Cannot make movie template

Sue Whitham · Post by **Sue Whitham** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:42 pm

I've never been able to create a movie template, so up till now I've used custom settings when downconverting HD footage to regular DVD format.
I'm doing this so often now a template would be useful.
I have followed the instructions in the manual faithfully, but my template doesn't appear in the selection menu when I click Create Video File in the share step.

This is what I have been doing (as per manual):

1. Select Tools: Make Movie Templates Manager. The Make Movie Templates Manager dialog box opens.

2. Click New. In the New Template dialog box, select the File format and type in a Template name. Click OK.

3. In the Template Options dialog box, set the options you want in the General and AVI/Compression tabs.

Note: The available options in the tabs will depend on the type of file format of the template.

4. Click OK.

Notes:
Movie templates will appear in a selection menu when you click Create Video File in the Share Step. If you do not want to use a movie template, you can select Custom from the pop-up menu. This allows you to choose your own settings for creating the final movie or simply use the current project settings.
To modify the settings of a movie template, click Edit in the Make Movie Templates Manager dialog box.

Where am I going wrong?

Sue W.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:59 pm

There is an issue regarding editing an HD template. See if this helps:
http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php ... e+template

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:03 am

Hi Sue

There has been problems regarding Movie Templates and ¡¥Read only Files¡¦ causing the menu not to show in Share Create Video file.

Read my Guide to Make Movie Manager from the link below.
There is a note at the end referring to the Read only File

Sue Whitham · Post by **Sue Whitham** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:46 am

Thanks for suggestions, however I can't find the MovieTem.Dat file in Vista.
I located it on my other PC running XP but still couldn't access the file after unchecking "Read Only"

But it's my Vista machine (Quad core 6600) I use to do all my video editing.

I guess I'll have to stick with custom templates each time. While I'm on the subject, perhaps someone would confirm the video file settings I'm using to downgrade an HDV file to burn to a standard DVD:

General tab:
Ulead MPEG now encoder
25 fps
Upper Field First
720 x 576
16 x9
Compression tab:
MPEG2
Qual 100
VDR Constant 8000
Audio MPEG
Stereo
48000 hz
256 kbps

In these settings, the audio remains as source, and there are only changes to the field order, the frame size and the bitrate. (Am I right to change from variable to constant?)

Any observations would be welcome.

SW

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:18 pm

Hi Sue

For XP
Once you have changed the read only option, you would have to make a new template using the movie manager.
Sorry I cannot help with Vista......
I assume you have already manually updated Direct X??????????

Your conversion settings look ok.

I would use Constant for 8000kbps.
You say you altered the field order, if it was Lower Field then keep that order.
If it was Frame Based and you wish to interlace then any would do, although I would opt for lower.
Quality % I keep to the default level, just a personal choice.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:27 pm

Hi Sue
Just a thought.............
There are two MovieTem.Dat files on the pc.
One is under C:Program Files, this is not the one you are looking for.
You need to find:-
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\ Ulead Systems\Ulead VideoStudio

If you cannot see this folder.
You need to activate Show Hidden files and Folders, from the Tools-Folder Options-View tab

Sue Whitham · Post by **Sue Whitham** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:47 pm

Thanks Trevor.
I'll try to locate the same file on Vista again.
Re. Field order, all my high def footage is UFF, and previously Ken Berry has recommended keeping upper field even when downconverting to regular DVD format.
Sue W.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:54 pm

For what it's worth, Trevor, I don't have that file either on my Vista Ultimate system, with VS 10+, 11.5+ and X2 Ultimate installed. And equally for what it's worth, the file structure in Vista is a bit different from XP. There is no Documents and Settings folder. Instead, you would be looking for C:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\Roaming\Ulead Systems\Video Studio 11.0 for that program (and Corel\Video Studio 12 for that version.

As for Field Order, I am a bit mystified. Sue has not actually told us which of her listed cameras she is using, and thus the format she has started off with. But as far as I am aware, all high definition cameras film in Upper Field First. And if you do the downconvert, the HDV cameras convert from high def UFF mpeg-2 to SD LFF DV/AVI.

Sue has given us mpeg-2 downconvert properties, which suggests it is not a HDV camera she has -- so probably the Canon HG10. But she then says the audio is the native format (mpeg layer 2) which again is consistent with HDV since just about any AVCHD camera I am aware films using Dolby dual channel stereo or 5.1. But a HDV camera cannot down convert to SD mpeg-2. In any case, the Field Order for such a conversion would be correct in the first place at UFF, not as Sue suggests, with a change in field order.

