cpawinsal
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09-23-2010
09:32 PM
Pic Interpolation Problem
Hi,
In our channel, we are getting pictures from people's profiles to show them as the placeholder for their channel (seems appropriate). Unfortunately, the pictures we have to work with are all 50 k or less with dimensions around 100 X 100 when they are bigger pictures. I currently interpolate those pictures before passing them to the Roku so that the resizing is happening in a controlled environment where I can try to clean the image as best possible. Here's an example:
Picture start: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... 25_raw.jpg
SD Interpolation: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_sd.png
HD Interpolation: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_hd.png
Terrible right? There is no possible way we've found to blow the images up to fit the poster containers without totally destroying the picture.
To fix this, we have tried to make a combined image. What we do is create a blank png on the server. The blank png is sized for SD and HD poster containers. Then we add the raw image to the center of the blank png and save that new image as the Roku HD and SD poster values. With a different user, check this out:
Picture Start: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... 61_raw.jpg
SD New Image: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_sd.png
HD New Image: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_hd.png
If you right click on those images, you'll see that they are the proper size for the Roku poster containers. Unfortunately, it seems the Roku SDK is too smart for my own good on this one. It can tell that the white space of the image is white. So, it ignores the white space we've purposely put in and it interpolates the picture in the center of the image anyways! It looks even worse now on the Roku even though what you see on the web is pretty clear.
Is there some way I can trick the software to force it to not ignore my white space in the image? Or, is there some alternative way I can go about this so that my images on the Roku are clean?
Best,
Al
In our channel, we are getting pictures from people's profiles to show them as the placeholder for their channel (seems appropriate). Unfortunately, the pictures we have to work with are all 50 k or less with dimensions around 100 X 100 when they are bigger pictures. I currently interpolate those pictures before passing them to the Roku so that the resizing is happening in a controlled environment where I can try to clean the image as best possible. Here's an example:
Picture start: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... 25_raw.jpg
SD Interpolation: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_sd.png
HD Interpolation: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_hd.png
Terrible right? There is no possible way we've found to blow the images up to fit the poster containers without totally destroying the picture.
To fix this, we have tried to make a combined image. What we do is create a blank png on the server. The blank png is sized for SD and HD poster containers. Then we add the raw image to the center of the blank png and save that new image as the Roku HD and SD poster values. With a different user, check this out:
Picture Start: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... 61_raw.jpg
SD New Image: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_sd.png
HD New Image: http://www.socialkast.tv/facebook/pictu ... oku_hd.png
If you right click on those images, you'll see that they are the proper size for the Roku poster containers. Unfortunately, it seems the Roku SDK is too smart for my own good on this one. It can tell that the white space of the image is white. So, it ignores the white space we've purposely put in and it interpolates the picture in the center of the image anyways! It looks even worse now on the Roku even though what you see on the web is pretty clear.
Is there some way I can trick the software to force it to not ignore my white space in the image? Or, is there some alternative way I can go about this so that my images on the Roku are clean?
Best,
Al
5 REPLIES 5
cpawinsal
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09-23-2010
09:47 PM
Re: Pic Interpolation Problem
Minor correction... the pictures we are getting are 10 k or less (most 2 k).

TheEndless
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09-23-2010
10:46 PM
Re: Pic Interpolation Problem
I just tested one of your images with the white filler on my end and it displayed as expected (with the white border) on both a poster screen and a springboard screen. Is it possible that either your code is pulling back the wrong image, or you're testing with an image that's cached on the Roku?
My Channels: http://roku.permanence.com - Twitter: @TheEndlessDev
Instant Watch Browser (NetflixIWB), Aquarium Screensaver (AQUARIUM), Clever Clocks Screensaver (CLEVERCLOCKS), iTunes Podcasts (ITPC), My Channels (MYCHANNELS)
Instant Watch Browser (NetflixIWB), Aquarium Screensaver (AQUARIUM), Clever Clocks Screensaver (CLEVERCLOCKS), iTunes Podcasts (ITPC), My Channels (MYCHANNELS)
renojim
Community Streaming Expert
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09-23-2010
10:50 PM
Re: Pic Interpolation Problem
I didn't try a Springboard screen, but I did try a poster screen and got the same result as TheEndless. I'll bet he's right about the caching. I've run into overzealous caching issues myself. You should reboot your box or make sure the url to the photo is something new.
-JT
-JT
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Help others find this answer and click "Accept as Solution."
If you appreciate my answer, maybe give me a Kudo.
I am not a Roku employee.
cpawinsal
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09-24-2010
03:43 PM
Re: Pic Interpolation Problem
Ah ha! That makes sense. Must have been cached on my Roku. I have to run out now. But, I'll hard boot my Roku and see if that fixes it.
That will be one of the easiest bugs ever gotten rid of! Thanks for testing for me.
That will be one of the easiest bugs ever gotten rid of! Thanks for testing for me.
GandK-Geoff
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09-24-2010
07:17 PM
Re: Pic Interpolation Problem
It's worth noting that your server-side interpolation could be improved a bit. A couple minutes fiddling gave me this:
I don't happen to know offhand what the ideal upscaled size is, so I just used the same size you had -- but whatever you use, remember to replace '148x212' in both places. The result is still far from ideal (the original image is not only very small, but had significant JPEG artifacts). However, I think it looks a lot better than the stretched and blurry version.
NB: I am not an expert at photo manipulation; these settings just made sense glancing over the ImageMagick manpage.
convert 1148552625_raw.jpg -unsharp 0 -adaptive-resize 148x212 -gravity center -extent 148x212 new_hd7.png
I don't happen to know offhand what the ideal upscaled size is, so I just used the same size you had -- but whatever you use, remember to replace '148x212' in both places. The result is still far from ideal (the original image is not only very small, but had significant JPEG artifacts). However, I think it looks a lot better than the stretched and blurry version.
NB: I am not an expert at photo manipulation; these settings just made sense glancing over the ImageMagick manpage.