Why do I loose so much quality?

Bagshot · Post by **Bagshot** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:17 pm

Hello everyone, great site here and I really hope someone can help me with a problem that is driving me nuts.

At the moment I capture video in Windows Movie Maker, purely for ease of use. But due to the audio and title limitations of WMM, I like to then put the clips into Ulead Video Studio 9 to edit and cut my project.

However, when I have finished and create my movie, there seems to be a major loss in quality. I keep the same settings as my clips, which are:

- 640x480
- VBR
- 30fps

The output always seems slightly jittery, as if the fps has gone down or something. Plus there is a slight furriness to the picture quality.

Thing is, I can run these clips through WMM about 10 times and they are still better quality than Videostudio's output - why? Am I doing something wrong? I've tried outputting the files as AVI's but the jittery motion is still there.

I've tried running my clips through Adobe Premiere, and they're fine on that. In fact, I would use premiere if it didn't take me an hour to do......well, anything

I've also tried Pinnacle but I can't seem to import WMV's, so that's out of the question.

I really like the features in Videostudio and would love to get this program outputting decent quality vids, but I really don't know what the problem is.

I've searched high and low on the internet for some sort of solution to this problem, but I seem to be the only one that has it. I have also watched other vids that people have created on VS9 and they seem fine.

If anyone has any advice or can help me with this problem, I will be eternally grateful.

Thanks.

TDK1044 · Post by **TDK1044** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:17 pm

Check your capture/render properties. You need to capture at the highest quality in order to get the end result you want. Are you capturing analog or DV? The field order will be different depending on which you are using. Upper field first for analog capture and lower field first for DV. I'm in the US, and full resolution capture for NTSC is 720 X 480. I can't remember the Pal settings, but I know it's not 640 X 480.

Bagshot · Post by **Bagshot** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:43 pm

Thanks for the reply. I capture video from my Xbox, which is outputting PAL60 for this particular game. Windows Movie Maker doesn't have a PAL60 option, so I load a snapshot program called 'Instant VideoXpress' before MM and change the settings to PAL60, then boot up MM. This is the only way I've been able to capture 60hz. I do all the capturing in MM because it's much easier and faster than getting VS9 to capture PAL60.

I already capture at the highest quality possible in MM, but you can't change the output resolution, 640x480 is the default that it picks for you.

All I want to do is just make use of the excellent title features that VS9 offers, but my vids look rough as hell once they've passed through it. I can get the quality I want from Adobe Premiere, but it's soooo complex and takes ages to edit and add effects. I can also get the quality I want from MM, but the title features are too basic. So why not VS9?

But I have a question. If my clips are captured as PAL60, what do I need to set VS9 as - PAL or NTSC?

TDK1044 · Post by **TDK1044** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:13 pm

Video Studio needs to be set for Pal capture given your set up. When you render in VS, are you using the 'same as project properties' setting?

Bagshot · Post by **Bagshot** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:19 pm

No I usually pick a 'custom' setting and get it as close to the original clips as possible.

You say set VS9 to PAL? The clips were captured at 30fps, isn't PAL 25fps?

TDK1044 · Post by **TDK1044** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:41 pm

What's the end result of your project? In other words, are you trying to end up playing this project on a DVD through a Pal tv, or once in your computer will your project stay there?

Bagshot · Post by **Bagshot** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:53 pm

The end project will go on a website for people to d/load.

TDK1044 · Post by **TDK1044** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:04 pm

Then your footage needs to be captured and rendered as frame based rather than field based. Capture with Video Studio 9 using 640 X 480 at 30fps, making sure that 'frame based' is selected. Then use 'same as project properties' for your render setting.

Bagshot · Post by **Bagshot** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:08 pm

Thanks for your help TDK1044, I will try your suggestion later tonight.

Bagshot · Post by **Bagshot** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:24 pm

Hey TDK, you da man! It works - at last!!

It seems if I capture in VS9 and then render with the settings you mentioned, then I have no quality problems whatsoever. I don't know why it didn't like the clips I captured in Movie Maker.

Anyway, I will capture in VS9 from now on, even if the clips are ridiculously large. I can always run the final movie through Media Encoder.

Thanks again.

TDK1044 · Post by **TDK1044** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:14 pm

Glad to help.

tommytucker · Post by **tommytucker** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:22 pm

have had great luck using freeware called WINDV. It was recommended by some on this board and captures from Vidcam great.

Alludo USER to USER Web Board

Why do I loose so much quality?

Why do I loose so much quality?

gave up capturing with VS9, but