I'm new to video having recently purchased a SONY HDR-HC3, and so have carefully read many of the posts in the tutorial section including the HD tutorial "Editing High Definition Video with Video Studio version 10+", as well as a number of other articles related to framing, interlacing etc ...
I recorded my first clips in HD which included a clip of someone on a swing, and was hugely impressed with the result when I played it back directly from the camera through my standard Widescreen TV (PAL), the picture was TV broadcast standard. I went on to import the clips into Videostudio using the tutorial instructions for capture, edit and burn. I noted as soon as I loaded it onto the PC that movement of the person on the swing had become blurred, and this remained the case when I burnt to DVD. I've tried tweaking the burn settings and have improved the overall display on a PAL Widescreen standard TV by setting appropriate frame type/size, data rates etc ..., but the motion is still blurred. It is also noticable when the camera pans from one side to the other (and yes I read that this is newbie mistake number 1), but look great when played directly from the camera through the TV using the S-Video port.
Any ideas, or are my expectations too high ?
Quality direct from camera superior to that on burnt DVD
Moderator: Ken Berry
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jchunter
Ken,
If I understand correctly, you are playing high definition video file on a standard definition TV set through the S-Video connector. Or was it downrezzed? By the camera?
If you downrezzed the HDV to DVD-compliant 720x576 in your PC, and burned a DVD, did you use the same properties that are listed in the HDV Tutorial? I deinterlace because it looks better on my HDTV but a standard TV set would probably look better with interlaced video because older sets are made to display the alternate fields of an interlaced frame 1/50 second apart in time - just as the (PAL) HC3 recorded it.
Try creating a new video file from the same project but set the Field Order to Upper Field First. Burn a DVD and see if it looks better on your standard def TV set.
If I understand correctly, you are playing high definition video file on a standard definition TV set through the S-Video connector. Or was it downrezzed? By the camera?
If you downrezzed the HDV to DVD-compliant 720x576 in your PC, and burned a DVD, did you use the same properties that are listed in the HDV Tutorial? I deinterlace because it looks better on my HDTV but a standard TV set would probably look better with interlaced video because older sets are made to display the alternate fields of an interlaced frame 1/50 second apart in time - just as the (PAL) HC3 recorded it.
Try creating a new video file from the same project but set the Field Order to Upper Field First. Burn a DVD and see if it looks better on your standard def TV set.
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ken1305
John, thanks for your reply
I did downrez the file to 720x576, but yes I did also de-interlace it, primarily because that is what was suggested in the HD tutorial for creating the best quality DVD file. As you suggest, I'll try re-creating the file interlaced and see how it looks. I have to say though that I also created a HD 1440x1080 video file which I played on my PC (on windows media classic), and that has the same problem. I did follow the recommended settings from the HD tutorial page and the ULEAD manual at every step, including setting i.conv off when uploading from the camera on the firewire. It seems (although as a highly experienced IT and networking professional I know that these things can be misleading) almost like I am losing something between the camera and the PC. Again, I have as the manual suggested ensured DMA is enabled on the drive.
Anyway, I'll give the interlaced format a go and report the results back - thanks again
I did downrez the file to 720x576, but yes I did also de-interlace it, primarily because that is what was suggested in the HD tutorial for creating the best quality DVD file. As you suggest, I'll try re-creating the file interlaced and see how it looks. I have to say though that I also created a HD 1440x1080 video file which I played on my PC (on windows media classic), and that has the same problem. I did follow the recommended settings from the HD tutorial page and the ULEAD manual at every step, including setting i.conv off when uploading from the camera on the firewire. It seems (although as a highly experienced IT and networking professional I know that these things can be misleading) almost like I am losing something between the camera and the PC. Again, I have as the manual suggested ensured DMA is enabled on the drive.
Anyway, I'll give the interlaced format a go and report the results back - thanks again
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ken1305
Well ... you were correct, many thanks !!! I used a version of the project that I had previously uploaded to my PC in interlaced format, re-created the video file in the PAL DVD UFF interlaced format using the recommended settings (except the VBR 9800, the max possible with PAL was 8264). The moving objects on the resulting DVD now display properly on my standard TV. My only problem now is having produced an HD version and played it on a friends HD TV, I can see the difference in detail, and it looks very impressive. I think I know what's next on the shopping list !