Camcorder DVD

[JohnDale]

Hi
What is the best way to import a camcrder DVD and edit it? Should it be edited as mpeg 2 or converted to DV?

[Ron P.]

If your camcorder records MPEG-2, stick with it. By converting to DV, you will suffer a loss in quality, and will gain nothing.

DV is the best possible video format to edit if you have that format to start with. Since MPEG-2 is a lossy, higher-compressed format, decompressing to DV, to only have to recompress to MPEG-2 is of no benefit.

[JohnDale]

So it is ok to edit mpeg2 files ie: to cut out the bits i don't want and insert transitions etc. Without affecting audio video sync ie: cause lipsync problems.

Thanks

[Ken Berry]

Some people still suffer out of sync problems, but really far fewer than in the bad old days of VS8... I am perhaps one of the lucky ones, but I have never suffered any out of sync problems since I started editing with VS7 -- I now have VS11.5+.

And the usual advice is that if you are unlucky enough, and these days rare enough, to have such a problem, then simply turn off SmartRender. If your original mpeg-2 is high enough in quality, straight off the mini disc in the camera, and you maintain the same high quality properties throughout your project, then a full re-render should not entail any loss in quality that your eye will detect. But if you re-render several times, the loss in quality *will* become apparently.

And the usual way to import from a mini DVD camera is to check your manual as you may have to 'finalise' the mini DVD first. Then you simply put it into a DVD drive in your computer. In Video Studio 11, you then right click and choose 'Insert DVD/DVD-VR' and follow the prompts. When you get to the stage where you have a tree structure of the disc showing, select the video you want. But Note: you must tick the little boxes to the left of each 'chapter' of video. Otherwise they will remain inactive and no import will take place.

[JohnDale]

Thanks to you both. I will give it a try and see how i go with it. Thanks again