Losing clarity in video footage after rendering.

[SheilaN]

I am using VSX5 and after rendering a project of video, where I have added transitions and titles, the video image is not as clear as it was before I rendered.

I have captured the footage from a mini dv camera using firewire, or, someone else has captured the video footage on a dvd using a dvd burner and given me the dvd to import into VSX5. Sometimes VSX5 will not read that dvd for import, so I have used freemake video converter, and converted the dvd into an mpeg file and put it in a folder on my computer where VSX5 "grabs" it. During the edit phase, the video is clear, after render, it loses some of it's clarity and is blurry.

This has not always been the case. The only thing that has changed with VSX5 is I installed sp2. Could this be my problem?

[Ken Berry]

Does this happen only with the mpeg or with the DV video as well?

We also need to know the exact properties of the mpeg files from the DVD as captured on your computer - right click on one of them *in the Video Studio timeline or library window* and copy ALL the properties here please, or post a screen shot.

And we also need to know the exact properties of your output files. If, for instance, the original mpeg files have a high bitrate (e.g. 8000 kbps), but you are outputting a new file using a lower bitrate, there will be a drop in final quality as bitrate essentially means quality, and the higher the bitrate the higher the quality (all other things being equal).

[SheilaN]

Hello Ken,

Here's where my inexperience comes in. I have been trying to post a screen shot, but have been unable to master. I hit print screen, but when I come to the post box, I right click and paste is not an option. I don't know what I am doing wrong. I'll have to write down everything as I see it in the properties box and post.

[Ken Berry]

If you are not familiar with doing screen grabs, then indeed it would probably be much quicker simply to copy the Properties here by hand.

But when you use print screen, you have to paste it into a graphics program such as Paintshop or Photoshop, then save it as a jpeg. Then use the Attachment system here to browse to the jpg and upload it here.

[SheilaN]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the information. I don't have either program, so that explains why I couldn't do the screen shots.

Here are the properties of the mpeg files from the DVD as captured on my computer:

File
File format: MPeg-2
File size: 2,779,874 kb
Duration: 5706.573 seconds

Video
Video type: MPEG-2 Video, Lower Field First
Total Frames: 171,026 frame(s)
Attributes: 24 bits, 720 X 480
Frame rate: 29,970 frames/sec
Data rate: variable bit rate

Audio
Audio type: MPEG Audio Layer 2 files
Total samples: 273,915,516 samples
Attributes: 48000 Hz, 16 bit, stereo
Layer: 2
Bit rate: 256 kbps

Here are the properties from the output file, after rendering:

File
File format: MPEG-2
File size: 4,905,296 kb
Duration: 5420.854 seconds

Video
Video type: MPEG-2 Video, Upper Field First
Total frames: 162,463 frame(s)
Attributes: 24 bits, 720 X 480, 4:3
Frame rate: 29,970 frames/sec
Data rate: Variable bit rate (Max 8000 kbps)

Audio
Audio type: LPCM Audio
Total Samples: 260,201,001 samples
Attributes: 48000 Hz, 16 bit, stereo
Layer: (there was nothing here)
Bit rate: (there was nothing here)

I'm not sure if the problem is in my selection of output or not.

You were previously helping me to solve a problem with sound. I was capturing from a mini dv camera using a firewire connection, but the filming was done with the church's camera. I did capture using the church's camera, and the sound problem was solved, but the footage that was captured was not as clear as the dvd provided by the person who captured it using the church's camera, connected to a dvd burner with audio/video cords/connections. I believe the church camera is set to record at 4:3 ratio. We have decided that she would provide me with a copy of the dvd that she burned instead of me capturing the footage from tapes. Does audio/video connection normally provide a clearer picture than firewire connection?

This problem with clarity was not always a problem. Something goofy has happened. These problems started when I started having the sould problem. The church is not looking into getting an updated camera with either a card or hard drive, so we can stop using these tapes.

Please let me know if I need to provide any additional information.

Thanks,
Sheila

[jecklehead]

Once you render something from the original it will lose a little quality. This is why when ever I make a (special effect) I render it with the alpha channel so I can layer it over the raw footage.

