File Management: AVI source files and Project files

[symp4devil]

Just purchased VS 11.5 and I am digitizing 100+ hours of 8mm tape. Help me understand the relationship between the "raw" source AVI files and the VS clips.
My plan is to capture everything, make clips of only the material I want, eventually burn home movies to DVD, and then possibly delete the source AVI files.
What is the recommended process for managing the various files?
Thanks

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums!

Please help us to help you by telling us a bit more about exactly what you are doing... How exactly are you digitizing your analogue tapes? What devices are involved? Please also fill in the Profile button at the top of this page. That way, in future, we won't have to badger you for details of your computer and operating system.

I am also intrigued about your reference to 'raw' AVI. Is that what you have chosen as your digitizing target? Raw AVI, FYI, is absolutely huge -- around 65 GB (yes, GB) per hour of video.

I am thus wondering whether you are instead capturing DV/AVI which is still large, but five times compressed to give you 1 hour of video in around 13 GB. However, we will only be sure once you tell us what you are doing and with what equipment. You should also right click on one of the captured files in the VS timeline or library pane and copy ALL its Properties here please.

If you are indeed capturing DV/AVI (via firewire from a Digital 8 camera or mini DV camera being used as passthrough or from a dedicated external capture device which connects via firewire), that is a very good thing. It is to all intents and purposes a lossless format, and high quality.

AVI of any kind is not part of the international DVD standard, which is based essentially on mpeg-2 with a certain range of properties which comply with those international standards. So at some stage, the AVI is going to have to be converted to this DVD-compliant mpeg-2. We recommend it is done as a separate step after you finish editing: Share > Create Video File > DVD.

Note also that after you produce your new mpeg-2, you go to File > New Project. Don't worry about giving your new project a name. The objective is just to clear the timeline of your current project.

Once that is done, you select Share > Create Disc > DVD. The burning module will open. Use the Add Media button at the top to insert your new mpeg-2 in the burning timeline. Then go to the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of the burning screen. There is a little box beside the words 'Do not convert compliant mpeg files'. Make sure that box is ticked (it usually is by default). That way, your already compliant mpeg file will not be re-encoded. Then build your menus and burn.

And essentially, once this is done, you can delete your AVIs. I personally store the mpeg-2s (on an external drive, for instance) just in case you need to use them again or edit them... Though if you are absolutely certainly you have finished with them, you could delete them too once all your DVDs are done.

[symp4devil]

Thanks!

I'm using a Canon HDV to pass the 8mm and Hi8mm analog tape through via firewire to a Seagate 1TB external hard drive connected to a Gateway MediaCenter PC (XP P4 2.6 Mhz, 2 gig RAM).
You are correct, I am saving the files in the DV AVI format.

So once you convert the AVI file to MPEG-2 (after all edits have been made) the DV AVI file is no longer needed or is attached to any VS clips?

[Black Lab]

When I have completed my project (i.e. burned the DVD) I do delete my original DV-AVI clips. Some people do record them back to tape, but that's personal preference.

[symp4devil]

what is the earliest point in the process that the DV AVI files can be deleted?

[Black Lab]

Well, you can delete them anytime you want. But if you are still using your project (VSP), VS will need to access them. If it can't find them it will give you a relinking message.

My workflow is this: I capture to DV-AVI and insert those files to the timeline. I do all my editing. After editing is complete I choose Share>Create Video File to make a DVD-compliant MPEG-2 file. I then use that file to burn my DVD. So, after the creation of the MPEG-2 file would be the point in the process where you could delete the original files. BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE DONE!

[symp4devil]

Perfect! That answers my question.

One more question...is there a way to edit/modify the DV AVI file?
For example: I capture 2 hours of countinous tape. The file size is 20 GB. There is 30 minutes of footage throughout the tape that is unwanted. Can I remove the 30 minutes, save the file, and now the DV AVI file is 15 GB?

Thanks

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

With the original 2 hour Dv-Avi in the timeline. Use the scissors to cut either side of the unwanted frames, delete these frames, this does not change the original file, just the virtual clips in the timelines. These remaining frames (1.5 hrs) need to be re-rendered, made into a new Avi.

Share Create Video File ¡VSame as First Video

This will create a new Avi video file.

The original 2 hour can be deleted saving you 25% memory space.

Do you really want to do that!

By completing the editing you can create a video file to Mpeg 2, this will reduce the file size to 4.3 Gb per hour ( maximum)

By using a bit rate of 6000 kbps your 1.5 hr video will be approx¡¦ 4.3 Gb and will fit to one DVD.

[Ken Berry]

What I usually do with my DV capture, whether using VS or, as I normally do, WinDV, I have the capture program Split by Scene during capture. That way I end up with lots of individual small files. You can then select the ones you want and delete the rest.

[symp4devil]

When I enable to Split option my 2 hour (analog via Canon HDV) capture does not split into multiple clips...it stays as one big file....any suggestions?

[Ken Berry]

Ah, I wasn't aware it was a HDV camera. No, Split-by-Scene doesn't work in the HDV download -- though I thought it would work after you downloaded the high def mpeg-2. In other words, a two step process...

To split my HDV (Canon HV20) by scene, I use a small free program called HDVSplit. You can Google for it.