I just let Vegas to the SD downconvert for me. It does an outstanding job at this. I go right from the timeline to NTSC Widescreen MPEG2. Be sure to check the option to Stretch video to fill output because HDV is 1.3333 aspect and DV Widescreen is 1.2121 and if you don’t you will have a slight black pillarbox (vertical black bands on the left and right) which may be noticeable if you are viewing on a LCD/Plasma widescreen display.

~jr

I'm having this resolution horror issue on my 2nd LCD. It looks ok for Vegas 6 but when the same settings is applied on V7, it sucks! Anyone with the same problem?

While I have not personally used a core2 for video editing, all of the reviews make it sound like these chips are great for such tasks, so I think you'll be fine editing on a laptop. I think whatever brand of pc you go with, you'll want to upgrade to at least 2gb of ram. If the 5400 drive becomes an issue, get an external firewire drive/case.

Do you have any evidence that big evil Dell has scr*wed up Alienware?

Hehe, two words; Big Corportation, it is inevidable, imo that Dell will screw alienware up.

Back to the topic though, I just bought an HP 8000t 2.0ghz laptop. I've not really had a chance yet to put it though the paces, but I've been pleased so far, with exception to the @#$! bloatware.

I wouldn't get hung up on brand, the reason being, I almost went with the sony, but the video card in the sony is maxed at 128, I wanted the full 256, so HP it was, Dell was 500.00 bucks more and Apple, well, I won't open that can of worms. I looked at Alienware, but decided not to buy the hype.

So do a comparison by spec by spec, just because dell, sony, etc, say blah blah, the devil really is in the details. For instance, I had to actually call Sony for a spec since the website didn't list it.

You be careful out there.

try postiing a screen shot, I'm not sure what exactly is your issue.

I second Don. I'm betting you have the "Split Screen" button on. Just turn it off and all should be fine. It's the button above the preview screen that looks like a circle that's half dark/half light.

Somehow the resolution on the preview scrren looks very poor as compared to Vegas 6. I'll try to get something.

I made some subtitles in the veg file in Vegas. How do I export them as a subtitle for DVD Arch?

Tools - Scripting - Export Regions as Subtitles

Howdy...

When you have a daily video podcast, you're always editing on the road. To that end, I'm constantly looking for the latest and greatest laptop for edited, although I'm not one of those guys who wants to spend $4K on a laptop...

So... I've just received HP's newest laptop, the dv9000t. Core 2 Duo at 2GHz, 2GB RAM, 240GB dual hard drives... Looks to be a great machine for editing on the road.

If you're interested, here's my 'unboxing' event...

http://www.neo-fight.tv/2006/09/unboxing_the_hp_dv9000t.html

Enjoy...

Best,

Benjamin

Get the 5.7 drivers and firmware at

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/support/software/

It seems Vegas 7 kills analog capture from Decklink Extreme PCIe -
Analog capture works with standalone DeckLink application before starting vegas. Starting vegas displays "no video input" in internal capture app - and then the DeckLink application is dead as well. Submitted to support, and they are looking into it. Would be interesting to know if you have the same experience.

/magnus

very cool. thanks for sharing :)

Nice laptop! Now I want one!

I am just trying to get Vegas 7.0 to recognize Blackmagic as a viable display preview device.
Once I get past that we will try to captue.

Jim

I have found a tutorial on this in AE, but I was wondering if there is a good tutorial on colour grading for Vegas - blowing out whites and crushing blacks...

Spend the money and buy the DVD "Absolute Training for Vegas+DVD, Vol. 4 - Color Correction in Sony Vegas" from VASST.
Details at http://vasst.com/product.aspx?id=2212ad20-81a5-4415-a37a-fa0c83fa1dcd
It'll be the best $59 (U.S.) you've ever spent.
As I said on another forum, I've been doing video for over 30 years and was astounded at how little I knew about colour correction.
Glenn Chan is superb on this video.

Mike, thanks for the kind words.

David:
The DVD may help, as well as the following article I wrote (it goes into depth about Levels in Vegas):
http://www.vasst.com/resource.aspx?id=a7a8c403-64dc-420d-97d0-90d2f8de9fc1

Does that answer your question? If not, there is another method to "blow out whites and crush blacks". The Disc Four Excerpt in the link Mike gave has some information on that (it's a sample video). It uses the color curves instead of levels... it's sort of the same idea as color curves and levels in After Effects. The difference is how Vegas handles the levels... it is slightly superior and more confusing than in After Effects.

I just let Vegas to the SD downconvert for me. It does an outstanding job at this. I go right from the timeline to NTSC Widescreen MPEG2. Be sure to check the option to Stretch video to fill output because HDV is 1.3333 aspect and DV Widescreen is 1.2121 and if you don’t you will have a slight black pillarbox (vertical black bands on the left and right) which may be noticeable if you are viewing on a LCD/Plasma widescreen display.

