jerky movements & pixelation

[fionamcm]

I am using a trial version of Videostudio Pro X3 and am experiencing some difficulty producing good quality DVD's & video files (via share->Create Video File).
My timelimit is almost up but I'd like to get to the bottom of the problem before I buy it.
I've searched extensively through this forum but can't find an answer to my problem & I'm hoping that someone can point me in the right direction

My original video has been captured from an 8mm camcorder and is good quality.
The file type is MPEG-2 TS Video & is 2.2GB.

If I import it into the timeline,
select Share->Create Video File->Custom and set the video data rate to 8000kps
my resulting mpg file has overall good quality but there are some very jerky movements and pixelation.
These are not present in the original mpeg-2 file.

I get a similarly poor result if I select Share->Create Disc which starts up DVD Factory and burn a disc

However, if I have nothing in my timeline and
select Share->Create Disc which starts up DVD Factory
add media, selecting my MPEG-2 TS Video file and then
burn a disc
The resulting disc is excellent quality with no jerky movements or pixelation.
However, this isn't much use to me because I want to edit my video but seems to prove that something strange is happening in VideoStudio Pro X3 or my use of it.

[Ken Berry]

Hi Fiona! Welcome to the forums!!

First things first, when you say the video came from an 8mm camcorder, exactly what brand and model is it? I am assuming it is a Sony, but is it a Digital 8? If so, how did you capture the video? If it is indeed a Digital 8, you should have used a Firewire connection, using the camcorder's i-Link port (as Sony calls the Firewire port). And you should have the capture set to DV/AVI format, rather than mpeg-2. This will give you the very best quality for editing, which is much easier and more reliable in that format into the bargain. Then when the editing is finished, you convert it to DVD-compatible mpeg-2.

But given the fact that you already have mpeg-2, can you right click on one of the clips, please, inside Video Studio -- with the clip either in the timeline or in the Library pane -- and copy ALL its Properties here please. I am particularly interested in the Field Order, and would be assuming it is Upper Field First, though could be mistaken about that. But a basic rule of video editing is that you should maintain the same field order throughout a project, from capture, through editing, and into burning. So if your video started life using Upper Field First, then you have to make sure that, in the editing phase and when you go to Share > Create Video File > Custom that the Field Order is the same as it was at the start. Quite often, in VS, when you open Custom, the default settings are Lower Field First. If this is the case, and your original video is Upper Field First, then you need to ensure the Custom settings are also Upper Field First. Getting the field order wrong usually results in various artifacts -- possibly of the kind you are getting -- plus jagged edges on horizontal lines, especially noticeable during panning and fast motion shots. In other words, I suspect this is what has happened in your own case.

For the sake of completeness, and just to confuse things a little, if in future you do as I suggest and use Firewire for the captures in DV/AVI format, that uses Lower Field First. So if you do that in future, you have to be sure to use Lower Field First throughout the project, incuding at both the Create Video File and Create Disc stage. But don't worry about that for the moment -- let's just deal with the mpeg-2 difficulty for the moment!!

But get back with the Properties I requested, and we might be able to offer more specific advice...

[sjj1805]

I only had to read the headline to jump to the conclusion that it is more likely then not you have the Field Order the wrong way round.

[fionamcm]

Thanks very much for your replies.

My camcorder is a Sony Handycam CCD-TR620E Video 8 - approx 13 years old.
It isn't Digital-8 and it doesn't have a Firewire connection.
I captured the video using Hauppauge PVR USB2.
I connected to the Haupauge unit using two cables - one from video out and one from audio out.
I've just noticed that there is an RFU DC out which I've never noticed before so I'll look into that.
I don't seem to be able to capture in DV/AVI format. I'm pretty sure that I managed to capture in AVI format a couple of years ago on another machine but since then
I've changed operating systems and reinstalled software plus patches and I only seem to be able to capture in MPEG2 format now.

Here are the video properties:-

file format - MPEG 2 (Transport Stream)
file size - 2,247,298 KB
Duration - 1871.400 seconds

Video Type - MPEG-2, Upper Field First
Total frames - 46,785
Attributes - 24 bits 720x576, 4:3
Frame Rate - 25.000 frames per sec
Data rate - Variable bit rate (Max 9000 kps)

Audio type - MPEG Audio Layer 2 files
Total Samples - 89,827,200 Samples
Attributes - 48000 Hz, 16 bit, Stereo
Layer - 2
Bit rate - 224 kps

As you suggested my video has a different Field First to the settings I used when saving to Vdeo file.
However, I've just changed the setting and remade my video file but it doesn't seem to have improved much.
Thanks

[fionamcm]

Thanks again for your earlier suggestions.
I didn't mention in my earlier post that my video and result video file are stored on an external drive which is connected to my pc via a usb connection.
I don't think this is relevant but maybe you could let me know if it is.

I also notice that the resulting video file (Share->Create->Video File) is smaller
than the MPEG-2 file. Is this because it is an mpg file and more compressed than a mpeg2 file?
Is it absolutely necessary for VideoStudio to change the file type or can I override it in any way?

I'm very frustrated by this problem. I have spent hours and hours messing about with
VideoStudio features and got so bogged down with all the bells and whistles that
I only spotted the pixelation problem relatively late in the day and it's a bit of a show stopper for me. (I could probably live with the jerky movements if I had to)

Thanks again and I would be grateful for any help. Fiona

[sjj1805]

Like you I also capture video to my computer via a Hauppauge TV card - not from the camcorder because that has firewire.
The stuff I capture from the Hauppauge is either TV recordings or if I hook up a VHS player to the TV card to transfer old VHS tapes.

The correct field order for the Hauppauge card if upper field first.

It matters not that you have an internal hard drive or an external hard drive.
I have in the past had jerky results which were due to hard drive issues. This can be one of the following:
Fragmentation.
Free up as much hard drive space as you can by deleting old unwanted stuff, temporary files and the like.
Then run a disk defragmenter. I don't have Windows 7 but suspect that it probably has the same crappy defragmenter built in that comes with Vista.
If so try this FREE third party tool: Auslogics Disc-Defrag
The one built into XP is good enough and you do not need a third party tool though there are several available.

Bad connections.
I had this problem with an internal hard drive though it is something I would think is more common to external hard drives.
The cable connection between the hard drive and the motherboard (Or USB plug) can become worn, dirty or loose.
Simply take the appropriate action which can range from cleaning the connections to new cables.

Hard Drive Errors
In particular bad blocks. Run the Windows built in tool CHKDSK
Even a brand new hard drive can suffer from this problem - See this post!

If none of the above help then please view my Troubleshooting guide

[fionamcm]

Thanks very much for your reply.

I'll look into all your suggestions and see if I can get any where.

[BUG-EYED]

HI
I have experienced a problem with DVD's created with a high bit rate of 9400 in Pro x2.
The result is jerky and screen flashes during play back on my DVD player, an older PIONEER pvr.
I tried the same disc on a neighbour’s newer Sony player with no problems.
I re-burned the disc at a lower rate, 7000, and played ok on my machine.
Don't know if this makes any sense ?

BUG-EYED

[Ken Berry]

Although nominally the maximum combined (audio + video) bitrate for a DVD is 10,000 kbps, in practice many DVD players have difficulty playing video bitrates much over 8000... So I always keep my SD DVD bitrate at that or below...

[BUG-EYED]

HI KEN
Thanks for confirming my findings.