Mavic Mini: 2.7K/30fps clips: seeing sub-par quality & "jitter" on a 4K monitor. Please check out this short sample.

Underwaterguy · Oct 6, 2020

Hi, This short clip is straight off my micro-SD card. The foliage (especially noticeable in pine trees) - seems to have a low quality "jitter" or the look of a streamed video that can't buffer at full quality so it's not crisp to the eye. If anyone has any thoughts on why it doesn't look crisp and clean - or suggestions on how to deal with the clips in FCX to make them look better, I'd appreciate any advice. I uploaded the 48mb clip to Google Drive (DJI_0190-TEST.mp4) Thanks! (PS: Finding that the clip isn't loading in a Google page for viewing, but the clip can be downloaded and then opened to watch. If someone has a better way to attach a video file for viewing, please advise for next time...)

Camino Ken · Oct 6, 2020

Looks fine to my eye when viewed on my iPad Pro. What device are you viewing it on?

Underwaterguy · Oct 6, 2020

It's a new LG 27UL500-W 27" 16:9 4K HDR FreeSync IPS Monitor. If I've got the settings set up incorrectly, I'd love to know that it's the monitor and not the footage that's actually sub-par.

Thomas B · Oct 6, 2020

The clip loads ready to play. I do not see any jitter. Video segment looks fine.

makes me question your playback device.

Camino Ken · Oct 7, 2020

Underwaterguy said:
It's a new LG 27UL500-W 27" 16:9 4K HDR FreeSync IPS Monitor. If I've got the settings set up incorrectly, I'd love to know that it's the monitor and not the footage that's actually sub-par.

It could be the computer. Is it capable for high resolution video playback?

THE CYBORG · Oct 7, 2020

Also loads & plays perfectly for me.
Looks like it could be your PC, can you play other clips OK ?

Jack43 · Oct 7, 2020

It could also be due to the only 40MB/Sec. which the mini delivers!
cheers Paul

Underwaterguy · Oct 7, 2020

I'm on a late 2013 15" MacBook Pro, 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB ram. Note that 1920x1080 clips from my Canon 5Dmk3 look fine. I'm new to 2.7K editing.

To Paul regarding the "only 40MB/Sec which the mini delivers." Could you expand on that? Are you saying the 2.7K video being recorded is more than the processor on the mini can handle smoothly?

Another question: I'm editing in Final Cut Pro in a 1920x1080 timeline which (as far as I understand) allows for cropping in on clips around 25% without degrading the image. If anyone has thoughts or tips on best workflows for clearest output of final 1080p video, please share them. Thanks!

ff22 · Oct 7, 2020

Also looked good to me on an older Samsung Monitor. I would also like to say that the water colors are terrific in that snipet.

Jack43 · Oct 7, 2020

Underwaterguy said:
To Paul regarding the "only 40MB/Sec which the mini delivers." Could you expand on that?

unfortunately no

Underwaterguy! The Mavic 2 Pro would be better it delivers 100MB Bitrate! Of course ut´s way expensiver...I also have a mini because I can´t afford the Pro

cheers Paul

Camino Ken · Oct 7, 2020

Jack43 said:
It could also be due to the only 40MB/Sec. which the mini delivers!
cheers Paul

How can the write speed on the mini have something to do it when it is already on his computer and looks good to everyone else?

maelstrom · Oct 7, 2020

Looks crisp and smooth to me viewing on a 32" QHD monitor in Windows 10. Also, I agree with @Camino Ken that the bit rate at which it was recorded shouldn't make it look bad on just one system.

@Underwaterguy - what software are you using to view the clip?

Emanáku · Oct 7, 2020

I am at a MacbookPro 15 inch with 1680x1050 pixel Retina.
In Quicktime I can choose "Original size". Then it looks perfect to me.

1. What happens when you look at your video on your 4K screen in "Original Size" (smaller than the screen): do you see jitter then?

