Sound Problems X3

[Andrea]

Although I have used Video Studio for several years I am still very much a novice in that I have always relied on the default settings (I have to - I don't understand the settings at all!). My laptop stuggled with X2 so I had a new machine built with video editing requirements listed a a top priority. I intially intalled X2 on this machine and then X3. I have a Canon HV3 camcorder (mini DV) and use a firewire to transfer the video to my PC.

Five films I took of a friend's wedding transferred to my PC and play just fine in the VS preview window on my new machine but because I have experienced problems with jerky playback in the past on my old machines, I created a new project for each tape. I then created a video file (same as project settings) for each edited project. In every case, the newly created file had audio problems which manifest as an occasional jump in the sound (bit like a needle stuck in a record). When I create further video files of each of the projects, the problems still occured but in different areas of the film each time. In an attempt to overcome this and get the film to my friend, I then created a separate audo file for each project and put all of the video (sound muted) and audio files together in a "master project". This almost worked - just one of the audio files had the same problems. This I resolved by creating a further copy of the audio file.

Once my master project was complete I decided to add an additional 8 mins of video to the end. This was done in the usual way. The library clip plays perfectly well in the peview window but as part of the project file, the clip has audio problems - about one minute into the clip, there is a loud "crack" then about 3 minutes in, the sound dissappears for a few seconds then returns. If I select play "clip" in the preview window there is no problem - the audio problem occurs when this part of the film is played as part of the project. I droped this one clip into a new project and the same audio problems occur.

Can anyone tell me how to stop these problems please? Thank you.

Andrea

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Andrea

and welcome to the forums
There is a post at the top of this forum “Read this before posting”, gives you tips on the type of useful information required.
I realise you say “(I don't understand the settings at all!).” , but we need a bit more information regarding your video properties.
How:-
From the timeline right click a video clip and select properties, what are they?

You say you use a HV 3 canon camera, I did a google and could not find any details, did you mean HV 30
If its HV 30, you may be using standard DV.Avi or HDV, providing your video property’s will help.

[Andrea]

Good Morning Trevor,

Thanks for your response.

Video Properties

File Format PAL DVD
Type MPEG-2 Video, Lower Field First
Total Frames 43886
Attributes 24bits, 720x576, 16:9
Frame Rate 25,000 frames/sec
Data Rate Variable Bit rate (Max 8000kbps)
Audio Type LPCM Audio
Total Samples 84,261,120
Attributes 48000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo

Sorry, yes my post should have read Canon HV30

Andrea

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi
and good afternoon to you Andrea.

When capturing from a DV type camcorder you should connect via fire-wire, which you say you do. Then capture to DV format.
This literally copies/transfers the video to the pc, there is no re-coding, what you have is what you get DV.Avi
This is the best method of capturing DV.

If you select DVD as the capture format the video is recoded during capture from DV.Avi to DVD/Mpeg2 using the properties under the “options” cogwheel.

Your camera as far as I know can record HDV as well as Standard DV.
I do not know what options are available when capturing HDV
Do you know what format the camera was using when recording. DV or HDV?

Can you please capture your video again selecting DV as the capture format, a short capture as a test will be sufficient.

Then provide the video files properties.

I have a quick Guide to Dv-Aviwhich may help

[Black Lab]

If it is HDV (recorded in HD mode) then it will be in MPEG-2 format. But by looking at the other properties I think it is an SD file. If so then yes, you should be choosing DV-AVI (I believe VS just labels it as AVI) and not DVD (MPEG-2) when capturing.

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

Cheers Jeff, I was unsure of the video properties of HDV

So what capture format do you choose when capturing HDV --- DV or DVD?

If DVD do you have to set the capture properties under the options cogwheel, or do they default to HD sizes.

Andrea seems to have selected DVD which has recoded the video to standard Mpeg2.

[Black Lab]

If it has been recorded in HD mode, VS should recognize that and set the capture properties appropriately. You are not given a choice. Or at least it does with my cam.

When I have shot in SD I of course choose DV.

I agree. Sounds like she shot in SD but chose DVD when capturing.

[Ken Berry]

The Canon HV20, which I have, and I assume also the HV30, allows you to downconvert from HDV to DV during the capture process. And it somehow or other goes from HDV mpeg-2 Upper Field First, to DV Lower Field First.

In this case, the video properties given are SD mpeg-2 but using Lower Field First. I am not sure you can capture from a HDV camera directly to mpeg-2, but even if you can, then I would have thought that it should use Upper Field First. And if it is mistakenly capturing using Lower Field First, that of course would account for jerkiness during panning and other artifacts.

The only ways it could have gotten these properties would have been to capture as HDV (UFF) but then after editing, converting it to DVD-compatible mpeg-2 using the default settings which on my set-up at least, uses LFF for the field setting; or downconverting to DV (LFF) and then doing a straing conversion to mpeg-2 LFF -- which should not be producing these artifacts and jerkiness.

So I think we need to know a bit more about exactly what has been done to this video from the point of capture onwards, settings used in the camcorder and in VS, editing etc...

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Ken

Thanks for the info, I understand everything your saying, seems like we are all singing from the same songbook, we just need Andrea to join the choir.

[Andrea]

Good Morning All,

I'm sorry it takes me so long to reply - it is not that I do not appreciate your help, I do, I simply do not have much free time - I should be working now really!!

My camcorder is set to capture HDV.

I re-captured some video as requested - here is the info

Video Format:
Only MPEG available
Information:
Video Format 1440x1080, MPEG, Widescreen, Variable Bit Rate, 25000 Kbps
Audio format MPEG Audio - Layer 2, 48000Hz, 384 Kbps Stereo
Capture options:
Capture Audio, Force to use preview mode ticked and greyed out. Capture to Library is ticked.

The audio problem does not occur on the original captured video either before or after editing. The sequence of events which led to the audio problem were as follows. I captured the video and dropped it into the timeline. I edited the video which included adding music to the music track. Once I had completed the editing of the captured video, I went into "SHARE" and selected "Create Video File". From the dropdown list I selected "Same as Project Settings" I then added the movie clip to the library and it played just fine in the preview window. I then dropped the movie clip into the timeline and this is when the audio problem occured. The same thing happened for every movie clip I created.

If I go into "Settings/Project Properties" My project properties read as follows:

PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
LPCM Audio, 48000 Hz, Stereo

Many thanks.

Andrea

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Andrea

Thanks for the details, I wouldn’t have thought these would have caused any problems, even though the converted properties may need some attention regarding the Field Order and maybe the Audio.

Mpeg Audio
X3 has for some reason dropped the option to convert to MPEG Audio which is your original properties. Digital Dolby is available and similar to Mpeg Audio.

Field order
Although you don’t identify the field order I think you should be using Upper Field rather than “lower”
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok (Alt+Enter)

Edit the Project Properties to:-

PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 576, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-PAL), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Also please select the Two - Pass option from the Compression Tab.

Try rendering your project to Share Create Video File - Same as Project Settings.

Does this make a difference?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
How long is your projects, if above 60 minutes will require the 8000kbps setting to be reduced.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If the above doesn’t work.
From Create Video File do you get the option Same as First Video File.
Using this will create a new file using your original video files properties.
Check/Play the new file to check quality.
Add this new file to a new project and convert to the same Mpeg2 settings above.

[Black Lab]

You may want to see this recent thread, which details problems with audio from MPEG-2 files.
http://forum.corel.com/EN/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39830