Image quality drops when exported at 1080HD setting. Please help.

[smmrdays]

I created a sequence with high resolution jpg images in premiere pro CC 2015, but when I export it, no matter how I adjust the export setting, the quality ends up really bad. (Please see the image comparison and my export setting below.)

Can somebody please tell me how to fix the problem? I'd appreciate any help!

[Ann Bens]

Make the image the same size (height and width in pixels, dpi is irrelevant) as your sequence before bringing it into Premiere and try again.

Might want to try with and without max depth and mrq.

[smmrdays]

Hi! I've already tried with the same sized images (1920x1080) as well as different sizes and different settings like changing to CBR, VBR 1pass, VBR 2 pass, high profile, main profile, with or without max rendering quality.... but it just doesn't work. I don't get this problem when I export video footages but whenever I export jpg images, the quality goes bad.

[Ann Bens]

Video footage is not the same as stills.

Convert the jpegs in psd or png and try again.

[smmrdays]

Just tried in both psd and png. It still doesn't work.

[Ann Bens]

OK turn off MPE hardware.

See if that make a difference.

[smmrdays]

Tried it and no difference. By the way, I really appreciate your replies. Thank you Ann!

[smmrdays]

Hi! I've already tried with the same sized images (1920x1080) as well as different sizes and different settings like changing to CBR, VBR 1pass, VBR 2 pass, high profile, main profile, with or without max rendering quality.... but it just doesn't work. I don't get this problem when I export video footages but whenever I export jpg images, the quality goes bad.

[excited_Genie16B8]

Let's see the entire frame, not just that one spot.

[smmrdays]

Hi Jim. You mean something like this?

This particular image is something I created in PSD. I've tried exporting photos and other types of stills, and they all become lighter when exported.

[chrisw44157881]

i think we're all going off on a tangent. I don't know why he has grainy examples for both before and after, but since the dithering quality doesn't change much, I am focusing on the gamma or lightness change. In which case, how are you viewing the export? with quicktime player? its gamma 1.8 and pixel 16-235 doesn't match premiere's 2.2 at 0-255. I'm sure if you imported the render back into premiere, it would look identical. VLC with opengl video output and nvidia control panel set 0-255 should match premiere exactly.

[Ann Bens]

The player does not look like QT.

[excited_Genie16B8]

they all become lighter when exported.

I'm concerned about how you're making that determination.  Ideally, you need to get anything that can alter the video signal out of the signal path.  That means software, OS and GPU driver need to go away, and that means getting the export off the computer, playing from a hardware player onto a properly calibrated display.

[joeym54051527]

Video resolution is 72 dpi and your jpeg is 300 dpi. I would convert the jpeg to png at 72 dpi. I believe that will alleviate your problem.There will be some degradation in the conversion because so many pixels are dropped.But that's why Premiere is having so much trouble with it.Photoshop or another image editing program will do a much better job and premiere won't need to. 

[Ann Bens]

DPI has no meaning in video. DPi is for printing.

All that matters is height and width in pixels e.g. 1920x1080 pixels.

Best is to make the image fit the sequence.

[smmrdays]

Problem solved. it was the video player.

I’ve been viewing the output with Gom Player which is commonly used here in Korea, and after reading your comments, I installed Quicktime and Window Media Player and they all show my images the way they should. Can’t believe it never occurred to me to try other players till now…uh.

Thank you everyone for helping me!