Also, as a side note, and if someone could please clarify, you have already done the 24p pulldown when rendering to AVI. If you do it again with the 24p mpeg, will this introduce strange artifacts? Or, if you render to 24p and then non-24p mpeg, is this re-introducing the missing 6 frames?

I'm just curious,

DJ

I open a 29.97 60i project and then render to the 24p 2:3 mpeg2 option. This works for smooth playback for presentation, the other pulldown method mentioned above is a better editing or archival pulldown.

What I do to get my footage from 60i to 24p on a DVD:

- Shoot footage at 60i

- Open a new regular 24p timeline, capture footage from camera to computer and put 60i footage into 24p timeline.

- After editing as you normally would, render as AVI, choosing the template "NTSC DV 24p (inserting 2-3-3-2 pulldown)"

-After the 60i is rendered as an AVI 24p, open up the AVI file in Vegas 6 and render as mpeg2, choosing the template "DVD Architect 24p NTSC video stream"

- Look at the replys above to get your audio in there

- Open DVD architech and burn the dvd.

Hope this helps.

-j

I shot some video with my GL1 and its going to be used in a video that is mainly shot with the VX1000. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips for matching GL video with VX video in vegas.

I have a little bit of information on my website. I hope that helps.
http://www.glennchan.info/matching/matching.htm

Thank you, Edward Troxel. I looked into what you said about ac3 audio and you were absolutely right. I managed to find a work-around for that small limitation in Vegas 6.

I am purchasing a new server with 2 x Xeon w/ Hyperthreading (so effectively 4 processors). Windows XP Pro can only handle 2. Anyone tried to run Vegas 6 on Windows 2003 server?

EDIT: Upon further reading, apparently Microsoft XP Pro will recognize 2 physical processors and the logical processors that are created by hyperthreading. I should have the server in about a week and will let you know if it actually works. Then I will see if Vegas 6 can actually utilize all 4 processors! My render times should be nice :)

I am having trouble with picking up the audio of my wireless mic from a wedding I just did. I can hear it when I play back on the tv or in my xl2, but I can't get any sound when I capture it into sony vegas. I am trying to figure out how to seperate the channels if possible, but I am not having any luck. I even tried recapturing w camera just playing this channel (3 & 4). Help! I can't hear the vows. Thank you !!!
Lisa

Go buy Scenalyzer Live. It will allow you to capture Video + Stereo 1 into an AVI file while simultaneously capturing Stereo 2 into a separate WAV file. Vegas capture won't capture stereo 2 (nor will most NLE's).

Gary,

Could you please give us an update on when the Vegas 6 Companion will begin shipping? We're very anxious!

Thanks.
Dave

Go buy Scenalyzer Live. It will allow you to capture Video + Stereo 1 into an AVI file while simultaneously capturing Stereo 2 into a separate WAV file. Vegas capture won't capture stereo 2 (nor will most NLE's).

Thank you!! Now atleast I can stop wasting hours trying to figure it out on Vegas. !!!!
Lisa

I want to purchase scenalyzer live as recommended here, but I can only find a download version online. I don't use my editing computer for internet access and I'm wondering if anyone knows if this downloaded is able to be saved to cd then uploaded on my editing pc, or if I could purchase the software in any stores? Thanks again
Lisa

Hi,

As soon as I put a definite date on shipping, that puts the whammy on it :-0

Right now I think we're looking at about three more weeks.


Thanks,
Gary

Just download, burn to CD, and carry it to your other computer. Itr's only 952k so you could even use a floppy,

I DO recommend saving the unlock key in a text file and saving that to the disc as well. Then you can simply copy/paste the key (it's fairly LONG).

This problem is driving me insane. Here is what I am trying to do: Using Vegas 5 and a script I export a video clip as an image sequence (approx 2900frames). I then batch render using photoshop. Now I want to import that image sequence back into Vegas and overlay it on the original video and audio...however a huge problem comes into the mix. I absolutely cannot seem to the two in sync.

