Video Stabilization

John Nantz · August 13th, 2013, 09:20 PM

Video Stabilization - effect on image quality

Many of the videos I've been taking recently have been with a monopod and, more recently, handheld. The handheld ones have been from the deck of a sailboat so, as one might expect, there is a significant amount of motion.

Rather than running the video clips though Stabilization mode upon import I've been doing it after the clip, or portion of the clip, is imported into the timeline.

What I'm wondering is, if there is an quality loss when the clip is run through the stabilization mode?

If there is quality loss, would this increase as the amount of motion is increased?

When Stabilization is used on the hand-held boat videos I have to say I'm really impressed with how well it works. There have been a few "corrections" that have actually been worse than the original, but very few. Overall, the Stabilization option has been a real huge plus.

Edit: Just thought I'd add, my video shots are in 1440CBR if that matters.

P.S. Personal message to any Apple business managers:
If Apple doesn't give any of the previous FCPX purchasers some credit when (should I make that "IF") we upgrade to their new FCPX, I will be very unhappy. As one option, maybe I won't upgrade.

Nate Haustein · August 13th, 2013, 11:22 PM

Stabilization zooms the clip and adjusts its position to compensate for motion, so naturally, the more extreme the motion, the more the video quality is degraded. There are controls in FCPX to modify the strength of the effect.

John Nantz · August 14th, 2013, 08:36 PM

re: "Stabilization zooms the clip and adjusts its position to compensate for motion, so naturally, the more extreme the motion, the more the video quality is degraded."
That makes a lot of sense because there is a certain amount of cropping and the greater the movement up and down or side to side, the more cropping there is.

It would be interesting to know the details about how Stabilization handles a pixel. If the final version has to be, say 1440, and the process does cropping, then how does it handle the pixels? It would more or less have to stick a "filler pixel" in every so often in order to come up with the same pixel count. It would seem.

Thanks for mentioning about the additional controls. I'll check them out. If I recall, I think I remember seeing something like that or reading about it but in any event, if I did I totally forgot about it.

August 13th, 2013, 09:20 PM	#1
John Nantz Trustee Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 1,252	Video Stabilization - effect on image quality Video Stabilization - effect on image quality Many of the videos I've been taking recently have been with a monopod and, more recently, handheld. The handheld ones have been from the deck of a sailboat so, as one might expect, there is a significant amount of motion. Rather than running the video clips though Stabilization mode upon import I've been doing it after the clip, or portion of the clip, is imported into the timeline. What I'm wondering is, if there is an quality loss when the clip is run through the stabilization mode? If there is quality loss, would this increase as the amount of motion is increased? When Stabilization is used on the hand-held boat videos I have to say I'm really impressed with how well it works. There have been a few "corrections" that have actually been worse than the original, but very few. Overall, the Stabilization option has been a real huge plus. Edit: Just thought I'd add, my video shots are in 1440CBR if that matters. P.S. Personal message to any Apple business managers: If Apple doesn't give any of the previous FCPX purchasers some credit when (should I make that "IF") we upgrade to their new FCPX, I will be very unhappy. As one option, maybe I won't upgrade.

August 13th, 2013, 11:22 PM	#2
Nate Haustein Trustee Join Date: May 2007 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 1,313	Re: Video Stabilization - effect on image quality Stabilization zooms the clip and adjusts its position to compensate for motion, so naturally, the more extreme the motion, the more the video quality is degraded. There are controls in FCPX to modify the strength of the effect. __________________ Nate Haustein PXW-FX9 / FCPX www.flightcreativemedia.com

August 14th, 2013, 08:36 PM	#3
John Nantz Trustee Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 1,252	Re: Video Stabilization - effect on image quality re: "Stabilization zooms the clip and adjusts its position to compensate for motion, so naturally, the more extreme the motion, the more the video quality is degraded." That makes a lot of sense because there is a certain amount of cropping and the greater the movement up and down or side to side, the more cropping there is. It would be interesting to know the details about how Stabilization handles a pixel. If the final version has to be, say 1440, and the process does cropping, then how does it handle the pixels? It would more or less have to stick a "filler pixel" in every so often in order to come up with the same pixel count. It would seem. Thanks for mentioning about the additional controls. I'll check them out. If I recall, I think I remember seeing something like that or reading about it but in any event, if I did I totally forgot about it.