Need Hints to Minimize Frustration w/MSP8 & Improve Qual

[jangardiner]

I admit I've become fat, dumb and happy with MSP7 which I've been using successfully for years (and MF3 then MF4). Now everything I seem to do has become more difficult, even while I love the new features in MSP8. I suspect that I have been making bad choices out of ignorance and MSP8 is causing some of my choices to come back to haunt me. So perhaps one or more of the gurus could give me a couple simple rules of thumb to minimize my frustration and improve.

I have a couple Sony Camcorders, most recently the HC-90, and I have always captured to .avi with these settings:

24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps, DV Encoder Type 1, DV Audio - NTSC, 32,000 kHz, 12 bit stereo

I confess I never questioned this setting, I just accepted it. But let's go on to the project settings.

My edit file format is .avi, NTSC drop frame, stereo, non-square pixeling set (I write to DVD)
My project settings are 4:3, 29.97 fps, Lower Field First, DV Encoder 1, DV Audio - NTSC, 48,000 kHz, 16 bit stereo (which now that I look at it does not match my capture settings).

I have been saving to .avi or .mpg using the standard templates provided by Ulead for what I'm doing. That is, for .MPG I pick the standard DVD NTSC because I'm not worrying about surround sound. For .avi I pick the standard NTSC DV.

Typically, I do the unthinkable and take downloaded .mp3 files and use them in my videos, and I've generally not had problems since MSP7 came out, but now I get skips when transitioning between .avi files with audio while an .mp3 is on another audio track. I seem to have traced this to the sampling rate of the .mp3 file and, of course, it works fine with .wav files.

So, now the question. If I were starting from scratch, what are recommended settings for capture, project settings and video file output for a hobbyist videographer to minimze problems? And, part 2 of the question, is given that I have my capture fiiles, what are your suggested settings for this project, given that I do not want to go back and recapture everything.

Sincere thanks in advance for the advice. I am hoping that by going back to the drawing board, I'll be less frustrated and will miimize my other forum questions.

Thanks.

[Devil]

I'd change the camera to 2 ch (stereo) 48 kHz 16 bits. Of course, you won't get the better sound on 32 kHz, 12 bit tapes, but you will on new projects. Keep the project settings on 48 kHz 16 bits stereo: it is no great shakes re-rendering the audio when you first load in an old tape, to get the green line.

I would never use an MP3 audio file. Convert it to WAV before use.

For making your DVD-compliant file, use AC-3 2.0 stereo setting at 192 kbit/s.

[jangardiner]

Thanks for the good info. Would you do the editing in .avi or MPEGII?

[Devil]

Always in AVI