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Hi, I'm Brent. I have an easycap that came bundled with Ulead, and I use it to capture video from my TV. I have recorded in DVD and Mpeg(1 and 2) and both are perfectly fine. However, recording in AVI is completely different. It seems i can capture it, however while in the editer, i can only play the clip in the media library. If i try to put it in the project, it says, "The content of these files is unreadable." I just downloaded a whole set of codecs, and I can watch the video clip in WMP 11. I tried uploading it to Sony Vegas, and that hasn't worked either (only plays the audio). As to sony vegas, i can't be sure if I'm doing it right, but for now I want to see whats wrong with my Ulead. Other people with this can record and play video in AVI, but for me it just doesn't seem to work.

List of Devices:
Easycap (USB capture card connected to a USB 2.0 port)
Ulead VideoStudio 10.0 SE
My TV (with an xbox connected to it)
My computer (Windows XP)

I have downloaded no patches, and all the drivers were installed that came with it.

Video Clip Properties:

File
File Format: Microsoft AVI -- OpenDML
File Size: 565, 435 KB
Frame Rate: 30.080 Frames/Sec
Duration: 27.892 seconds
Data Rate: 20249.55 kbps

Video
Compression: ffdshow Video Decoder
Attributes: 16 bit, 720x480
Total Frames: 839 Frames

Audio
Compression: PCM
Attributes: 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo
Total Samples: 1,339,200 samples

It originated from My TV (which i captured it from)
It got onto my Hard Drive by a USB capture device.
It is an AVI file (sorry if they're is anything more technical, that's what it says in Ulead when i capture it..)
(This was under file properties, so i guess this is with Audio, AND video) Data Rate: 20249.55 kbps
Type of Audio: PCM
Audio Data Rate: (look above).

Project Settings:
NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
Microsoft AVI files
24 bits, 640 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
Uncompressed
PCM, 48.000 kHz, 16 Bit, Stereo

NTSC

This occured at the Edit Stage.

Error(when video is attempted to be dragged into the timeline):

"The Content of these files is unreadable. "

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks for the responses (in advance)!

Sincerely,

Brent.

70GB Ram
The most I have heard of in a Home Computer is 4GB.

Your project settings show Uncompressed - when dealing with AVI this equates to 65 GB of hard drive space per hour. A better setting would be DV Type 1. which equates to 13 GB of hard drive space per hour.

I just downloaded a whole set of codecs

Sorry to say but this might be the cause of the problem.
--> Please click here <--

1. I installed the codec pack AFTER i had this problem (since i had it--christmas) so i guessed that downloading codecs for it would help.

2. Does my CP stats says 70gb RAM? i have about 70gb on my HD..its pry a typo or something

3. I don't know if this changes anything, but these are videos that i would be putting on youtube. What I usually do is the videos would go into videostudio at 720x480 as MPEG2(captured), and then i would save them as HD WMV files at 1280x720). They come out pretty good, the quality is a so-so but its better than videos with cameras.... Would DV type 1 work on youtube?

I have 992 MB of RAM, so that changes it...

I am pretty sure the EasyCap does not capture to DV -- only uncompressed AVI. And as Steve has suggested that is not really an option because of space considerations. One hour would quickly fill your remaining 70 GB of hard disc space. So really, your best option is in any case mpeg-2 which is compliant with what can also be burned to a DVD... and moreover already works on your set-up! But your suggested workflow for YouTube sounds fine, though it is probably a little over the top to convert it to HD WMD. Nevertheless, if it gives better quality on YouTube, anything is worth trying!!!

I also endorse in the strongest terms Steve's warnings against using codec packs. I have in the past, but am extremely careful to only pick one or two codecs from the pack that I know I am going to need. Otherwise, by downloading everything in a codec pack, you are downloading a pack of trouble! Many of them conflict with each other and with the codecs already on your computer.

What would you guys suggest to improve my quality then, if i shouldn't record in AVI?

Our usual recommendation to record in AVI always refers to DV/AVI -- and is always qualified by some reference to 'if possible. In your case, that is not possible since the EasyCap will not capture in DV/AVI format. You already say you can capture fine in DVD (which is just mpeg-2) as well as mpeg-1. So you work with what you have.

Now, I personally don't think all that much of YouTube, or rather, what they have done in the past with submitted video, downgrading its quality to the point where, to me, it is a pain to watch. However, as you have obviously realised, they now accept high definition video, which gives reasonable quality playback. So you are obviously trying to maintain the quality of your mpeg-2 captures by 'upgrading' it to high definition WMV format (of course, you can't make the originally captured video any better quality this way, but at least it may maintain the original capture quality.) And as I have already said, that is probably the best way of proceeding.

But to me, the only way of actually *improving* the quality is to improve the quality of your original capture, and for that you probably would need to think of buying new equipment. I for instance record my TV shows internally on my computer using my installed DVico Fusion dual HDTV card. I can capture from that in high definition mpeg-2 or standard definition mpeg-2. The quality is excellent and of course can be edited and outputted again in high definition format. I am not sure what YouTube would think, though, if I were to try to submit copyright material I had captured from my TV, though...

Incidentally, I have just looked at your original post again and noticed that the Frame Rate given for your captured AVI is very strange: 30.080 Frames/Sec. The standard NTSC frame rate is of course 29.97 fps. this might have something to do with your problem in reading it, though I don't think so.

I also notice your Project Properties have changed the frame size to 640 x 480 rather than the standard DVD setting of 720 x 480 of the original AVI. But again, this would probably not cause any difficulty if you are not outputting to DVD format.

720x480 is the dimensions that essentially fills the Youtube widescreen perfectly. Then i boost the dimensions up to 1280x720 to allow the HD option instead of Higher quality. I have seen videos of people recording from easycap in UNBELIEVEABLE quality. What i think they do is record in AVI and then compress it. But whenever i record in Mpeg-2, i get really good quality, and then it renders it, and it gets a little pixelated. Is there anything i can do to reduce the amount of pixelation/remove that all together?