The dithering problem is the same for Blender 2.5 r 29043 and blender 2.49 - the file above is the blender 2.5 file.
If somebody could help with that problem I would be very happy - I am trying to create a short wordpress introduction for a group in my peace organisation and would love to share the knowledge with them as soon as possible
Forgot to add - the operating system is Ubuntu 10.04 lucid…
under win xp with the recent build of 2.5 from graphicall it works flawlessly without any dithering at all [used the same source video as in ubuntu]
Is this a ubuntu bug? Or a bug of a library? Can it be fixed and how can I help?
And again, if I use the output from blender in win xp as a source in blender in ubuntu - I get the same dithering - that is really frustrating because it renders blender nearly unusable for me under ubuntu ;(
Now I render the image-overlay in blender and then combine the two streams with another program…
Hi, considering some of the latest posts on the bug tracker, I have the feeling that this is becoming a big issue. AFAIK, It’s related to ffmpeg. There are two main workarounds. First, you may install the ffmpeg from svn and give it a second shot. Two, you might go via the image sequence route: use ffmpeg to render out an img seq and import the seq to vse for further editing. I’ve tested it using your video and it works:
snapshot: http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9739/snap000m.png
video: http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/6868/vidsnapshot.mp4
(btw: didn’t notice the frame rate so it’s rendered at 25fps but other than that it looks ok)
The only drawback is that you’ve got covert the captured video to images.
Using the SVN-version of ffmpeg did not help sadly, neither in 2.49b nor in 2.5.
So I’ll stick to try the image route
But this definitely complicates the use of Blenders VSE a lot
Anyway, thanks Used another computer with Win XP in the meantime to finish the movie without artifacts…
and filed a bug report myself - not sure if a bug report in blender is useful though if it is more a problem of the underlying library…
Hi Geoadel,
Replacing the ffmpeg repository version with the svn version solved the problem for me after migrating to Kubuntu 10.04 last month. I’m not exactly sure why though. Anywayz, it’s been debated a lot and other forum members (e.g. yellow) are very knowledgeable about it.
As for the ‘‘complication’’ you mention, please note that true lossless video editing in Blender is practically impossible without image sequences. That’s common wisdom on this forum.
thanks for staying with me
The frustration is not so much me not being able to use it - turning movies into images and importing those is not really a problem but a minor obstacle for me.
The frustration comes more from still dreaming that Blender could become easier to use for non-blender initiates as a video editor as well - since it is the only open source cross platform video editing software I am aware of. I tried to teach others how to use it in the past and it is these ‘small’ things which drive them away from using it
And learning to use a second program in addition for some really is not a small step - alas, probably video editing is not something everybody can learn easily - so I will have to put these hopes in the attic until ease of use has increased a bit.
The strange thing for me is, that these ‘easy’ programs like Openshot, kdenlive, etc. have so many limitations (at least it feels to me like it coming from blender), that it actually is more difficult to achieve what I want in them :evilgrin:
Other video editing programs, and esp commercial ones costing thousands of $ per seat use custom losseless formats. Blender is not there yet in that regard so rendering out to image frames is the only way. Btw, img seq are very handy despite the fact that they appear to be a distraction e.g. if Blender crashes you can resume from that frame and once you have your final edit in image sequences you can render out to many delivery formats very fast. The disavantage for me is waste of processing time (since you have to render to img sequences) and the disk space it consumes (a finished 1h video in stills might easily fill a couple of partitions). But there’s no other way so…
The frustration comes more from still dreaming that Blender could become easier to use for non-blender initiates as a video editor as well - since it is the only open source cross platform video editing software I am aware of.
Being there, done that, so I know the feeling!
At least this semester things were much better because of the new interface. Not that the students didn’t complain but at least the gui didn’t get in the way.
I tried to teach others how to use it in the past and it is these ‘small’ things which drive them away from using it
yep. Some of my students in the past made their final deliverable video with windoze movie maker instead of blender even though we’d spent most of the lab sessions working with Blender! :-0
And learning to use a second program in addition for some really is not a small step - alas, probably video editing is not something everybody can learn easily - so I will have to put these hopes in the attic until ease of use has increased a bit.
The strange thing for me is, that these ‘easy’ programs like Openshot, kdenlive, etc. have so many limitations (at least it feels to me like it coming from blender), that it actually is more difficult to achieve what I want in them :evilgrin:
Completely agree. If you start using Blender you’re totally seduced and there is no turning back. I’ve tried looking at other programs but they don’t compare. For example, kdenlive is promising and openshot has made incredible progress over the past 18 months. I’d consider introducing these to my students but unfortunately they only have windoze machines so that’s pretty much out of the question. As you said, the only true cross platform solution is Blender.
Ah, I’ll stop the squabbling for now…
Warm regards!
