Plugins for Upscaling a DVD9/DVD5 to 1080p or 720p!!!

[Music Rockz]

Hi mates,

I need help in upscaling DVDs. What sort of plugins/filters may help me to maintain the smoothness and same quality as of DVDs.

Now I only use more than this one,

Tweak
Levels
Sharpen
fft3dfilter

Someone please help me on this matter!!!

Thanks.

[MysteryX]

I generally do Denoise, NNEDI3 double, Sharpen. I also found that for some videos with considerable noise, using InterFrame to increase the frame rate to 60fps neutralizes a lot of the noise and makes the encoding more effective.

[Music Rockz]

Will it affects the audio and subtitles if I increase the fps to 60??

[creaothceann]

No (assuming subtitles are using seconds etc. and not frame indices).

[Music Rockz]

then audio??

[cretindesalpes]

To maintain the smoothness and same quality, you just need a decent resizer, nothing more. Spline36Resize is OK, although some may prefer a NNEDI3-based solution.

[Music Rockz]

Here is a Sample of OLD DVD5.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/008vsazidhvd8un/VTS_02_1.MPG

I have lots of DVDs like this. I need to enhance the quality while upscaling. Please take a look on this.
Post your 720 encode and avisynth filters/script used for that!

[8-BaLL]

Here is a Sample of OLD DVD5.
http://www.mediafire.com/download/008vsazidhvd8un/VTS_02_1.MPG

I have lots of DVDs like this. I need to enhance the quality while upscaling. Please take a look on this.
Post your 720 encode and avisynth filters/script used for that!

Looks to me like the source for the DVD mastering was videotaped with a NTSC camera from a cinema screen or something like that, because of the black pulses every second or so.

So because of that, you should encode at 29.97fps and this is the best you will get out of this source I think:


DGDecode_mpeg2source("C:\VTS_02_1.d2v", info=3)
qtgmc(preset="very slow")
selecteven()
crop(2, 80, -4, -80)
spline64resize(1280, 480) #resize for correct 2.66:1 aspect ratio


Yes it looks like the source is a 2.66:1 aspect ratio. It is VERY unusual, but after looking closer into it, I am 95% sure it is a 2.66:1 native aspect ratio image.

This is the best you will be able to get out of this source. No need to have a higher resolution, as the source is really bad.

EDIT: I've now checked if it could be a 2.76:1 resolution and by the looks of it - it's very likely that its a native 2.76:1 resolution, which would mean you would need to resize it to 1280x464. Yeah when you look at frame 1277 after deinterlacing, it seems to me that the correct aspect ratio is 2.76:1.

So you will need to use spline64resize(1280, 464).

Its really even more unusual for the aspect ratio in movies to be 2.76:1, but it seems to be the case here, Im quite sure.

SO this is the script youd need:


DGDecode_mpeg2source("C:\VTS_02_1.d2v", info=3)
qtgmc(preset="very slow")
selecteven()
crop(2, 80, -4, -80)
spline64resize(1280, 464) #resize for correct 2.76:1 aspect ratio


Yes my friend, the correct aspect ratio is sometimes a little tricky to figure out, but is very important imo :)

[Music Rockz]

DGDecode_mpeg2source("C:\VTS_02_1.d2v", info=3)
qtgmc(preset="very slow")
selecteven()
crop(2, 80, -4, -80)
spline64resize(1280, 480) #resize for correct 2.66:1 aspect ratio


QTGMC did a great job! The output is abnormally awesome! :thanks:

http://t1.someimage.com/0s3GzYN.jpg (http://someimage.com/0s3GzYN)

Yes my friend, the correct aspect ratio is sometimes a little tricky to figure out, but is very important imo :)

Does the Aspect Ratio affect the Quality?
Because I always prefer 16:9 and without border 2.35:1 :p

[Music Rockz]

What about using QTGMC for progressive sources?
What effect will it bring?

[creaothceann]

Does the Aspect Ratio affect the Quality?
No.

Because I always prefer 16:9 and without border 2.35:1
Just keep it at 1280x480. If a video's actual aspect ratio isn't 16:9 then there's nothing you can do.

[feisty2]

Just keep it at 1280x480. If a video's actual aspect ratio isn't 16:9 then there's nothing you can do.
Stream resize?

[8-BaLL]

QTGMC did a great job! The output is abnormally awesome! :thanks:

http://t1.someimage.com/0s3GzYN.jpg (http://someimage.com/0s3GzYN)



Does the Aspect Ratio affect the Quality?
Because I always prefer 16:9 and without border 2.35:1 :p

If the source isnt a native 16:9 source, stretching it to 16:9 looks really bad. All objects have wrong shape, especially noticable on faces and other things, it really looks awful.

