC HD camera, as to my understanding MPEG4 would deal with this, but as said previously the quality is poor. Perhaps it has imported it in the best way it can as Robert suggests, initially in a poorer quality, this being a proxy file which will be returned HD when rendering. But is Robert suggesting HD should not be imported at a lower quality as the lower definition does not require a proxy copy to be made? So far all I have done is downloaded the MPEG4 as suggested at the beginning, but of course I didn't say I was also going to edit HD, so wasn't given the chance to download anything else.

Robert - Many thanks. I note your comment re proxy files made for 4K editing and I am prepared for that poorer quality when editing, although I have to say Magix is doing a pretty good job with it at the moment. I just cannot understand the poorer quality import of HD which is obviously not 4K standard.

Best wishes - Raoul, Leominster, Herefordshire.

emmrecs wrote on 1/28/2018, 11:01 AM

Hi Raoul. Thanks for the updated information.

Yes, I understand about the MP4/H264 codec download and install, that is "normal" as a requirement for 4K import. I'm just a little worried that you appear not to have been asked to download and/or activate the AVCHD codec which I'm pretty sure is what you need for MTS files.

Also, and my apologies for omitting this from my earlier reply, we really do need to know quite a lot more about your computer and the version and variant of MEP you are running. Please read this post and give us all the information requested there, especially about whether you have downloaded all the additional content that comes with whichever version of the program you have.

Jeff

Scenestealer wrote on 1/29/2018, 3:19 PM

Hi Jeff

Yes, I understand about the MP4/H264 codec download and install, that is "normal" as a requirement for 4K import. I'm just a little worried that you appear not to have been asked to download and/or activate the AVCHD codec which I'm pretty sure is what you need for MTS files.

It is the same MP4/H264 codec for 4K and HD.

Peter

johnebaker wrote on 1/30/2018, 4:04 AM

. . . . Then tried importing the HD footage recorded through the NTSC HD camera . . . .

I suspect part of the problem is because of mixing NTSC and PAL video formats.

Is there a reason why you are recording in NTSC 29fps? The PJ340E is capable of recording in using the PAL system which is the TV standard for the UK and is probably also the default setting for MEP.

PAL has better colour stability than NTSC for technical reasons.

Mixing/playing NTSC on a PAL system can cause colour and quality issues.

The NTSC playback may also show some jerkiness where there is fast movement across the screen or panning caused by the different framerate if the project is set to 25i or 50p fps (PAL standard framerates).

Try recording a short clip on the PJ340E using the PAL options - check the manual for how to set this and see if this improves the import quality.

HTH

John EB

raoul-beaman wrote on 1/31/2018, 8:55 AM

Hello again. Sorry for delay in response - work commitments. Thanks to Peter (scenestealer) and JohnEB for comments. From my very recent enquiries, as this HD quality issue is 'driving me round the bend', Peter mentioned what I have just found out, that the MPEG4/H264 is the same codec Sony uses for 4k and HD. I also note JohnEB's useful comments. That said, am I missing something? Forgetting the 4K aspect of the conversation and just talking about the HD import, irrespective of whether the original footage was recorded on an NTSC camera at 29FPS, (or PAL), shouldn't Magix be able to deal with that bearing in mind the Magix software would be available in the USA as well UK. Do I have to instruct Magix at some stage prior to the 'import' command, that the footage about to be imported has been recorded on an NTSC camera as opposed to PAL? I cannot recall this being asked by a prompt prior to the import taking place (although there is provision on New Project menu to enter the appropriate moving settings. I'll try to adjust that to NTSC with appropriate detail, but the manual suggests this is only information for the final export to disc etc.) If Magix software accepts imported NTSC content, along with the many other formats available, surely it should playback without loss of quality irrespective of FPS. Should I be concerned about the fact that the NTSC footage has the extension MTS?

Jeff. Valid comment - Forgot to say. Equipment used: Windows 10/64bit onto an AMD RYZEN 7-1700 with 8 core Processor. Graphics - NVIDIA GeForce GTX1070.

Thanks again for all comments and any other suggestions that may be forthcoming.

Regards - Raoul, Leominster, Herefordshire

PS Is there anybody in the near locality using Magix?

emmrecs wrote on 1/31/2018, 9:33 AM

Hi again.

First, you will see I have edited your post to remove the bold formatting. I don't think you intended to emphasise every word you had written!

Magix software can certainly handle either PAL or NTSC footage but not both in the same project. Under File>Settings>Program>Video/Audio you have to make an overall choice of either PAL or NTSC (see the attached screenshot).

This can be changed on a per-project basis but is intended to apply to ALL the footage used in that project. You really should do what John suggested and change the settings on the currently-NTSC camera to PAL, record some HD footage and then import that to your PAL timeline to see whether that improves the quality of what you are seeing.

If it does, and you cannot re-record your existing NTSC footage you will need to find a convertor software that can handle the NTSC>PAL conversion for you. Both John and I use and recommend MovAvi Video Convertor, current version is 18 Premium.

Also, there is absolutely no problem with some of your footage being mts format. I regularly record to this format and MEP/VPX handles this without any problem.

HTH

Jeff

raoul-beaman wrote on 2/1/2018, 10:35 AM

Hi Jeff. Many thanks again. Re para 3 - will do and report back. R