Dumb question, but are you sure that the break-up is in the final capture? What I mean is, on my system, I can't watch the capture itself because the sound cracks in and out. But as long as there are no dropped frames (which there never are) then the entire audio track come out well. It's just a problem with the system diverting resources to the capture and writing of the file rather than playback DURING capture. See what I mean?

Of course, if the sound is cracking on the final files, I am clueless.

DJ

You know...I'm not seeing any blending at all.

DJ

Vegas is perfectly capable of IVTC, but I'm not seeing blending at all either.

I am very new to Vegas. Is there an option to get both Preview and Program monitors? All I have in the 1 monitor in the lower right hand corner? I am used to Edius Pro I guess.

If you look closely at the first frame, you can see the second frame within the first; I've gone back and circled an area in the first frame where you can see the soliders head from the second frame.

Updated Example (http://www.drcreep.com/matts/frame_1_circled.jpg)

Sorry, I'm not quite sure 'blending' is the correct terminology for what is happening here, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. I've performed IVTC with a few other applications in the past, but I'm relatively new to Vegas and haven't seen anything resembling this with the other apps.

Thanks

Bear in mind that you're capturing interlaced media and converting to progressive. It's entirely likely that you've got a half-field somehow creeping in there. Otherwise, I don't have an answer. Copying media from laserdisc to DVD isn't something I've spent time doing, and not familiar enough with how the laserdisc was authored.

I see it now, and I have an idea. I think you need to be looking to the original source material. I think that this blending/creepy-ghost-blur is a result of the content on the laser disc, not the conversion. I don't believe that laser disc players are true 24p. I think the stream is 60i, so it could be a mistake in some L.A. editing room twenty years ago (is this the LD that came out in 1986?), not a problem with Vegas.

DJ

1) Set up your second monitor as an extension of your desktop. Drag the preview window by its corner over to the new desktop. There you go!

2) Use a preview device. Hook up your camera via firewire, then camera to TV/Monitor. Click the preview device button and the preview will output through cam to monitor.


DJ

These particular discs are from the CAV Definitive Collection set from 1993, but are just a few of the discs I intend to convert over the next several months.

I've used TMPGEnc and VirtualDub in past to IVTC the same discs so this is my second go around with them, but this time I wanted to use Vegas and DV to do the job better.

I'll have to try a few different discs with Vegas to see if it is a flaw in this particular disc and try the same disc with VirtualDub again and compare the results. Other than this I've pretty much nailed down a good process and would like to perfect it as much as possible before I dive into converting 100 discs over the summer.

Is there a link to somewhere outlining the optimal settings in Vegas for IVTC?

Again, many thanks.

You know what I'd do? I'd record analog out and use my GL2/XL2/Other Cam as a VCR. Then the films would go cleanly onto DV tapes. Then you would be assured of a nice clean digital capture when you finally figure out how exactly you want to tackle it. Or just watch them on DV tape.

My goal is to end up with a 16:9 DVD. That way if it's played on a 4:3 set, the DVD player will letterbox it, and if it's played on a 16:9 set, it will work correctly.

Shooting with a DVX100A, I don't want to use Letterbox mode since that of course puts black bars across the top and bottom of 4:3 footage. I'd rather not shoot in "Squeeze" mode since it merely crops the image and stretches it to fit a 16:9 frame, which means my framing has no room for error. Shooting in 4:3 works best since it gives me room to Pan/Crop if I find my framing was off.

So what I'm doing is:

1) shooting in 4:3
2) creating a Widescreen NTSC project
3) bringing in my 4:3 footage, and "zooming in" with Pan/Crop until my footage fills the frame.

Am I doing it correctly to achieve what I'm after?

Thanks!

Have you tried this on a short clip to see if any difference in quality:

1. Bring 4:3 footage into time line. Apply a letter box matte, moving video underlying to fit the box as needed.

2. Render to 4:3 final.

3. Bring 4:3 final render into 16:9, and adjust as needed.

Bill, the 16:9 crop preset in the pan/crop tool works superbly. When you crop your 4:3 footage with it, at default settings, it'll stretch to fill the frame in a Widescreen project. Then, when you render as Widescreen, you're golden.

That said, I almost always jut work in a 4:3 project, because it's easier to maintain a full-framerate playback that way. You can render as Widescreen right from a 4:3 project and the results will be the same. Because you can always switch project settings on the fly, I usually switch to a Widescreen project and scan through it just to make sure I've actually managed to crop every single 4:3 clip, but that's just a safety step. It's not necessary.

