VideoStudio Pro X6 overlay poor resolution

[Cerafina]

Hi All,
I am running Videostudio pro X6 trial version. I have notices that when I put my videos in the overlay track, they are not a good resolution. If I put the same video on the video-track, the resolution is great. The video is 1920x1080, I have the overlay set to BEST - and fit to screen is automatically on. I have searched everywhere without finding a solution to this problem..

I am really impressed by the program, but if the overlay always display the video in a poorer resolution, there is no need for me to purchase the program. Is this because it is a trial version or can I do anything to improve it?

I have tried to change to default size - and then the overlay is displayed as though it is zoomed in (i.e. only the centre part is visible) even though my video on the video track has exactly the same format.. Is there any other overlay setting, I am not aware of?

Please help me
/Cerafina

[lata]

Hi Cerafina

and welcome to the forums….

First the quality of the clips in the timeline although good does not show the full quality of the final rendered video file.

I haven’t really noticed any difference in quality between the overlay track and top video track, indeed just run a quick test and both clips look identical. I assume you played back in full screen view?

There are two playback modes, Project Playback and Clip Playback, identified by the words adjacent to the play button.
Depending on the pc’s capabilities and the type of video used may differ in quality, some playback can be a little erratic and stutter.

Video Studio uses Smart Proxy files to help in eliminating poor playback when using HD types.

Overlay settings
no separate settings as such but you can set the positions and sizes, with the clip selected it shows in the preview screen having yellow trim handles, right click the screen for options. In practice the overlay clip could be stretched a little compared to the top track.

I would suggest you test a short clip, render to a new video file to check the final output quality, Share Create Video File –Same as First clip, if available is probably the best option, play the new file on one of your media players.

Hope this helps

[Ken Berry]

And for the record, the trial version is not crippled in any way. And like Trevor and many other users here, I never see any degradation in quality between video in the main track and that in the overlay tracks. Indeed, you can even use the overlay track exclusively to make a new video -- i.e. without using the main track at all -- and the end quality should still be as high as though you had used the main track...

As a sort of footnote, I note that you have not given us any of your computer details. One of the many reasons we ask for them in the registration process for the forums, is that it gives us an idea of what your computer can or cannot handle by way of formats and editing. You say your original video is 1920 x 1080, and from that I am assuming that it is either High Def mpeg-4, .mov or AVCHD produced with the h.264 codec. The latter is a particularly demanding format when it comes to computer resources, and it could be indeed -- as lata has already suggested -- that your computer is not able to throw together a decent enough preview on the fly. That will be down to how powerful your computer is, and if it is not overly powerful, that is where lata's other suggestion of using SmartProxy comes in as it creates a standard definition copy ('proxy') of the original, which any computer can handle. You do the edits, previews etc, and when satisfied, the edits etc are applied back to the original high def footage.

[Cerafina]

Wauw guys, that was a fast turn-around time to my questions. I am not that much of a computer shark, so I actually do not know how it is build. However, I will take your word for good - try to make a test-video and see it on my 55" television at home - there I must be able to see the "correct" quality..
I have used a sony handycam for the videos - the format is called .m2t
Thank you for the input - I expect to be quite addicted to this software, so you might see me again
Best and thanks