Video playback very fast

[thebsil]

I have a new camera which records in AVCHD format. I have transferred the video files from my camera to the computer. I have compiled a project on Video Studio ProX2. When I playback each clip they play at normal speed. When I playback the project before copying onto a disc the playback is very fast. I have also got as far as sharing the project onto a disc but when I click on preview the playback is again very fast. I see that I can slow down the playback but this also slows down any speech on the video. Can you advise me what I need to do?

I have used Video studio PRox for a couple of years now with great success with an old Sony Handycam but I must need to do something to the new format to play it back at normal speed.

Many thanks

Charlotte Cowe

[Ken Berry]

Can you right click on one of your AVCHD clips in the timeline or library window and copy ALL its properties here please (or upload a screen grab of the Properties box). There is no reason why this speed-up should occur, though I suspect it may have something to do with the frame rate you filmed at e.g. I suspect you might have 50P (PAL) or 60P (NTSC) video and may not have ticked the box beside Settings > Enable 60/50P editing.

[thebsil]

I do not know how to do a screen grab but this is what is written when I click on properties

File Name -- too long to give
File Format - PAL HDMV
File size - 49475 KB
Duration - 32 seconds

Video
Video Type H264 video
Total frames 1600 frames
Attributes - 24 bits 1280x720 16:9
Frame rate - 50,000 frames/secs
Data rate - Variable bit rate Max 16568 kbps

Audio
Audio type - Dolby Digital Audio
Total Samples 1,560,000 samples
Attributes - 48000 hz
Layer none
Bit rate - 192 kbps

Can I reload the video clips again onto my computer from the camera or can I change settings for the clips on my computer or the video studio programme? If so, what settings do I use for this. As you can tell I am a bit of rookie and do not understand the technical jargon. I just want the programme to work!! I managed OK when I had my old Sony Camcorder but now that I have a new Panasonic Lumix G2 camera that takes both stills and videos I am having these problems. I like the camera but have had to buy a book to explain the manual it is so complicated!

many thanks

Charlotte

[mitchell65]

Hi Charlotte
I have been away from Video work for some time but it looks to me as if your camera is set to take video at 50 frames per sec whereas for normal work it should be 25 FPS. Have a look in your instruction book for this adjustment and then take a new clip at 25FPS. If you can't find the answer in your book post back here and i will download a manual for your camera and see if i can find it for you. BTW your camera being in essence a still camera with movie facilities is a bit of a compromise and whilst it is no doubt advertised as taking full HD video the format it records in is not AVCHD but AVCHD Lite and although Version 2 of Video Studio is getting a bit old now i seem to recall that there was some difficulties in editing AVCHD Lite clips in V2.

[thebsil]

~Does that mean that I cannot do anything to slow down the videos I have already taken?

Charlotte

[mitchell65]

Not too sure about this but have you got sound on the clips as well and if so when you play back if the video goes fast what happens to the sound? Does that sound normal?
EDIT: reading your first post again do I gather that each individual clip plays OK but when you put them in a project they go fast? If that's so then the clips seem OK it's just in the editing!

[thebsil]

Yes the clips play at the correct speed but the project plays fast. I was given a book for Christmas for the Panasonic Lumix G2 and in this it states that I should not have taken the clips in AVCHD lite. However the programme which comes with the camera can convert the clips to Jpeg2 and I am doing this now. I will then reload them onto Video Studio and see if they play OK.

I will let you know!

Charlotte

[mitchell65]

If the book you have says you shouldn't shoot video in AVCHD Lite then what does it suggest you record video in?

[thebsil]

John,

The book says to record in Motion Jpeg as there can be difficulties in editing AVCHD lite which is what was advised previously. I will probably record in Motion Jpeg from now on until I get a video programme that can edit AVCHD lite without too much trouble. i should have bought the book with the camera as I find the manual quite difficult to understand. I spent last night converting my video clips to Motion Jpeg and am in the process of adding the clips to the timeline to create a short video. The Mjpeg clips are at the correct speed both in project and clip mode. I am just making videos (and burn them to DVD) of our grandson for other family members so the quality does not have to be wonderful. I also make DVDs for some of our holidays so am not using the camera all the time for video clips as I enjoy taking still photographs as well. I now have to master Adobe Photoshop! All the new equipment comes with manuals that have to be absorbed learnt which can be time consuming!

Many thanks for your interest (and to Ken Barry as well). As you can see I have used this forum in the past and found everyone who has advised me to be very helpful.

Charlotte

[mitchell65]

Thanks for the feedback. Interested to hear how the final DVD turns out. Video Studio ProX2 did not handle HD videos very well but way back then Blue Ray players were very expensive so were not that common. Video Studio ProX2 had a particular problem when using transitions as it produced a "judder" just as the transition took place. There are hundreds of posts on this Forum addressing this problem which was not resolved until the introduction of Video Studio X3. This worked well in my experience but that version had a terrible authoring section. So much so that Corel had to offer a free version of their stand alone authoring software to all purchasers of V X3. I didn't use Vs 4 but have VS 5 which handles HD vdeo fine. Unfortunately as you only have V2 you do not qualify fro an upgrade to V5. You need to buy the full retail version but before doing so have you got a Blue ray Player or an PS3 play station console? You need one of these to play HD videos through your TV so in fact does anyone else that you intend to pass your DVD's onto. Without this facility you might just as well stick to standard DVD using the 16.9 aspect ration for wide screen TV's.
On the Photo editing front. If you haven't yet bought a copy of Photoshop, which is very expensive, then I don't think you need such a sophisticated software. There are many others available even freebies that will probably suit your purpose. As this subject is off topic as far as this Forum is concerned if you are interested in furthering this aspect then PM me and we can deal with it there. I can also help you with making screenshots as i have written a Windows 7 simple guide on this subject.
John