2. in FCPX you can just add a clip to your HD timeline and it will (be reduced to and) be exported in HD quality automatically. For "zooming in" you use the crop tool. (I do that all the time with 4K footage and with the 2.7K from the MM). FCPX shows you above the viewer in crop mode how many pixels at the left, right, top and bottom are cut away - you can compute from the 2.7K resolution and your target HD resolution how many pixels there should be outside your visible area.

Underwaterguy · Oct 7, 2020

Emanáku said:
I am at a MacbookPro 15 inch with 1680x1050 pixel Retina.
In Quicktime I can choose "Original size". Then it looks perfect to me.

1. What happens when you look at your video on your 4K screen in "Original Size" (smaller than the screen): do you see jitter then?

2. in FCPX you can just add a clip to your HD timeline and it will (be reduced to and) be exported in HD quality automatically. For "zooming in" you use the crop tool. (I do that all the time with 4K footage and with the 2.7K from the MM). FCPX shows you above the viewer in crop mode how many pixels at the left, right, top and bottom are cut away - you can compute from the 2.7K resolution and your target HD resolution how many pixels there should be outside your visible area.

Hi Emanaku, Re: 1) I've got Quicktime 10.5 and don't see "original size" under "view" as a choice. There is "actual size" but it's greyed-out. "Fit to screen" and "decrease size" are the only available options. What QT version do you have?
Re: 2) Thanks for sharing your workflow. That is exactly what I'm doing with mine. I hadn't noticed the "pixel count" numbers, so that's helpful to know.

Underwaterguy · Oct 7, 2020

maelstrom said:
Looks crisp and smooth to me viewing on a 32" QHD monitor in Windows 10. Also, I agree with @Camino Ken that the bit rate at which it was recorded shouldn't make it look bad on just one system.

@Underwaterguy - what software are you using to view the clip?

I've been viewing with Quicktime 10.5 and then within Final Cut Pro (in the viewer window, and also "full screen" to check it out at the fullest possible size.

Underwaterguy · Oct 7, 2020

ff22 said:
Also looked good to me on an older Samsung Monitor. I would also like to say that the water colors are terrific in that snipet.

I've been very happy with the overall color balance of the Mini. I've been flying over a lot of lakes and ponds in Maine this fall, so the palette is pretty rich.

Chetk7677 · Oct 7, 2020

Looks good on my 3 yo monitor.....I did not see any jitter....Were you flying from that boat in the lake?

Underwaterguy · Oct 7, 2020

Yes, that was me in the kayak. Glad it looks good. I'm going to keep searching to figure out what's needed to get it playing smoothly in my system.

Emanáku · Oct 7, 2020

Underwaterguy said:
Hi Emanaku, Re: 1) I've got Quicktime 10.5 and don't see "original size" under "view" as a choice. There is "actual size" but it's greyed-out. "Fit to screen" and "decrease size" are the only available options. What QT version do you have?

The "Actual Size" is only available, if you first choose "Enter Full Screen"

I have a smaller monitor than the resolution of the movie, so I see then only a part of the movie, but that part is in full resolution 2.7K. In your case with the 4K monitor - I assume - you will see the video smaller than the monitor is, but in the full resolution of the video. Then you should see the "true quality" of the video.

Underwaterguy said:
Re: 2) Thanks for sharing your workflow. That is exactly what I'm doing with mine. I hadn't noticed the "pixel count" numbers, so that's helpful to know.

If you just crop (and not use the Ken Burns effect) you can also use the Video Inspector and there the section "Crop" - here you can put the pixels to crop in by hand.

Have fun!

Underwaterguy · Oct 7, 2020

Emanáku said:
The "Actual Size" is only available, if you first choose "Enter Full Screen" I have a smaller monitor than the resolution of the movie, so I see then only a part of the movie, but that part is in full resolution 2.7K. In your case with the 4K monitor - I assume - you will see the video smaller than the monitor is, but in the full resolution of the video. Then you should see the "true quality" of the video.

If you just crop (and not use the Ken Burns effect) you can also use the Video Inspector and there the section "Crop" - here you can put the pixels to crop in by hand.

Have fun!

Ah, "full screen" then "actual size..." Works great. And thanks for the video inspector with the pixel info.