Capture\Best Practice Questions

[uleadileadwealllead]

I am looking for some educated opinion on where to move next in terms of new software\versions for DVD Creation.

For my arsenal of movie creation editing and DVD creation tools I am using.

Ulead MF2 (DVD production)
Video ReDo (commercial removal)
Pinnacle Studion 9 (editing)
WinTv PVR250

My two primary activities are

1) recording from the TV using PVR and making DVDS of TV shows and movies. For that I use WinTV, VRD, and ULEAD. Seems to work pretty well. Any better way?

2) Taking home movies from VCR tapes and MiniDV tapes and burning DVDs with minimal editing...just breaking up...no special effects. What I have been doing here is capturing using WinTV from my VCR and MiniDV wired into the capture card. I record MPegs. Then creating clips manually from the MPEG using MF2 and burning DVD's from there.

Today I tried capturing from the PVR card, with the CAmcorder playing, directly into Pinnacle for a test, and found that Pinnacle has a feature that tries to create clips by detecting scene changes automatically. That is something I would love to be able to do - but Pinnacle does not work with the WinTV PVR 250. So then I tried to capture directly into MF2, and it seems like it would work, but it would only create one clip.

Questions -

Would moving to MF4 help me? I don't know the features.
Is the best practice still to use the WinTV software to capture the entire home move, and just import the MPEG, and manually edit?
Are there any other labor saving options for automatic scene detection from home movies (it takes a long time to do this manually-VRD does not seem to work that well with its latest release)
Does ULEAD have a software package that does do the automatic scene detection, and works with the WinTV PVR card?

[Bobm03]

Your set up, less the Pinnacle Studio 9 software, is like mine. I started out with MF2 late last year, but upgraded to MF3 Disc Creator in early 2005, about a month before the release of MF4. My son recommended Pinnacle because that's what he uses successfully. I tried it and decided to stay with MF.

My Hi8 videocamera and vhs tapes are captured by the WinTV 250 card. For editing, the WinTV PVR 250 generated mpegs, I use VideoReDo, the most uncomplicated, idiot-proof software that I own. The latest version, VideoReDo Plus Version 2.1.0.401, does a superb job editing out commercials from 'off-the-air' programs. It's not 100% perfect, maybe 97% If I want to liven things up with transitions and zippier titles, I used the "Enhance Video" options in MF3.

As you stated, VRD does not automatically detect scene changes. Even if it did, I would rather do it myself. This is where the "creative" part of this hobby comes in. It's a lot easier for me to justify to my wife why it's taking so long rather than to hear her say, "Oh, that is so unflattering! Couldn't you take it out?"

On the VRD topic, I should mention that it will resync your sound if necesary very easily as well. Aunt Martha can now look as though she talking only out of one side of her mouth.

I tend to keep things simple. Works for me.

[uleadileadwealllead]

Thanks Bobm. What have you to say about the feature in Pinnacle that allows you to capture from the PVR card? It detects the card, but cannot handle the input (thus the incompatibility as stated before). Do any of the ulead packages have this feature....it basically creates a clip thumbnail on the fly every time it detects a scene change....does MF4 have that?

Also, on the VRD commercial detect...I have not been successful getting that to work...I have played with the sensitivity levels of the black detect and it always ends up creating WAY too many scenes. Granted I have only been using it to detect commercials. But you are saying it works for detecting scene changes (without black) in home movies?

Also, you mention MF3 and MF4....I am guessing its MF4 that you are using...?

[uleadileadwealllead]

One other question MF 4. 0 Disk Creator vs Std . I see that DC handles some audio stuff, which I don't need because I have Musicmatch. I also see the DVD shrink capability, and there is a shareware program for that I see many people using.

What might prompt me to pay the additional $$ for disk creator vs. MF 4 standard, know these things.

[Bobm03]

Thanks Bobm. What have you to say about the feature in Pinnacle that allows you to capture from the PVR card? It detects the card, but cannot handle the input (thus the incompatibility as stated before). Do any of the ulead packages have this feature....it basically creates a clip thumbnail on the fly every time it detects a scene change....does MF4 have that?

My version of Movie Factory 3 can capture from the WinTV 250 card directly to a DVD. I am unsure of MF4's capability in this ares. I tried the feature once and didn't care for it because the material should have been edited. As a result, I always use Win2000 to capture to the HD so that I can edit.

One addditional point to clarify what I said earlier: in MF3's Enhance Video section, there is the capability to auto-detect or manually select scenes and to use transistions between those scenes. Marks are created on the timeline, but there are no "thumbnails."

I have used this feature a few times on several DVDs. In this area, you can also do some editing. But, I'd rather do my editing in VRD: much more precise.

Also, on the VRD commercial detect...I have not been successful getting that to work...I have played with the sensitivity levels of the black detect and it always ends up creating WAY too many scenes. Granted I have only been using it to detect commercials. But you are saying it works for detecting scene changes (without black) in home movies?

I've never changed the auto-ad detect from the default setting. Because there are always several ads in a commercial break, the Auto detect puts me in the general time "area." It's a quick check to verify that everythings been caught then delete. As I mentioned and as you have determined, VRD cannot detect scene changes.

Also, you mention MF3 and MF4....I am guessing its MF4 that you are using...?

I use MF3 Disk Creator. MF4 came out a month or so after I bought it.

[Bobm03]

One other question MF 4. 0 Disk Creator vs Std . I see that DC handles some audio stuff, which I don't need because I have Musicmatch. I also see the DVD shrink capability, and there is a shareware program for that I see many people using.

What might prompt me to pay the additional $$ for disk creator vs. MF 4 standard, know these things.

I didn't get full version CD/DVD disk burning software with this new 'puter when I got it last fall. When I decided to buy MF, I got the Disk Creator version which has the full capability I want. In my old system, which still has all my music files from my old 45s and LPs, I have the full version of Roxio 5. If you have MusicMatch, and if it works satisfactorily for you, then there's probably no need to get Disk Creator.

[uleadileadwealllead]

I just ordered a cheapo PCI firewire addon card with 1394 cable and the SE version of VS 8....New Egg....$21....I have a firewire output on my Canon ZR85 and am thinking this will enable me to play my tapes and do the scene autodetect...I will use the video connections on the PVR card for transferring the older VHS tapes I have....this should be interesting.

[phd]

Also, on the VRD commercial detect...I have not been successful getting that to work...I have played with the sensitivity levels of the black detect and it always ends up creating WAY too many scenes.

To improve detection capability, you should "train" VRD on the black levels of your video. Select a segment of video that encompasses the fade to/from show/commercial using Sel. Start and Sel. End buttons. Go to Ad-Detective parameters and press the "Train Using Current Sel." button. Peak, average and contrast will be adjusted to your current clip.