How to overcome pixel problems at large projections? at DVinfo.net

Jason Soo · January 29th, 2004, 01:45 AM

Hi All,

I currently use raptor RT and premiere to edit my videos, mostly shot using 3CCD cameras....Usually, I export them back to the dv tape and sometimes, I also burn them onto vcd/dvd.

Watching the video on TV seems to be fine. If I view the video using a projector however, the resolution of the video seems to suffer quite a bit. This is especially if I enlarge the screen by a big amount....then, I can even see the pixels of the video coming up.

My guess is that this is a limitation of my cameras as well as the raptor card ... it can only edit video at DV quality...

My question is therefore, what kind of equipment (is it a HD camera? compatible capture card?) do I have to use to ensure that my videos do not show their pixels when screened on a large projection?

Will migrating to a HD system solve the problem? How do films shot using dv technology overcome this pixel problem at large projections?

Thanks in advance!!

Boyd Ostroff · January 29th, 2004, 07:27 AM

Well I don't use your hardware/software, but I have not had this problem with projection. We recently projected some very large images (over 40' wide) with a big Barco 10,000 lumen DLP project. I had been concerned about the pixelation problem myself, but happily it wasn't an issue. You really could not see individual pixels in the projected images.

Now of course DV is limited to a bit over 500 lines of horizontal resolution, and there are only 480 scan lines. So there's only so much detail that you can see in a projected image, and that can give the impression that the image is out of focus at times. But I don't think you should see individual pixels or dots. I did make an effort when processing the video to avoid high contrast situations which might create stair stepping and other resolution-related problems however.

I'm wondering if this has more to do with the quality of your projectors than the video itself. What sort of projector are you using, and what is its native resolution. We were working with a native 1280x1024 resolution and the projector did its own scaling of our 16:9 anamorphic DV. If you were working with a less expensive LCD projector at 800x600 then you might very well see pixels.

January 29th, 2004, 01:45 AM	#1
Jason Soo New Boot Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 10	How to overcome pixel problems at large projections? Hi All, I currently use raptor RT and premiere to edit my videos, mostly shot using 3CCD cameras....Usually, I export them back to the dv tape and sometimes, I also burn them onto vcd/dvd. Watching the video on TV seems to be fine. If I view the video using a projector however, the resolution of the video seems to suffer quite a bit. This is especially if I enlarge the screen by a big amount....then, I can even see the pixels of the video coming up. My guess is that this is a limitation of my cameras as well as the raptor card ... it can only edit video at DV quality... My question is therefore, what kind of equipment (is it a HD camera? compatible capture card?) do I have to use to ensure that my videos do not show their pixels when screened on a large projection? Will migrating to a HD system solve the problem? How do films shot using dv technology overcome this pixel problem at large projections? Thanks in advance!!

January 29th, 2004, 07:27 AM	#2
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,801	Well I don't use your hardware/software, but I have not had this problem with projection. We recently projected some very large images (over 40' wide) with a big Barco 10,000 lumen DLP project. I had been concerned about the pixelation problem myself, but happily it wasn't an issue. You really could not see individual pixels in the projected images. Now of course DV is limited to a bit over 500 lines of horizontal resolution, and there are only 480 scan lines. So there's only so much detail that you can see in a projected image, and that can give the impression that the image is out of focus at times. But I don't think you should see individual pixels or dots. I did make an effort when processing the video to avoid high contrast situations which might create stair stepping and other resolution-related problems however. I'm wondering if this has more to do with the quality of your projectors than the video itself. What sort of projector are you using, and what is its native resolution. We were working with a native 1280x1024 resolution and the projector did its own scaling of our 16:9 anamorphic DV. If you were working with a less expensive LCD projector at 800x600 then you might very well see pixels.