up-resing video...

[Bryan Worsley]

I think if you were working with high quality HD/4K sources and zooming in 200% or more there could be a case for applying these detail preserving, super-resolution techniques. But for SD, I agree with the others, I don't think you'd gain any benefit and it would likely make matters worse.

As for denoising. Again, personally I prefer using AVISynth/VapourSynth techniques that best target the type and degree of noise that is present. Fine, grainy noise is relatively easy to treat. Blotchy colour-noise is rather more difficult without obliterating detail and introducing more artifacts in the process. Bear in mind also that the human eye is an amazing integrator and can often perceive detail amid noise in moving images that may not be revealed in a single frame especially when viewed at a distance. So it comes down to a compromise of what is the most acceptable 'psychovisual' outcome on the target viewing platform. Maybe consider also if the best outcome is not zooming in on your talking head shots or limiting it to a degree that retains acceptable IQ. In any event, it is best to denoise before any digital zooming/enlargement.

Haven't used Neat Video myself but I know many extol it's virtues.

[Renton Maclachlan]

Thanks Christopher.

Just had a look at Neat Video and I'm wondering if I've used the correct terms. The 'noise' as shown on their samples of removal, is not what I'm primarily wanting to remove, although there may be some of that there. Rather it is blockiness/pixelation on the edges/outline of my clothes and head which I would like if possible to smooth out.

Renton

[Bryan Worsley]

Could you post a screen shot to confirm what you are referring to specifically - is it 'pixelation', which is normal when you zoom-in/enlarge a digital image enough to see the individual pixel blocks or is it 'macroblocking' (a compression artifact, sometimes referred to as 'block noise') when objects or areas in a video image appear to be made up of irregular sets of small squares, rather than proper detail and smooth edges.

[Renton Maclachlan]

It is pixelation, not block artefacts...

I have had one interesting situating come about (but this is different to above) where I have rendered out a clip in Vegas to a new track, then on rendering the whole thing out to an .avi file, some artefacts have appeared over a couple of frames in the clip where they never showed before...

[Renton Maclachlan]

I've just has a look at one of the episodes again and think that I will simply leave them as they are.

Thanks for all the ideas offered, even though I am now not going to try anything further. Appreciated.

Now it is on to working out the DVD arrangement for all the files...

[Bryan Worsley]

Originally Posted by Renton Maclachlan

It is pixelation, not block artefacts...

OK, so it's only when you zoom-in then? In that case, since you are not 'up-resing', the standard 'treatment' would be to blur (Gaussian) and then contra-sharpen to see what detail you can pull back. A trade off, as always.

Originally Posted by Renton Maclachlan

I've just has a look at one of the episodes again and think that I will simply leave them as they are.

Sometimes it's best leave well enough alone.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I know what he’s describing. I once borrowed a pocket camera. I didn’t realize until later that digital zoom was enabled. Everything looked fine while I was shooting but once I imported it on my computer I could see all the zoomed in portions looked awful. As the op said it’s blocky and pixelated, there’s very little you can do to fix it other than to reshoot it.

[Renton Maclachlan]

I won't be reshooting... would mean virtually the whole project would need to be redone from scratch... which aen't gonnna happen :-)