Outputting a project

[Doug2006]

I bought a new camera and I am using the trial version of X3. I have X2, VS11, etc. First the capture was 51 minutes and the camera outputed HD30. It is mpeg file that is 7 gigs. How do I burn this to a disk? I was going to make it into a file that I could burn on another computer so I tried, create file, blue ray. It gave a choice of 1440 and 1980. So I chose 1980 and rendered it. It is a windows media file that is 6.5 gigs and wmp cannot play it. Here is what I don't understand. What did I accomplish by doing that? I had a mpeg file that was HD and all I want to do is put it on a disk, so now I have another mpeg file. I thought when it gave you the choice of blue ray that is would make a special file that you could burn to a blue ray disk.

I then tried same thing but chose make video file, standard def, 16:9 widescreen. It rendered an avi file that was 11 gigs and Vlc player plays it, but everyone is squished together. The properties say 16:9 but 720 by 480. Now I am totally confused. How can I have a 16:9 file that is 720 by 480 and then also have a 4:3 file that is 720 by 480.

There seems to be a big flap about the 2010 pro authoring module so I have not tried that yet. But can I take the original 7 gig file that is mpeg and some how author that to a standard def disk? Or does it have to be converted first. And am I wasting my time to use the 2010 pro thing?

This hd stuff and the 1440 and 1980 and 16:9 format has throw a wrench in the way I use to do stuff. Doug

[DVDDoug]

I can only answer one of your questions...

How can I have a 16:9 file that is 720 by 480 and then also have a 4:3 file that is 720 by 480.

Non-square pixels... Both fullscreen and widescreen NTSC DVDs are 720x480. Fullscreen and widescreen PAL DVDs are both 730x576

[Doug2006]

Okay, When you say non square pixels, is there a setting that I should uncheck or check when I output the video? So if I was going to output to standard dv 4:3 I would leave non square pixels or if I was going to output to standard dv 16:9 I would have to change a setting? But why does the X3 program give you a choice to out put it to and then not do the right thing. The video I outputed that looks wrong, is that going to ever look right or is it ruined? And if it is ruined why? I thought the program would do it right. Doug

[Ken Berry]

I will avoid the non-square pixel side of things and address the first part of your question.

It is not entirely clear if you have done any editing to your video. And it is also not clear what you mean by output is HD30... Is your camcorder a Canon HV30 or some other make or model. It would help to know.

But if your intention is merely to transfer the captured original video to a disc which you can copy to another computer for burning, then you don't use Video Studio. You just use windows to transfer the video to a DVD as if it were any other data file (though with 7 GB it would need to be a dual layer DVD).

If, however, you have edited it, then you would first use VS to output a new version of your project: Share > Create Video File > Same As First Video Clip. Then you would transfer that to a DVD as a data file.

[Doug2006]

Thanks for the help Ken.

I am shooting with a Cannon hv30.

If I can get this straight.

If I shoot with the camera set at HD30p. It is recorded on the tape as High Definition. And it captures as a mpeg file. If I record in standard definition it captures as an Avi file. Once captured in Hi def it is high def and you can not change that unless you output it in a program such as X3. But would X3 convert it to standard definition?

I tried that and it made it into a squished version. I chose 16:9 720 x 480.

I wanted something that was widescreen, but got a 4:3 size.

And if I wanted to take the original file and burn it to blue ray on another computer I could put it on a dual layer dvd as a data file but then can the other person/computer burn it as a blue ray video or would they need an authoring program? What I wanted to do was have a file that all they needed to do was burn the disk, not go into or have a video program like X3.

[Ken Berry]

A few comments.

First, your camcorder, like my own HV20, films in HDV format which is high definition mpeg-2, 1440 x 1080, Upper Field first, 16:9 with mpeg layer 2 audio. All HDV video cameras shoot with exactly these properties, with only the speed varying according to whether they are PAL or NTSC (25 fps vs. 29.97 fps).

As you have found, when down-converting to standard definition in the camera itself, they output DV/AVI which strangely enough is Lower Field First, but still 16:9 and (L)PCM audio.

You say you are outputting simply to transfer to another computer to burn as a Blu-Ray disc. In that case, as I said above, apart from capture, you don't use Video Studio. You just use Windows Explorer/My Computer or whatever other program you use to transfer a data file to a CD or DVD.

The computer at the other end should be able to transfer the file to itself in a similar way, and from there the Blu-Ray burning program should also be able to see it for burning purposes.

Note here that I do this quite regularly as I have a PlayStation 3 which is a Blu-Ray player (not burner), which can recognise and play high definition video -- both HDV and AVCHD -- in its native format. (I also burn so called hybrid discs which convert my HDV to AVCHD and burns a structure similar to Blu-Ray but on a standard definition DVD. But they can only be played on Blu-Ray players rated to play hybrid discs. The PS3 can do so.)

The same probably goes for just about any Blu-Ray player -- they should just about all recognise native HDV or AVCHD on your data disk. But if you want a proper Blu-Ray disc, with its BDMV file structure, and a menu, your friend will simply have to have a program -- either Video Studio or something else like Nero -- which can burn a Blu-Ray disc.

Now you also ask about conversion to standard definition. Your camera can do that itself and outputs as DV/AVI as I said above. But if you capture the video in its original HDV format, then sure, X3 can also do the down-conversion from high def to standard definition.

But it depends on what properties you have set. If you don't use DV/AVI, then you would use standard definition mpeg-2. But you would need -- in Share > Create Video File > DVD (or Custom), to ensure that the properties include 16:9 and Upper Field First. (The latter is when you are converting directly from HDV to SD mpeg-2. If you first convert in the camera to DV/AVI, then the final output as SD mpeg-2 would need to be Lower Field First.)