File Types and Which to Use

kaymann · Post by **kaymann** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:22 pm

I want to do some simple editing and produce DVD discs anybody can play at home. I have DVD Camcorder that writes to mini Disks (no firewire involved). The camera can use and write to:

RAM RW Discs which produces VRO files.
DVD -R Discs which produces VOB files.
DVD -R RW Discs which produces unknown files which DMF5+ can parse.

I can rename VRO & VOB files to AVI and work directly with them in DMF5+.
I can also "import" all the above files types into DMF5+ in which case they are converted to MPG and then work with them.

For quality and work flow is one method prefered over the other?
Is there is a book I should be refered to?
I am completely computer and digital photography literate . I have scoured www.howstuffworks.com. However, video software has got me stumped. Perhaps because the manuals with video software is extremely shallow into what is actually happening under the hood. For instance if simply changing the name of the file makes it readable to DMF5+ then why doesn't DMF5+ simply recognize the file format in the first place.
Why does DMF5+ turn everything into a mpg after import if everybosdy says mpg stinks (too lossy)?

This has gotten a little long here sorry.

Thanks in advance for all of your expert advice. You are all awesome.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 8:00 pm

kaymann · Post by **kaymann** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:43 pm

Excellent response and crystal clear now. Thank you maddrummer!

As a side note one of the reasons I was hesitant to use the "import disc" option is you are not given a choice as to where the mpgs land. They always land in the My Documents/Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5/ folder - no choice - period. This makes it hard to organize the files as any move requires a re-link.

I do not like my video files in My Documents because that entire folder is backed up over the network and makes the network grind to a crawl. I have a seprate hard drive just for video work.

Thank you again maddrummer3301

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:42 am

kaymann · Post by **kaymann** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 3:53 am

maddrummer3301 wrote:Whenever you start a Project you assign a "Working Folder" under the "Preferences" F6 HotKey module.
In the Preferences module change the "Quality" from Good to BEST.
Assign your working folder in the "Preferences" Section. When you exit "Preferences" then save your project.
I always work with video on a separate drive so an example of my working folder would be D:\MF5 or H:\MF5 etc.
When you import from dvd's the video files will be extracted and put into a folder called "CAPTURE" that's located directly under your assigned "Working Folder".
EX: Assigned Working Folder = D:\MF5
Imported Files from a Dvd = D:\MF5\Capture
(When you import a dvd you can use windows explorer and navigate to this capture folder and watch the videos being copied, hitting the F5 key will refresh windows explorer to reflect the filesize changes).

I always save the project file in the assigned working folder.
It's not simple to move a project from one location to another but is possible.

Another useful tool is you can get around having to use the MF interface for inserting videos. While you on the timeline of MF simply open up windows explorer and naviagate to where the videos are you want to insert. Highlight them with the mouse & drag them onto the timeline of MF.
It's a fast method.

Perfect - THANK YOU!!!

Velojet · Post by **Velojet** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 4:12 am

maddrummer3301 wrote:
Why does DMF5+ turn everything into a mpg after import if everybosdy says mpg stinks (too lossy)?
MF is not converting your video, MF is only extracting & copying the mpeg video(s) from their containers to your harddisk. Mpeg is the format that your camcorder is recording in. They all record to mpeg2 video when using mini-dvd's (even dvd-ram in -vr mode using the VRO extension), within the VRO container is the mpeg files.

So does this make a camcorder that records to mini-DV tape superior to one that records to mini-DVD disc?

My (Panasonic) camcorder yields a high quality/large size DV-AVI file (at about 13 GB per hour of video), where (as you say) a DVD camcorder yields a MPEG-2 file (at about 4.5 GB per hour of video). This seems to mean that, when authoring a DVD in MF5, I have the option of converting to MPEG at a higher bitrate (= better quality) than if I was starting with an MPEG already recorded to disc by the camcorder.

Or is the camcorder mini-DVD recorded at the highest bitrate that I could get from MF5 anyway?

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 4:36 am

Velojet · Post by **Velojet** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:23 am

maddrummer3301 wrote:... I would stick to your DV unit if you like editing. Plus convertions to other formats such as creating a divx or WMV file is easier using dv instead of mpeg. ...
But, for the average consumer who wants to capture special family events. They can shoot & record, finalize the mini-dvd and immediately view the footage on a dvd player. ...

Many thanks indeed for that enlightening reply, maddrummer3301. I had been thinking that I should really be upgrading to a mini-DVD camcorder (as you say, "While your rewinding your tape they are already watching their videos"), but since I do like editing, I'll stick with my tape camcorder for a while, at least. It certainly, from what you say, offers more versatility and a better potential quality.

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:48 am