capture from a file

[Papa's films]

Is it possible to capture from a file using VS Pro X2? I'm trying to get an AVI file into my timeline. Can I capture the file or do I Import it to video clips and then drag it into the timeline.

[Ken Berry]

You simply right click in the timeline or the library window, select 'Insert Video', navigate to where your avi is located and select it.

[Papa's films]

Thank you Ken. I did pull the .avi file in that way and it worked. However, it lost so much clarity that it is unusable.

[Ken Berry]

Sorry, I don't really understand. Merely inserting a video file into VS the way I described is the rock standard way of doing things -- it is the same as drag and drop. No conversion of any kind takes place; the file is inserted as is. Nothing has changed, nada!

It would, nevertheless, be useful to know exactly what kind of .avi you are dealing with. AVI is merely a wrapper extension used by over 800 widely different video formats. So you you please right click on the file once it is inserted in the VS timeline or library windows and copy ALL its properties here. That way we will have a better idea of what we are dealing with. It could be, for instance, that your computer may not have the right codec installed to view the file properly, and VS is using some other codec to make it at least visible.

But it could also be as simple as the fact that VS's preview window, while decent, may often -- depending on the video -- appear a bit blurry or unclear, or sometimes even a bit jerky. But this does not translate into the final, rendered product. Have you, for example, tried rendering it and playing the rendered file on a software media player?

[Papa's films]

Thank you Ken.

File
File Format: Microsoft AVI files
File Size: 337,125kb
Frame Rate: 200.000 frames/sec
Data Rate: 495.56 kbps
Video
Compression: AVI Decompressor
Attributes: 16 bits, 1440 x 900
Total Frames: 134,719 frames
Audio
Compression: PCM
Attributes: 22.050 kHz, 16 bit, Stereo
Total Samples: 14,851,000 samples

Ultimately, I want to put this on a DVD. When I try to output to a DVD, VS locks up and then turns off or I have to shut my computer off.
I have never worked with an AVI file. Usually I'm coming from my camera and doing the editing and then generating an MPEG2 and then burning that file. I tried to convert the AVI to an MPEG2, but when I go that route, VS locks up in the burning stage. There is a lot I do not know, so when I'm creating the MPEG2, I may not be doing it correctly.

I was able to burn a decent DVD when I went to the Share, selected DVD, selected Add Video and went directly to the AVI file and then burned it. Thank you in advance for your help.

Carl

[Ken Berry]

Those properties are really very strange and probably why VS locks up. Where exactly did the video come from? A camera? A capture device? A helmet cam? A screen capture program? And did any specific software come with whatever it is?

[Ron P.]

Is this from a Camstudio screencapture?

[Papa's films]

Hi, Ken and Ron.
Thank you for your patience. This is from Camstudio.