No 640x480 -- No User Defined?!

[Manzano808]

Couldn't find this answer anywhere. Sorry if I missed it. . .

Ok, VS gospel says to keep burn properties same as file properties. However, how can that be done with a captured MPEG file @ 640x480 ? When I get into the Video Save Properties, that choice isn't available so I am unable to change burn properties accordingly. Choice for "User defined" is greyed out. Is this normal?

Also - in this case - Trevor's simple tip for keeping the burn properties same as video file and Project properties seems to be non-applicable and it plain doesn't work?????? I've another question about this tip but don't want to "clutter up" this specific problem (I'll post it after someone helps me make sense of why this isn't available).

I actually didn't find this out until i noticed rendering times were much higher with these old 640x480 captures. VS had been kicking the properties up to 720x480 and I hadn't caught that.

Now, depending upon the answer here, what would be better?

Going with the higher res (which? - 704x480 or 720x480)? Don't see how quality would improve when the original is only 640x480?

I don't see any other way except to go down in res which doesn't seem attractive at all, or use something else to create the disk?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi

The frame size 640 x 480 afaik is not a standard for Mpeg 2 but is applicable for Mpeg 1.

Video Studio will try to match the properties provided they are Dvd compatable. That is, using the correct frame size is a must. Not all formats are changed by VS, even some of the video library clips will not change the project properties.

If you have captured to 640 x 480 then I assume you to have captured Mpeg 1 format, (not dvd compatible) if you select Mpeg 1 as the media type in create video file-options-compression—you will find the 640 x 480 frame size.

You could try rendering to 720 x 480 but I don’t know how the quality will react.

You are best capturing to a Mpeg 2 compatible format.
By selecting DVD as the capture format will give you the VS template.

Trevor

Happy Christmas

[Manzano808]

If you have captured to 640 x 480 then I assume you to have captured Mpeg 1 format, (not dvd compatible)

Thanks Trevor. The files are MPEG-2 (unless VS is lying )

Here are the file properties as listed in VS (right-click/properties):

File
File format: MPEG-2

Video
Video type: MPEG-2 Video
Attributes: 24 Bits, 640 x 480, 4:3
Frame rate: 29.970 Frames/Sec
Data rate: 8000 kbps

Audio
Audio Type: MPEG Audio Layer 2 Files
Attributes: 44100Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
Layer: 2
Bit rate: 224 kbps
---------------------------------------------
Files were captured with an older ATI AIW 128 Pro 32MB card. It has an older version of the MMC (Multimedia Center) that only allowed 44100 Hz audio. I will be upgrading it soon. However, I am wondering how best to render in VS. I have made a disk from one of these (mentioned before as my long old movie that was too big for one single layer DVD). I made a dual layer DVD and it looked to be OK (in synch) but I haven't really checked it well. As mentioned, VS had bumped the res to 720 x 480 and I didn't know that.

So no DVD creating program will use 640 x 480 because it isn't a DVD standard?

And again, is the User defined choice option supposed to be greyed out in the Video Save Properties menu?

[GuyL]

You can capture video using MPEG and use many settings that are not within the DVD Standard. I guess the assumption is you may want to use the format but not necessarily make a DVD with it.

If I save to a file, I can only duplcate this when I choose custom and MPEG2 from the menu. As soon as I choose anything labelled DVD only DVD compatible settings are available.

I'm not sure why custom is not available to you.

Even though it isn't best practice, you may want to create the DVD or ISO directly from the time line. That would convert it.

[Manzano808]

If I save to a file, I can only duplcate this when I choose custom and MPEG2 from the menu. As soon as I choose anything labelled DVD only DVD compatible settings are available.
I'm not sure why custom is not available to you.

Thanks GuyL! Actually, I do have the Custom option. And when I go to create the file it does give me option to save with same properties. As you said, 640 x 480 is available when MPEG1 or 2 is choosen, but not NTSC DVD. However, I do not have the "User defined" option in either Create file/Custom/Options or Create disc/Project Settings/Change MPEG settings/Customize.

Don't have a clue why when I go to "Create file" i not only have the 640 x 480 available, but also the Media type options. But when I go to Create disc, the following is greyed out:

In General tab/Frame size:
User defined is greyed out
also Data track and Frame rate are greyed out.

In Compression tab
Media type is greyed out
I-frames only is greyed out
Audio type and Audio frequency are greyed out.

I see some of those change depending upon which media type i choose in Create file, but Media type is greyed in Create disc. Also the User defined option is not available either way.

Even though it isn't best practice, you may want to create the DVD or ISO directly from the time line. That would convert it.

What would the difference be if I do that? I mean the file is already created so all I'm trying to do is create the disc with some chapter selections. Could you explain further what you mean by 'convert' in this instance? Would the file still be re-rendered? Would Smart Render be N/A ?

