Analog split by scene
Moderator: Ken Berry
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sthomp6
Analog split by scene
I am a new user trying to convert old VHS-C tapes to DVD-R. I'm going from a VCR to Canopus ADVC100 A/D converter then by firewire to a "modern" PC running XP Pro. Everything is fine right up thru capturing a complete 30 min tape to Storyboard in one clip. Then when I do "split by scene", it puts "scenes" on the storyboard but will not complete the split and put individual clips in the library (each of the scenes on the storyboard are just highlighted segments of the total project, not a "real" clip). I have to go to each one of these "scenes" on the Storyboard and do "save trimmed video" in the clip menu, which puts "real" clips in the library. Then I have to delete all (like 125) old clips from storyboard...then drag all the new individual clips from the library down to the storyboard. All this is to actually get a useable clip on the storyboard. Then I can go ahead and do the editing. There HAS to be a way to do "split by scene" to the library in one step??!! Capturing from my NEW DV camera DOES do it right. After several calls to Ulead Tech...no help. Steve
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BrianCee
but the scenes automatically put in the storyboard are useable and editable - just because they are only thumbnails linked to the original one big file doesn't mean you can't use them. just treat them as though they were *real* video clips and you will find life much easier. Why do you need hundreds of small video files on your computer ??
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sthomp6
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BrianCee
just click on them and drag them up and down the timeline/storyboard as you wish, you might actually find it easier to do in storyboard mode as there are less images to jump over but try either/both and see which you prefer. You do NOT have to make spaces when moving clips - in fact UVS will not let you have spaces in the top track - just click and drag the clip to where you want it and let go.
You don't actually need any clips in your library pane - I often do projects without using the 'Video' library at all, but if you do find it easier to use the library when re-arranging just click/drag and drop from the timeline/storyboard up into a blank space in the library pane - it works both ways !!
Just treat all your thumbnails wherever they are (library, storyboard, timeline ) as if they were the *real* videos although in fact you will have just the one big originally captured file on your HDD untouched and quite safe should you wish to use it for another project. - UVS will sort out what you want when you have finished editing and "Create Video File" in preparation for "Create Disc"
You don't actually need any clips in your library pane - I often do projects without using the 'Video' library at all, but if you do find it easier to use the library when re-arranging just click/drag and drop from the timeline/storyboard up into a blank space in the library pane - it works both ways !!
Just treat all your thumbnails wherever they are (library, storyboard, timeline ) as if they were the *real* videos although in fact you will have just the one big originally captured file on your HDD untouched and quite safe should you wish to use it for another project. - UVS will sort out what you want when you have finished editing and "Create Video File" in preparation for "Create Disc"
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sthomp6
Sounds great...It sounds like I can do everything I want just from the "one big file with imbedded clips" on either the Storyboard or Timeline and not have to generate the huge number of individual files. I'll work on a new project today and let you know how it goes. I've got about 90+/- 30 min VHS-C tapes to convert and edit. Lucky I'm retired, so have the time. Thanks, Steve
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BrianCee
Yes - all the thumbnails are just little reference files which keep a note in them of where to start and where to end the clip you want to see, your captured file is never touched at all, when you have edited the thumbnails (in storyboard or timeline ) and want a finished complete file then the "Create Video File" function in conjunction with your .vsp project file just extracts the bits you want from the big file in the order you want and adds music titles etc. and creates your new and edited file.
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sthomp6
good...I'll do it. I need to go back to the manual for procedural details of "creating video file". I'll do a small 2-3 minute segment to figure it all out. Why couldn't the Ulead techs get this thru to me??...maybe I wasn't listening!...and it wasn't written in black and white to study and think about. Steve (Scottsdale, Arizona)
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sthomp6
Brian...(update)...I did a small capture file...2 minutes, 7 scenes. Yes, moving scenes/clips around in sequence works great on the storyboard...good news. Editing from the storyboard is not good. It will not expand the chosen clip to the full preview window and with a lot (100+/-) clips in one file the resolution is unusable (resolution in Project mode and Clip mode are the same)...so, going to the timeline...does work like you say...except that when I click on a clip and go into edit mode and drag the yellow end lines back and forth to edit, the delay in the preview window is huge making this method very cumbersome/slow. On the timeline OUT of edit mode, dragging the time cursor back and forth moves the preview video real time. Not sure why edit mode is so slow. Overall this does work, but not as cleanly as individual files. The nice thing about individual files is that the clips on the storyboard are complete files and show up in the preview window with the full resolution of the complete window, making editing very easy. However, the complexity and time penalty to generate individual files for each scene is huge. Am I still missing something? Steve
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BrianCee
There must be something not quite right somewhere on your computer - when I move the yellow handles the reaction in the preview screen is instantaneous.
Could you post the properties of one of your video clips, - right click over any thumbnail and choose 'properties'
Could you also post your project properties.
Could you post the properties of one of your video clips, - right click over any thumbnail and choose 'properties'
Could you also post your project properties.
