MLV App - All in one MLV Raw Video Processing App [Windows, Mac and Linux]

[Mattia]

We need files and more info like print screens or similar. Very vague now.

You're right! Here are two clips (one 5.7k and the other 3.5k) opened in MLV App and in MLV Producer. As you can see the underexposed parts of the image in MLV App are shown like in a "false color" mode. In MLV Producer are shown correctly.

Here you can download the first clip: https://we.tl/t-dO0M2bTyrX

MLV App Clip 1


MLV Producer Clip 1


MLV App Clip 2


MLV Producer Clip 2

[masc]

It's no problem, it's a feature: you enabled Zebra function. Press Z to toggle it (or menu->view->show zebras). Blue is cut shadow, Red is cut highlight. You also see marker(s) in histogram.

[Mattia]

It's no problem, it's a feature: you enabled Zebra function. Press Z to toggle it (or menu->view->show zebras). Blue is cut shadow, Red is cut highlight. You also see marker(s) in histogram.

Silly me!

[sc]

Hi there;

I use Magic Lantern for visual effects work; my need is to convert mlv files to linear EXRs, ideally in ACES or ACEScg.

Historically I've done this via a hodgepodge of tools; RAWMagic (which seems to not get updated very often, and now seems to produce incorrect results), DCraw, and a handful of other utilities to get it into the EXR format.

Searching through the forums to see if a more modern approach exists, I came across MLV.app. It seems great; I tried downloading and installing the latest release to my Macbook M1, and it launches and seems to display footage fine, but I cannot get it to export any images in any format.

Is this a known issue? *should* I be able to do what I'm interested in doing with this app?

Thank you!

[masc]

Export to whatever you wish from MLVApp. EXR is not in format list. The app runs very well on M1 and there I can't remember an export issue - I exported a lot of footage on M1 systems. Maybe you need to allow disk access in macOS system preferences.
RAWMagic is banned here https://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=13335.0

[soundfan]

Hi there,

attention: here may come the most silly question about MLV App ever!

I have searched the forum for about 5 hours now, read stickies, tutorials and beginner's guides, but didn't find the right workflow.

A few weeks ago I started with astro photography. Here you use several pictures of the same object(s) and stack them for noise reductions and more detailed pictures (probably a inaccurate description, sorry).

Anyway, for planetary pictures (also sun and moon) often video cameras are used to make hundreds of images to be stacked.

I managed to upgrade my 100D with ML (actually Bilals crop_rec_4k build) and create RAW videos. Now I want to separate the frames to single pictures in uncompressed and lossless format that can be processed by stacking software (usually tiff or png files). Now the only working thing I found in MLV App was exporting to CinemaDNG. This creates single frames indeed, but the DNG file format doesn't help me any further. I tried several times and settings for exporting into TIFF sequence, but it doesn't generate any files. Althought it takes about 6 minutes for a MLV file with 628 frames to export to TIFF sequence, no TIFF files are created.

I have no clue what I do wrong. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[vastunghia]

Known bug in 1.14:

ffmpeg output tells for TIFF "%7" is the problem in the used command. This is the colortag change we did - it seems nobody tested that. But I don't understand why argument no7 isn't inserted into the command string.

Edit: please try latest commit. I just sorted the arguments and now it is working here.

[soundfan]

Known bug in 1.14:

Ahhhh! Honestly?

I just downloaded 1.13 and it works perfectly!

You are my hero! 

[vastunghia]

Ahhhh! Honestly?

Yup. In fact somebody suggested:

I guess we should release 1.14.1

But then somebody else replied:

Wait. A few more days and we could make it 1.15, I wanna make processing more float.

And that was like 8 months ago In the meanwhile, personally I learnt how to compile from source.

[soundfan]

And that was like 8 months ago In the meanwhile, personally I learnt how to compile from source.

Now you cought my interest! Where do I find latest source code and how can I learn to compile? Is there some kind of dummy tutorial as well? 

[iaburn]

A beautiful light this morning and the beauty of dual ISO. Processed with MLVApp of course 

[Mattia]

A beautiful light this morning and the beauty of dual ISO. Processed with MLVApp of course 

Very beautiful!

[vastunghia]

Where do I find latest source code and how can I learn to compile?

Start from post #1...

[masc]

Known bug in 1.14:

ffmpeg output tells for TIFF "%7" is the problem in the used command. This is the colortag change we did - it seems nobody tested that. But I don't understand why argument no7 isn't inserted into the command string.

Edit: please try latest commit. I just sorted the arguments and now it is working here.

Ups... haha... sry, that's too long ago. 

Now you cought my interest! Where do I find latest source code and how can I learn to compile? Is there some kind of dummy tutorial as well? 

https://github.com/ilia3101/MLV-App

Start like shown here as first step. If performance is important further steps should be done...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUry4Oc4wq8

[Danne]

Hi there,

attention: here may come the most silly question about MLV App ever!

I have searched the forum for about 5 hours now, read stickies, tutorials and beginner's guides, but didn't find the right workflow.