Lost Again;
Thanks Again for your help!

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Manzano

If you want to burn a Dvd using Video Studio you have to use a compliant format.

Your video file properties cannot contain a frame size of 640 x 480.

You have two choices.

1--- Capture your footage again using the correct settings.
2--- Allow video studio to render your file again to a compatible file.

If you try to burn your 640 x 480 video file, the program WILL render, creating a compatible file for burning.
You will see the info window ‘ this action will take some time to render’

You could always create a video file first ‘Share—Create Video File’ selecting the DVD template.
If you need a different bit rate then you should use the ‘custom’ option, again selecting DVD template.

I would advise the first option and capture again.

All the Best
Trevor

[GuyL]

Don't have a clue why when I go to "Create file" i not only have the 640 x 480 available, but also the Media type options. But when I go to Create disc, the following is greyed out:

In General tab/Frame size:
User defined is greyed out
also Data track and Frame rate are greyed out.

In Compression tab
Media type is greyed out
I-frames only is greyed out
Audio type and Audio frequency are greyed out.

I'm not sure why this is either because it works for me. However, I don't have a file with your properties handy to try it. You may want to make a custom file template under Tools | Make Movie Manager with the settings you want and then create the file using it. That may work although rendering up probably won't yield good results. If you can recapture with the correct settings that would be a better avenue. It doesn't hurt to try however. Good luck!

[Manzano808]

You have two choices.

1--- Capture your footage again using the correct settings.
2--- Allow video studio to render your file again to a compatible file.

I would advise the first option and capture again.

Thanks Trevor!
Unfortunately #1 is no longer an option.

I believe this is the key. Being able to tell from the duration of the video and what you want for final product to determine what your capture settings should be. You have wrote that the more you capture and create the more you will know this. Unfortunately, it is a trial by error process.

That must be the key.

Thanks Again!

[Manzano808]

It seem the long render time relates to changes in RESOLUTION rather than BITRATE. As long as you have the compliant res for DVD, and no matter what the bitrate for the various [file] clips are (even if they are different), it seems to render extremely fast. In fact, I've noticed it really screams.

But when it must change the res, it takes a whole lot longer.

It would seem for what VS does and what it costs, it is a decent program. It just takes figuring it all out.

[GuyL]

Oh yeah! A change in resolution results in a whole lot of math going on from a CPU standpoint.

[Manzano808]

Oh yeah! A change in resolution results in a whole lot of math going on from a CPU standpoint.

I just wish VS could solve so many of the out of synch problems the way Womble did. Since using Womble to edit, nothing's been out of sync. Also, a comparison of created files using both programs with same attributes set showed Womble's results were better looking. Not a whole lot of difference, but enough to clearly see that Womble produced a sharper video.

Of course I'm more of an Audiophile than a Videophile, but this was obvious.

[Manzano808]

It seem the long render time relates to changes in RESOLUTION rather than BITRATE. As long as you have the compliant res for DVD, and no matter what the bitrate for the various [file] clips are (even if they are different), it seems to render extremely fast. In fact, I've noticed it really screams.

Whoops, seems like this isn't the case either.

When I changed vid bitrate UP it screamed. When lowering vid bitrate to fit on DVD, it again was loooooong. Perhaps there is something else here going on? Drat, just when I thought I had it all figgard out.

Wish I knew what was going on.

In the case of trying to lower video bitrate (example: mpeg file will go from 8,000 to 6,000 kbps), can anyone tell me what is the BEST way to do that? Should this take place in the editing stage, create file stage or create disc stage?

Muchos Gracias!!!!!!!

[GuyL]

Create a new file from the original with the new bitrate would be the best. If you are trying to make it fit there is an option to do this when creating the DVD but I have never used it so I can't report on how well it works.

In the future, I would recommend you capture and edit in AVI then from your project you can create as many file formats, bit rates and options as you wish without any issues. MPEG was not designed to be edited and re-encoded many times. It is a distribution format and should be the final product. That is just my opinion of course.

[Manzano808]

In the future, I would recommend you capture and edit in AVI then from your project you can create as many file formats, bit rates and options as you wish without any issues.

This makes total sense to me. That way your capture result isn't [more or less] set in stone. I was headed in that direction anyway. Will let you know how it goes.

[EMM386]

I have a question about resolution settings. In VS 7 DVD SE, I have capture settiing set to DV type 1 and the resulting capture from my video camera is an AVI file that is in DV Video and audio format and its resolution is 640 x 480. When I go to Share > Create Video File > DVD NTSC, it renders an .MPG file with resolution of 720 x 480. The original AVI file was full screen, but when I play back the MPG file, it has black at the top and bottom and looks like its in widescreen. How do I caputre and burn full screen video? Thanks for your help.