In Options>>Preferences>>Editing if I set "new still image" to .033 then the still image sequence goes to fast for the video file. If I set it to .034 it is too slow for the video file. It should really be something more like 0.033367 but Vegas only allows three significan digits. Is there some other way to force the syncronization?

File - Open (or Import) - Pick the first image in the sequence - check the box that says "Image Sequence"

I am trying to edit a video shot with a dvd camcorder. When I try to pull it into vegas, it says it is only 5 seconds long. The same happens when I play it in media player, but when it reaches 5 seconds the video keeps going for the entire length.

It appears that Vegas is reading the time and just repeating the same 5 seconds.

Please if anyone knows what is going on here and how to fix it, I would appreciate your help. Thanks

Use some other program to convert it back to AVI. What I often do is just hook up the DVD player through a convertor and just capture into standard DV-AVI while playing the DVD. If you want to do it totally via software, do a search on "VOB" or "RIP".

I'm not sure if that's the correct way to ask this question so here's the actualy quandry:

I've got 5 cameras that shot in standard 4:3 mode and one camera that was the stable wide shot that was set to 16:9. I'm wondering what the best way to tackle this in Vegas will be.

I'm assuming that I should make the project a 4:3 project but then how do I get the 16:9 into the project so that it's letterboxed rather than streched?

Also, would I be better off making the project 16:9 and streching or clipping the 4:3 clips?

Thanks,
Kevin

Kevin

You can do it either way. If your 16:9 footage is the most abundent then open a 16:9 project and insert clips. Select each 4:3 clip in the timeline, select event/pan crop. Under "maintain aspect ratio" click no and under "stretch to fill frame" click yes. That should stretch your 4:3 to fit in the 16:9 project.

If you 4:3 is the majority open a 4:3 project and insert clips. Take a snapshot of a 16:9 clip from the preview window and open that snapshot in Photoshop. You are going to have to make an overlay by placing a black rectangle over the black that appears in the snapshot, both top and bottom. Delete the background image which should be your original clip. Import this overlay back into Vegas and place it over all the 4:3 clips streching as necessary. That should artifically letterbox your footage.

Confused, me too.

Jim

If you 4:3 is the majority open a 4:3 project and insert clips. Take a snapshot of a 16:9 clip from the preview window and open that snapshot in Photoshop. You are going to have to make an overlay by placing a black rectangle over the black that appears in the snapshot, both top and bottom. Delete the background image which should be your original clip. Import this overlay back into Vegas and place it over all the 4:3 clips streching as necessary. That should artifically letterbox your footage.Jim

Wait... if I'm doing a 4:3 project then the 4:3 footage should be left alone shouldn't it? The only letterbox would be on the one 16:9 camera. Why would I letterbox 4:3 shots in a 4:3 project?

I am confused?!?!

-Kevin

Because when mixing 4:3 and 16:9 in the same 4:3 timeline the 4:3 fills the entire space. The 16:9 fills the horizontal space but leaves you a black strip across the top and bottom. You need to add those black stripes to the 4:3 footage and your result will be a letterboxed 4:3 output.

If you want you can zoom in the 16:9 to fill the entire frame but there will be a loss of resolution.

Use DVD2AVI application

Wow thanks, that works better than I even thought it would. I can definately have some fun with this now.

Is there an app that doesn't recompress to make the conversion?

I have tried this on two diffent computers, one running vegas 6.0a and the other 6.0b
I am trying to letterbox some 4:3 DV footage and whenever I start messing with the pan/crop menu it tends to freeze up. Is this a common problem?

Yes, Vegas works with Windows Server 2003.
In due time I established server-computers and after that installing of them Windows Server 2003, and then Vegas 5
One of computers worked as Workstation (complete reorganization server OS under the client-version with switching-off all unnecessary services, policies, and other unnecessary options, it is possible to write such as writing the reboot reason, etc - in general about reorganization Servrer OS under Workstation i can write the whole page)
Second computer worked as server and as rendernig-station.
Third was adjusted as Server OS, but with an opportunity of work with Vegas Software (Hardware acceleration of the VGA card switched ON).