You can also do as Chris mentions, but it will result in a generational loss. Another way to do it, if you have Vegas 6, is to open a new project and import your main project as a nested project, and just crop the whole thing as if it were a clip. More or less the same thing, but with no generational loss.

I've decided to start looking for a new editor for the PC. I'm SICK and TIRED of Premiere's problems.

Basicly, what I want to know is, how do I capture 24p footage that I shot with my XL2 with Vegas 6.0d?

what settings should I use?

I'm new to using 24p footage and I don't know how to set-up my project to get good clean quality and keep it 24p.

When starting a project, should I use these settings:

Template: NTSC DV24p Widescreen (720x480, 23.976 fps)
Field Order: None (progressive scan)
Pixel aspect ratio: 1.212 (NTSC Widescreen)
Frame rate: 23.976 (IVTC Film) OR 24.000 ?

Which setting is correct for frame rate?

Also, on the Ruler tab, under Ruler Time Format what should I use?
SMPTE Drop (29.97 fps, video), SMPTE Film Sync (24 fps, Film) or SMPTE Film Sync IVTC (23.976 fps, Video)?

When I capture, under Options>Preferences, Capture tab, should I use a Custom frame rate of (under Analog Device Options) 24.000 or do I leave it at 29.97 ?

What would be the best settings to use all around to maintain my 24p video?

Better yet, does anyone have a link to a good resourceful website with information on 2:3 and 2:3:3:2 pulldown? Frame rates and all that god stuff?

Thanks in advance, I'm going to continue messing around with the program.

Unlike Premiere, Vegas doesn't care about capture settings. Vegas will correctly see the 24p flags in the media and deal with it.
In Vegas, it's just easy. Set the project settings to the same as your camera settings (ie; 2:3:3:2, or :3:2) and you'll be good to go after you've captured.
Project settings for digital video are always 23.976, never 24p, when on a PC. On a Mac, it's 23.978, but that's just a clocking diff.
Anyway, to sum up, Vegas will always correctly recognize the information at CAPTURE, and then you can do whatever you want to with it for project settings.
I recommend you use the 24p Widescreen template for your Canon-acquired footage.

wow, Vegas is that good? Thanks for the quick reply Douglas (mind if I call you Doug?)

Yeah, when I captured with PPro, I think it made my footage all screwy. I've been having one hell of a time trying to rebuild what I've shot and cut so far. I get a lot ofinterlacing, ghosting artifacts....it's just horrible. I think I'm going to start from scratch, from capture.

I have the same problem, but I have no idea why. I know I've read of others, as well. It doesn't seem to affect the final file in any way - though it is a distracting inconvenience nonetheless.

EDIT: Spelling, sorry.

Roger, check the tutorial in my sig. Should explain everything. It applies equally to the XL2 and the DVX100.

But a couple of addenda -- there's no "2:3" or "2:3:3:2" project template, just 24p. Don't worry about what kind of pulldown you used, as you'll see in the video.

Also, Vegas's capture program doesn't recognize anything -- all the magic happens inside Vegas after capture. Remember, the capture program is a separate program from which Vegas automatically imports footage -- but it's a separate program. It just captures as 60i; Vegas does the rest after the import.

Sony Vegas - it's that simple - Period!

Great, thanks for all the different ways to get it done, folks!

I'll try 'er and see.

Thanks to all for your responses. After further testing, I have found the final product does contain some audio break up, but not the non-stop break up I experience in the actual capture process. In this latest test, the audio break up lasted about 10 seconds, mostly in one section of the 5 minute video. Regardless, even 10 seconds makes for a bad capture. I will continue to experiment with another DV tape project later this week.

Great video David! Thanks for that. Do you have any more of these or must I pay? If so, how much?

Thanks again for all the help guys!

EDIT: I forgot to ask, since I captured with Premiere Pro, I can still use the same captured footage and Vegas will correct the video accordingly, without loss of data or miscontruscted frame rates? Just double checking since Premiere is complete FUBAR.

If you captured them as 60i files (which is what PP 2.0 does; not sure about the rest), then you're fine. Vegas should still detect and remove the pulldown.

If older version of Premiere Pro do an on-the-fly pulldown removal and give you straight 24p AVIs (I don't really know; last time I looked at their 24p capabilities, I just gave up, returned happily to Vegas, and haven't worried about it since), then you should also have no problem editing in 24p.

Simply put, Vegas has likely got you covered. But if for some reason the files don't work, yeah, just recapture.

