[brucexli]

Edit: Find my app HD Photo Viewer from the store.
or scan this QR code
HD Photo.png

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An update has been pushed out which includes most of the features you requested, such as
1. Support for subfolder and nested subfolders
2. Optimised loading time. Now on startup the app only loads the first 50 photos and it continues to load more when you scroll down.
3. Latest photo on top
4. continuous view. You don't have to go back to the photo list to chose the next photo, just swipe or use the buttons.
5. Double tap to zoom in/out.
6. Show your favourite photos in live tile. To do this click the "+Star" button when viewing a photo.
wp_ss_20130320_0002.jpg

Sorry there is no API avaliable for third party apps to delete photos from the phone.


Please see below some screenshots of the updated app.

wp_ss_20130315_0004.jpgwp_ss_20130315_0007.jpgwp_ss_20130315_0008.jpgwp_ss_20130315_0005.jpgwp_ss_20130315_0006.jpg

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Original Post:

I noticed that photos look sharper in some apps (such as ProShot) but once they are saved into the photo library they look blurry. Initially I though this is due to some quality loss when saving the photos to the picture library, but after copying the photos to computer they look sharp again. Please compare the following.

1. A screenshot (Win+Power) of a photo within the ProShot app.

2. The same photo but opened from the Picture hub, screenshot from the phont.

3. The same photo copied to a PC and cropped.

The above photo was taken using the ProShot app.

I also tested this with the phone's default camera app.

1. A screenshot of the photo opened from the picture hub

2. The same photo copied to PC and cropped.

Any one who has experienced the same could you please share?

1. Photo taken using the default camera app and cropped on a PC

2. The same photo when viewed in the photo library on the phone

Another interesting finding: when a photo is cropped on the phone to, say 50% of its original size, the photo becomes crisp. So it seems that the phone only allocate a certain amount of graphics memory to each photo when rendering it on the phone screen, which it exceeds that size, the phone drops the rendering quality.



Even DSLR photos are rendered as blurry on the phone!!
1. viewed on PC
2. rendered on Lumia 920

it may take sometime for MS or Nokia to 'fix' the problem. So I have made a simple app called "HD Photo Viewer". I have submitted it to the store and you should be able to find it in about a week.

wp_ss_20130304_0002.jpgwp_ss_20130304_0003.jpg
Just a comparison between my app and the system picture hub. The forum might have applied some compression. For full sized images check my Skydrive.

[KAI3R]

That's a huge difference, I'm quite intrigued to see if my phone and others do the same thing. If true, and all the problems are just a result of the phone trying to speed up things by slightly blurring the images (which is ingenious)... it is odd that with all the reports of photo quality Nokia hasn't announced that this was the reason, or maybe didn't even know.

[Dratwister]

And I thought everyone knew about it since I asked it and nobody care to reply as if it's common knowledge :|
I also took a test and here's result:


The same image, left-top one is screenshot from phone. Right-top one is "enlarged" version from PC and the small middle one is true 100% crop.
That also means the zooming in WP is more than just 100%.

[brucexli]

Even viewed at 100% scale, it is still blurry when opened from the Picture Hub.
I am having a chat with an Nokia representative right now. They don't know about this problem.

[drankurn]

this is amazing, it seems you were doing these comparisons right when I was thinking about doing it, although in my case I was going to point out how the photos saved from ProShot are not what the look in the app.
I had bought the app after reading all the praise on one of the forums, and soon after that I noticed the difference and I was really disappointed with the app, although I had not looked at the photos on a PC.
thanks for the info.I don't know what to think of the app, although it has some other features that are pretty useful, so I guess it 's not useless.

[brucexli]

It is the system photo viewer to blame. Camera is fine, camera firmware doesn't have big problems.
Copy a high quality photo from a DSLR to the phone and it will be rendered as blurry.

[solution2u]

Seems like gallery display low res photo to me.

[Dratwister]

this is amazing, it seems you were doing these comparisons right when I was thinking about doing it, although in my case I was going to point out how the photos saved from ProShot are not what the look in the app.
I had bought the app after reading all the praise on one of the forums, and soon after that I noticed the difference and I was really disappointed with the app, although I had not looked at the photos on a PC.
thanks for the info.I don't know what to think of the app, although it has some other features that are pretty useful, so I guess it 's not useless.

Well, the creator of Proshot himself claimed that the picture quality's the same with stock camera app. The different is other features and controls (MF, burst, WB...), these only really worth the money :). I, initially, only aimed to these features, not expect Proshot can provide better quality images at all.

