VHS, Hi8, DV to Digital

[BrianCee]

The best quality when using firewire is .avi - you should use that

whether it is 16:9 or 4:3 depends entirely on what format the video was first filmed in - I would guess from their apparent age they will be 4:3 - using 16;9 will distort your video

you will not be using AVCHD.

[Ken Berry]

If you are capturing using Video Studio, then you will be offered a choice between DV Type 1 and DV Type 2. In the past, earlier versions of VS seemed to prefer Type 1, though I certainly also used Type 2 captured with other software successfully in Video Studio. Anyway, I would choose Type 1 -- there is no difference in quality between the Types, just how the audio is included.

Note that DV is the AVI which Brian mentioned above. DV files, when captured, use the .avi extension. They are much more compressed that true or uncompressed AVI and run at about 13 GB per hour of video (where uncompressed AVI will eat up about 65 GB per hour) so you will need a good amount of storage space for your editing. The best part about DV/AVI, however, is that it is largely lossless. In other words it can be rendered several times without any loss in quality. That is why we suggest you capture and do all the editing in DV/AVI format, and when satisfied, convert it to the final format you want. Normally -- in the past at least -- this would be DVD-compatible mpeg-2.

[hab]

- Fire-wire card installed
- Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X7 installed
- 1 DV transferred

Wasn't given an option of Type 1 or Type 2. It says it is a VSP File (.VSP). Does that matter? It is MPEG-2. Should it be AVI? I wasn't given any choices/options.
When I open using Corel the entire 60 minutes shows as 1 scene & all on the timeline. I am not really familiar with this software yet but can I get all scenes split & showing separately in the edit window?
I did try "Split By Scene" & it did work, but all scenes remain in the timeline. That is the option I selected, but when I tried without picking put in timeline, they didn't show anywhere.
I am used to Pinnacle taking all scenes on transfer, separating them, and putting them into an edit window, not on the timeline.

[BrianCee]

If your files are mpeg-2 it sounds as though you selected DVD as your capture choice and not DV

Capturing as DV and setting split by scene *should* split the video as captured into scenes - it does not work on capture of mpeg.

a .vsp file is NOT a video - it is a Video Studio Project file which is small text file which keeps a record of your editing

All capture and editing takes place in the timeline in VideoStudio

Can you check that you are actually setting DV when capturing

[hab]

You are right Brian. That option said "Scan Video" if I remember correctly. Thought the other option was capture DV without scan.
Just went back & picked the right option & I have successfully captured the video to a folder. THANKS AGAIN!

Is it normal in Corel that the video must be scanned before capture? When I used Pinnacle years ago with this same camcorder it would capture via fire-wire in real time, as far as I can remember.
This process doubles the capture time & when it does finally start the capture the camcorder is constantly rewinding & fast forwarding (to catch the beginning of the new scene I assume).
All this just about triples the capture time and makes a 24 minute video into a 72 minute process. Must DV's be scanned like this for capture in Corel?

[Ken Berry]

Certainly not. I have used Firewire camcorders for a very long time, both standard and high definition ones filming in DV and HDV. And never once, when capturing, has it scanned or even suggested a scan. Capture has always been in real time so a one hour tape takes one hour to capture from.

If VS is now insisting on a scan, I would suggest you download and use the small freeware program that skier-hughes has already suggested: WinDV -- windv.mourek.cz It not only splits by scene but also allows you to assign your own name to the incoming files. And it can only, as its name implies, capture in DV/AVI format.

[hab]

Played with it & found how to capture in real time, thanks.

I am moving the files into folders for tracking (still in the Corel Folder) under my videos & capturing as much as I can now. I have maybe 30 tapes.
Movie Studio keeps coming up with a message saying that the files cannot be linked? Will moving them cause me trouble when I am ready to edit?

[canuck]

I have used another DV capture program in the past (it may have been of the old Roxio programs) and that had an option to do a scan of the tape before capturing. The scan would identify "scenes" and create a list. You could then select the scenes you want to capture. After using that method once I dumped it and started using WinDV.

Ken or Brian: should this whole thread not be in the VideoStudio forum since the OP is using VS X7?

[hab]

I have the option to scan before capturing in VS. I don't want/need that.
I put it in this forum because I am trying to get multiple formats (DV, 8mm/Super-8, Hi8, VHS-C, VHS) into digital on my computer for editing.

What I am asking now is, am I making it hard on myself (or better?) by moving the files into organized folders for editing purposes.
VS keeps telling me scenes "May Not Be Linked" and I don't know what that means for later down the road.
I don't want to make my editing harder when I get to that.

[BrianCee]

Moving files will cause VideoStudio to lose track of the files and give the message that files no longer exist and suggest relinking - that is NOT a problem

there are two options - one is to relink the files - but if you are moving a lot of files I personally would not do that - easiest way is to just delete all the images and thumbnails in VideoStudio - THIS DOES NOT DELETE YOUR VIDEOS - then import/insert the videos as you want to edit them

You can choose when capturing where you want the videos saved to - it does not have to be in any VideoStudio folder it can be anywhere on your system - but moving them after capture will not cause any problems at all in editing

Remember everything you do inside VideoStudio is virtual - deleting/cutting/moving videos does not affect your captured videos.

[hab]

Good, thanks. That will be a blessing down the road.

Is there a way to delete all thumbnails instead of doing this one at a time. You would think closing it without saving would delete them anyway but this doesn't seem to happen.
And, for some reason I am now unable to even open VideoStudio. When I attempt to open it shows on the screen as trying to open for approximately 20 seconds, then just disappears.
I will try to resolve this myself but any ideas? I have done a system restart but still the same. Hopefully I wont have to delete this & re-install?

[BrianCee]

On the subject of the thumbnails - just use the same procedure as you would in a windows folder - click on the first thumbnail and hold down shift as you click on the last one - all will then be selected - press 'Delete' - all gone

Not a lot of good though if VS doesn't start - has anything changed on your computer - new programme ? - system update ?

Often just shutting your computer down - waiting 10 minutes then booting up again will sort things

[hab]

Nothing new & no updates.
I did a restart but I will try a compete shutdown & see how that goes.

[hab]

Did a shutdown, waited 1 hour, no luck.
Did a full uninstall & re-install of the software (lucky enough I had no saved projects) & still it won't open.
I guess I am going to have to do a system restore to an earlier point. I have never seen this before. Brand new software that won't open.

[BrianCee]

The only thing I know that will cause that problem is if you have changed the magnification of your screen (NOT the resolution) in your windows 'personalisation' have you changed to anything other than 100%