Removing Commercials - What's the Best Way?

marvin-miller · Post by **marvin-miller** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 5:27 am

Hi!

I downloaded Visual Studio 9 as it was recommended to me as the better program to use to edit out commercials.

What I'm doing is using a DVD recorder to record a TV series. I'd like to edit out the commercials and then make a new DVD containing several episodes.

I know next to nothing about film editing - can anyone tell me what the best method is for removing commercials with Visual Studio 9? There seems to be several ways to skin the cat - which method is best?

Thanks!
Marvin

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 5:42 am

My preferred method is Multi-Trim: you can repeatedly set the Mark In and Mark Out location and then decide whether to keep or remove the marked section. For details, check the manual.

marvin-miller · Post by **marvin-miller** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:52 am

Hi Thoff;

I managed to do it by trimming each piece and the dragging each piece to the bottom of the screen and then re-combining all the pieces (that is if it works - I just finished buring my test DVD).

Do you mean multi-trim will get it all in one shot? That would be handy and should save some steps. I'll look it up in the manual - thanks!

Howell · Post by **Howell** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 11:55 am

Whether this method is the best but it certainly works for me.
Import the whole video on to the storyboard. Set the start point and set the end point at the end part immediately before the start of the commercials. Drag the same file on to the storyboard again and set the the start point at the end of the first commercials and set the end point at the start of the second lot of commercials. Continue doing this until all the film is on the storyboard. Depend on whether the start and end points of each clip are faded to and from black or are straight cuts. So if each clip uses fade i select the fade out option in the edit window attributes. If they are straight cuts, I use the crossfade transition from the video transitions.

Howell

BrianCee · Post by **BrianCee** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:46 pm

and my preferred method has always been to put the whole file in the timeline and just cut the video and delete the commercials - it is explained in more detail on my website under "edit in timeline"

I would suggest the "best" method for you is the one you like using .

marvin-miller · Post by **marvin-miller** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 5:14 pm

Thanks guys!

I went with Multi-Trim and it seems to be working well for me. I also made my own menu etc and that worked out well. I have a question though.....

I can put two episodes on one DVD so how do I get both on a DVD? Right now I have 5 'frames' in the bottom of the screen which is the single episode with the commercials cut out.

I'd like to add a second episode and then select either from the menu I made but I don't know how to add another episode to the existing work.

I'm almost there and making good progress! Thanks everyone!

BrianCee · Post by **BrianCee** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 5:57 pm

Use the "Share >> Create video file" option to make a seperate file of your existing episode. Then start a new project and edit the second one and again create a video file.

Now when you want to burn the DVD just import both videos into the 'timeline' of the "Create Disc" window and this will produce a DVD menu having two choices

DiscCoasterPro · Post by **DiscCoasterPro** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 6:08 pm

and .... I suppose another way still is to compose the entire film on the timeline as you like, save it to file and download the freeware program DVDShrink and shrink it to fit. That program has amazed me with how much it can shrink without noticable quality loss.

just another thought

marvin-miller · Post by **marvin-miller** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 8:25 pm

Way to go - I think that's got it cased. I didn't realize you had to make a separate workspace for each episode. I'm rendering and burning as we speak.

I've got DVD Shrink and it is good! Right now I'm just trying to get the basics down on editing my recorded movies so that I can make up my own series sets

Question, what level should I have my DVD recorder set at for best picture off of standard cable TV? These are my options;

HQ (1hr)
SP (2hrs)
EP (4hrs)
SLP (6hrs)

BrianCee · Post by **BrianCee** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 4:18 pm

Picture quality will run from best to worst in the order you posted them - the higher the quality though the less you can get on each disc, therefore at High Quality (HQ) you can only get 1 hour on a disc, at Standard play (SP) you can get 2 hours on a disc , at Extended Play (EP) you can get 4 hours on a DVD.

The basic question should be - What picture quality are you happy with ?" - record at that.

marvin-miller · Post by **marvin-miller** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 7:45 pm

Hi Brian;

I'd like the best quality but I thought that maybe the higher settings might be more then cable is capable of and just wasted space. I should have been more clear about that in my original post - sorry about that!

One thing I'm realizing, they should have made the DVD recorder with a built-in 5 disc changer......