To OP, yes, the problem is picture hub itself. It actively reduces picture quality in order to enhance performance, which I think isn't good. Since the only reason we use zooming feature is to view details of pictures, not to get a blurrier view of images. This problem exists long ago on Zune devices.

[brucexli]

Well, the creator of Proshot himself claimed that the picture quality's the same with stock camera app. The different is other features and controls (MF, burst, WB...), these only really worth the money :). I, initially, only aimed to these features, not expect Proshot can provide better quality images at all.

To OP, yes, the problem is picture hub itself. It actively reduces picture quality in order to enhance performance, which I think isn't good. Since the only reason we use zooming feature is to view details of pictures, not to get a blurrier view of images. This problem exists long ago on Zune devices.

Yes I just saw your post about the same problem...really frustrating

[barareklam]

@brucexli:
How is it going with your app "HD Photo Viwer" ?
I can not find it in the store.

[kiddori]

So what should be done for best pics? Use ProShot and not worry about the screen rendering?

How about 16:9 vs 4:3?

[ammarmalik2011]

Yes this is indeed an issue, just confirmed on my side.

[kannanap]

i did notice the same thing on the second day of using the device............

[brucexli]

@brucexli:
How is it going with your app "HD Photo Viwer" ?
I can not find it in the store.

Microsoft says my app is useless and does not want to publish it. I will need to add some other really useless functions to make the app "useful"...don't worry, I promise I will get it into the marketplace.

[Dratwister]

They called your app useless while their own picture hub is useless as ****?? What drug did they use?

[barareklam]

Microsoft says my app is useless and does not want to publish it. I will need to add some other really useless functions to make the app "useful"...don't worry, I promise I will get it into the marketplace.

Is it some way that you can send it to me so I can install and test it ?

[brucexli]

They called your app useless while their own picture hub is useless as ****?? What drug did they use?

As fas as I can see they tested the app on an HTC 8S, which has a poor camera of 5MP and a low resolution WVGA screen.

[brucexli]

Is it some way that you can send it to me so I can install and test it ?

I PMed you a link to my Skydrive.

[Tyrion1984]

Thanks for this app!
Some question about it:
1-in store it says "it can also be loaded directly from the “Edit” menu of the system picture viewer", You mean, is it possible to set it as default gallery after taking a picture?
2-suggestion for the future --> it would be nice to add double tap to full zoom in-out and a live tile based on camera roll
Thanks for your effort!

[ttxzee]

with WP7.X the pic rerendered when you zoomed in, with Wp8, it's no longer doing this.

[barareklam]

Finally, thank you!!!!!
Pictures are now sharp and at 100 %
Really love it.
One bug report, i have copied folder with ten subfolders from PC to L920. Your app just showing the name of first folder and not showing subfolders? There are even three levels of subfolder sometime. I have about 3-5000 pictures in there. Should I leave for some time or is it other issue? I tried five minutes but nothing shows. I can't see pictures in subfolders.
Other than that, fantastic work, purchasing your app now!
Oh yes, one more thing, downloaded trial and can't buy from inside off app, have to uninstall and then buy.

[barareklam]

If I may suggest one more thing, start browsing from last taken photo. For me who have many photos I have to scroll a lot to get to last taken photo which I want to see.

[brucexli]

Finally, thank you!!!!!
Pictures are now sharp and at 100 %
Really love it.
One bug report, i have copied folder with ten subfolders from PC to L920. Your app just showing the name of first folder and not showing subfolders? There are even three levels of subfolder sometime. I have about 3-5000 pictures in there. Should I leave for some time or is it other issue? I tried five minutes but nothing shows. I can't see pictures in subfolders.
Other than that, fantastic work, purchasing your app now!
Oh yes, one more thing, downloaded trial and can't buy from inside off app, have to uninstall and then buy.

Thanks for the bug report. I did not expect one has sub folders in the camera roll and has that many files. I will sort this out this weekend. Sorry I don't have the time to do it during the week. Have a full-time job.

In the mean time, i suggest that you use the system picture hub to browse to the photo you want, then click the three dots and chose "edit" there you will find my app.

[brucexli]

If I may suggest one more thing, start browsing from last taken photo. For me who have many photos I have to scroll a lot to get to last taken photo which I want to see.

Will sort this out in the next release (next week).

[Dratwister]

Thanks for the great app :) I'll try it and probably buy as well :D I'll support whoever want to support my phone's OS and help it to overcome OS's weakness