Now your input file is REALLY small to begin with so there isn't much head room at all. The last time I captured a DVD with Corel I grabbed it 9000kbps and my renders of the DVD look fine. They aren't 100% as good as the original but close enough and very watchable.

I would suggest capturing your DVD at 8000kbps to 9000kbps and that should help your quality issues when you render.

[Ken Berry]

Your main problem appears to me to be that your output video uses Upper Field First while the original from the DVD uses Lower Field First. A fundamental rule of video editing is that you must always maintain the same field order throughout a project up to and including burning a final disc.

So when you first insert your mpeg-2 into VS you should get a message asking if the Project Properties should match the video properties. OK that. Then after your editing, you can select Share > Create Video File > Same As Project Properties (or even Same As First Clip).

If you don't get that opening msg, then after editing select Share > Create Video File > Custom. Make sure mpeg-2 is the selected format, then hit the Options button and change the default from Upper to Lower Field First.

[SheilaN]

Thank you. I was not getting that opening message. I noticed those were different when I was typing in the properties.

[SheilaN]

Thanks jeckelhead

I am a novice at this. How do I tell Corel to capture the DVD at 8000 kbps to 9000 kbps?

[Ken Berry]

I too would be interested in that. I thought that when importing from a DVD, you got the video as it was recorded on the DVD, warts and all. So whatever its variable bitrate was is what you get. Moreover, increasing the bitrate, even after capture, is not going to achieve much. You know the old saying: you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

But try my suggestion about the Field Order and see if that improves things.

[SheilaN]

Ken,

I have a DVD with the raw footage that I got from church this morning. I have it in my computer and I am on the capture tab in VSX5. I selected import from digital media. All the "chapters" on the dvd are in separate boxes. I have not selected any yet, but where would I get the question about project properties matching video properties?

Last week's dvd, VSX5 could not read. I kept getting a message saying "no usable content" or something to that effect, when I selected import from digital media. So, I used freemake to convert the files on the dvd to mpeg files and the files were put in a folder on my computer. I went back in to VSX5 and went to the edit tab. I clicked on the folder at the top to look for files on my computer. When I found the file freemake converted and placed in a video folder, I clicked on it to open and VSX5 pulled it in to the library panel. I didn't get the question that time either.

Thank you sir
Sheila

[Ken Berry]

The message only appears when you insert a clip into the timeline. Moreover, it only works with certain standard def formats, but these include both DV/AVI and mpeg-2.

To check to see if you have this enabled, look at Settings > Preferences. On the first tab, about a third the way down, there is a box beside 'Show message when inserting first video clip into timeline'. Make sure that box is ticked.

Not sure why you got that msg with last week's DVD. Did you tick the boxes beside the various chapter/selections in the Insert Digital Media dialogue box?

[SheilaN]

Thank you Ken. I found the box you indicated and I have it ticked. I started a new project and inserted the clips into the timeline. I did get the box asking if I wanted the project properties the same as the video properties and I said yes. Now that I have this ticked, when I go to create a video file for rendering, should I check "same as project properties"?

As for the DVD last week. It didn't get that far - showing the clips on the DVD for me to check. When it asked what drive I wanted to import from, I clicked on the drive the DVD was in, and it said "no usable content" or something to that effect. It was as if VSX5 could not read the DVD.

Sheila

[Ken Berry]

Yes, you can select 'Same as Project Properties'. If those Properties include a bitrate of 8000 kbps, then you can burn a project of up to one hour with that choice, or a little more if the Project Properties contain the mpeg audio (or Dolby which is a similar size). But if the project is longer than that, then you would have to change the Project Properties by lowering the bitrate -- say 7000 kbps for 90 minutes of video and 4000 kbps for 2 hours.

I can't think why VS could not see the DVD in the situation you describe. But in such circumstances an option is always simply to copy the whole DVD to your hard drive and try to import from there. And if that still poses problems, then simply change the extension of relevant files from .vob to .mpg. That usually works too.

[SheilaN]

When I look at the project/video properties, it shows bit rate being: variable bit rate. (This is for video) How can I tell what the actual bit rate is? How would I change that when I want to create a video file? The videos are usually between 90 minutes to 2 hours and include titles and transitions.