If you will work in Vegas on the computer with Windows Server 2003 - you need switching-ON the Hardware Acceleration of the you Video Card, becouse by default it is switched off (Server not need this feature). In rest work in Vegas on Windows Server 2003 Is similar WindowsXP


*Network Rendering is possible to use between simple PC's


PS Sorry for my English

First of all, upgrade the 6.0a machine to 6.0b. It's MUCH better.

As for freezing pan/crop screens, have not seen that happen on multiple machines.

I would do it as a 4:3 project, leave the 4:3 and crop the 16:9 to "lop off the sides". Yes, you'll use a little resolution for that footage (unless of course it's HDV) but you won't have to compromise the 4:3 footage, and you can use either the centre of the 16:9 or, if desirable, use keframes to drift left or right to keep the subject in the 4:3 frame.

Kevin,

I agree with Peter that you should set the project properties as 4:3 and then 'pan and scan' the 16:9 footage. By setting keyframes and changing which section of the 16:9 footage you want to use, you'll capture the 'most important' imagery in your widescreen footage as you "lop off the sides". In fact 'pan and scan' is one technique used in converting theatrical big screen movies to the 'Full-Screen' movies you rent at Blockbuster.

Hey everyone I was able to figure out how to add a second audio track in DVD Architect 2.0 easily enough. And when you use the audio button on the DVD remote you can jump to that track. But I want to create a button in the menu so that people know the commentary track exists and can toggle it on or off from there.

How do I do that?

Thanks

So... can we go about locking a layer? So that you can't accidentally move or change anything?

You can lock EVENTS by right-clicking and choosing Lock.
Excalibur lets you lock mutiple events at once.

You can also access lock/unlock from the Project Media detail view.

Gary

Either create two seperate buttons, one set to audio 1 and one set to audio 2 In Button Properties>Action>Set Audio Stream.

Or

Create an option menu that lets the viewer choose which audio to play without immediately starting playback.

Create three empty buttons on a menu page.
Name them : Normal Audio (or whatever), Alternate Audio, and Play.

Normal Audio Button Action Properties:
Command =Link
Destination = the menu page it's on
Destination Button = Play
Audio Stream = 1

Set Alternate Audio Button the same except the audio stream

When you activate either button, the highlight will move to the Play button, and the next Enter command from the remote will play the program with the audio chosen.

BTW, this is covered on my DVD Authoring with DVD Architect instructional DVD.

Gary

I've downloaded the trial version of slive to make sure of compatibility with my system as they suggest. What I'm trying to do is pick up the audio of my wireless mic on the groom, on other software I cannot hear it. The only thing I can find about the audio on the trial version is under view, and then options I can choose to save the second stereo to a wav file and the first to avi with video. I captured it this way after changing these settings, but I still don't hear the audio, there are no audio tracks on the screen below the video, and I cannot find any seperate wav files on my computer for this anywhere. I am hoping this is only because it is the trial version, but could anyone tell me if the registered version is different? Are the audio tracks visible? If I purchase this how do I go about finding this seperate wav file and then placing it into my current project in vegas? Please, any detailed info would help so much, I have spent so much time trying to get this audio, I'm losing my mind.
Thanks Lisa

Yes, you want to turn on the option to write other audio channel to separate WAV file. When you capture, this will create TWO files: an AVI file and a WAV file.

Now in your NLE, drag the AVI file to the timeline. This will give you the Video and stereo 1 on the timeline. Now drag the separate WAV file to the timeline. This will give you Stereo 2 on the timeline. Keep the WAV file and AVI file aligned and they will stay in sync. (In fact, you *might* want to group them after both are on the timeline.)

