Newbie with Ulead Videostudio 10, need settings help!

[tvepn]

Hi there everyone,

Just picked up Ulead Videostudio 10.0 (fully registered) to transfer my VHS recordings. Everything works fine, however, I am capturing the video in AVI and its taking up tons of hard drive space, in several Gigs for just 20mins of capture time. What are the optimum settings/preferences without sacrificing gigs of hard drive space.

Thanks in advance.
Mike
Newbie on Videostudio

[Ken Berry]

Welcome to the forums!

What capture device are you using? And can you right click on one of the AVI files within the VS timeline or in the VS library window, and please copy ALL its Properties here please. There is a huge variety of formats which call themselves AVI, so we can't really suggest anything until we know what we are dealing with. True uncompressed AVI is huge -- around 65 GB for one hour of video. Then there is DV/AVI which is 13 GB per hour...

[tvepn]

Hi Ken,

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am using the "EasyCap usb 2.0 video adapter". Heres the info you requested:

Width 640 pixels
Height 480 pixels

Bit rate 1536kbps
audio sample size 16 bit
audio format PCM

Frame rate 30 frames/second
Date rate 20586kbps
video sample size 16 bit
video compression MS-YUV

For just 37 mins, it took 37 GBs (basically a gig a minute)

Thanks in advance.
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[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Mike

First there has been some fake devices sold on the internet bundled with VS 10 se.
Please read the post at the top of this forum regarding EasyCap.


As Ken said uncompressed AVI is 65 Gb per hour, that’s 1 Gb per minute
37 Gb for 37 minutes.

The device as far as I know is best used to capture Mpeg2 .
Using Video Studio choose DVD as the capture format.
This will produce a compliant video file suitable for burning to DVD.

As you are capturing from an analogue source you may be best to set the capture bitrate to 5000kbps—6000kbps, this should give approx 90 minutes to a standard DVD

[tvepn]

Thanks Trevor,

However, my goal is just to capture at the best resolution for eventual uploading to Youtube. Is the DVD settings you've stated the best for optimum disk space as well as quality?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

The quality of your video really relies on the source, 5000kbps is a good setting for VHS capture

As I said the device seems to have been developed for Mpeg2 capture. For full quality up the bitrate to 8000kbps, but its like making a Silk Purse from a Saws ear.

You could try DV-Avi, use the Avi option but change the compression to Microsoft Video 1, then convert to your Youtube option.

I think you will be limited to capturing standard frame sizes when using VS 10.
HD is not available, unless others know a way, then I don’t know how Easycap reacts to HD??? but then again its from VHS??????

Typical Mpeg2 DVD settings

MPEG Files
24 Bits, 720 x 576, 25.00 fps (assuming your Pal—You don’t give your location)
Upper Field First (you could try Frame Based as its for the internet)
(DVD-PAL), 4:3 (Maybe need 16:9 depends on your source)
Video data rate: 5000 kbps
Audio data rate: 128 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48.0 KHz, Stereo

Approx 100 minutes per 4 Gb