Video quality between EVO and Palm PRE

[mp0510]

Has anyone taken video with a Class 6 card?

A class 2 card only allows 2 MB per second, so that's 2 MB for 20 frames of 1280X720 plus audio. The Pre records 640X480 plus audio at 1.756 MB per second at 30 frames per second. There is NO WAY a 720p video is going to look as good as a 480p with that data rate.

think of it this way: 1280X720X20 = 18,432,000 pixels displayed every second. That means each pixel only gets 0.001 KB to store data. 640X480X30 = 9,216,000 pixels per second, so it has 0.002 KB per pixel. Double the data means double the quality (in a very over-simplified manner.)

A fair comparison would be 480p on both.

And perhaps a faster card might help. My Pre records anywhere from 768 KBps up to 1.7 MBps based on light level and details in the image. (I have no control over that.) If the EVO also has a variable rate of recording, faster cards will give better quality. iTunes HD video is recorded at 24 frames per second with 4 MBps, so a class 4 or 6 card may give MUCH better video. (At least, I hope this is true.)

 

[fr4nk1yn]

Good post.

the phone doesn't know what card is installed does it?
If it's trying to write data faster than the card can handle doesn't it drop frames?

 

[Yourdogsdead]

I feel kinda dumb for not thinking about that. We should give it a whirl.

 

[mp0510]

Most computers automatically read the speed of the memory card when they connect to, and access it. This applies to Digital cameras, DSLRs, and camcorders, so I assume cell phones also adjust for media speed. So it could be dropping frames, or it could be downgrading the quality to be the best possible given the media available.

I plan to expirement on the 4th and 5th, so I'll post what I find if no one else has by then.

 

[jxs1984]

Most computers automatically read the speed of the memory card when they connect to, and access it. This applies to Digital cameras, DSLRs, and camcorders, so I assume cell phones also adjust for media speed. So it could be dropping frames, or it could be downgrading the quality to be the best possible given the media available.

I plan to expirement on the 4th and 5th, so I'll post what I find if no one else has by then.

looking forward to your findings

 

[fr4nk1yn]

Just checked my 8gb Sandisk and it has a "4" in a circle so I'd assume that a class 4(?).
Is it confirmed the Evo is coming with a class2 card?

Still muddling my way around Linux. I haven't figured out how to do a write test yet on the card.

 

[jxc]

The videos look pretty damn good for a cell phone.

Again, you wont get a 1500$ camcorder in a 200$ phone.

thats true, but they kind of shouldnt call it HD if it doesnt even come close to a $150 kodak zi8

 

[jxc]

I'm also shocked at the audio rec quality on the EVO....sounds like there's a running faucet in the background. Palm Pre wasn't even built for video and it had virtually no odd background noise.....i just don't understand why this is the case from a brand new phone....hope there's a fix soon!

agreed, i have kind of been hoping that when i get the EVO that the sound will be better but almost all videos have bad sound

 

[jxc]

The problem the Pre has with video is that the audio can go WILDLY out of sync with the picture. I'm not talking a little lip-flip like a Godzilla movie, but 10 SECONDS out of sync. I shot some footage at an event the evening the 1.4 update came out which added video recording, and when I went to edit, it was so out of whack, it was useless unless I manually resynced the sound, which would've been nearly impossible.

You want good HD video in a small package? Get a Flip Ultra HD for $150 and be done with it.

agreed, just wished there was an option to compress less for those of us that want bigger file sizes....

BTW, i compared any of the flip against the $150 kodak ZI8 and the ZI8 blew them out of the water...video quality and features of the camcorder itself.

 

[jxc]

Has anyone taken video with a Class 6 card?

A class 2 card only allows 2 MB per second, so that's 2 MB for 20 frames of 1280X720 plus audio. The Pre records 640X480 plus audio at 1.756 MB per second at 30 frames per second. There is NO WAY a 720p video is going to look as good as a 480p with that data rate.

think of it this way: 1280X720X20 = 18,432,000 pixels displayed every second. That means each pixel only gets 0.001 KB to store data. 640X480X30 = 9,216,000 pixels per second, so it has 0.002 KB per pixel. Double the data means double the quality (in a very over-simplified manner.)

A fair comparison would be 480p on both.

And perhaps a faster card might help. My Pre records anywhere from 768 KBps up to 1.7 MBps based on light level and details in the image. (I have no control over that.) If the EVO also has a variable rate of recording, faster cards will give better quality. iTunes HD video is recorded at 24 frames per second with 4 MBps, so a class 4 or 6 card may give MUCH better video. (At least, I hope this is true.)

i will definitely try this when i get my EVO, thanks for bringing this up, smart POST

 

[Andrew Ruffolo]

Take the pre out of the light and its videos look like garbage:
YouTube - My First Project

 

[DougB541#CB]

Video quality is similar to iPhone on the Pre....the Evo just looks like it compresses the sound an video.

Video looks alright except in low light..sound sounds like its 64kbps or lower.

 

[showmrock]

I hope that theory about the class of card is right! The quality of the audio alone is so shocking that there's no way this was overlooked and produced.

 

[wphend00]

I hope that theory about the class of card is right! The quality of the audio alone is so shocking that there's no way this was overlooked and produced.

I don't get it, Pre's video looked slightly worse than a 3gs's
I am guessing when the 4g's is announced it will blow away the 3gs, the Pre, and the EVO...

Nokia N8 is the one to beat, in regards to video action...

 

[Chris5#WN]

Another thing to realize is that when your moving around it tends to show more artifacts I noticed than doing stable shooting, PRE & EVO are examples as from what I have seen and tested with my own pre at home, in the winter trying to be stable as possible the Pre had exceptional video quality, but as i started walking up stairs, moving around it started to degrade pretty quickly -

There are some EVO test vids out there that are pretty dam good and than there are those out there that look grainy, alot of variables will effect video, low lighting, moving around to fast etc... but i agree with a title of HD 720p recording as one of the highlights of the device it should be near perfect -

 

[rem_kujawa]

So when it comes down to it what has the better video quality?

 

[slthree]

im a bit nervous about my pre order with this news of poor video/audio quality

 

[fr4nk1yn]

So when it comes down to it what has the better video quality?

Don't know yet. We need an actual comparison using the same resolution. Everybody seems to be stuck on trying 720p.
I don't think the phone has any idea what card is in it though, size yeah but not speed. So I don't think that comes into play as far as video compression.

 

[ecaggiani]

Don't know yet. We need an actual comparison using the same resolution. Everybody seems to be stuck on trying 720p.
I don't think the phone has any idea what card is in it though, size yeah but not speed. So I don't think that comes into play as far as video compression.

Working on it

 

[ecaggiani]

Ok, here's essentially the same shot from out my office window, shot in almost all resolutions.

Low res H.263 352x288

Low res MPEG4 QVGA 320x240

Low res MPEG4 352x288

MPEG4 640x480

MPEG4 800x480

MPEG4 720p 1280x720

What do you guys think?