Auto Smart Tone Causing Video Quality Issues

[srwings]

I'm using Premiere Elements 2021. Can anyone provide insight as to why whenever I use the Auto Smart Tone feature to touch up a clip the quality of the clip is degraded? Take a look at this screenshot from a video. The image on the left is the orginal. The image on the right is after Auto Smart Tone has been applied. This is occuring during the editing process and not during the export process so I don't think I'm dealing with an export issue per se. Rendering doesn't make any difference. There's something about Auto Smart Tone that is affecting video quality. This has been a long time issue for me. Thoughts? Thank you.

[srwings]

It doesn't look like I can edit my post. I mistakenly refer to a left and right screenshot. I meant top and bottom.

[Ann Bens]

From my experience everything that says auto: avoid.

[srwings]

Thank you, Ann.

Based on your suggestion, I removed the changes made by Auto Smart Tone and the pixalation went away. I then brought up the Lighting feature and under the Exposure tab I played around with Brightness, Contrast, and Exposure. What I found is that even making the smallest manual adjustment to just one of these items negatively impacts the video quality even more than the Auto Smart Tone feature does. Any suggestions on how to identify specifically what is causing the video degradation?

[Peru Bob]

Automatic fixes don't always work as expected in all situations.

[srwings]

The problem is that when I go back and look at any of the video I've edited in Premiere I see this problem. 

[srwings]

Does Adobe tech support monitor these posts?

[Peru Bob]

Does Adobe tech support monitor these posts?

By @srwings

No.

[Ann Bens]

What camera is used for these images?

[srwings]

A GoPro 9. I'm shooting flat mode. MP4. 3840 x 2160. 29.97 fps.

[Ann Bens]

Gorpo is not a high end camera and produces massive compressed files.

What is flat mode?

[srwings]

I can replicate the issue using my DJI Air Mavic 2 video footage as well. This is also shot in MP4.

With a GoPro you can record video in native mode or in flat mode. If you shoot with the default GoPro color mode, the image will be vibrant and contrasty. Excessively so in my opinion. If you shoot with the Flat color mode, the image will be, well, flat and the colors will look washed-out. Most GoPro vloggers recommend shooting in flat mode because it lends itself better to post-production color tuning. Roughly akin to taking still pics in RAW. Better post-production control.

[Ann Bens]

Making movies starts with the camera settings.

Might want to test the default settings and turn down the colors in post.

Imo Elements is not really fitted to do serious color correction.

[srwings]

I agree but given that I'm using my drone's default camera settings and am able to duplicate the issue there it seems to suggest that the camera isn't the most likely culprit. Recapping: GoPro- shooting in flat mode. Mavic drone- shooting in default mode. Am able to duplicate the issue in both cameras.

Re: 'Imo Elements is not really fitted to do serious color correction.' I'd call what I'm attempting to do basic color correction but regardless even the slight change to say, contrast, results in distortion.

[Ann Bens]

I dont think its the software but rather the compression used in the files.

mp4 is just a wrapper, which codec is used inside the files.

[srwings]

Re: "I dont think its the software". How do we test this hypothesis?

[Ann Bens]

Convert the gorpro file with Handbrake.

[srwings]

Cool. Convert it to an avi file?

[Ann Bens]

No MP4. Elements does not support avi/mkv.

[srwings]

I don't understand. It's already MP4. 

[Ann Bens]

Yes that is correct. MP4 is just a wrapper/container. You need to change the codec/compression

I don't know if the file is H.264 or H.265 but there a many flavours.

Can you upload the clip show in previous post to test.