~jr

Is your timeline a a cineform timeline? what camera are you using?
thanks.

Is your timeline a a cineform timeline? what camera are you using?I’m using a Sony HVR-Z1U and my timeline format depends on the project. If I’m doing mostly straight cuts without a lot of color correcting, I’ll just use the raw M2T files because Vegas 7 can play them back at full framerate. If I’m doing a lot of editing or if I’m doing 24p, I’ll use CineForm Connect HD to capture the footage to CF or CF removing 3-2 pulldown for CF24. If I’m doing work that involves field audio (e.g., I captured the audio on my Marantz PMD660), I’ll capture raw M2T, sync the field audio with the video, then render to CineForm with the field audio instead of the camera audio in CF format. This gives me one AVI file with the correct audio.

Regardless of what format I capture in, I go straight to MPEG2 from the timeline. I suppose if I was going to print back to tape or other formats like for the web, I would render CineForm and then make my tape copy, web copy, and MPEG2 copy from that. I don’t believe you loose anything because the CineForm codec is high enough quality. The same is true for doing any chroma key work. I would either capture or convert the chroma key clips to CineForm and do all my editing on that. Ultra 2 with CineForm rocks for chroma key.

~jr

I am assuming the training covers the latest version of VV (I don';t believe the CC tool have changed sine VV4 anyways...)

Thanks for the link!

I am assuming the training covers the latest version of VV (I don';t believe the CC tool have changed sine VV4 anyways...)
Thanks for the link!

You're correct. There haven't been any changes so it's still appropriate.

woh.. I finally figured how to do it. Didnt know that the actual exported text is the title of the region! I had several text boxes on the timeline initally. I had to copy them out to rename the region. My question now is, how can I make the text 2 lines if it is too long? Also, I cant seem to change the font of the subtitle. IS there an option?

I've been experimenting with programs which uprez SD footage to around 1440x960 and clean up the image (ie removing jaggies). Before anyone laughs, these programs use data from the proceding and following frames to add resolution.

I'm trying to determine if there is an improvement to this footage once down-rezzed, compared to the original footage - at least when burning back to an SD DVD.

The footage is from a DVX100 in 24P mode.

If the newly up-rezzed footage shows clear improvement, and assuming that there might possibly be an improvement in the final down rezzed footage, what would be the best settings in Vegas for an output to DVD?

(yeah, I know...questionable workflow/questionable benefit).

So far, the up-rezzed footage looks very promising, while the down-rezzed footage does not show that same promise. Before I give up, I want to make sure my settings are providing the best result.

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

Brian

I do batch processes with lots of 2-3 minute videos. Usually pretty simple effects. What I like to do is render overnight and I have been doing that for the last couple months and it's been working great.

In the last week though something strange is happening. I start my batch render and it starts plowing through the video but after about 2 or 3 minutes the render frame rate gradually goes WAY down (starts at about 20fps and goes down to about 2) and stays there. I don't think I've changed anything with my computer, but the changes I've made since this started happening haven't helped at all.

I have a p4 3ghz Hyperthreaded. 4gigs of ram, windows xp, tons of harddrive space, mid-range video card. Video are quite simple with only a few effects but the same ones for each video. I've tried increasing and decreasing the number of rendering threads in Vegas, tried increasing and/or eliminating my virtual memory, but they didn't make any changes.

I'm not sure how big a part RAM plays in rendering anyway but I got a whole lot of it but when I watch my task manager has this goes along it only uses about 150megs steadily throughout. I have no other programs running while rendering except for AVG antivirus but it's not scanning just patrolling or whatever.

Any suggestions on what might be causing this? I've tried rendering to different codecs too but it does the same thing (just starts off at a different speed but gradually gets slower by like 90%)

what's up with your temp file folder in the default "C:" location?

I have a nice project ready, I just want to put some background music to the menu. I can see the menu has both a video and audio track, but I am at a loss how to place the audio track (a 24 second .wav file) into that empty audio track? It is probably simple, but I can't get it. Help is appreciated.

EDIT :

Ok, figured it out - BUT how do I make it loop continually and forever?

Well my temp folder is in the c:/windows directory (would that cause a problem?) but there's pretty much nothing in there (90kb of no-name files and an "intelchip" folder). I started a new render and looked in that temp folder and there still wasn't anything in it. Is Vegas using a different folder perhaps, if so how would I find which?

Change the end-action "command" to LOOP.

That did it, thanks Ed.

thank's, yes you are right, most PCs and their installed players if configuered correctly will open the DVD with their main menu page.

I've been searching for a way to attach a note to an event...the markers are fixed to the Timeline, so if events move they leave the markers behind.

Something like a Cell Comment in Excel, or like a sticky note attached to a specific frame or time within the event, that would also show up as an icon on the event, color codeable for categories of notes, and when the cursor hovers over it, the note shows up in a readable size.

I've never heard of it. Has anyone?

ciao,
Scott

You mean like a marker? Just hit "M" on the keyboard.

