Recommended format

[Darwood]

Hello All

I have Ulead VideoStudio 10 SE DVD that came bundled with my Video capture device. It is working well for me however I have a few questions regarding various formats

I want to save my captured video with the most efficient compression but with a frame size that will look good on my laptop screen which is set to 1280x800 resolution. The options I have in VS 10 SE DVD are Microsoft AVI/MPEG files/RealVideo files/Windows Media Video. If I select to save as MPEG it won't let me set a user defined frame size and the largest available standard frame size is 720x576. If I select to save as AVI then I can set a user defined frame size but the only options I have for compression are None/DV Video Encoder type1/DV Video Encoder type2/MJPEG Compressor. Which compression option should I choose? I have installed a DivX and XVid codec but these don't show up as AVI compression options. Why don't these show up? Is this a limitation of of the SE edition or is there a way to install codecs for use with VideoStudio 10 SE DVD edition?

Thanks
Darwood

[Accolades]

Video Studio is now up to Version X3 (13) so you are a few versions behind.

Best to try trial and error and see what happens...

What is the format of the captured video?

If you import into VS and right click and select properties.

SE is probably limiting the options you have.

[Darwood]

Thank you Accolades

I have realised how old the software is now I've bought the device. That's what happens when you buy a cheap product from China!

As an update I have now also found that with the file type set to AVI I can only specify a user defined frame size if I use the MJPEG compression (which seems to be poor quality and take a long time to render) whereas with DV Type 1 or 2 I am limited to the standard sizes.

The video has been captured from my freeview+ box as follows:
File format: PAL-DVD
Video type: MPEG-2 Video, Upper Field First
Attributes: 24 bits, 720 x 576, 16:9
Frame rate: 25 frames/sec
Data rate: Variable bit rate (max 4000 kbps)
Audio type: MPEG Audio Layer 2 Files
Attributes: 48000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
Layer: 2
Bit rate: 64 kbps

Do you think I should try recapturing it with different settings rather than just trying to render/output it with the desired settings? If so what format/settings would you recommend?

Regards
Darwood

[Black Lab]

I have Ulead VideoStudio 10 SE DVD that came bundled with my Video capture device.

And that may be the only way you can capture with your device, as some manufacturers tweak their software to specifically work with their hardware. If the SE version is limiting your choices you could, of course, still use the v10 to capture your video, then use an updated full version to edit/output.

[Ken Berry]

Let's also get something else straight... If your captured video in its original broadcast format was a certain frame size, then essentially that is all you can capture. If it is 720 x 576 16:9 that is what you will also get -- regardless of what capture format you choose. If you start fiddling around with the capture frame size to, say, 1280 x 800 just so you can fill your laptop screen, then you will either get a standard 720 x 576 video, albeit in widescreen 16:9 format, or else you will get a video which is distorted both horizontally or vertically.

The nearest format which comes close to your screen size is 1280 x 720 AVCHD 720p or AVCHD Lite. And VS10 cannot do that (let alone allow you to capture in that format...)

[Darwood]

Hmmm interesting.

The original broadcast was a Standard-Definition UK (PAL) digital TV broadcast. I understand that this would be in 720x576 16:9 format. If I try to play this captured video in Windows Media Player then it has a thick black border all the way around the video and there is a thin flickering dashed line along half the top of the video. By contrast if I author a DVD with these settings and watch it on a DVD player then it fills the TV screen perfectly. I have also found that if I output the captured video to a new WMV file with a user defined 1280x800 then the only black border I now have is a thinner one along the top and bottom. The thin dashed line along the top is still present but it no longer flickers and the video is much more watchable on my laptop.

By contrast if I play a commercial DVD on my laptop it fills the screen perfectly. My understanding is that DVD-Video is also 720x576 16:9 format the same as UK PAL SD-TV so why does this display perfectly on my laptop whereas my captured TV Broadcast video is so troublesome?

Regards

Darwood