Can't set HD Project Properties

[rayd]

I have a paid for Videostudio X2 and have been using it successfully with the output of my SD video camera.

I now have a Panasonic HD camera which outputs as 1920 x 1080 AVCHD files. Although X2 imports the files, it does so as 'DVD PAL 720 x 576'. Although I have the preference set to 'show message when importing first video clip' it doesn't show the message with my HD files.

If I open the Project Properties window and go to the General tab, the frame size is fixed at Standard 720 x 576 max. The user defined option is not available.

If I go to the Compression tab and change the Media Type to MPEG2 I can then go back to the General tab and set the frame size to 1920 x 1080 in the drop down box - although the user defined option is still not selectable.

I can't find any way of getting VS X2 to start up in MPEG2 - it will only start in DVD.

So, I downloaded the trial of VS X3 to see if that solved the problem, but it still only sets the project as DVD PAL 720 x 576.

X3 also won't bring up the 'show message when importing ...' window, although the option is ticked. However, when I go to the Compression tab of Project Preferences, under Media Type there is only DVD PAL and no list of file formats to choose from, so I can't set MPEG2. The frame size is therefore fixed at 720 x 576 in the General tab.

I have tried with Smart Proxy both on and off in case that was restricting the project to 720 x 576, but no different.

What am I doing wrong? The help files say I should set the project properties to match the imported files but I can't do it and neither X2 or X3 will set them for me when I import the first file.

I have all the various patches installed in both X2 and X3. I'm running Windows 7 64 bit with 6GB of RAM and a dual core 6750 processor - fine for editing HD files.

Any help appreciated.

Ray D

[Roberto]

May I ask one (maybe stupid) question?

When you say "import the video" does it mean you use the VS X3 import function ?
Because I also have a Panasonic camera which creates AVCHD 1920x1080 files.
I just use the in-bundle HWrite SW to "import" the files (via USB) and then, once stored on the PC, I open them with VS X3 (and formerly X2 too).
Everything works fine: the project settings can be adjusted as I wish (MPG or AVI) and also the output can be AVCHD.
For the AVCHD rendering case, if I just render the AVCHD file, the rendering engine suggets that it can 100% re-use the original compression, which makes me guessing that the file is correctly imported.

So, if you directly iport them into VS X3, maybe you could try this 2-steps way (HWrite first, tehn inserting into VS X3)

[rayd]

Thanks for responding Roberto.

Firstly, can you confirm that X2 and X3 show the message when adding the first file to the timeline? It doesn't here with either, even though the option is ticked.

I'm not actually using Videostudio to import AVCHD files from my Panasonic HDC-TM10 but either doing so with HDWriter or just copying them directly from the camera via USB. MediaInfo shows the files are identical imported either way and are 1920x1080 25 frame 16:9 AVC files.

The following applies to both X2 and X3:

I add an AVCHD file to the library and drag it to the timeline.

The profile window does NOT open when I do so, although the option is ticked and it does with an SD file different to the project settings.

The project settings tells me it is 720x576 25 Hz DVD PAL - and X2 puts most of this information in the title bar (X3 doesn't).

I don't edit or do anything else with the file in VS.

If I go to 'Create Video File' and choose the 'Same as Project' option it saves a file 720x576 MPG.

If I go to 'Create Video File' and choose the 'Same as first video clip' it saves as 1920x1080 25Hz MPG. MediaInfor shows this file to be AVC and about the same size as the original.

If I go to 'Create Video File' choose AVCHD it shows 100% original and saves as an identical file to the original according to MediaInfo.

So, it seems the file is recodnised by VS as a 1920x1080 AVCHD when it is saved, but it won't set the project profile to those settings.

Any more suggestions before I give up?

Cheers,

Ray D

[Ken Berry]

Why on earth are you so hung up on the project settings??? They are largely irrelevant. For what it is worth, I don't get any First Message when I use either HDV or AVCHD, so I too am amazed that Roberto appears to get a message. And I have NEVER managed to set project properties for high def projects.

But even so, it is irrelevant. It doesn't matter. Just remember that. I know what the general instructons say, but they were written years ago, before high defintion was even thought of. Unfortunately, the project settings were also written years ago, before High Definition. And for some unknown reason, Corel never seems to have picked that up and changed the code accordingly.

But again, the project settings are irrelevant -- unless, as you have found, you choose Share > Create Video File > Same as Project Settings. But with HD video, all you have to do is NEVER choose that. Instead, you ALWAYS choose either of the two settings you found work. And that is all that matters. In another words, you can edit with whatever settings you like. You can call them Eskimo Pie, but that doesn't matter either. All you are after, after all, is a final output product which works. And so it is the OUTPUT settings (Share > Create Video File> ???) which matter NOT the project properties.

Remember that, and you will have far less angst!!!

[rayd]

Thanks Ken for your reassuring response.

The reason I was getting hung up about it was because I was following the Corel instructions about setting the project properties to be the same as the video being used - and heeding their dire warnings about what might happen if I didn't. I'm new to video editing and expected the software to do what the instructions say.

As both X2 and X3 are supposed to support AVCHD I was rather expecting them to conform to Corel's expectations and provide the settings window when the first file is dragged in. If it was a reported problem in X2, I suppose I expected it fixed in X3

Is it possible to define the default project properties? It comes up - in the UK - as 720 x 576 DVD PAL with MPEG set as the edit file format. It could be useful to redefine the default, but I can't find a way to do it. I can set it to what I like in Project Properties, but can't make that the default next time I boot up. Or have I missed something.

I think this experience has made up my mind not to upgrade to X3 but perhaps look at Serif MoviePlus 3 instead. I do like VideoStudio but don't trust it if it doesn't do what Corel say it should do.

Many thanks for you help.

Ray D