The best way of using/setting up VS X5

[garjobo]

Realise in the past have mentioned this ( for previous VS versions at least ), keen to hopefully, finally get an answer I understand ( bare with me!! ) even though i appreciate Ken, Brians reliable replies in other/previous threads..

Downloaded VS X5 - having tried the darkside ( SonyVegas ) and not producing anything for two years!! So so happy to be back to using VS - which i like to think i have stretched the possibilies with over 5 yrs of what it can do with minidv recordings.

Questions though - i have a couple - and REALLY would appreicate it if I could get straightforward replies..aka..idiots guide languge so to speak...Im one of those...'it's works for me this way so ill keep doing it this way'..kinda people..even though its the longest route.

In previous VS versions, no matter how many times im told to 'render' your finished project ...i never do...same with 'create sound / video file'...again...never do...why?..because been there, bought the t-shirt..and basically after weeks/months editing something..i notice rendering options etc the quality does seem to suffer..It really does!!! again, been there many times previous - hence..i always would of...simply, 'create disc'....and then for ALL 10 copies or so...i have to re-do the DVD menus.....a bloody chore..but hell..it worked ( the odd glitch aside!!!! ).....BUT..now...with X5 about to be bought...i need to do things the right way...

(a) Burning - when it says, No. of copies ( if i put in 15 copies )...will it create 15 copies ( me putting in a new disc each time obviously etc ) ..but will each copy be the same quality? If so...no need to 'create video/sound file' etc is there..simply..carry on and 'create disc and menu once and no. of copies 15 or so. Am i right? What am i missing? if anything?

(b) Is render project first the best way of doing things, why? Why the options for 'create video /sound files'?

(c) AVCHD...ok...i have about 6 hours of AVCHD on SD cards..mainly 1080 x 1920 quality although a little is the max my panny TM700 allows, the full 50frames etc etc....SO...what is a boy to do.......Do I buy another Hardrive...master/slave setup...and basically transfer ALL my SD footage straight into my slave harddrive. Makes sense to do that?

(d), finally....quality quality quality....ive tried burning a disc with X5...and unlike Sony vegas! i can do it ..and in pretty quick time too...but only DVD quality ive tried so far. Obviously ideally i want to maintain 1920x1080 as much as possible...what does those figures mean???!!..I have a blu-ray player..but not recorder....can i make a bog-standard dvd...and also a avchd ( for future use )...at the same time...and if so...best method to do this?

So many questions, and im certain you do not have the time...appologies. But i am excited to be back using VS honest....after 2 yrs away using my HD camcorder...i have things to edit!!!! and keen to do things the right way. Basically..maximum quality and create a number of the same dvds/hd dvds.

Thanks again for time taken to reply

[canuck]

I will try to answer a couple of your questions but first a comment on your post.

Adding all your "asides" such as "bought the T-shirtd" etc, etc really are not useful and just clutter up your post. I almost gave up reading your post, I don't have that much time to waste on useless "blah, blah" before you get to your actual questions. That is my opinion anyway.

a) you want to make multiple DVD copies, then simply create an iso image file or Video_TS folders set the first time. You then simply burn the DVDs from those iso of Video_TS folder sets, no need to render again. Also you do not have to sit at the computer and keep feeding the DVDs to it in one session. You can burn some today, a ferw tomorrow, etc.

b) rendering has to be done whther you burn to a disc or just create a video file. First creating a video file which you can play on your computer will tell you if you are happy with your creation. You then use that video file to create your DVD. Many users do not always want to burn every video to a DVD but may simply play it on a computer.

d)1920x1080 (not 1020x1980) is the resolution of the video.

[Ken Berry]

Re (a): Yes you can do it that way and get the same quality with each disc. But Canuck's proposed method is better ... and faster, though you will need a separate program like Nero, Roxio or Ashampoo Burning Studio to burn the iso or folder.

Re (b): A lot of us, including me, do it that way, for the reason explained by Canuck. In a sense, though, the workflow was originally devised in part to solve a problem quite a few users had in earlier versions of VS. Their computers were not powerful enough to do both the rendering and actual burning in one process in the burning module. Separating out the two processes put less strain on their computers. But these days, most computers are up to the mark and newer versions of VS are more capable, so your existing workflow is fine. But at least you have "our" workflow to fall back on if something goes wrong. And remember Canuck's comment that you won't always be wanting to burn an actual disc. These days, for instance, I very rarely burn a disc. I now work almost exclusively in HD, and simply put my completed, rendered videos on a stick drive or external hard drive, connect that to my PS3 and play them directly to my HDTV.

Re (c): Sure it makes sense. External drives are cheap these days, and X5 can handle HD video stored on such a drive. I just completed a project yesterday doing just that.

Re (d): 1920 x 1080 is currently the top resolution in the consumer world. And I would certainly recommend rendering your AVCHD projects into a new AVCHD file. AVCHD is one of the compatible Blu-Ray formats, so when you eventually buy a Blu-Ray burner, you can burn them to disc. In fact you can already do so by burning your new files to a DVD but in Blu-Ray format. You select Share > Create Disc > AVCHD. An AVCHD, or hybrid, disc is a Blu-Ray folder burning to a standard DVD. To maintain high quality, you can only burn about 20 minutes of AVCHD to a single layer DVD, but the quality is excellent. What's more, you don't need a Blu-Ray burner to make such a disc, but they can only be played in a Blu-Ray player which accepts hybrid disc - though most do these days.

X5 can also handle full progressive 50p video, though you need to enable this under Settings.

[canuck]

I have found that ImgBurn is one of the best programs around for burning image files or Video_TS folders to a DVD. On top of that it is free.
This is the link for the program: http://www.imgburn.com/

I am also a Roxio Creator program user (now part of Corel) and actually never use the Roxio program for burning.

[lata]

Hi

I work with DV-Avi MiniDV video camera and my workflow is the same, the process will work for all types of video.
My preferred option is to create an ISO file.

My Quick Guide Dv-Avi

Video Studio X5 provides means of burning an ISO file--Tools -- Burn from Disc Image ISO........

Its not rocket science.............
1 / Capture Video
2 / Edit
3 / Create Video File--check the quality
4 / Create Disc using file made in "3"
5 / For multiple copies first Create Disc Image ISO or DVD Folder, this is your master file used to burn additional copies, and yes all discs will be the same.

[Flatulator]

Any best practices for AVCHD? I'd like to "burn" an AVCHD image (with menus) to my harddrive for playback on my Media Player. I don't have a Blu-Ray burner yet, not until the blank disks get down to a reasonable price. Seems like the only way to create an AVCHD or Blu-ray disk is if I actually have a burner and blank media. I don't want to burn to a dual layer DVD.

[lata]

Hi Flatulator

I don’t use HD video still working with standard video, same reasons as you I suppose, besides not having a HD camera.

I know Ken Berry saves the hd video file to USB memory stick
This allows him to play HD without using discs. I think using a playstation?

I am not sure of the exact format your player / TV will accept, so you may have to run a few tests.
Share Create Video File-AVCHD has several options.

If you require the disc menu then Share Create Disc - Avchd
on the last burner page choose to Create AVCHD folder, which can be saved to memory stick.

The AVCHD folder can be played on the pc

Ken is your man for exact details