Registrator Viewer software and the 0806

[The collector]

I have been experimenting with both VLC and Registrator. These two screen captures are pretty much of the same shot. I find Registrator offers a better quality end result for viewing video, I believe you can see it on the stills also. They are at 2560 x 1080 although I have to say 1920 x 1080 also offers a pretty good picture and takes up a lot less space should that matter. It is early days but I am really pleased with the camera.

Having said the above, some might say the VLC looks good, it is more obvious on video.
They both play OK, this is on Vista but I have windows 7 on another PC which does not seem to like the full screen playback of Registrator so far.

VLC

Registrator

 

[richcam]

You can further improve the video playback quality using VLC by changing the 'deinterlace' mode from 'discard' to either 'Bob' or 'Yadif (2x)' from the drop-down menu options, I think you do this in Windows via the VLC menu option in 'Tools' > 'Video' > 'Deinterlace mode'.

I use a Mac so the options are stored under the top VLC menu > 'Preferences' > 'Video' > 'Deinterlace Mode' and also under 'Window' > 'Video Effects'.

Only drawback to changing these deinterlace values is the loading on your PC or Mac processor which may struggle if it's under-powered.

Worth noting that you can take a video snapshot using VLC by selecting 'Video' > 'Snapshot', the quality is affected by whether in preferences you set the file type as png or jpg.

Also ought to mention that you can substantially increase the detail in dark images by increasing the gamma values in VLC, this option can be found on the Mac by selecting from the upper menu options 'Window' > 'Video effects' then clicking on the 'Image Adust' box, then moving the slider, I'm not sure where this gamma adjustment is on the Windows version but am pretty sure it is there because I watched the video tutorial on Youtube on how to increase gamma values on VLC.

Hope this helps.

 

[The collector]

Thanks richcam, I saw various settings on vlc but had no idea what to change. I will give it a go and keep in mind the snapshot facility also.

 

[Dashmellow]

You can further improve the video playback quality using VLC by changing the 'deinterlace' mode from 'discard' to either 'Bob' or 'Yadif (2x)' from the drop-down menu options, I think you do this in Windows via the VLC menu option in 'Tools' > 'Video' > 'Deinterlace mode'.

I use a Mac so the options are stored under the top VLC menu > 'Preferences' > 'Video' > 'Deinterlace Mode' and also under 'Window' > 'Video Effects'.

Only drawback to changing these deinterlace values is the loading on your PC or Mac processor which may struggle if it's under-powered.

Worth noting that you can take a video snapshot using VLC by selecting 'Video' > 'Snapshot', the quality is affected by whether in preferences you set the file type as png or jpg.

Also ought to mention that you can substantially increase the detail in dark images by increasing the gamma values in VLC, this option can be found on the Mac by selecting from the upper menu options 'Window' > 'Video effects' then clicking on the 'Image Adust' box, then moving the slider, I'm not sure where this gamma adjustment is on the Windows version but am pretty sure it is there because I watched the video tutorial on Youtube on how to increase gamma values on VLC.

Hope this helps.

I have to respectfully disagree with the advice being offered in this post because it is incorrect and it will likely degrade the image playback quality of your dash cam videos rather than improve them.

I can understand how experimenting with the different available settings in VLC might sometimes give the illusion of improvement but close scrutiny of certain image details reveals how the software is really effecting the images. For example, the cropped image grabs I show below were taken from a full screen 1920 x 1080 video where the overall effect of deinterlacing could be hard to judge and even at times "appeared" to improve the image quality until one looks closely at certain areas and details that make the effect of the deinterlace filters quite obvious.

The reason this technique doesn't work is very simple, although the explanation can get a bit complicated. Assuming our dash cams are actually shooting 1080P Full HD video, we are working with a signal that is NOT interlaced. If you attempt to "deinterlace" video that is not interlaced to begin with you will only generate unwanted artifacts and distortions during playback.

The "P" in 1080P stands for progressive. Progressive scanning is a way of transmitting and displaying moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This is in contrast to interlaced video used in traditional analog television systems and certain digital broadcasts such as 1080i where only the odd lines, then the even lines of each frame are drawn alternately, so that only half the number of actual image frames are used to produce video. Interlaced video is a technique for doubling the perceived frame rate of a video display. The "i" in 1080i stands for interlaced. Interlaced video is often (usually) found on commercial DVDs and this is where the De-interlace settings in software such as VLC can be invaluable when you watch movies on an LCD computer screen.

And so this is why if you attempt to "de-interlace" a video that is NOT "interlaced" you risk creating unwanted and unintended problems.

Here are some cropped screen captures I've made in VLC to demonstrate what I am talking about.

In this image "De-interlace" is set to "OFF".



