Discussion: GoPro Stabilization

I've got a GoPro Hero3, and I'd like to try to destabilize the video while editing. I tried VirtualDub with the Deshaker plugin, but VirtualDub doesn't recognize the GoPro file (.MP4).

I'm kinda new to this game, so for those of you who have made it work, what did you have to do?

Thanks!

You want to destabilize? As in, make it look like found footage a la Blair Witch Project?

Just make sure you don't destabilise the matrix or else the whole world may go down.

You need a plugin for MP4/h264 support. I have been using a version of the directshow input driver plugin. There are also other input plugins that I haven't had a need to try.

The actual steps required to run deshaker were non-obvious to me, see here if you haven't already.

@Cristina... stabilize... sorry. I got my wires crossed between deshaker and stabilize... it was a long day.

I figured it was a mistake, but with orienteers you never know - I'm sure someone would like to destabilize their video.

@Ken... thanks for the links, I'm able to load the videos now!

I've got a question about the step-by-step in your last link. When does the 2nd pass happen?


- File > Open video file
- Video > Filters > Add > deshaker filter > pass1
- File > Run video analysis pass
- Video > Filters > (clear filters) > Add > deshaker filter > pass2
- Video > Compression > (select some decent installed codec like x264)
- File > Save as AVI

Once I set the deshaker filter for pass2, do I run another analysis pass (not listed), or do I go straight to compression and saving?

It's going to take several hours for the computer to get through a video file, so I want to make sure that it's set up correctly.

Also, I remember seeing somewhere on AP a video where there were black bars that would bounce around a fairly stable shot in the middle. Is that what the output of deshaker looks like?

Jagge does that... Try his log for advice and examples.

You don't need to run a second analysis pass. The pass2 filter (black bars etc) is applied during the final save operation.

Also, I'd suggest cutting out a 1-minute clip to test all this on first. Otherwise like you said it takes a few hours to figure out each time you have some setting wrong.

Jagge's use case is a little different, he needs deshaker to output each frame as a jpeg, because rgmapvideo then makes a with-map version of each frame, and finally combines them back into a movie.

To make things easy, I sometimes use Jagge's RGTV-app for non-map videos as well. Just delete "RGmapvideo.exe MAPFRAMES" from the "go.bat". Using the same file name for the input video, it's one double click and after a while you have a deshaked video. The down side of this method is that it only makes 720-videos and thus you don't use the full potential of your gopro.