This source is a 2.76:1 source, so encoding at 1280x464 is the only correct way here.

And as already stated, the aspect ratio doesnt change quality, but when you encode it at 1280x464 which is the native aspect ratio of this source, instead of 1280x720 (which would be 16:9), the file size will be smaller, because you avoid unneeded pixels. If you prefer it 16:9 still, even though its a 2.76:1 source, you can still scale it in the player later (most media players and software players support zoom option, like zoom to full screen etc.). But its best to encode things at their native aspect ratio, to avoid unnecessary bigger file size.

What about using QTGMC for progressive sources?
What effect will it bring?

QTGMC is a deinterlacing script in the first place- it gets rid of interlacing and does a little of denoising. But you can use it on progressive sources for things like sharpening or denoising purposes. But there are more powerful dedicated scripts for those things.

Your source is interlaced. It has some frame blending too, but because its a rather bad source and was recorded in a weird way, theres not much you can do to get rid of blended frames.

You could add a little sharpening to the video to see if you like the result. For example by using LSFmod(defaults="slow"), its also possible to add some sharpening with the QTGMC script (it has some parameters for it), since the source has basically VCD resolution, but Im not a big fan of sharpening at least not in movies.

[Music Rockz]

Will this help me out in enhancing the Progressive sources?

QTGMC(Preset="fast", Sharpness=1.0)

What plugin may help me to maintain the smoothness of the video while upscaling DVDs?

[bxyhxyh]

Upscaling is just making frame bigger. Sharpening is just making frame sharper.
Smoothness shouldn't hurt from them. So anything that works for you is fine.

For sharpening videos, there are several sharpeners you can use. For example: lsfmod(), fft3dfilter(bt=-1, sharpen=0.3), nonlinusm(), fqrestore() - my favourite, or use just sharpen().
Here is the list of some sharpeners http://avisynth.nl/index.php/External_filters#Sharpeners

[Music Rockz]

Thanks for your Kind replies guys! Found something from you! :thanks:

[manono]

I need to enhance the quality while upscaling.
I think you should walk before you run. Learn what you have and how it should be treated before wasting your time upscaling very very poor DVDs.

The first thing you should learn is how to unblend your DVDs, since that's the crap that comes out of your country - very bad DVDs produced by very bad companies. And you should learn how to figure out the aspect ratio for yourself, and it's not 2.76:1. Depending on how you resize, it's about 2:1 using ITU resizing and 1.95:1 with non-ITU resizing. Maybe 8-BaLL didn't notice the source resolution is 352x480.

This one is especially poorly blended so it's impossible to unblend it properly. The base framerate is 23.976fps (I'm pretty sure), but the usual QTGMC/Srestore combination doesn't work very well with this.

[Music Rockz]

Yes you are quite correct on this. The source DVD is very poor in both audio and Video. Only Time is wasted by the nonsense work on this kind of DVDs.

But I didn't get you on what you mean by blend and unblend. Could you please make me clear on it?

[manono]

But I didn't get you on what you mean by blend and unblend.
Look at it after QTGMC alone and you should notice the blending easily when going over it frame by frame. It's the blends/ghosts/double images you see during movement.

You won't even be able to make a decent-looking 16:9 DVD from this 352x480 4:3 source, so the last thing you should be trying to do is convert it to hi-def.

[Music Rockz]

Thanks manono

[8-BaLL]

And you should learn how to figure out the aspect ratio for yourself, and it's not 2.76:1. Depending on how you resize, it's about 2:1 using ITU resizing and 1.95:1 with non-ITU resizing. Maybe 8-BaLL didn't notice the source resolution is 352x480.


The aspect ratio is very well 2.76:1 here.

Its because some clown encoded the DVD who has no clue about standards etc. It isnt even a DVD standard.

I've very well noticed the resolution of 352x480, and whats more funny about it is that the video height is bigger than width, means 480 is height and 352 is width.

Again, some funny person squashed the image into some crap while creating the DVD. On top of it, it was videotaped off a cinema sceen as well with some vhs camera or smth like that.

2:1? I dont think youve looked into the source close enough ;) Its not even 2.35:1, but as Ive mentioned already 2.76:1


2:1 vs 2.76:1
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/132137

2.35:1 vs 2.76:1
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/132140

[bxyhxyh]

@Music Rockz
Just curious, what is the name of this movie?

[Music Rockz]

Just curious, what is the name of this movie?

