Learning VS (again) and have some problems. Help, please?

[Nando]

Hello,

I have not visited or participated in this forum since October 2009. I had been using VS-Pro X2, and was rather happy with it, now I am back trying to create videos again, and the first thing I did was to purchase and install VS-Pro X4 on my new computer.

Immediately, I ran into problems that I believe to be very basic, but after trying for several hours, I can’t solve them. Maybe you can help?

I have several new video clips that I took with my old Sony DCR-TRV20 (NTSC) and also with my Flip camcorder.

When trying to capture the DCR-TRV20 video clip, it appears that everything works OK, but when it is done, a small windows pops up that says that capturing failed and the file was deleted. However, when I look at the locations I selected for the file (not the library) the file is there with the name uvs120211-001.avi, and -002, -003, since I tried several times, and each time the capture failed, but a new file was stored.

Immediately after capturing, the video was available in the time line and as a small thumbnail. But then I closed VS, opened it again to start a new project, and now I cannot get any of the video clips.

Those .avi files appear to be fine and Windows Media Player plays them, but when I try to import them (Capture – Import for Digital Media) I can select but cannot open the folder where they reside - the [OK] button remains greyed out, and of course, no [Start] button is available.

At this point I have several video clips, all .avi, in the folder I had selected, and saved there either by VS from the Sony camera, or pasted from another location (the Flip video clips).

Why did the captures fail?
If the captures failed, why are those video clips fine?
How can I add those clips to my new project?

I have a lot more questions, but resolving these should at least get me started.

Thank you for your help and your time!

Nando

[Ken Berry]

Welcome back, Nando!

First, have you tried transferring the video files from the problem folder to a new one using Windows, and then pointing X4 at that new folder? Is it still grayed out?

Second, Microsoft appears to have changed the Firewire driver which VS piggybacks onto. While you appear to have successfully capture your DV, VS has probably inserted some sort of flag into it which labels it, in VS's eyes at least, as corrupted and thus invisible.

Anyway, to correct it, you have to go into Device Manager and click on the IEEE1394 entry and roll back the driver to an earlier legacy OHCI compliant one. That seems to work.

Or do what a lot of us here still do: use a small freeware program called WinDV to capture your DV footage via firewire. It appears to either come with its own version of the legacy driver or else somehow selects it. Anyway, it works. You can get the program from windv.mourek.cz

I don't know about the Flip footage or what format it uses.

[lata]

To insert a video to the timeline
For the Sony
After you captured the video a clip will be placed in the library, drag this to the timeline.

Otherwise from Video Studio “right click” the timeline and select insert video, navigate to your uvs120211-001.avi, files

Do these file insert to the timeline?

If not then re-capture the footage from your camera after following Kens advice regarding firewire and WinDV

The Flip camera as far as I know records to memory stick, probably SDHC, the files are imported to the pc in the same way as image files, Drag and Drop, then Studio “right click” the timeline and select insert video.

I think the format may be Mpeg4
Mixing your Flip and Sony files may have some quality issues.
Once you have imported the videos to the timeline, right click each clip and select properties, what are they. I guess we know what the Avi’s should be?

[Nando]

Ken, Trevor -

I am operational! I believe that the clips were there the entire time but I could not see them - they were hidden. By happenstance, I clicked on the icon next to the folder (upper left, where clips are displayed) and voila! – all the clips appeared! (I should have looked there first )

I have already assembled the clips in the proper order, made a few edits, and now I am ready to add a main title and some text. One thing I would like Corel to do in the future is address some of the basic functions in the help and User Guide’s index. For example, it lists Title Track and Edit Title, but not Adding Titles or Adding Text .

If Pro-X4 is as good or better as Pro-X2, I’ll be happy.

Thank you for replying.

Alex

PS. I changed my profile to reflect some changes (I am retired now), and I have a different email address now, but could not find where to change it.

[BrianCee]

To change your e-mail address - at top left under the large Corel word click on "User Control Panel" when the panel opens from the tabs along the top choose "Profile" when the profile page opens down the left side choose "edit account settings" and there you will find the box to change your e-mail.

but do note that only changes the e-mail used by these forums to send notifications etc. - you will also need to visit the Corel website and change the e-mail address you used for registering.