Vegas Video discussions from 2006 (Q1Q2)

[Nick Weeks]

I can't tell the difference between 5 mbps video and 7 mbps video, so I do all my high quality stuff at 5 mbps. I normally do things like VHS/Hi8 transfers using 3 mbps and it works pretty well. I've never tried 9 though... for audio, I tend to stick with 160mbps or 192mbps but never lower than 160

[Seth Bloombaum]

Heath,

Be aware that HDV Powerpack on DVRack does not properly support time code in M2T captures. All M2T clips will start at TC 0:00.

I was first going in circles on this back in November, when SM finally confirmed what I was experiencing.

Their latest communication was in late February, indicating that this issue had been recognized and was finally going to receive some development attention - all I know is that a fix is not there yet, but I hope it will be soon.

Of course if you don't need time code reference for matching field logs or syncing double system sound or multiple cameras this wouldn't be an issue.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Alternative - if all completed projects are on one timeline, or, if you don't split the projects in the first place...

Define each 1hr20min segment as a region. Use the batch rendering script that comes with Vegas to set up all your renders.

If you don't like the default rendering templates that Vegas ships with, just save your own, they're accessable in the batch interface.

[Barry Rivadue]

I'm puzzled by my various editions of Vegas (5.0, 6.0, Platinum Edition) and DVD Architecture (2.0, 3.0, Studio) having different in-program fonts available. I'm disappointed that some of my favorite ones somehow are excluded from certain editions-unless they're hiding somewhere. Anyone else have this problem? Can missing ones be downloaded from Sony?

Thanks!

P.S. Does Vegas on different computers make a difference?

[Edward Troxel]

Vegas simply uses whatever fonts are on your systems. If you want more fonts, add them to Windows (in the Control Panel in the Fonts section). You can download new fonts from a variety of sources on the internet and can also transfer them between machines (i.e. copying the font files from the Windows\Fonts folder to the other machine).

[Dale Paterson]

Good Morning,

In my tests I rendered with a 9,800,000 video bit rate and a 48000kHz 16 bit AC3 stereo audio stream and do not seem to have any playback problems (and none of my set top DVD players are anything out of the ordinary - I mean they are just your common garden variety).

I have not tried with proper Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround yet but it's coming.

I actually have a question about rendering with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround but I will start a new thread for that.

I assume that these bit rates then only really have to do with possible playback issues and if space is not a problem and playback is not a problem then there is no reason for not using these bit rates?

Regards,

Dale.

[Dale Paterson]

Good Morning,

I need clarification on this issue:

If you have a look at Vegas' Dolby Digital AC-3 5.1 Surround Template you will see that under the Bitstream tab there is a 'Center mix level' and a 'Surround mix level' both of which default to -3.0dB.

Is this in any way related to the level of your individual tracks in your Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Project?

In other words:

Let us say that I always ensure that my individual audio tracks in my surround projects are normalized to -3.0dB.

Does the surround template then attenuate the level of the tracks BY A FURTHER 3dB or am I not grasping the concept correctly here.

Also - how do the different types of surround panning correlate to the template if at all.

What I am trying to get at is that there are three different 'settings' in a 5.1 surround project i.e. there is the normal 'track normalization', there are the different types of surround panner e.g. 'Add channels', 'Constant power', etc. etc. for the tracks in the project, and there are the mix levels in the template as stated above.

How do each of these settings relate to each other if at all?

Regards,

Dale.

[Graham Bernard]

"P.S. Does Vegas on different computers make a difference?"

Answer - yes. But is not just Vegas. It would be WORD, WORKS, Paint Shop Pro in fact ANY software that needs to access your fonts on THAT pc. And as Edward described the process very well, the answer to your "ps" question is yes - but that's your particular pc's range of fonts and NOTHING to do with Vegas!

Grazie

[Dale Paterson]

I don't know if this will help you but in order to ensure that all of my workstations have the identical fonts installed I copy the \Windows\Fonts folder to my network and then on each of the other workstations I use the font import procedure to install the fonts on each of the other workstations.

Also - I seem to remember that somewhere there is a switch to show only Truetype fonts (although actually I think that this was in an application and not a Windows thing).

I assume that all of the applications that you are asking about are all installed on the SAME workstation. If that is the case, to be honest, I also do not understand why you are not seeing the identical fonts in each of the applications (unless one of them has the above switch as an option but then you would only be hiding the system fonts anyway which are terrible and I am sure that that is not what you are looking for).

Regards,

Dale.

[Tom Johnson]

hey all. i am looking for the absolute besy place to get motion backgrounds in hd format...any suggestions where to buy

[Dale Paterson]

Hello,

I would like to create a 'textured bar' (I'm not sure what the correct name is) that appears throughout the length of my footage sort of like the bars that appear on news clips where they tell you the name of the person being interviewed for example.

I have already created a DV texture loop and with a combination of cropping and panning etc. I can get it to the lower portion of the screen but it goes all the way across the screen - I want it to be faded out about two thirds of the way across not just end in a straight vertical line.

I have managed to sort of fade it out by using a blur filter but that blurs the whole texture loop and my color and movement are also blurred. I suppose I am trying to ask - how do I blur or fade just the end of the bar on the right?

Also - is there a way of adding a clip, for example, to the video track bus, so that it repeats itself for the entire length of the clip (like you would add a timecode)?

And while I am on the subject:

I have never been able to extend the length of generated media by typing in the desired length in the appropriate box. I can stretch the event (to a point) but no matter what you enter in the length field it does not seem to make a difference. What am I doing wrong?

Regards,

Dale.

[Frank Grygier]

Thank you for the help.

Frank

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

First, www.dolby.com will answer your questions about all the settings in the encoder. Or, Jeffrey P Fisher's book on surround, call "Instant Surround"

Second, set your normalization to -31. Set the LMP and Film Mode to "None."
then you'll have nothing further to worry about.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

12inchdesign.com
These guys had the first HDV backgrounds in the world, and they've got a good collection.

[Edward Troxel]

They are called "Lower Thirds". All you need to do to get it to fade out is to lower the opacity on the right. You can create a mask that will do that for you:

Track 1: Generated media - Linear Black to Transparent. Track Composite mode set to "Multiply (Mask)", and add a Sony Mask Generator effect to the track or generated media

Track 2: Your Lower third - make a CHILD of track 1

Track 3+: Your background video + whatever else you need.