A few weeks ago I started with astro photography. Here you use several pictures of the same object(s) and stack them for noise reductions and more detailed pictures (probably a inaccurate description, sorry).

Anyway, for planetary pictures (also sun and moon) often video cameras are used to make hundreds of images to be stacked.

I managed to upgrade my 100D with ML (actually Bilals crop_rec_4k build) and create RAW videos. Now I want to separate the frames to single pictures in uncompressed and lossless format that can be processed by stacking software (usually tiff or png files). Now the only working thing I found in MLV App was exporting to CinemaDNG. This creates single frames indeed, but the DNG file format doesn't help me any further. I tried several times and settings for exporting into TIFF sequence, but it doesn't generate any files. Althought it takes about 6 minutes for a MLV file with 628 frames to export to TIFF sequence, no TIFF files are created.

I have no clue what I do wrong. Any help is greatly appreciated.

There´s a really nice average stacker in Mlv App:


Also an enfuse average script in the script section. Did not test that one lately though.
If compliing on mac M1 you could test this compiler.
https://bitbucket.org/Dannephoto/mlv_app_compiler-git/src/master/

[Mattia]

Hi! I'm getting flickering highlights when exporting a dual iso mlv as an Apple ProRes video. I don't have this issue when exporting the video as a DNG sequence. Actually, it's not a "proper" flicker, it's more an alternate dual iso preview / dual iso correct output. I'll attach an image showing a problematic frame.

[Danne]

Upload a Mlv file as well if possible.

[gabriielangel]

The pink stripes are because the High ISO lines are clipping.
MLV App maps extreme white values as pink, where a lot of DNG converters map those as pure white.

To get rid of the pink lines, try exposing the highlights with the High ISO value (The image will be underexposed).
Example, if you are using ISO 100/800, Use Single ISO 800 to expose the highlights without clipping, then switch to Dual ISO 100/800 to record.

You can then bring up the "Lighten" slider in MLV App to recover the shadows. This will reduce (or even eliminate in some cases) the flicker.

The remaining flicker is due to MLV App's processing.

Those interested can read a paper A1ex published: http://dhilung.com/vault/ml/dual_iso.pdf
Which could give ideas on how to improve the behavior.

[Skinny]

Example, if you are using ISO 100/800, Use Single ISO 800 to expose the highlights without clipping, then switch to Dual ISO 100/800 to record.

And what will be the point of using dual iso, if you expose so the highlights are not clipping with iso 800?

The shadows of the iso 800 will be cleaner than the shadows of 100 pushed +3 stops up.. you will probably get more noisy image by using dual iso in this scenario, because lines with 100 iso will be very underexposed

[Grognard]

And what will be the point of using dual iso, if you expose so the highlights are not clipping with iso 800?

Iso 100 to expose the highlights I guess.

[Skinny]

right, if you ETTR for iso 100, then you will gain dynamic range. but if you ETTR for 800, then.. I don't see a point  (in using dual 100/800 and not just single iso 800)

[gabriielangel]

And what will be the point of using dual iso, if you expose so the highlights are not clipping with iso 800?

The shadows of the iso 800 will be cleaner than the shadows of 100 pushed +3 stops up.. you will probably get more noisy image by using dual iso in this scenario, because lines with 100 iso will be very underexposed

You're right.  This particular scene has both extremes.

But once you identify how far you can push it, you'll be able to compromise between the amount of aliasing you are willing to tolerate in the overexposed region and the amount of noise in the shadows.

As long as the portion you overexpose in the highlights is in the high white region, aliasing will be a lot less obvious. But the minute you begin overexposing a portion of the image where there are a lot of details, problems begin. (Until the Devs find a clever way to McGyver it  )

I posted a few examples here: https://www.magiclantern.fm/forum/index.php?topic=25781.msg242245#msg242245

[vastunghia]

But once you identify how far you can push it, you'll be able to compromise between the amount of aliasing you are willing to tolerate in the overexposed region and the amount of noise in the shadows.

Or, you export DNG, and you won't have to compromise.

[s1ntex]

Hi guys. I have a couple of questions regarding the MLV App. Btw, phenomenal program, I salute the author.

Do you guys happen to know if there is an option to rotate the image when recording 1080x1920?



Second question, more general, what is your way of editing an .mlv file if you use Premiere Pro, as I do?

Is there a better / equally good method, like: edit in MLV App -> export finished file in ProRes 4444 as .mov -> work on timeline in Premiere Pro?

E.g. exporting in some format to Premiere Pro and colouring directly there?

I read a lot of posts, however enough of them that it's hard to cover so much knowledge with my head. ;3

Best regards to you all.

[iaburn]

I don't think there is currently a way to rotate the image on MLV App, but if you are editing on Premier it's just a small inconvenience while preparing for export.

Most of the time I do my final editing on Davinci Resolve, exporting as DNG from MLV App. It is more convenient to do color correction and video cut on the same place, and also much faster to export.
MLV App is awesome on many aspects, but there are things like highlight recovery, noise reduction or local corrections that I miss from Resolve.