MP4 shuts down Videostudio X2

[Brain Champagne]

I've downloaded some videos from youtube, in MP4 format (I want them as lossless as possible). Whenever I try to insert them into the library, the program shuts down.

I've used two different methods to get the videos from youtube, and they play fine.

Any ideas?
thanks,

[Black Lab]

Other than MP4, you tell us nothing about the clips, and your profile is blank so we know nothing about your system. Details of both may prove helpful.

[Brain Champagne]

Sorry, it''s Windows XP Home Edition, SP3, VS Pro X2, I don't see an "About" in the menu to give more info on the version but I downloaded it from Corel's site just as X3 came out. My computer's an old Dell (Dimension 3000 Pentium 4 2.80 ghz, 2 gb ram).

The clips are from youtube, I've tried three of them, here's one if you want to see specs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkQNRSFTGKs

Are videos downloaded from youtube as mp4 files the same as what was originally uploaded? Or does the site make changes to the files? I downloaded them using youtube downloader as well as a different program; same results (or lack thereof). It may be possible to download them in other file formats but those files seem way, way smaller and since I'm making a dvd I want the best resolution possible.

If I have to I can ask for the original files but the first response I get is "They're on youtube, I don't know where the originals are..." so it's calling in favors to ask them to find the original files.

[Ron P.]

Brain,

Video files uploaded to YouTube are in a wide variety of formats. YouTube converts them to FLV for viewing on their site, and then MP4 that is downloaded.

I downloaded that file using YouTube downloader. However I discovered at first that I needed the current version to be able to download it. Once I updated that, I was able to download it. VS X2 (Vista machine) did crash when trying to insert it (mp4), but on my desktop machine running WinXP HE, I was able to insert it. (I'll have to look into this further). I did however use the Conversion part of YouTube Downloader, converting it to WMV, which I was able to insert into VS X2. Just a side-note, I'm able to insert the MP4 version into VS X3 without any problems. One other quirk, I am able to insert the MP4 file into the burn module. There's no thumbnail for it, but it does insert and play in the preview step of the burn module for VS X2.

Now as far as quality retention goes, the frame size of this video file is only 480 x 360. This means that if you're intentions are to create a Video DVD, you will take a huge quality hit. VS will need to manufacture out of thin air, (NTSC-240 x 120) (PAL- 240 x 216) pixels. However there is the option of using smaller frame sizes of:
NTSC

• 704 x 480

• 352 x 480

• 352 x 240

PAL

• 704 x 576

• 352 x 576

• 352 x 288

With any of those, you can see what VS must do the frame sizes so that the resultant MPEG-2 video file meets the DVD Specifications. I did note that the frame rate is 29.97fps, which is a DVD spec for NTSC areas. If you're located in a PAL area, then some frames are going to chopped off to meet the 25fps DVD spec for PAL.

You might try using the YouTube downloader to convert the file to another format, or use a third party conversion program. I've used Super by erightsoft.com in the past. There's several available, just do a search on Google.

[Brain Champagne]

Thanks so much. The idea to convert seems to be working. I'm using youtube downloader to convert to avi. The files grow 4-10X as large but that shouldn't matter.

As far as resolution, well, some of the files I'll be working with are lower-res wmv files anyway, I have to take what's available. It's a free promo video so nobody can complain about the quality, although of course I want it to look as good as possible.

By the way, I'm in the U.S.