Editing 1920x1080 in pro X2

[accentstencil]

I am trying to edit and render video that was shot in 1920 x 1080 in the best quality possible but the finished product ends up being 720 x 576. When I go to project settings, the highest frame size I can select is 720 x 576, the User-defined option is greyed out. I am using Pro X2. Any advice would be appreciated.

[lata]

Hi
And welcome to the forums

The project properties are suitable for standard definition video.
When editing HD at 1920 x 1080 the only setting you need is widescreen 16:9, all others can be ignored.
Having said that if you set as Avi using Microsoft video compression you can set the frame size to 1920….useful in taking a snapshot and retain the 1920 x 1080 image size.

Create Video File
When you render the project to a new video file use Share Create Video File—If “same as first clip” is available then use that, it will create the new file using your video files properties.
Otherwise use one of the Bluray, Avchd or HDV options, these will use 1920 x 1080.

Make Movie Templates Manager will allow you to create your own template, these will be available from Create Video File adjacent to the Custom button

Hope this helps

[Ken Berry]

For the sake of clarity or completeness, adding to what Trevor has just said, unless you intend to produce a standard def video from your HD originals, NEVER use Share > Create Video File > Same As Project Properties.

If you want to produce a HD video with properties which go beyond the templates available in VS e.g. a higher bitrate than the 18 Mbps available for AVCHD, then if you have a video clip with the properties you are after, you can copy this. You use Settings > Make Movie Template Manager. In the dialogue box which appears, click the Add button which is at the bottom. A new, smaller box will appear. The top line has 'Path' to the left, and a button with '...' to the right of the little window. Click this button, then navigate to where your video clip is located and select it. The path will then appear in the little window. Give the template a name and click out. Next time when you go to Share > Create Video File, the drop down menu will now contain your new template at the very bottom.

Note that you cannot edit this template. Doing so will revert it to a SD DVD template, and you have to start all over again.

[accentstencil]

Thank you Ken Berry and lata for your very helpful replies.
The only thing that put me off selecting AVI files in the first place is that the only option there was NTSC and we use the PAL system, or does that not matter until the rendering?
Edit: After some mucking around I figured out how to change the frame rate so just ignore that last question.
I have another question though, is 720 X 576 the highest resolution you can select when making a DVD?

[lata]

Hi

Yes 720 x 576 is the standard frame size for a DVD, this is used for 4:3 and 16:9 widescreen, think of the pixels as being rectangular.

HD uses 1920 x 1080

NTSC

You said---“ the only option there was NTSC and we use the PAL system”---

Well no, you are in Pal country (AU) and your program should have been installed to use Pal by default, for us this option has to be selected during installation.

When you select a standard DVD template it should be using Pal not Ntsc.
Go to Share Create Video file -- DVD options, these should be Pal.
also New Projects should be using the Pal settings.

[accentstencil]

Thank you again for the reply lata.
When I went to Project Properties in the edit files box, MPEG (PAL 25 fps)was selected and the maximum frame size I could select was 720 x 576, and when I selected AVI files it changed to NTSC non-drop 30 fps. Then when I click the edit button and then the general button I can select 25fps frame rate and then it changes back to PAL and I can also select 1920 x 1080 in user defined. Which brings me a the point, I suppose there is not much point in selecting 1920 x 1080 if I am making a DVD with a maximum 720 x 576 frame size, is there?
When I originally installed the software I did select the PAL/SECAM option.
Thanks again

[lata]

Hi

OK sorry for the confusion re Pal and Ntsc

One further point to be aware of is the Field Order.
HD video uses either progressive or Upper Field if interlaced.

Video Studio X2 I think (its an oldish program) may default to Lower Field, changing the field order is gonna impact on quality. If I am correct you should use Make Movie Templates Manager to create your own template.

When you render the project to a Mpeg2 make sure you use Upper Field.

Project Properties, the only reason to set 1920 x 1080 is if you wish to take a Screenshot of the project, (project playback) It will use the frame size set in project properties.

[accentstencil]

Thank you for explaining the field order because I did in fact have it set at lower field.
When working with HD video do I use upper field regardless of which frame size I render it in?

[Ken Berry]

You use whatever field order the original has. A lot of high def uses Upper Field First. As far as I am aware, there is no high def which uses lower field first. But you need to be careful since a lot of high def camcorders these days film in progressive mode, which is one single frame after frame. In other words, it does not have fields to interleave, and thus does not use Upper (or lower) Field First.

You can easily tell in VS what the video is by right clicking on it in either the timeline or in the VS library window and choosing Properties. If it is Upper Field First, it will usually say so. But if it is progressive, there will be no reference to Field order.

[accentstencil]

Thank you for explaining that Ken.
Where you have lower field first, upper field first and frame based, what exactly is frame based, is that progressive? I rendered a short clip in frame based mode and it was quite clear, especially when paused, no jagged edges.
I just checked a clip from my camera and it is upper field first.
Thank you.

[Ken Berry]

Yes, in effect frame based and progressive are the same -- frame based related to standard def, while progressive is new-speak in high def video!

In essence, the fields derive from old style TV broadcasting which broadcast images in a series of alternating lines, with the broadcasting happening so fast that the human detected everything as a solid image. In effect, though, lines 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 etc were broadcast first, followed swiftly by lines 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. This is called interlacing, and that particular sequence is Upper Field First. Broadcasting (or filming) lines 2, 4, 6, 8 etc first followed by 1, 3, 5, 7 etc is Lower Field First. Or it may be the other way round, but you get the general idea.

Frame based was exactly that: every image -- such as a photo -- was a solid frame made up of lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 etc all broadcast in sequence as one picture. And the same thing happens with progressive. So when you see a video labelled as 50p for PAL or 60p (actually 59.97p) for NTSC, it means there are 50/60 full frames broadcast sequentially -- or progressively -- per second. On the other hand 50i/60i means that there are 50/60 half frames per seconds, detected by the eye as 25/30 images per second. Since with progressive video the eye is actually seeing a lot more full images per second, the eye detects that it is better detail or quality than 25/30.

[accentstencil]

So when I render a HD video that is going onto a DVD and then played through a PAL high definition TV, is it better to render with upper field first or is frame based ok. I tried both and the only difference I could notice is that a paused image was clearer.

[Ken Berry]

I assume you mean that the paused image was clearer with frame based video...? If so, that is because the paused image is of a full, complete frame, whereas with Upper Field First, you are only getting half of an interlaced frame...

[accentstencil]

Yes, sorry, I meant the paused image in frame based was clearer.I should have been clearer.
So, when rendering is it best to use upper field first or frame based, or doesn't it matter.

[Ken Berry]

Normally when it is a choice between Upper and Lower Field First, you choose whichever field order the original video used. But otherwise, it does not really matter if it is frame based/progressive... Note however, that if you are producing a Blu-Ray disc, as opposed to a DVD, that you must normally use Upper Field First. The international Blu-Ray standard includes this, with the only progressive (p) video which can be burnt to Blu-Ray being 1280 x 720p. Don't ask me why, but that's what it is. Maybe that will change soon, now that most new AVCHD camcorders can film in full progressive mode.