Freezing Problems and other questions

[dchbbc]

Hi, if someone can give me some advise I'd appreciate it. I'm far from a pro on this so I need simple terms and direction.
I have Video Studio 11.0.0157.2 Plus Dolby Dig. Power Pack 1.0.
I'm running Vista Home Premium...2 Quad CPU...Q6600 @ 2.40 Ghz...RAM 3GB...32 Bit OS...My C drive is 78% free...My files are stored on an external 450GB with 83% free. I don't know what else to tell you.

My problem/questions...I was making a video of a bunch of little 30 second clips from various movies of a talent show. They all imported without problem. I edited them all individually and saved them as individual projects. I then transfered them all to the timeline in order and put effects inbetween. When I got further into the project, around 6 minutes of video, it would start hanging and I would have to close and reopen the program. It was only a 11 minute project total. If I move the jog slider too fast it freezes and the slider above the timeline won't move.

What should I close down in the background and how so I won't freeze or what other solution do you have?

Also, if I'm using an original like I described, clips from a homemade DVD, what is the best format to save and burn in so I have the best quality when making a DVD to play on a standard DVD player? I don't have HD. I wondered if I burn as a HD will it burn to a standard DVD+R and just be better quality? I'm not sure which one of the burning choices is the best.

Any help is appreciated.

[Black Lab]

When you say you saved them as individual projects you mean each one is saved as its own VSP, and then you imported all these VSPs into one project?

I've never heard of someone doing a project like this so, if that is the case, then I could imagine it slowing down as VS searches for all these different projects/files.

A typical workflow would be to put all your clips in the timeline, edit them, add effects, then save as one project (VSP).

Another thing, and this relates to your second question about quality, where did you get these clips? What format are they? From the library right click on one of the thumbnails and post the properties here. Certain formats can also cause problems.

[Ken Berry]

First, with that version number, it is clear you are missing one of the updates: your version number should be 11.5.0157.2. You need to add the 'Hot Pack' dated 8 November 2007, available on the Corel or Ulead Download > Upgrade site.

Second, that sort of freeze can sometimes indicate that one of your video clips could have a corruption in it. Individually it might play, but as part of a project it causes a glitch and the whole thing freezes. If the hang occurs at the same place each time, then you might have to either recapture that particular clip, or remove the existing one and see if the whole thing still hangs.

In this regard, it could be useful to have the properties of the video you are editing. Right click on one of the clips inside Video Studio, and copy ALL its Properties here please.

I have also found that VS sometimes requires patience. At times I have been sure it as hung, and my usual response, like yours, has been to simply use the Task Manager/Ctrl+Alt+Del to get out of it. But now, I tend to wait a bit, even go make a cup of coffee. And when I come back, I found it has unfrozen itself and is ready for more action! So you could try that too.

If the clips are from a homemade DVD, then depending on how you captured them, they are already in the format which is required for a standard definition DVD, namely mpeg-2. That is essentially to only format that is allowed by the international DVD standard (though mpeg-1 can also be used, although it is of lesser quality). The problem with mpeg-2 is that it is a 'lossy' format -- every time you render it, it loses quality, rather like a jpeg still image. So essentially you should use it as is -- with exactly the same properties if possible. Video Studio has a thing called SmartRender which means that if you have to render a project containing only mpeg-2, then if you use the same properties, only the bits of the clips that you have actually edited i.e. around the cuts and transitions, will actually re-rendered, and the rest will be left alone.

Changing format to high definition would require a full render and hence loss of quality. And while you can convert standard definition to HD and burn it in AVCHD format to a standard DVD, this is called a hybrid disc, and can only be played in a Blu-Ray player which is also rated to play hybrid discs. Not all of them are so rated, though the Sony PlayStation 3 is one which can do this.

But essentially, you are much better off simply editing your existing mpeg-2, processing it using the same properties, and then burning the product to standard def DVD.

EDIT: Good catch, Jeff. I missed the possibility that he was using multiple vsp files in the timeline. I had assumed he had processed each clip and saved it as a project, but had dragged the edited *clips* to the timeline...

[dchbbc]

Now I'm reaaly confused how to do a video
I did save each clip as a VSP and bring them all back into the timeline afterwards. I'm guessing that's not a good idea?
Here's the steps I used and what they were of...
I have a DVD from another parent that has 2 files on it, one Video_TS and the other Roxioplasma. The Video has VOB BUP and IFO files on it. I put the DVD in and used capture from DVD, then selected the chapters I wanted and imported them. It shows their properties as MPEG2 2,338 frame 24 bits 720x480 4:3 29.970 FPS 5200kbps. I edited them and chopped out what I didn't want. I saved each clip after I edited them, as a VSP. The reason I did it this way, was because an old Ulead Video program I had about 8 years ago always hung up if I opened large files in it, so I figured if I put 12 30second clips into a project instead of 12 10 minute chapters, it would work better.
Here is the properties of a VSP NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: 5200 kbps
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

So after dragging all the VSP to the timeline, which I did one at a time and added effects before adding the next VSP clip, I saved the whole thing as a VSP. Then I opened it back up and added scrolling titles and such, saved it again and then created a video file, then burned a disc.

In the project properties under compression it shows speed/quality as 70. Should it be higher? Also, what is "lower field first" option?


I'm open to any suggestions to make the best quality and to keep me from freezing. Thanks again. BTW the video did work out OK. I just saved every 2 seconds in case I crashed.

[Clevo]

Try it this way....

Basically you only need one VSP. VSP's are not video files but rather they are documents with instructions on what was done to video clips and when.

Creat a folder in Windows and place all your video clips (for this project) in it and call it something meaningful (e.g. Family 2008 christmas). Start a new project making sure the Project properties match the Video properties of the video you have most of (type).

If you understand how to create a new Library folder in the Library manager do so and name the library something similar to the folder with all your video files. You can then import thumbnails into the Library Folder. If you don;t know how to do this then just import all the video files from the windows folder into the video library of VS.

Start adding video to the timeline, edit etc etc then save it as ONE VSP file.