In this image "De-interlace" is set to "ON" with the above recommended "Bob" algorithm selected.
In simple terms Bob is considered a "doubler" and so it basically doubles the frame rate of the scanned fields.
The detrimental effects of doubling the fields of a non-interlaced video are obvious.



In this image the De-interlace algorithm filter is set to "YADIF". It checks pixels of previous, current and next frames to re-create the missing interlaced field using an adaptive method.
The effect is more subtle but is definitely not an improvement.
(BTW, YADIF stands for "Yet Another DeInterlacing Filter".



Please note: I also made a screen shot using the above recommended "YADIF (x2) setting but it comes out looking completely normal as a single still frame so I haven't posted it. During actual playback of the same video images I'm showing here there is a visible "shimmering" of the alternating, artificially introduced scan lines, especially on the front grill of the Ford SUV in the screen capture. When these types of filters are used properly on an interlaced video, the quick alternating display produces a convincing illusion of full vertical resolution while playback is running but when used on a non-interlaced video source you'll get a shimmering effect like I describe, especially on specular highlights.


Finally, on another note, I fully agree with the suggestion to change the gamma values when viewing certain videos in VLC. This can dramatically open up dark shadow details that were otherwise obscured but do exist in the original. The important thing to know is that you are lowering the Gamma Curve correction values, not increasing them. "Powers larger than 1 make the shadows darker, while powers smaller than 1 make dark regions lighter." VLC makes this confusing because the slider control actually lowers the values the more you move it to the right which is backwards and make the user believe he is raising the values. See this link for more info.

Edit: The above screen grabs are from a Mobius camera fitted with a "B" lens on the "wide" setting.

 

[The collector]

Well as it happens I tried the settings suggested and disaster on Vista pc. I researched a little on Wiki and it followed what Dashmellow said (although the above explanation made it so much clearer!)

Below are two stills from today, the VLC has Gamma lowered and a bit of tweeking. However, today I had set the camera on cloudy and changed the EC a little. One of those or both I do not like, I think the latter but will test further. I am happy with the camera but any comments, suggestions welcome.

VLC

Reg

 

[Nigel]

Well as it happens I tried the settings suggested and disaster on Vista pc. I researched a little on Wiki and it followed what Dashmellow said (although the above explanation made it so much clearer!)

Below are two stills from today, the VLC has Gamma lowered and a bit of tweeking. However, today I had set the camera on cloudy and changed the EC a little. One of those or both I do not like, I think the latter but will test further. I am happy with the camera but any comments, suggestions welcome.

VLC

Reg

On my monitor, I can see more detail in the Reg image, but it does depend a lot on your monitor and how it is configured, you should really be able to see all the detail without gamma adjustment on a good monitor although an adjustment will make some things easier to see on any monitor.

The cloudy setting just changes the colour saturation and fixes the colour balance, at night street lights become very yellow since it doesn't adjust, but I normally prefer the cloudy setting in both cloudy and sunny conditions.

I think it almost always gets the exposure compensation correct, if you adjust it then you tend to loose some detail which you would have been able to see with a gamma adjustment when viewing, you are better off adjusting gamma or brightness when you view it.

Not easy to get the exposure correct for both indoor fluorescent lighting and outdoor sunlight at the same time - it's done very well in your image, even the number plates in indoor shadow are easily readable, although it only captured one headlight on the Mini!

 

[The collector]

Thanks Nigel, I will set the EC back to auto. It was the Mini's indicator flashing so that is why there is just one light, I must have paused it at a different spot on Registrator so it appears brighter. I am pleased you thought the camera worked well.

 

[richcam]

I have to respectfully disagree with the advice being offered in this post because it is incorrect and it will likely degrade the image playback quality of your dash cam videos rather than improve them.

I can understand how experimenting with the different available settings in VLC might sometimes give the illusion of improvement but close scrutiny of certain image details reveals how the software is really effecting the images. For example, the cropped image grabs I show below were taken from a full screen 1920 x 1080 video where the overall effect of deinterlacing could be hard to judge and even at times "appeared" to improve the image quality until one looks closely at certain areas and details that make the effect of the deinterlace filters quite obvious.

The reason this technique doesn't work is very simple, although the explanation can get a bit complicated. Assuming our dash cams are actually shooting 1080P Full HD video, we are working with a signal that is NOT interlaced. If you attempt to "deinterlace" video that is not interlaced to begin with you will only generate unwanted artifacts and distortions during playback.

The "P" in 1080P stands for progressive. Progressive scanning is a way of transmitting and displaying moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This is in contrast to interlaced video used in traditional analog television systems and certain digital broadcasts such as 1080i where only the odd lines, then the even lines of each frame are drawn alternately, so that only half the number of actual image frames are used to produce video. Interlaced video is a technique for doubling the perceived frame rate of a video display. The "i" in 1080i stands for interlaced. Interlaced video is often (usually) found on commercial DVDs and this is where the De-interlace settings in software such as VLC can be invaluable when you watch movies on an LCD computer screen.

