Project properties don't match my video

[mexindian]

Hello. I am new to video editing, but am fairly sure that I'm encountering undue difficulties with my project. I have just downloaded Video Studio X6 Pro and am attempting to speed up a screen capture that I did using Screencast o matic.

When I import the resulting video that has the following properties:

MPEG-4 file
H.264 Baseline Profile Video
Attributes: 24 bits, 1024 x 768
Frame rate: 10 frames/sec
data rate: 256 Kbps

The resulting project defaults to the following properties:

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Upper Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)

Since there is a mismatch, when I try to export as a new video, I get the "the frame size of the video file does not match the settings and therefore cannot be trimmed". Why did the project get created with such silly settings? I can't manually change the resolution either.

Also, another problem is that the variable speed isn't correct... if I have something that is 10 seconds, speeding it up at 200% should make it 5 seconds, no? Even at "1000%" speed increase, I barely cut the video length down to 50%. What gives?

Thanks in advance!

[lata]

Hi

Project Properties set by Video Studio use standard DVD definition sizes, after all that’s what the program is about, burning a DVD.

Your video uses 10 fps that’s pretty low as video goes, you will probably get quite a bit of flicker on playback.
The frame size is also a little unusual at 1024 x 768 a 4:3 ratio.
The data rate is also very low and will produce low quality video.

I think video studio is gonna struggle using those sizes.

Are you able to set your capture to use 29.97 or 30 fps rate with a 16:9 frame size, 1280 x 720 should be suitable.

Otherwise try the Screen Capture provided with X6, this creates WMV files, but again try to use a suitable frame size or 16:9.

Finally what are you trying to make, maybe a video for the internet, or a DVD?

[Ken Berry]

Plus, when you output a new file, do NOT choose Share > Create Video File > Same As Project Properties if you do not want those properties in your final video. But what format you *do* choose will, as Trevor has already asked, depend on what you are wanting to make.

[mexindian]

Thanks Ken and Lata!

What I'm doing is live-capturing me drawing on my ipad, and streaming the results to my computer from which i'm capturing... that's why the low fps and strange resolution (that's the ipad rez). I could of course re-capture using a more standard rez, but not sure I can change the fps. Not worried about flicker because the process of sped-up drawing isn't smooth anyway

The result will be put on youtube, but I need to speed up the footage substantially before doing so... to give you an idea, I need to get about 51 minutes of footage compressed down to 76 secs... that's why I'm ALSO worried that the variable speed feature did not work how I expected.

Thanks again for your help.

[lata]

Hi

The variable speed used by video studio literally adds or removes frames to change the speed keeping the frame rate the same, clearly this in not suitable for your video.
At 10 frames per second, removing frames to increase the speed is not gonna leave you with much to create a video.

The save as Image Sequence option will save each frame as an image, then you can add every frame to the timeline and playback at 25 fps / 50fps thus increasing the speed. I have not used that with 10fps so would need to run some tests as to whether it is doable ???

To change the 51 minutes to 76 seconds may not be possible, I would have to do a bit of mathematics to achieve that.
50 min =3000sec = 30000frames
76 sec = 760 frames at 10fps, that’s a lot of frames to throw away?

Playback at 50 fps = 3800 frames

Are you sure 51 minutes down to 76 seconds

But even so you cannot afford to lose any frames so image sequencing maybe the way to go.

I guess we are talking Timelapse video.

[mexindian]

Timelapse would mean taking pictures with my camera? I have tried doing the screen-capture directly in corel, and it worked... I could speed up the video substantially 10x, and the good news is that the output I can again speed up if I need to. So that solves that problem. Unfortunately, the project keeps outputting video at 720 x 480, not the original 1024 x 768. Is there anyway I can force the output video to be at least that rez? I'm afraid 720 x 480 is too low for the web in 2013... I might have to abandon this idea altogether and opt for drawing directly on paper and doing time-series with my camera. at least that way I can get full HD video... (but it will take some readjustment since I liked the artistic style on the ipad)...

Any other options?

Thanks again!

[lata]

Hi

Ok as you are now producing a video that seems to work we can forget the time-lapse option. But using the 10fps video you save as Image Sequencing, that creates one image for each frame, may be a lot of images, then add all images to timeline setting the duration to 1 frame, render to 25/30fps, anyway………..

