I have been using Neat Video for over six years. I consider it the most useful tool for removing noise, flicker, and other artifacts in videos, hyperlapses, and photos, as well as for recovering footage shot in extreme conditions that would otherwise be unusable
Neat Video works with most video editors, including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve, Vegas, and many others
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A few months ago, the new version 6 was released. In this article, I will show you how to use it and the differences compared to the previous model
Differences from the previous model
The previous version, Neat Video 5, already had all the functionalities needed for a complete workflow, but it was very demanding in terms of computer resources
It required a powerful CPU and GPU, as well as a substantial amount of RAM, to ensure the rendering process was not slowed down due to insufficient resources
Version 6 doesn’t add new features, but focuses on improving efficiency in the video processing workflow and enhancing integration with computer resources, reducing rendering time by up to two times while using significantly less memory
I also noticed that the workflow is often simplified, as the automated tools yield excellent results on most occasions, and I rarely need to use the advanced settings
I will show you how to use it with Adobe Premiere, but the workflow is very similar to the other editing programs
Before using Neat Video for the first time, I suggest using the Performance Optimizer tool to adapt the program to your computer resources and the current project
In Premiere Pro, in the Effect tab, open Neat Video folder and drag the Reduce Noise icon to the clip I want to modify. With the clip highlighted, I go to the Effect control tab, open the item Reduce Noise, I click on Prepare, and after a few seconds on Build just below
A window will appear to Prepare Noise Profile. In the Tools menu, I chose Preferences and then the Performance tab
Neat Video analyzes the computing devices and the clip and proposes the Auto Settings. By clicking the button Check Speed on the lower left, the speed in frames per second will be shown. If we are satisfied with it, we can click on OK
It is also possible to click on Optimize Settings to increase the speed further, but generally, it is not needed
Noise Reduction for Video
This clip was taken several years ago with an old DJI model. It was a foggy day in North London, and there is a lot of luminance noise and some chromatic noise too. Let’s call Neat Video 6 to the rescue
We start by opening the Neat Video folder in the Effect window and dragging the icon Reduce Noise into our clip
With the clip selected in the Effect Control window, we open Reduce Noise and click on Prepare, wait for a few seconds, and then click on Build
A window appears to prepare a Noise Profile. We can click on Auto Profile to let the program select a suitable sampling area. The area should be as uniform as possible, without detailed elements, contain a high amount of noise, and be relatively large. The noise level within the area is shown
A message informs us that the area is too small; we can accept it, and on most occasions, the result will be acceptable in only a few seconds
Alternatively, we can select another area manually. We draw a larger rectangle until the edges turn green, indicating that the size is acceptable. The noise level is high enough, but a message informs us that the area is not completely uniform. It is not ideal, but we can go ahead and click on Build Profile and then on the Adjust and Preview tab
We can draw a rectangle showing inside the filtered image. The Preview button below toggles views before and after denoising
To better appreciate the differences, we can zoom in 200% in the view menu on the top left. In the same menu, select Show Navigator so that we can scroll around the image. It is also possible to watch a few frames of the clip by hitting Play All
Notice how the noise has disappeared. If we are happy with the result, we can hit Apply at the bottom right, and this is the result
If you find that the image is a bit too soft, follow the steps described in the next chapter for sharpening
Noise Reduction for Photo
This photo, taken in low light, has noticeable luminance noise in the sky, as well as some chromatic noise in the foreground
This time, we easily find a large uniform area with plenty of noise in the sky. We hit Build Profile, then Adjust and Preview, and zoom in to better evaluate using the Navigator tool to scroll around the image
As you can see, in the filtered area, the noise has disappeared, but the detail looks a bit weak. The denoising applied is probably too strong. In the window to the right, we select the Spatial tab, where we can fine-tune the two sliders, Noise Reduction Amount and Noise Level
I find that the Noise Level applied is, in this case, too strong, so I reduce it to just before the noise reappears and then try to find the best combination of the two sliders
Further down, we find the Sharpening tab, I check Enable and open the menu to increase the values for Fine, Medium, and Large until the detail is restored. After hitting Apply, I notice that there is a bit of noise left
I want to further tune the values. I don’t need to start from scratch. This time, in the Effect Control window, after clicking on Prepare, I can click on Adjust, to retrieve the values used previously. I can then adjust the two sliders until I am happy with the result
Flicker Reduction
Flicker consists of jumps in luminosity in different frames of a clip. It often appears in hyperlapses, in footage taken with artificial lights, or in other situations
In this hyperlapse taken at sunset, we notice some annoying flashes of light in the sky alternating with darker frames due to uneven shutter aperture in each shot. It is very easy to solve the issue using Neat Video
We draw a rectangle on a uniform area of the sky and hit Build Profile, and then Adjust and Preview. On the right, we select the temporal tab and check Enable next to Flicker. We can hit Play All to view a portion of the clip
It already looks much better, but we can modify the Radius Value for even better results. In this case, the highest Radius value yields the best result. After hitting Apply, you can see that the flicker has disappeared. Easy!
Let me quickly show you another example where the flicker is extremely evident. This clip of Mount Etna during an eruption was taken with an older generation drone. On the left side, we notice a strong flicker caused by the propellers ruining the clip. After going through the same workflow as before, the flicker is a thing of the past