So as you can see, I am totally confused.

Sue, can you put me out of my (our?) misery and tell us which of your listed cameras you are talking about, please? Your HG10 is an AVCHD model (mpeg-4 and I don't know if can downconvert or not, but suspect not). Your JVC GZ-HD7E/EK is one of those somewhat strange JVC-only cameras which sort of shoots in HDV format, but not quite, and it uses the .tod extension. But as far as I am aware, downconverts via firewire to dV/avi (which of course would be lower fiield first). And I just haven't had the time to track down what your third camera is... but I think it is an older mini DV SD model.

Sue Whitham · Post by **Sue Whitham** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:13 pm

Yes Ken, I am talking about the Canon HG10 - and you're right, according to the manual it records MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, Dolby Digital 2ch.

The properties when a clip is inserted in the timeline reads;
PAL HDMV
H.264 video UFF
24 bits 1440x1080
16x9
25 fps
Variable 16000 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio
48000 khz
256 kbps

Previously, my big HD projects have been downconverted for ordinary DVD using instructions from J.C.Hunter which have worked okay (they have been projects which have included footage from the Canon HG10, the .TOD files from the JVC and DV video from my (now hardly ever used) Mini DV camcorder.

I was hoping to create an instantly accessible template to downconvert in the Share stage.

I think along the way I've got a bit confused myself!

Future projects are likely to include a mix of .TOD and .MTS files which of course I can burn as BLU-RAY or AVCHD as I have the equipment to view them, but for friends and family I still need to burn ordinary DVDs.

I would like a definitive template which would do this.

As for finding the said file to "unhide" the new templates in Vista - I'm mystified.

Any ideas welcome.
Sue W.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:35 pm

Hi Sue

I don¡¦t understand why you are having problems with both VS 11 and X2 versions of VS, as Ken rightly suggests they are installed in different folder structures.

As a work-round you could edit the project properties to match the new render properties.
Save the project as your template. (template .vsp)
When starting a new project you would open the template then ¡¥save as¡¦ giving it a name relating to the project.
After editing:-
Share Create Video File-Same as Project Settings

Sue Whitham · Post by **Sue Whitham** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 5:14 pm

Thanks for that Trevor - I'll try the work-round.

In the meantime, I haven't given up looking for that file in Vista!

I'd still like someone to clarify whether my high def Upper Field First should stay or be changed to Lower Field First for downconverting to a regular DVD.

Thanks.
Sue

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 6:12 pm

Hi Sue

You should keep the field order as the original video file.

if your original video files use Upper Field First then use that order for your conversion to SD DVD.

Your settings should be simular to:-

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: 8000 kbps
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Sue Whitham · Post by **Sue Whitham** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:48 am

Thanks for that really clear answer Trevor.
I'll use those settings from now on.

The reason I was so unclear about field order was that the J.C.Hunter method ( which I have used in the past) recommends Frame Based, while the preset DVD-PAL uses Lower Field First, and I'm sure in another thread Ken said to use Upper Field First in this circumstance. You agree with him and that's good enough for me - two of my most trusted Ulead advisors.

Cheers,
Sue

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:16 am

Just to be clear, I have never said you must use only one or the other. It all depends on the field order of your *original* video, as Trevor has said. And that should be maintained throughout.

The only exception, really, is a video slideshow. Photos by their very nature are no interlaced, and so a slideshow can be Frame Based. But if you are putting photos into a video containing video clips, then the photos can also, by their very nature again, take on the field order of whatever the video clips have.

The other basic message is that for any single project, you should only use video of the same Field Order. But on a DVD, you can have separate titles which have different Field Orders.

Sue Whitham · Post by **Sue Whitham** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 10:51 am

Thanks Ken.

Useful info regarding photos used in slideshow or video projects.

As you rightly say, only one field order should be used in a single project, but what if, in the future, I want to include some old miniDV (lower field first) with my HD footage (upper field first) in a project?

I guess since the miniDV footage would only be a small percentage of the film I would stick to upper field first and output it accordingly, and not expect the miniDV segments to look as good as the rest.

After all, in TV documentaries they use footage in different formats from around the world and archive footage from times past, and the quality (and aspect ratio!) varies tremendously - but if the story is well told it carries the day.

Sue.