Working on a 1080p sequence with low res images, images only appear more pixelated when rendered at 720p

[Pastajeff]

I'm working on a 1080p sequence with low res images scaled up and logos and text captions overlaid. When I render the sequence to 720p, the logos and captions remain sharp, but the images become more pixelated. An example: https://s24.postimg.org/7rc9ds1wl/image.png

How can I get it so they render as they appear in the timeline?

[Mau7rice]

If the images you're using are low res to begin with then naturally when you export to a larger 720 or or something the images would pixelate. You either 1. Need  to  reshoot the pictures at a higher res ; 2. If the low res is all you have to work with, go in Photoshop or something and resize it up as best as possible so when you use the asset in Premiere the distortion upon 720 upscale wont be as bad ; 3. If skill and or time permit, create a vector of the image in a program like illustrator, vector images scale up much better ; last option which may or may not be an option for you would be to use different images, go on google and download higher res images.

[Pastajeff]

"naturally when you export to a larger 720 or or something the images would pixelate"

Yes, but they don't look as bad in the preview while I'm editing.

I only have the low res images to work with. I am scaling them up so they fill the screen.

The project is set to 1080p in case I need a 1080p render later on, but my client wants 720p for now.

Your option 2, resizing them in Photoshop, is a good idea, but time consuming because they are all different sizes and orientations. And besides, they look good in the timeline preview, it's only when I go to render them that they look more pixelated.

[R Neil Haugen]

What is the original image size that you're using? And why scale up to turn right around and scale down? I don't understand the choice ...

Neil

[Pastajeff]

The image sizes vary between 500x331 and 1024x684.

I have scaled them up to fill the screen using the scale option.

Then I have set scale and position keyframes to mimic the camera zooming and panning around each image, but with the image always filling the screen. It's a slideshow.

The project is set to 1080p in case I need a 1080p render later on, but my client wants 720p for now.

They look fine in the timeline preview, as in the top image in my example, but in the rendering window, the 'Output' is more pixelated like the bottom image, and it renders out like that.

[R Neil Haugen]

For this ... and most things ... don't use "scale to frame size" ... in fact, as many do, I strongly suggest going into Edit/Preferences/General and de-selecting the "Default scale to frame-size" option. Because that's why you're getting pixelated ... it's not taking the image quality from the original media but after doing a quick & dirty up-scaling from some odd size ... then you scale it back to a different size.

If you use "Set to frame-size" it takes the image and displays it at the current sequence or scaled size, but retains the original frame-size data to make the export/render from. Which would give you far better results.

My other comment ... up-rezzing a 500-331 image to 1920x1080 ... wow, that's one heck of a blow-up. I would never expect much quality of the image from that much up-sizing. Taking 1024x684 would be bad enough. And if you're not just scaling them up, but then ... "zooming" in further ... yowza ...

Neil

[Pastajeff]

Unfortunately that's what the guy wants me to do, despite how bad it looks.

I seem to have solved the problem though. I'm not sure why it works, but I did a preview render of the timeline and then when I go to export, the 'Output' looks the same as the 'Source' now, no extra pixellation.

By the way, I have "Default scale to frame size" de-selected and I didn't "Scale to frame size" any of the images manually either.

[Warren Heaton]

What export preset are you using?

[Pastajeff]

It's a DSLR 1080p 24 sequence exported using H.264 set to HDTV 720p 24 High Quality.

[Pastajeff]

An update: Rendering the preview did fix the 'Output' screen but it still rendered out with extra pixellation.

I have produced a number of these slideshows and most of them rendered out fine, it's only the last 5 or so where this has started happening.

I could change over to a 720p project, but that would mean re-arranging the text captions (they slide into frame).

[excited_Genie16B8]

The bottom image looks like it has interlacing artifacts.

If you're exporting at 720, then work in a 720 sequence.  Scale down 1080 video, and scale up the images less.

[Pastajeff · Accepted solution]

So to conclude this, it just seems to be a quirk of Premiere. It looks good in the timeline preview, but when you go to export, the "Output" is more pixellated.

I do not have "Default scale to frame size" on and none of the images are "Scaled to frame size". So it just seems to be a Premiere quirk.

I have moved everything over to a 720p sequence, adjusted everything to fit correctly, and the "Output" is now identical to the timeline preview.