Major Aliasing Problem

[Eric Olson]

Originally Posted by Dag Halvorsen

I'm using the QNAP NMP1000 media player.

Sony Vegas and DVD Architect can't be used to master a 25p blu-ray iso. The main reason for this is that 25p is not part of the blu-ray standard. If you can do without the menus, it would appear more reasonable to render a true 25p mp4 file for playback on the media player.

The change in contrast may be due to a bug in the Vegas 8-bit rendering path concerning full versus studio swing levels. This bug is not as well known as it should be but easy enough to work around.

http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?4...l=1#post393460

Also check whether there is a sharpness setting that can be turned off in either the television or media player.

[Dag Halvorsen]

Hello again :)

I've taken a couple of photos, to illustrate my problem.
First photo is of my movie shown on the computer screen (preview in Vegas)::
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2L...S1ZcVNBam9XTGM
There is no aliasing problem (the moire comes from the bad cell phone camera...).

The second photo is of the same snapshot from my movie, shown on a TV set (FullHD Sony TV):
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2L...nFtNVZ4VXA2MFU

There are obvious aliasing problems, as I understand it. Around the wires, you can see a major glare!

The movie was shot in 1080p/25. Vegas project settings:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2L...Ho5eGlBYVF5aGM

Rendering settings:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B2L...EN0OXJGWEx0aVk

I have tried rendering as progressive, but no difference.

Since this is a MPEG2-file from Vegas (Main Concept plug-in), it is not possible to include a multi channel (5.1) audio file, so the 5.1 AC3 audio file must be rendered separately, and the two files merged in DVD Architect, which always outputs interlaced video format (I assume). Here is where the problem occurs, or what do you guys think?

Rendering a MP4 file in Vegas, is also no option, since a multichannel audio file cannot be included.
So, what should I do?
Any help is highly appreciated! :)

BR Dag

[Eric Olson]

Originally Posted by Dag Halvorsen

I've taken a couple of photos, to illustrate my problem.

This is not aliasing. It looks like sharpening done using the "unsharp mask" method. The sharpening may be stronger in the horizontal direction. Is the media player connected to the television using analog cables?

[Dustin Moore]

I agree with Eric, if your TV has a sharpness setting for that analog input (assuming you are
using an analog input) it is too high.

There is not much vertical component to the halo so this is probably not related to interlaced
versus progressive issues.

[Dag Halvorsen]

The media player is connected to the TV via HDMI cable.
If I play the movie on the computer (Windows mediaplayer), using two screens: 1) PC monitor, and 2) TV (HDMI connected), the PC monitor displays the movie without any artifacts at all, whereas the TV shows this "halo effect", no matter how I adjust the TV (FullHD TV).

The difference I can think of, being the fact that the PC monitor can display 1080p, whereas the TV can only display 1080i... Am I right? Where is the interlacing done? In the display card or in the TV?

I thought f.ex. BBC broadcasted 1080p on satellite, and there is no artifacts at all watching those HD channels. Maybe the computer display card (and media player) outputs only interlaced to TV screens? Why? I'm really not sure they do that...

Moreover, since the DVD architect packed this .m2v video file and .ac3 audio file (both from vegas) into one iso file (the unpacked to one .m2ts file) and played back on media player/computer, maybe DVD architect outputs interlaced video, since the bly-ray standard has no 1080p/25 option? If so, why does this interlaced output display correctly on a PC monitor, and with halo effects and "vibrating/aliasing" effects on the TV (wherever there is much details in a moving/panning image)?

I am still totally confused, even though I feel we have now circled in the problem greatly... ;) Please help!

BR Dag

[Eric Olson]

Originally Posted by Dag Halvorsen

the TV shows this "halo effect", no matter how I adjust the TV

What model TV is it and have you found a "sharpness" control in the TV settings menu?

[Dag Halvorsen]

I have tried two TV sets, both with the same problem:
1) Sony Bravia 4000, 52" (4 years old)
2) Phillips IntelliTV 55" (2 months old)
Both full-HD 1920x1080. I've tried many different settings, without success.

I will try once again, since you mention it. Thanks for helping! :)

[Dag Halvorsen]

I've tried three different TV's, but no differences between them.
I've tried every available adjustments of the TV, with no success.
Does media players and computers oversharpen HD-video output to TV screens by default?

[Eric Olson]

Originally Posted by Dag Halvorsen

Does media players and computers oversharpen HD-video output to TV screens by default?

Computer monitors display full-swing RGB whereas TVs display studio-swing YUV colorspace. It is possible that the haloing is a result of non-broadcast safe levels in your blu-ray encode. In Sony Vegas try inserting the filter

Video Output FX->Sony Levels->Preset Computer RGB to Studio RGB

while rendering. Also try Sony Broadcast Colors. It would be interesting if either of these filters fixed the problem with your video.

[Dag Halvorsen]

The problem was finally solved!
Thank you all for valuable info. I appreciate it very much.
Eric: You were right! I must have overseen the sharpness control in the TV setup menu, or underesteimated it's influence (can't exactly remember).
Anyhow, the sharpness setting was only at "10", on a scale from 0 to 30. Turning it down to zero, solved the whole problem! This setting really caused lot's of frustration, and I found it hard to believe that it was so powerful, and causing that many artifacts.

Now life is much easier :)