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Jerky video

Simonherbert

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Hi guys while practising flying my pro 2 I decided to video also in 4k when I watch it back on my computer to video is very jerky and unsmooth any idea how I can make the camera movements smoother.
Thanks in advance
 
It could be a number of things, what is your computer? It might not be up to coping with 4K. My iMac does not like my MA2 codec H265 for example, soon as I switch to H264 which is 4K 30fps, no jerky footage.
Also your SD card, for 4K you ideally want a U3 v30 spec.
 
Hi Simon,

It’s most likely your computer that isn’t capable of playing back the 4K files. It takes some serious grunt to handle hi-res files like these. My MacBook from 2015 can’t handle them but more recent ones can.

If you want to edit the video it is easier to create a lo-res proxy version that the editor then can render at 4K from the original clip once editing is complete. But then of course you will still need a computer fast enough to play it... or a 4K DVD player and TV.

My background is with Avid MediaComposer but Davinci Resolve works well and there is a free version available.

What do you think of your M2P now you’ve had chance to fly it?
 
My sd card is U3 64gb Samsung evo plus
My computer is a zbook17 32gb ram Intel R core i7 64 bit system with Windows 10 pro
I asked for a fast computer from my local computer shop and they said this would be more than enough for 4k video
 
Last edited:
Hi Simon,

It’s most likely your computer that isn’t capable of playing back the 4K files. It takes some serious grunt to handle hi-res files like these. My MacBook from 2015 can’t handle them but more recent ones can.

If you want to edit the video it is easier to create a lo-res proxy version that the editor then can render at 4K from the original clip once editing is complete. But then of course you will still need a computer fast enough to play it... or a 4K DVD player and TV.

My background is with Avid MediaComposer but Davinci Resolve works well and there is a free version available.

What do you think of your M2P now you’ve had chance to fly it?
I love flying it i have no experience of drone flying before this but it seems so smooth controlling the drone I ve been doing squares and figure eight movements at low heights 50cm ground and at 10 20metre heights the thing that also amazes me is its so stable even with a bit of wind gust up high
 
It could be a number of things, what is your computer? It might not be up to coping with 4K. My iMac does not like my MA2 codec H265 for example, soon as I switch to H264 which is 4K 30fps, no jerky footage.
Also your SD card, for 4K you ideally want a U3 v30 spec.
Ok I set it to H265 at 30fps I wanted to see what it was like at the heaviest recording settings
 
Ok I set it to H265 at 30fps I wanted to see what it was like at the heaviest recording settings

H264 will work. Very little noticeable difference to H265 image quality but requires more storage space.

It really is a very stable platform. I had it at 2-metres last week in the very gusty winds and it had no issue maintaining the camera image absolutely level. Very easy to fly too.
 
H264 will work. Very little noticeable difference to H265 image quality but requires more storage space.

It really is a very stable platform. I had it at 2-metres last week in the very gusty winds and it had no issue maintaining the camera image absolutely level. Very easy to fly too.
Yes thats perfect I love it when its hovering in the wind the image is perfect no movement at all its very stable in the wind.
The issue for me is when changing direction of the drone the movements on video are jeky rather than smooth thinking about it again is this because I am not in tripod mode and am in p mode. I know tripod mode is supposed to slow down the movements alot
 
Yes thats perfect I love it when its hovering in the wind the image is perfect no movement at all its very stable in the wind.
The issue for me is when changing direction of the drone the movements on video are jeky rather than smooth thinking about it again is this because I am not in tripod mode and am in p mode. I know tripod mode is supposed to slow down the movements alot

If you’re very gentle on the sticks you should be able to start smoothly. Tripod mode does slow things down but if you still have beginner mode active I believe Tripod & Sport modes are disabled. Can’t be 100% I don’t have the manual to hand right now.
 
If you’re very gentle on the sticks you should be able to start smoothly. Tripod mode does slow things down but if you still have beginner mode active I believe Tripod & Sport modes are disabled. Can’t be 100% I don’t have the manual to hand right now.
Yes i removed beginner mode just to try.
A good tradesman never blames his tools ...
So to be sure I called the computer shop they said the computer should have plenty of power just to watch the video so if its Jerking they doubt its the computer.
I just called my instructor he said it could be the drone or my heavy newbie hands.
I sent a video to where I got it from for them to take a look.
My guess is I got shakey hand syndrome but best to be safe and sure :oops: o_O:oops:
 
Your spec would make it unlikely the computer. Usually it looks more like missing frame rate when played if makes sense. H264 solves my issues instead of H265. Hard to say without seeing the footage. Another option, upload to YouTube (keep private if prefer) and see what happens . If it continues to be jerky then it’s the drone or you . If it plays back fine, then computer or card(unlikely ).
 
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What program are you using to play the video ?
I use VLC Player it’s free & plays almost anything.
Yes was using that it was the computer graphics weren't up to it. The computer shop has swapped for a different model hp and let me test the film to be sure also upgraded the computer ram from 8 to32gb thanks SB computers in Nottingham
 
Yes was using that it was the computer graphics weren't up to it. The computer shop has swapped for a different model hp and let me test the film to be sure also upgraded the computer ram from 8 to32gb thanks SB computers in Nottingham

Good to hear Simon. Fast CPU is a must as is the GPU. Most software, especially editing packages) make use of the GPU to decompress the H265/H264 video streams leaving the CPU to shovel the data through the pipeline.

The video servers we designed and supplied in my last job have always been software-based to allow for multiple and new video formats but required a high-end GPU, usually NVidia Quadro range, for compressing/decompressing - same too for the editors. Seriously expensive kit but used by the vast majority of TV stations around the world. Intel eventually caught up with the faster video processing that the top-end AMD CPU’s had previously provided and we moved to an HP/Intel platform. More recently video is now IP-based so video cables only used at the endpoints to watch on a TV monitor, fast Ethernet now used instead.
 
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Hi guys while practising flying my pro 2 I decided to video also in 4k when I watch it back on my computer to video is very jerky and unsmooth any idea how I can make the camera movements smoother.
Thanks in advance
Are you able to regulate the gimbal and stick settings to slow them down? Refer to You Tube videos on the subject.
 
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