multi-trim editingVX8 and fitting to DVD

[brucefl]

I was wondering when doing the muti trim than recording it to dvd does the file retain the whole copy
of the video? I was wondering because I am doing some VHS tapes from someone and some are up near 2 hours.
Some of the beginning and endings I have trimmed, the file is still big I have to drop it from 8000 to 4000
just to get all the video.
Is there a better way than to capture in VSX8 then share? Without dropping it back, or is 4000 plenty?
thanks Bruce

[canuck]

When you trim and/or delete from a video and then render or burn, the resulting video will not contain the "removed" sections. The original video will still be intact unless you deliberately specified that it should be overwritten.

A standard 4.7GB DVD can only hold about 60 minutes of best quality (~8000 bitrate) video. If you lower the bitrate t you can get more video on the DVD but you also lose quality. To reatian the best quality you could split the 2 hours over 2 DVDS or burn to a DL DVD.

It does not matter with what program you capture.

[brucefl]

Thanks, though I have about 14 tapes and seems most are at least 1.5 hrs. I will just have to play around with it a little and see thanks. The quality from 86-87 in not so good light was bad anyways. Thanks

[canuck]

Thanks, though I have about 14 tapes and seems most are at least 1.5 hrs. I will just have to play around with it a little and see thanks. The quality from 86-87 in not so good light was bad anyways. Thanks

If the quality is bad to begin with then your certainly don't want to make it unwatchable by using a setting that makes it even worse.

Splitting the video over two DVDs is your best option.

[alanball]

Hi brucefl

I have been doing a similar thing as you just lately, copying VHS tapes (4 x 3) and putting them on DVD (16 X 9) and a lot of the tapes were over 2 hrs. I have been playing the tapes via a VHS player and recording them through my DVD recorder to a DVD-RW disk. The recorder gives me the option of recording 0-8hrs. I set the recording time to 2 hrs with a VHS tape of 2 hrs 4min. Not too sure how the recorder does it but I end up with a selections of files which make up the full VHS recording with the Properties below. When the Mpeg files are inserted into the overlay track and resized to suit the screen, the final DVD when played on the TV is as good as the VHS tape.

[brucefl]

The problem is when getting ready to burn to dvd is that if the bitrate is set at 8000 under settings that a DVD will not store the full 2 hours, generally will be only one hour at the 8000 so there is a need to cut the bitrate back when burning which my understanding looses quality on the DVD as compared to the VHS

[BrianCee]

Not quite a true statement - lowering the bitrate will indeed reduce the quality - BUT compared to a full quality video not to a VHS - what is the actual bitrate of your raw and uncaptured VHS tapes 4000 kbps ?? - or even less ?? depending on what capture device you are using it may upscale on capture - but just increasing the bitrate does not necessarily increase quality - you can't add data that isn't there in the first place

The real answer to your quandary is what is acceptable to YOU - have you done some tests to find out

render a small section of your captured VHS at 8000 another at 6000 and yet another at 4000

now play the VHS tape via a VHS player to the TV and look at the quality - then immediately play the three rendered clips studying the quality

where is the quality un-acceptable - I will guess that the actual tape is - but is 6000 so much worse than 8000 - and is 4000 better or worse than the tape

just saying the quality is less is not the answer - can you actually see the differences on YOUR TV - use the lowest rate you can commensurate with getting the length you want on the disk at a quality you can watch

..

[brucefl]

HI,
I have been trying to figure the best way (other than splitting it up) it seems to me in previous versions I could get 1.5 hours of tape onto one DVD with 8000 kbs. Seems I can only get probably 1 hour or so without adding any fancy effects or additions? Unless I drop the kbs back quite a ways. I could try it in one of the earlier programs.

I am still using a Canopus 100, wondering if when I click the capture whether it could be a setting in VSX8? Next tape I do I guess I will have to take a closer look. Just seems I use to get more on a DVD with very good quality, but still could be doing something wrong with VSX8. (dividing 14 tapes, that will be 28 disc and with very little to edit out)

Thanks again for any thoughts or suggestions. Bruce

[lata]

Hi Bruce

First make sure your final Mpeg2 is using Digital Dolby audio rather than LPCM
When you said 1.5 hrs, is that 1 hr 30 min, or 1 hr 50 min?

Using a video data rate of 8000kbps variable will allow for approx. 70 minutes (full quality)
At 6000kbps will allow for 90 minutes (good quality) (1 hr 30 min)
And at 4000kbps will allow for 120 minutes of video.

Each option creates a video file approx. 4 Gb and will fit to disc.

As mentioned in earlier posts reducing the data rate will reduce quality, but really depends on the original quality.

Do a few render tests as Brians suggestion to check quality.

You can use Settings – Movie Profile Manager to create your templates to:-

MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Lower Field First
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 8000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

Create a few templates with different data rates.

(Lower Field would be used for analogue capture from VHS)
(Max. 8000 kbps) ( max 70 minutes, although may get 75min)

Once you have decided on the actual settings set your project properties to use the same settings.

If you burn to disc use, do not use Smart Menu as they use a lot of Mb compared to Thumbnails and text menus.

[brucefl]

Thanks you would think I would have it figured out after all these times and upgrades One problem is when I look at the file which is one hour and a half maybe a little more it is almost 7 gigs? So when I go into to try and record it obviously it is telling me there is not enough room on the disc? So then I have to scale it back to 4000 which is still a little much and quality definitely drops. Essential I have to split the 1 and a half hours in half. What I may be confused about is when capturing the VHS to VSX8 is there a setting to high that is making the file so big? In thinking back even my 2 hours were not 7 gigs? I may be missing something on the input of it to the program, rather than the output when ready to burn? Thanks Bruce

[lata]

Hi Bruce

A few options to setting the data rate.

From the Capture screen I assume you have DVD as the file Format, adjacent is a cogwheel that will allow you to choose a template, we can choose Advanced where we can set the capture properties and indeed set the data rate.

If you know the movie is 1hr 30 minutes then 6000kbps variable should be appropriate.
Saying that you may be best capturing using 8000kbps the DVD NTSC AC3 GQ option, giving you the best capture quality.

After editing the duration may well have reduced allowing the data rate to be adjusted to the correct amount.
Your best option is to set the Project Properties to DVD, then when you have completed editing adjust the project properties for the correct data rate.
Share – Same as Project Properties should produce the correct size movie file (Mpeg2)

Some users will access the burner module from the project, the burner module will use the Project Properties to render the files. You can try this to see if the size / duration timeline shows the correct size to fit to disc, showing all green.
Close the burner to return back to the timelines to convert the project to Mpeg2 knowing the rendered file will be the correct size. Or re-adjust the data rate via Project Properties

As for your 7 Gb size I suspect you are capturing to 9000kbps using the HQ option.

But yes the best option may be to split the video to two discs.

Again as Brian said render the project or part of to a few Mpeg2 samples to check quality, and give you an idea how the data rate affects sizes. you may find that 1hr 30 min at 6000kbps