Aanai (2005)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aanai

[MysteryX]

I wrote a software, and part of it allows re-encoding videos like you want in just a few clicks (http://www.svp-team.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2570). You can take a look here (and download v1.2 beta later in the thread, v1.1 setup is broken)

Or see these simple instructions: how to convert videos to 60fps (https://www.spiritualselftransformation.com/blog/conscious-business/conscious-ressources/how-to-convert-videos-to-60fps/)

[manono]

Its because some clown encoded the DVD who has no clue about standards etc. It isnt even a DVD standard.

Maybe you've just never seen a 352x480 DVD (I've seen lots), but I assure you it's a part of the DVD standard:
NTSC (NTSC Film)

Video:
Up to 9.8 Mbit/s* (9800 Kbit/s*) MPEG2 video
Up to 1.856 Mbit/s (1856 Kbit/s) MPEG1 video
720 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1)
704 x 480 pixels MPEG2
352 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard)
352 x 240 pixels MPEG2
352 x 240 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard)
29,97 fps*
23,976 fps with 3:2 pulldown = 29,97 playback fps (NTSC Film, this is only supported by MPEG2 video)
16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720x480)
http://www.videohelp.com/dvd

Other sources will give you the same specs.

I think it's safe to say there has never been a 2.76:1 film released in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka). Almost all theatrical films are released in 2.35:1 in South Asia these days. And I have seen a ton of what were originally 2.35:1 South Asian films cropped and then put on 4:3 DVDs similar to this one, but usually at 720x480.

Having said that, I made the square pixel resolution ratio (~2:1) based on the DAR and amount of black bars in the sample. And it's correct. The film is on the sample at about a 2:1 ratio. However, after reading what you wrote, I went back and decided the DVD itself is in the wrong ratio, that it plays with people too thin. So you're right and I apologize.

Whether the aspect ratio becomes correct at 2.76:1, I don't know. I rather like 2.35:1 now, as it was the theatrical aspect ratio. I'd suggest Music Rockz go through the movie carefully to find something round (a sun, moon, ball, a tire or a clock viewed straight on, that sort of thing) and play with the resolution until it looks correct to him. I don't think you can really just tell from people's faces.
On top of it, it was videotaped off a cinema sceen as well with some vhs camera or smth like that.
I don't think so, My guess is it's a retail DVD, or reencoded from what was originally a retail DVD. Filming a screen doesn't get you field blending and interlacing. Until you've seen a few, you have no idea just how bad South Asian DVDs can be. They're easily the very worst in the world. Again, I apologize for contradicting you before looking at this thing more closely.

[Music Rockz]

Here is my upscale
http://www.mediafire.com/?dn319d6exxkld

There are many companies selling OLD DVDs with high quality such as Ayngaran, Tamilini. Their quality always welcomable on old movies.
This DVD is bought from Germany and named as Mummy DVD. The quality is worse and worse comparing to other DVD manufactures. You are quite right manono nowadays DVD Quality is so good and its in 16:9 ratio.

[manono]

You are quite right manono nowadays DVD Quality is so good and its in 16:9 ratio.
Maybe I should have qualified it by saying 'older' or 'classic' films on South Asian DVDs are the worst in the world. The newer films on DVD are merely mediocre. :) But I haven't seen any Sri Lankan films untill now. My specialty is Hindi language Indian films and I've also seen a few Pakistani DVDs. I've read there's a good company distributing South Indian Tamil films on DVD but have yet to see any of theirs.

[Music Rockz]

There's no films in SriLanka, All DVDs are Indian Films. :)

[MysteryX]

then audio??
You can process only the video and then muxe the original audio back into the same file. If the new video and old audios aren't supported in the MP4 container, you can muxe them together into an MKV file without problem.

I have re-deployed the Natural Grounding Player and its Media Encoder over to GitHub with the full source code here. (https://github.com/mysteryx93/NaturalGroundingPlayer)

The media encoder in v1.1 has issues with non-ascii characters in path names. If you have non-ascii paths, you can try the v1.2 beta (https://www.spiritualselftransformation.com/files/natural-grounding-player-1.2-beta.exe).

Here's a screenshot of the Media Encoder. (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mysteryx93/NaturalGroundingPlayer/master/Setup/Screenshots/Screenshot3.png) I'd be curious whether it does the job you need right away! First it converts to AVI automatically, then it processes it, then it muxes it back with the original audio.

For best results, extract the files from the DVD with Make MKV (http://www.makemkv.com) without re-encoding them, then process those original files with the Natural Grounding Player. You'll get optimized video with original audio.

Better than re-encoding the audio while ripping, and re-encoding again while processing.