...the markers are fixed to the Timeline, so if events move they leave the markers behind.

If you have the right ripple option selected, markers move along with everything else on the timeline.
If you want to attach more than just a marker with a few words, submit a request to Sony - and be very patient. This has been a request from some users since version 4 :-(

I'm working Vegas Movie Studio + DVD...
I have a few questions:

1. How can I drag a clip over another one on the timeline so you can see the one you just dragged over the other one and see through it to the first one?? I don't want to do a dissolve (which I already know how to do)...I just want the top clip to show through as 50% transparent so you can see the clip below it which is 100% opaque.

2. Also, I want to add a transition (dissolve) preset to a particular slo-mo clip, but when I try to drag it to the beginning of the selected clip, it will not let me drop it into the clip. Also, once I get it onto the clip, how do I get rid of it if I don't like it?

I guess there is some guru out there who knows how to do this.
Thanks for any help.
Dean

1. Put it on a track ABOVE the other video. Then lower the opacity as needed by moving the mouse to the top edge of the clip, it will turn into a hand, then click and drag downward to the desired level.

2. Create a FADE IN and then drop the transition onto that. Move the mouse to the upper left corner, when you get the quarter circle icon, click and drag right for the desired length of the fade in.

Pardon the simple question. I've been using Premiere Pro too long.

Q. Following addition of an effect or transition to a clip one would normally render in P-pro. Once rendered, the clip would play back in "real time". How do I do this with Vegas? I have a small clip with an effect in my timeline. It plays back sluggishly. How do I render?

Thanks

Vegas' equivalents of rendering are:

A- "Selectively pre-render video"
Vegas loses this render easily though.

B- Render to new track.
*caveat: You have to wrangle these renders manually.
*other caveat: Watch out for trackFX and video preview FX.

C- RAM preview
Set your loop region, and hit shift B.

D- There is also network rendering for C, although it has its own caveats.


I would suggest B or C.

2- You can also drop down in quality to draft mode, or doubleclick the top part of the preview window to change its size.

Glen

Thanks... This is kinda like learning to write left handed.

In P-Pro you can tell what has been rendered by looking at the color in the top of the time line. How do I tell in Vegas?

Here is what I have.

A short segment of 24P in on video track one and a sort segment of video on track video track two. A sort audio clip in audio track 1. Video track one fades in and out while video track two plays.

I selected File>Render As> saved as an avi file and rendered. After I rendered the playback on my NTSC was not smooth.

I'll keep picking away at it.

Thanks...

Tim

how do I remove the transition if I decide I don't want it??
Thanks for the info ED.
Dean

I just started using Connect HD in V6.d

The audio says (Peaks Not Available)????

Captured the clips with HD link to Cineform clips only, no mt2. Something I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

Just remove the fade in - unless you want the fade in but not the transition. You can always click on the transition and press the "/" key on the numeric keypad.

Excellent...thanks again for the help ED...I really appreciate it. Have a great weekend !!!
Dean

I really wished they would fix/upgrade this in Vegas or if someone smarter then me (not hard) could come up with a way to CHECK OFF which attributes that the user wants to paste instead of all of nothing (Premiere has had this for years)...

Hi Glenn,

Interested in your comment "Vegas loses this render easily".

How do you mean exactly?

Thbanks.

Ian . . .

If you ripple your timeline, Vegas will likely lose the pre-render.

In P-Pro you can tell what has been rendered by looking at the color in the top of the time line. How do I tell in Vegas?
File --> render as isn't the same as "render to new track" or selectively pre-render. Both of those two methods give you feedback showing what's rendered I believe.

I agree. But try adding a product suggestion, they do seem to read them (i.e. the new snapping in Vegas 7).

http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/support/productsuggestion.asp

The Sony Media Software forum also gets read I believe.

Interesting. I'll have to play!

Thanks, Glenn.

hey friends: i looked for answers to this but did'nt find anything very recent--

I've been cooking along with single-layer DVD output for a few years, and am now edging into dual-layer. I have a 100 minute project that has been authored to DVD a few different times now (Vegas 6 and Architect3) with basically good results.

BUTT.. there is a quality hit in some parts (night scenes) and i'm wondering if upping the bitrate to take advantage of the extra room on a DL disc will get me anything.

I've been using Edward's bitrate chart and formula from 2004 or so, making the mpg2 and AC3 in Vegas using a custom MainConcept template w/ VBR #'s derived from Edward's formula.

Assuming i get the VBR numbers i need, anybody see any problem with using Architect 3 for DL authoring??

Thanks all,

MRP

Using this (http://dvd-hq.info/Calculator.html) calculator, I see that you get an average bit rate of 5.75Mbps using just single layer disks (assuming 192kbps AC3 for the sound track). That means you have no need to use DL media.

I really like the look of the Killer's new Video - When you were young. It has a Western, 70's type feel. Can this be achieved in Vegas or was it film stock and great lighting?