And so this is why if you attempt to "de-interlace" a video that is NOT "interlaced" you risk creating unwanted and unintended problems.

Here are some cropped screen captures I've made in VLC to demonstrate what I am talking about.

In this image "De-interlace" is set to "OFF".
View attachment 14392


In this image "De-interlace" is set to "ON" with the above recommended "Bob" algorithm selected.
In simple terms Bob is considered a "doubler" and so it basically doubles the frame rate of the scanned fields.
The detrimental effects of doubling the fields of a non-interlaced video are obvious.
View attachment 14391


In this image the De-interlace algorithm filter is set to "YADIF". It checks pixels of previous, current and next frames to re-create the missing interlaced field using an adaptive method.
The effect is more subtle but is definitely not an improvement.
(BTW, YADIF stands for "Yet Another DeInterlacing Filter".
View attachment 14396


Please note: I also made a screen shot using the above recommended "YADIF (x2) setting but it comes out looking completely normal as a single still frame so I haven't posted it. During actual playback of the same video images I'm showing here there is a visible "shimmering" of the alternating, artificially introduced scan lines, especially on the front grill of the Ford SUV in the screen capture. When these types of filters are used properly on an interlaced video, the quick alternating display produces a convincing illusion of full vertical resolution while playback is running but when used on a non-interlaced video source you'll get a shimmering effect like I describe, especially on specular highlights.


Finally, on another note, I fully agree with the suggestion to change the gamma values when viewing certain videos in VLC. This can dramatically open up dark shadow details that were otherwise obscured but do exist in the original. The important thing to know is that you are lowering the Gamma Curve correction values, not increasing them. "Powers larger than 1 make the shadows darker, while powers smaller than 1 make dark regions lighter." VLC makes this confusing because the slider control actually lowers the values the more you move it to the right which is backwards and make the user believe he is raising the values. See this link for more info.

Edit: The above screen grabs are from a Mobius camera fitted with a "B" lens on the "wide" setting.

Dashmellow,

I humbly stand corrected over many of the comments I made, but I had genuinely researched on Google for the best settings regarding improving the playback quality of video on VLC, what I had failed to notice was the auto value. And I ought to know better having tinkered with the interlace and deinterlace settings when using MPEG Streamclip for many years on the Mac. Luckily VLC is an excellent video player, so no changes are permanent.

Having said that, changing the gamma values up or down (depending upon your viewpoint) does genuinely improve video detail in the shadows or lower light, well always assuming enough detail was recorded in the first place.

 

[Dashmellow]

It's perfectly understandable Richcam. It took me a lot of tinkering and research until I came to understand how this works too. It was when I came to understand that the "i" in 1080i stands for interlaced and then came to understand that Progressive scanning as in 1080P is also referred to as noninterlaced scanning that the VLC options suddenly began to make more sense to me when it came to optimizing dash cam video. Like you I had previously used VLC for watching other media.

Since you are on a Mac, check out MPlayerX if you are not already aware of it. It is similar to VLC in that it can play just about any codec and has lots of controls like gamma and deinterlace methods. It works with Mac trackpad and mouse gestures which is pretty cool. Like VLC, it's free. I sometimes find that MPlayer renders certain dash cam videos better than VLC or Quicktime and often use all three apps to view the same video with different settings. A new version of MPlayerX was at long last finally released just two weeks ago.

 

[richcam]

It's perfectly understandable Richcam. It took me a lot of tinkering and research until I came to understand how this works too. It was when I came to understand that the "i" in 1080i stands for interlaced and then came to understand that Progressive scanning as in 1080P is also referred to as noninterlaced scanning that the VLC options suddenly began to make more sense to me when it came to optimizing dash cam video. Like you I had previously used VLC for watching other media.

Since you are on a Mac, check out MPlayerX if you are not already aware of it. It is similar to VLC in that it can play just about any codec and has lots of controls like gamma and deinterlace methods. It works with Mac trackpad and mouse gestures which is pretty cool. Like VLC, it's free. I sometimes find that MPlayer renders certain dash cam videos better than VLC or Quicktime and often use all three apps to view the same video with different settings. A new version of MPlayerX was at long last finally released just two weeks ago.

Thanks Dashmellow for the info and the link for MPlayerX which I'd never heard of before, always good to learn new tips and tricks. I tend to use VLC and QuickTime for viewing videos so it will be interesting to see how MPlayerX compares against them.

Have to say that after using MPEG Streamclip for the Mac I would sit and watch news reports and notice when they hadn't used 'deinterlaced' for the video clips and could see the banding in the footage.