Plug-in Eliminates Shake From HD Images

ProDAD, a German video-editing solutions company, has introduced a video plug-in application that eliminates shake from high-definition video images.
Called Mercalli, the new plug-in is designed to stabilize shaky video footage during post processing. It can detect and distinguish between intended movements, such as panning or zoom shots and unintended shocks and shakes, the company said.

Whenever it detects any shake or tracking of an object, Mercalli stabilizes the frame by repositioning the entire image to compensate. This reduces camera shake and smoothes the object, the company said, always producing a “significant improvement” in stability.

Currently, the Windows-only plug-in is available for several versions of Adobe Premiere Pro and Elements applications, Avid’s Liquid 7x, and Grass Valley (Canopus) Edius 4.5. It works with a range of high- and standard-definition formats, including video from mobile phones.

Although Mercalli is automatic and works behind the scenes, it allows users to make specific recommendations and requests using a menu of pre-set controls. The application allows the user to view the analysis of the video footage and provides suggestions for further improvements.

There are profiles for specific movement types, including tripod, shoulder cam, and Handycam-and “rescue” for “highly shook or jittery” video recordings.

On up-to-date computer systems, ProDAD said that Mercalli, which supports multicore data processing, will run in real time. The plug-in is available in two versions: Mercalli Light for rendering in DV/SD formats begins at about $85 US and Mercalli Expert for SD/HD formats begins at about $168 US.

Video demos of the plug-in in action are viewable online and a trial version of Mercalli Expert can be downloaded.

For more information, visit http://www.prodad.com/.