Edward, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help. I am still not having any luck though. I guess what I first need to know is if the registered version is completely different from this trial, because in the trial there are no audio tracks displayed and the only timeline at the bottom is very different from any other software I've used. I clicked the show avi files and there are now little boxes saying these are avi files, click and drag , but there is nowhere to drag them to. Also I see nothing that says anything about wav files. Am I wasting my time on this trial, or is it possible to actually do something here? There wasn't even any timeline at all until I clicked show film strip one line under view, but this isn't a workable timeline. No deleting arrows or movability. Where should the wav file be located, and shouldn't there be audio tracks shown? Thanks again. By NLE do you mean non linear editing? And then how do I get this to my other software?
thanks again, !!!!!! Lisa

By NLE I mean VEGAS. The WAV files will show up in the Explorer window. They'll be in the same folder as the AVI files.

For both Vegas and Scenalyzer, the demos are the same as the real versions.

I use Scenalyzer to capture and Vegas to edit frequently with this type of tape so I know it works.

Thank you, Thank you. I got it. I can't use the trial version to fill in my project already captured through Vegas because of the visual restrictons on the images, and I can't try and dub the audio to the project, but I'll just recapture the ceremony through slive with the registered version and stick it in.
Hope all of this helps anyone else also. The files in explorer have different emblems next to them, put your cursor over them and they will tell you if it is audio or video. It didn't pull up this way in the explorer window, but it did under file, then media, then I clicked on my scenalyzer folder and it pulled up both the audio and video files together.
Thanks again, Lisa

I can see the actual file extension in the Vegas Explorer window. Therefore it's very easy to tell which is the AVI and which is the WAV. However, that's a setting change I made in WINDOWS (cause I HATE not being able to see extensions). Just turn your extensions back on and you shouldn't have any further problems determining which is which.

Edward, I purchased the reg. version of scenalyzer and have received the key. Had to download to a cd from email, and upload to pc I use for editing. Under help the registration just says to copy the key and paste it in the clipboard. Again I am having no luck. It won't let me copy anywhere onto slive. I see nothing under view about a clipboard, do they just mean the track where the video is? It won't let me paste here or at the film strip at the bottom, or anywhere else. No ph # for slive, but have sent email. Any Ideas?
Thanks
Lisa

You need to copy the text from the e-mail to a text file and also take that to the editing computer. On the editing computer, open the text file and copy the the serial number to the clipboard (i.e. press CTRL-C)

Now open Scenalyzer, go to the registration screen, and paste from the clipboard (i.e. press CTRL-V)

You should be done.

I managed to find a work-around for that small limitation in Vegas 6.
I wouldn't call it a limitation. It's that way by design. Sony owns a lot of content. If Vegas had an AC3 decoder it would be almost trivial to rip DVDs and pirate them. Sony wouldn't want to do that. Hence the AC3 decoder isn't in Vegas.

Good luck.

Dennis

Instant Vegas is also a good book for beginners.

Good luck.

Dennis

Thanks for letting us know, Edward.

Good luck.

Dennis

Thanks Edward! As always, another great newsletter. And thanks for explaining the "Kids in the Picture" effect.

Notable fixes mentioned on the release notes are:

The Extras folder file size limit has been changed from 1GB to 2GB.

A bug has been fixed that could prevent chapter markers from working with multiangle video titles.

A bug has been fixed that could cause subtitles to be displayed for the duration of a video event.

Dave

Lisa,

If you ever need to just edit audio, Vegas is very capable. Add in the Sony noise reduction plugin, and it's a very effective solution for archiving an old record collection. We're presently archiving several hundred albums from the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. In addition, we've been able to clean up old-time radio programs. We are working on over 260 Gb of such programs.

I'm a fan of most things old (particularly things in public domain), and Vegas is a great way to save these collections.

Brad

Going to Vegas 6 from my Liquid and Avid environments. I was wondering how the external audio monitoring is handled. If I preview out to and external CRT, will the audio be in sync or is there a delay. My Avid setup has issues with this and was just wondering how Vegas handles audio synching with an external monitor. Thanks.

The audio should be in sync. For standard preview, video is sent via firewire while audio goes through the computer's speakers. If they are off, you can always fine-tune it in Options - Preferences. However, I've never had a need to do so. The default settings have worked on all machines I've seen.