When you record the video set the record dimensions to 1280 x 720, standard widescreen size, then set the target to same/simular, use the higher frame rate 25/30fps?
There are options from Share Create Video File to select those sizes, depends what you wish to make, I assume a video for the internet or pc playback

Share Create Video File Mpeg4 1280 x 720

However the original video will be WMV so using Share Create Video file WMV HD 720 25p may produce better quality
A bit of trial and error to produce the best quality

[mexindian]

Thank you so much lata... thanks to you, it seems I'm completely out of excuses!!

So I make Air Server capture in fullscreen, that way I have full HD 30 fps coming in. I still can't accelerate this footage all the way, but what I can do is speed it up 1000% once, and then output THAT video using corel... then re-import the new video... and that one I can speed up as much as I want because the %s actually make sense! So I can FINALLY use the variable time the way it's intended!!!

And since the video is full HD, I can output a video in full HD as well! (I have the ugly black bars because the ipad is 4:3 format... but there's absolutely nothing to do about that).

Due to your incredible help, I think I will be able to do this video which might be the beginning of a life path! So thanks! I give you a very quick sneak preview of what you have allowed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58jQugiqKJc . The capturing will be done w/out the "Activate Windows" stupid thing, and the audio isn't final either... so in fact, NOTHING of this will be used, except for the methodology. Thanks again.

[lata]

Hi mexindian

Thanks for providing the sample, a picture paints a thousand words.
I do like the effect.

Don’t understand why the original capture to HD 16:9 ends up as 4:3 on You Tube.
I assume the ipad black bars are top and bottom???

Given a bit of time I will try to create a video myself using your techniques, then I may understand the problem of “speed up once to 1000%”

Post updated

Video Studio has Painting Creator, go to Tools to open animation window.

Not used this myself, never had the need, but I am sure you will find it interesting.
Worth a look anyway.

[mexindian]

Hi Lata. The original is 4:3... so when I put it on 16:9, the black bars are shown left and right... you can see them there. It's possible I convert the video into 16:9 anyway, then I can put some overlays on the black bars... but we'll see. one thing at a time.

On the time-speed thing... I found a much more effective workaround. What I'm doing is speeding the video up immediately as soon as I capture it... so that as I put it into Corel, it's just about where I need it... I just use the variable speed to fine-tune it. I know the lengths from my storyboard which is arranged as follows:

PICTURE TEXT Length in seconds other stuff...

<img> bla bla 3 secs
<img> helloo 3.6 secs

etc etc. The <img> is my rough draft of what the I want to draw in that portion of the video, the text is what I'm saying, and the Length in seconds is how long it took me to say it. Then, when I do the "official" drawing doing the screen cap, I just speed it up right in screencast-o-matic so that it fits just about right... I anyway have to edit the video to take out gross mistakes, so it's not out of my way. Err on the side of slightly faster than what you need because you want to slow the video up at the end so that the audience can see the finished drawing a bit, it shouldn't show the last bit 0.01 sec... u know? That's where variable speed comes in handy.

I wish the variable speed would let me listen to the audio track though... it's fairly iterative to GUESS how much you need to speeed it up to get it right.

Also, there's no graphical depiction of the waveform for audio???? I'm extremely surprised!! How could such a key feature be left out? In fact, it doesn't allow much editing at all, does it? There's no trimming, cut around etc... just endpoints and cutting into seperate sections to then delete what you don't need... but again, without the waveform, it's iterative and annoying!

[mexindian]

And here is the semi-final product. I will re-do the audio track completely so that Idon't sound so mechanical and also higher quality audio.

Criticism and/or comments appreciated!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZUu4XS8V8

[lata]

Hi

I seemed to have missed your last reply on 30Oct………..
Black Bars….. if you place the video in the Overlay Track, adding clips to the top track will fill the black bars, really depends on what you wish to replace them with.
Converting to 16:9 may be the way to go.

Audio wave form graphical depiction, switch to Sound Mixer (icon below preview screen ) should show the wave form, it its loud enough to display any that is.

Youtube
The video looks great, a lot of work gone into creating that, the audio from 53 seconds to 1.36 was a little distracting after introducing the extra beats, maybe just my ears?


Very interesting effect……….

Seasons Greetings