Quicktime mov. files

[Butch110]

I am a beginner with the video making.
I have a Kodak digital camera which uses Easyshare software to download and store pics on my pc. I recently bought an item from Tigerdirect.com which included Ulead VideoStudio 8 software . I have attempted to create some videos from my downloads but haven't had much success. My goal is to be able to put my digital videos downloaded from this camera onto a dvd that I can watch on my TV.
I have converted some mov. files to AVI files, but the picture quality is poor. If I leave the video in mov. format , it creates a jerky video with poor sound. Is there a software program that will allow me to easily create dvds directly from mov. files and view them on my tv ( I have a trial version of Videostudio 11 plus and it crashes in th edit mode as soon as I try to create a video using a mov. file.)
Butch110

[sjj1805]

Please download and install the following patch:
Patch for Kodak MOV files

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums,

I also have a Kodak (P880) which can record video using the MOV file container, and the MJPEG codec. Codec=COmpressorDECompressor. This video format is a fairly compressed format, and is really meant just for viewing and not editing. It can be edited however success is hit and miss.
You might try this fix provided by Member Bill, bsuthers:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 543#110543

I would guess that the frame size for your MOV videos are 620 x 480. To burn to a DVD they should be 720 X 480 NTSC, or 720 X 576 for PAL. Next thing to consider is the frame rates, which are real important. The MOV videos are generally recorded at a frame rate of 30fps, whereas DVDs need to be 29.97 (NTSC) or 25fps (PAL). Most TVs also require that the video be interlaced, either Lower Field First or Upper Field First. I've never tried to burn one of these files to DVD and view it on my TV due to those reasons. I would suspect that the quality would not be that good.

So just with that the conversion is going to require enlarging each frame, and either cutting about .03 off of each second or more. These can pose problems in the video created from the conversion.

I have the full version of VS8 (which is a "phased-out") unsupported version. It will allow inserting of the MOV files produced by my Kodak camera.

You can attempt this, however you need to first set your Project Properties to match as close as possible, to that of you video clips. Go to File>Project Properties or just press ALT + ENTER keys on your keyboard. Now click on the File Type drop-down arrow, and choose AVI as the file type. Then press the Edit button, and go to the AVI tab. For the Compression find the CODEC used by your video clips, which is probably MJPEG.
Next set the audio codec properties (bottom of the same tab), to PCM, Attributes to 8.000kHz, 8bit Mono.
Now go to the General tab, and set the Frame Rate to 30fps, Frame Type to Frame Based, and the Frame Size to 640 x 480. Cick OK, and OK again to exit.

Now those settings above are an assumption that your MOV files properties are that of those mentioned. If not adjust accordingly. With the Project Properties set, now you can proceed to edit your video. Once you have all your editing done, then go to the Share Step, and select Create Video File, and select NTSC DVD (if you are in the US or an area that uses NTSC, if not select PAL DVD. Give your video file a name, and location on your system for the video file, and press Save.

A new video file that will be DVD compatible will be created. Once that is complete, you then clear the timeline (just go to File>New Project), save you project when prompted. When the new project opens, do not place anything in the time line. Go to the Share step and select Create Disc. This will open what we call the Burn Module. Now click on Add Video, navigate to where the video file you just created is located on your system, and insert it. Continue on to build your DVD menus, add chapters if so desired, and then finally burn the DVD.

Finally the following are some links to a wealth of information found on this web board:
A Recommended Workflow has been developed to help guide you through the mine-field of video editing, as it pertains to Ulead's VideoStudio Programs. They can be viewed here:
Recommened WorkFlow for VideoStudio

You might want to read through From Camcorder to DVD tutorial.

For a brief summary of AVI and MPEG-2 please read the article at this link:
Summary of AVI and MPEG-2

To better understand Field Orders, and Frame Based, please read the following article:
Explanation of Field Orders

The current release of VideoStudio is VS11/11+. You can download the trial version HERE.

[Butch110]

Thank you for your responses to my questions. I shall give it a try.

Butch 110