Any way to prevent banding in gradients in files for delivery? at DVinfo.net

Bob Drummond · January 12th, 2012, 03:18 PM

Hi guys. In CS5, when I have gradients in my video, there is serious banding apparent after I do the final export to h.264.

For example, I have an animation with a grey gradient background. The frames were rendered in Lightwave 3d as 32bit targas, encoded together into an animation in After effects in a 16bpc project, and then the animation was imported into Premiere.

All throughout this process, the gray gradient background does not exhibit a serious banding issue. But as soon as I render out an h.264 mp4, the banding is very apparent when I play the file in windows media player, VLC, and its even there when I import it back into Premiere and play it in the source window.

My final file is an h.264 mp4, appleTV 720p preset (2-pass) with both "render at maximum depth" and "use maximum render quality" checked ON.

Is this because h.264 is only 8-bit? How can one render out higher-quality final file?

Bart Walczak · January 13th, 2012, 03:29 AM

Yes, it's because H.264 is 8-bit, but also due to H.264 compression. Increasing a bit rate might help, if you can get away with it.

Regardless, I suggest introducing a little noise or dither to your gradients and graphics. It will help even more with this kind of delivery format.

Walter Brokx · January 19th, 2012, 05:47 PM

Indeed.
In 8 bit there are only 256 values of grey (0-255).

Sareesh Sudhakaran · January 19th, 2012, 09:22 PM

When rendering colors in 32-bit, you are creating way more information than an 8-bit pixel can hold.

Try rendering out in 8 or 10 bit and continue with your workflow, or

Move your workflow into 32-bit mode.

Brad Ballew · January 21st, 2012, 10:08 AM

Yes add a bit of noise. It shouldn't take too much. Go to add Noise in effects and start with something like 0.5 and export a small sample clip. Keep raising the amount of noise until the banding goes away.

Panagiotis Raris · January 25th, 2012, 11:56 PM

noise and perhaps try applying neatvideo plugin after it is in h.264 format.

January 12th, 2012, 03:18 PM	#1
Bob Drummond Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 161	Any way to prevent banding in gradients in files for delivery? Hi guys. In CS5, when I have gradients in my video, there is serious banding apparent after I do the final export to h.264. For example, I have an animation with a grey gradient background. The frames were rendered in Lightwave 3d as 32bit targas, encoded together into an animation in After effects in a 16bpc project, and then the animation was imported into Premiere. All throughout this process, the gray gradient background does not exhibit a serious banding issue. But as soon as I render out an h.264 mp4, the banding is very apparent when I play the file in windows media player, VLC, and its even there when I import it back into Premiere and play it in the source window. My final file is an h.264 mp4, appleTV 720p preset (2-pass) with both "render at maximum depth" and "use maximum render quality" checked ON. Is this because h.264 is only 8-bit? How can one render out higher-quality final file?

January 13th, 2012, 03:29 AM	#2
Bart Walczak Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Warsaw/Poland Posts: 716	Re: Any way to prevent banding in gradients in files for delivery? Yes, it's because H.264 is 8-bit, but also due to H.264 compression. Increasing a bit rate might help, if you can get away with it. Regardless, I suggest introducing a little noise or dither to your gradients and graphics. It will help even more with this kind of delivery format. __________________ Creative Impatience - The Solace of Simple Solutions. A few useful plugins for Adobe users, and my remarks on the tools and the craft in general.

January 19th, 2012, 05:47 PM	#3
Walter Brokx Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Maassluis, The Netherlands Posts: 294	Re: Any way to prevent banding in gradients in files for delivery? Indeed. In 8 bit there are only 256 values of grey (0-255). __________________ Brainstormnavigator searching for the hole in the sky..... Audiovisual Designer (NL) - http://www.brokxmedia.nl

January 19th, 2012, 09:22 PM	#4
Sareesh Sudhakaran Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,385	Re: Any way to prevent banding in gradients in files for delivery? When rendering colors in 32-bit, you are creating way more information than an 8-bit pixel can hold. Try rendering out in 8 or 10 bit and continue with your workflow, or Move your workflow into 32-bit mode. __________________ Get the Free Comprehensive Guide to Rigging ANY Camera - one guide to rig them all - DSLRs to the Arri Alexa.

January 21st, 2012, 10:08 AM	#5
Brad Ballew Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Frisco, TX Posts: 65	Re: Any way to prevent banding in gradients in files for delivery? Yes add a bit of noise. It shouldn't take too much. Go to add Noise in effects and start with something like 0.5 and export a small sample clip. Keep raising the amount of noise until the banding goes away.

January 25th, 2012, 11:56 PM	#6
Panagiotis Raris Major Player Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Reading, PA USA and Athens, Greece Posts: 269	Re: Any way to prevent banding in gradients in files for delivery? noise and perhaps try applying neatvideo plugin after it is in h.264 format.