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Author Topic: Imprex overshoot: Noise Reduction and MPEG NR affects too much/ "OFF"=still "ON"  (Read 6346 times)

Mount81

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Hello!

So after the upgrade from 1.0.5 to 1.0.7 fw and watching a bunch of videos (even from the same sources as previously), I have to draw that strange conclusion, that as the Imprex engine has gone throu some fixes (like the solution of black area ghosting), there's a new medicore weight problem that draws back -in my oppinion- the overall picture quality. In 1.0.5 fw both the Noise Reduction and the MPEG NR settings worked better: 1. when one's turned them OFF completly, it came to show squarely and perceptably enough that the image stayed more unprocessed and rawer (and more natural). 2. In the case of just slightly more noisy video sources (like to reduce Film Grain), when I even used occasionaly the "Low" setting to both NR, it did it's purposed job much "finer" and added just a reasonable and toleratable smoothing to the picture.

Now with the 1.0.7 fw, it seams both Noise Reduction filters can't even be turned off completly. Even with the "OFF" setting on both, stills a plenty noticable level of "smoothing" and "bluring" on the picture. Not disturbing the whole playback all in constantly, but it's mostly visible on the skins of the peoples faces while half-near close-ups during dialogs. It's clearly noticable -with some focusing- compared to when I play back same videos on other devices, like my PC, and also compared to the PQ with the 1.0.5 firmware with the same settings. In some cases I found that even this ammount of PQ postprocessing makes the experience weaker, and results in a unsettingly unnatural picture. And now the "Low" setting results in a much more stronger "blur" and "cosmetics" and makes it also look as an overshoot in the intervention, compared with the 1.0.5 fw. As for conclusion for me both settings have loosed their capabilty to fulfill their purposes, when trying to fit settings to the -mentioned- different sources with the desired effect.

Does anyone beside me  have the same observations? ???

Thanks for the replies!
« Last Edit: September 13, 2016, 05:05:52 PM by Mount81 »

Nice Monkey

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Yes, already reported so. Backed out to FW 1.06 for PQ degradation, specifically DVD is much worse (also back to 25P/30P).

Eriol

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Try this:
1. Launch a movie and turn on Impex if its not already
2. Go to Settings -> More -> Advance options and select "SDR" under "TV HDR Mode"
3. Launch a movie and turn off Impex completely
4. Head back to Advance options and select either "Auto" or "HDR10" if your TV supports it

Check if NR is off this way and the picture quality is any better.

Mount81

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Try this:
1. Launch a movie and turn on Impex if its not already
2. Go to Settings -> More -> Advance options and select "SDR" under "TV HDR Mode"
3. Launch a movie and turn off Impex completely
4. Head back to Advance options and select either "Auto" or "HDR10" if your TV supports it

Check if NR is off this way and the picture quality is any better.

Maybe it works, but it's clear that it's a very unconfortable and circumstantial solution. The best way would be if they're would be solved it in the next firmware in a simple and "offical way". And not just to turn the Imprex engine OFF in whole and genereal, but also to each seperate, single funcion one by one. And also to tune the above mentioned two Noise Reduction's parameters to a more acceptable and less overbearing level. Just saw a video last night, and it's (above detailed) PQ desperately cryed out for less alteration (or even for the relevant and more suitable PQ effects of the 1.0.5 fw). Hope this -besides of the "Turn Imprex OFF" general problem-  also gets the attention by Futeko and than the Himedia engineers as well.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2016, 04:32:57 PM by Mount81 »

Eriol

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Maybe it works, but it's clear that it's a very unconfortable and circumstantial solution.

That's true if you want to turn it on/off frequently. But I would prefer a correctly working OFF switch as well.

Djinn

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Maybe it works, but it's clear that it's a very unconfortable and circumstantial solution.

That's true if you want to turn it on/off frequently. But I would prefer a correctly working OFF switch as well.
Me too and if you've followed my posts, you'll realize that I've insisted a lot in this regard. Also see THIS for a *coherent* Imprex Engine menu operation (according to Futeko's settings to really disable Imprex). With this proposal, turning off the first option will not cause any confusion, because all other options would be locked. I suppose it does not make sense adjusting Imprex parameters if the main option is disabled. That is, it would work as a 'master switch', as suggested by Nice Monkey.

Mount81

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Maybe it works, but it's clear that it's a very unconfortable and circumstantial solution.

That's true if you want to turn it on/off frequently. But I would prefer a correctly working OFF switch as well.
Me too and if you've followed my posts, you'll realize that I've insisted a lot in this regard. Also see THIS for a *coherent* Imprex Engine menu operation (according to Futeko's settings to really disable Imprex). With this proposal, turning off the first option will not cause any confusion, because all other options would be locked. I suppose it does not make sense adjusting Imprex parameters if the main option is disabled. That is, it would work as a 'master switch', as suggested by Nice Monkey.

And Also:
Quote
A new suggestion for future firmware: When users set the "Engine OFF" option to "Off", the firmware should gray all other options out PRESERVING its current values but, internally, these options would be set to OFF and "Sharpness" and "HDR Saturation" set to "50" (users won't notice in the UI this internal change). When users reenable the first option (enable the engine), the firmware should apply previously saved values for all other options and they should be unlocked. This will avoid misunderstandings and will allow users to preserve their previous setting when changing Imprex status. I insist that the UI should be intuitive and users don't have to remember the proper values to entirely disable the Imprex Engine. That will make users' life a bit more easy.


Of course this would be the best and the most supposed way a priori. It's a suggestion to how it should work, right? Cause it doesn't work all-in-whole this way yet. It is how it should work properly and normally (and it is what most people expect at first, and that would be obvious), but it doesn't.
So there's no doubt to agree.

But my complains aren't mainly about just the "Master switch" to turn the whole e Imprex off, it argues instead the missbehaviour of those two separately adjustable NR processors (and even that in their "OFF" status, they still producing too much image alteration, etc.)

« Last Edit: September 19, 2016, 07:16:29 AM by Mount81 »

 

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