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sthomp6
OK, sorry for the delay...had to start a new project...capture...split. Here's the info you requested...
rt. click on clip and click preferences...
file properties: file format: NTSC DVD
video: MPEG-2 video, lower field first
attributes: 24 bits, 720x480, 4x3
frame rate: 29.97
data rate: variable, max 8000 Kbps
audio: LPCM audio
attributes: 48000 Hz, stereo
Project properties...
Project template properties
edit file format: MPEG files
NTSC drop frame 29.97
MPEG files
24 bits 720x480, 29.97 fps
lower field first
(DVD - NTSC), 4x3
This new project is acting the same as before...slow on timeline editing. Computer is a 2 gig Athlon, 1/2gig RAM, separate video card with a bunch of dedicated RAM, 150 gigs of 7200 RPM, 8 Mb cache dedicated disk (D:)
Hope this suggests a solution...thanks, Steve
rt. click on clip and click preferences...
file properties: file format: NTSC DVD
video: MPEG-2 video, lower field first
attributes: 24 bits, 720x480, 4x3
frame rate: 29.97
data rate: variable, max 8000 Kbps
audio: LPCM audio
attributes: 48000 Hz, stereo
Project properties...
Project template properties
edit file format: MPEG files
NTSC drop frame 29.97
MPEG files
24 bits 720x480, 29.97 fps
lower field first
(DVD - NTSC), 4x3
This new project is acting the same as before...slow on timeline editing. Computer is a 2 gig Athlon, 1/2gig RAM, separate video card with a bunch of dedicated RAM, 150 gigs of 7200 RPM, 8 Mb cache dedicated disk (D:)
Hope this suggests a solution...thanks, Steve
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jchunter_2
Steve,
If you are capturing from VHS tapes, you have to set your Field Order to Upper Field First, as explained in the Recommended Procedure (top post). This is probably why your images are not clear.
You could use more RAM - IMHO, 512 KB is on the edge of what Video Studio needs when editing.
Re your editing technique, I have found that if video files are too large, they are difficult to edit because the jog controls are twitchy. It is difficult to locate individual frames, etc. VS starts to choke, etc. But if they are too small they are difficult to keep track of.
I usually limit all my capture files to 5-10 minutes. Then I manually inspect each capture file for clean sequences and use Save Trimmed Video to make them into separate mpegs of 30 sec - 2 minutes. (I usually throw away 40% of the captured footage because it is junk.)
Then I use Multi-Trim Video to make precision cuts of the video files, which are "virtual" clips in the larger video files. These make up the final project.
If you are capturing from VHS tapes, you have to set your Field Order to Upper Field First, as explained in the Recommended Procedure (top post). This is probably why your images are not clear.
You could use more RAM - IMHO, 512 KB is on the edge of what Video Studio needs when editing.
Re your editing technique, I have found that if video files are too large, they are difficult to edit because the jog controls are twitchy. It is difficult to locate individual frames, etc. VS starts to choke, etc. But if they are too small they are difficult to keep track of.
I usually limit all my capture files to 5-10 minutes. Then I manually inspect each capture file for clean sequences and use Save Trimmed Video to make them into separate mpegs of 30 sec - 2 minutes. (I usually throw away 40% of the captured footage because it is junk.)
Then I use Multi-Trim Video to make precision cuts of the video files, which are "virtual" clips in the larger video files. These make up the final project.
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sthomp6
JC...thanks for the advice. I'll try the Upper Field procedure and see if it helps. Yes, I thought 512Meg was a little light...next chance I'll up it to a gig.
I'm working through the technique issues, Brian has been a big help there. I've got it down pretty well to do the fine tuning in the Timeline and not having to create 100+/- little files. I have 20 years of VHS-C 30 minute tapes (90+ tapes). I see the same thing, ie noise/junk associated with many of the clips. I went to a Sony DV camcorder a year ago, so this problem will eventually be gone. I've done several DV to DVD and the edits went smoothly. Steve
I'm working through the technique issues, Brian has been a big help there. I've got it down pretty well to do the fine tuning in the Timeline and not having to create 100+/- little files. I have 20 years of VHS-C 30 minute tapes (90+ tapes). I see the same thing, ie noise/junk associated with many of the clips. I went to a Sony DV camcorder a year ago, so this problem will eventually be gone. I've done several DV to DVD and the edits went smoothly. Steve
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jchunter_2
Steve,
I was probably was not clear about one point. If you want to delete bad video from your hard disk, you have to work with real video files because the virtual clips that are made by Split-by-Scene and Multi-Trim-Video are just pointers to positions in a huge video file. When you delete them they are not "gone" - they still take up lots of space in your hard drive.
I was probably was not clear about one point. If you want to delete bad video from your hard disk, you have to work with real video files because the virtual clips that are made by Split-by-Scene and Multi-Trim-Video are just pointers to positions in a huge video file. When you delete them they are not "gone" - they still take up lots of space in your hard drive.
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sthomp6