Video stutter issue after editing movie

[Yanickma]

Hello all,

On several video editions I create from my spark footage I often notice that the video stutters mostly on horizontal panoramic shots. It is noticeable to the eyes and I find it unpleasant.

I first thought it was because of the lack of horizontal axe gimbal on the spark but then I found out that the video shots straight off the drone SD card are smooth and free of stutter.

After some reading I found out about the frame per second rate and possible issue while editing the videos related to that.

I understand Spark videos are recorded on 29.97 fps. I use Filmora as editing software, I thought I was maybe exporting at 30 fps and that was the issue but I checked more carefully and found out I m exporting on the same 29.97 fps rate, so i m not sure what is causing the issue. But I know for sure it comes from the editing software.

Anyone has any other idea or advise? Beside the fps rate, does the bitrate has something to do? I saw in the spark footage file properties that most videos are in the 24 000 and something kbps bitrate but I was exporting at 10000. Could it be related? Filmora gives an option to export at 20 000 or 30 000, should I try 20 000? It doubles the size of the file though.

I would appreciate some advise on this.

 

[Yanickma]

I just exported at 20000 kbps bitrate and I see no difference, issue persists

 

[JustinR]

I'm having the same issue....same software.

 

[Yanickma]

I'm having the same issue....same software.

Justin, I just found the solution! Even if file properties says they are recorded at 29.97, do your export at 30 fps instead of exporting with the same 29.97.

Once I exported using 30 fps the stutter completely disappeared

 

[JustinR]

Great, thanks for figuring this out! I thought I was seeing this but didn't know if it was the spark or the editing software.

 

[Yanickma]

Great, thanks for figuring this out! I thought I was seeing this but didn't know if it was the spark or the editing software.

Give it a try and let me know if it works for you too

 

[JustinR]

I did and it worked great. Redid my last video and posted the new one on YouTube.

 

[Yanickma]

I did and it worked great. Redid my last video and posted the new one on YouTube.

Great video by the way! And where is this nice landscape from?

 

[JustinR]

Google Maps

 

[Spark 317]

Looks like your "copilots" enjoy the Sunday drive as well.

 

[Adlibber]

Hello all,

On several video editions I create from my spark footage I often notice that the video stutters mostly on horizontal panoramic shots. It is noticeable to the eyes and I find it unpleasant.

I first thought it was because of the lack of horizontal axe gimbal on the spark but then I found out that the video shots straight off the drone SD card are smooth and free of stutter.

After some reading I found out about the frame per second rate and possible issue while editing the videos related to that.

I understand Spark videos are recorded on 29.97 fps. I use Filmora as editing software, I thought I was maybe exporting at 30 fps and that was the issue but I checked more carefully and found out I m exporting on the same 29.97 fps rate, so i m not sure what is causing the issue. But I know for sure it comes from the editing software.

Anyone has any other idea or advise? Beside the fps rate, does the bitrate has something to do? I saw in the spark footage file properties that most videos are in the 24 000 and something kbps bitrate but I was exporting at 10000. Could it be related? Filmora gives an option to export at 20 000 or 30 000, should I try 20 000? It doubles the size of the file though.

I would appreciate some advise on this.

The Spark outputs a variable frame rate. Doesn’t vary much but still VFR rather than CFR (constant frame rate). I experienced exactly the same problem. However if you process the video to convert it to CFR at 30 fps (I use Handbrake) all was perfect! I use a Mac with iMovie.

 

[Lastrexking]

The Spark outputs a variable frame rate. Doesn’t vary much but still VFR rather than CFR (constant frame rate). I experienced exactly the same problem. However if you process the video to convert it to CFR at 30 fps (I use Handbrake) all was perfect! I use a Mac with iMovie.

Came here to say exactly this. Doing the above will fix it, and it's also useful if you're filming on several different devices as they'll more than likely film at different frame rates. Run them through Handbake first and get them all the same.

There's a useful video on how to do it here:

 

[Adlibber]

Came here to say exactly this. Doing the above will fix it, and it's also useful if you're filming on several different devices as they'll more than likely film at different frame rates. Run them through Handbake first and get them all the same.

There's a useful video on how to do it here:

My latest and possibly final take on this issue is: both Apple editors (and probably others) in auto mode use the speed of the first frame of the first movie clip as the fps for the whole movie (the 100% value in the speed control). The first frame in a Spark video is, in my experience, always 29.98 fps with an average rate of 29.97 fps. If the video has a lot of panned shots the result is unpleasant stuttering in those panned shots. One solution is to run the video through Handbrake and output a constant 29.97 fps. HOWEVER IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO USE HANDBRAKE! In iMovie you can adjust the frame rate to an integral percentage value of the 'normal' rate so selecting 99% seems to fix the problem. In Final Cut Pro, when creating the project, you can use custom settings to override the auto mode. One of the custom frame rates is 29.97 fps and with this setting the video appears to be perfectly OK. DJI are aware of this issue.

 

[Radagast7]

Hi.
I use the same MO of converting the clips using Handbrake, typically to 30 fps (I will start using 29.97 now, but so far I've been happy with the results in iMovie using 30).
But, Adlibber, could you elaborate on where to find this 'adjust the frame rate to an integral percentage ...' thing? I looked and looked in iMovie, and could not find anything which related to the frame rate of the output, so I hopefully just looked in all the wrong places ... (iMovie 10.1.6).
And just to be sure .... there's no way of changing this in the Spark settings right?

 

[Adlibber]

Hi.
In iMovie navigate to the set of icons top right, locate 'speed' and take a good look at the options. The one marked 'custom' allowed you to put in a percentage. This is the only method I found in iMovie dealing with speed adjustment. Overall I found the Handbrake method produced the best result as did Final Cut Pro using the correct setting.

 

[Radagast7]

Thanks, man, will try it out.