As for more tutorials, stay tuned.

THanks a bunch David. Looking forward to more tutorials!

I use Vegas 6 D and I have a question. I am trying to figure out how to animate an object. I have a bird (chic) logo and I want to have it walk onto the screen and nest by my text logo for an opening and closing credit. The legs are stick figures. Anyone suggest how to do this?

Jeff Mack

I have some footage that I would like to make slow-motion or speed-up motion in Vegas 6.0d. How do I do this? Also, I know that speed-ups faster than 12x require something extra (not sure what), but what about slow-mo?

OK, I've been battling the 24p mode on my AG and all the strobing and such...for nothing.

I plugged the camera via s-video direct to a large monitor and the footage is sharp, detailed and vibrant.

On render out of Vegas 6, the footage is dull, blurry, lacks detail and has aweful strobing. I setup my project to 24p at correct resolution and I rendered to an AVI.

Watching the rendered AVI reveals aweful footage both on my LCD and out to svideo to the same large monitor. Am I missing something?

Alex

In the Vegas timeline you grab the clip edge as you hold down the ctr key. This will allow you to time stretch the video either way. It is the same as trimming the clip with your mouse only adding the ctrl key. Off hand I think 50% is it in Vegas. If you require more you will need to use AE 7.0, which is really great for this, or DynaPeel "SloMotion" or a similair app.

In addition to the CTRL-drag trick (400% + or -), you can insert a Velocity envelope. Right click on the clip - Insert - Velocity envelope. This will give you a further 300% (+ or -) speed change. If this isn't enough, render the clip to a new track and repeat.

Hey gang,

I'm picking up a laptop next week so that I can edit during free time at work or when the kids are out and I'm sitting around waiting for them to finish dance class.

Do I have to buy two separate copies of Vegas or can I simply install on my laptop using the same serial number as on my desktop? I'm asking because I want to keep it legal.

I'm really hoping the answer is "yes."

Thanks.

sincerely,


ian

The answer is YES. In fact, for network rendering you're allowed to install it on three machines connected via a network. For your case, install on both but you can only legally EDIT on one machine at a time.

For a more complete writeup, take a look at Vol 1 #9 of my newsletters (http://www.jetdv.com)

A little confused how to use the velocity envelope. If I want to slow down should I use +velocity or -velocity? It seems like - is slow-mo, but when I add a point, whenver the video gets to that point it starts reversing. So if a guy was doing a flip from left to right, suddenly the flip reverses to show right to left.

Well, that's good news. Yeah, I'll only be editing on one at a time. I'll be putting any project I'm working on on a portable FW HDD and when I'm home the desktop and when I'm out and about the laptop. Back and forth as it were.

I'll still be legal.

Again, thanks.

sincerely,


ian

100% is normal speed forward;
0% is zero motion;
-100% is normal speed reverse.
Any negative values sends the video backwards.
Make sense?

Okay, got it. Thanks.

Maybe it was some sort of machine problem, but I found out about the Vegas 6D update. I was running 6B. Installed update and re-rendered footage to AVI and it llooks 100% now.

I'm thinking maybe there was a bug fix that included the laptop that I'm rendering on, which is a Dell Inspiron 9300.

I've been rendering the same 15 seconds of footage all night and nothing I do can make the footage appear the same quality as what's on the tape.

I shot 24pa and tried every export option. When I play back at highest quality in the preview window, the preview looks better than the final render on the very same production monitor (second display). I have my vegas preview window set at the highest setting, full screen on monitor two (CRT) and it looks awesome... until I render.

When I play back using Media player the rendered AVI or even MPEG, there is lots of blur, the color is darker and there are artifacts and lack of detail, strobing and more. What's on the tape looks great.

When I say blury, I mean just motion blur around the edges especially. It's weird, because the tape isn't blury.

What could be going on for me?

What did you shoot with?
What are your project settings?
What are you rendering to? (template)
Where are you previewing it overall? Remember that Windows Media Player has incorrect gamma settings, and additionally may not be set up well

Shot at 24pa on a Panasonic AG-DVX100a
Editing on Dell Inspiron laptop, 512mb ram, Nvidia 6800 512mb, M 2ghz. Intel.
Editing in Sony Vegas 6.
Project settings 24p are correct.
Previewing on monitor two, CRT Television, 29"
Rendered to the following:
MPEG DVD 24P, MPEG DVD INTERLACED, AVI UNCOMPRESSED, AVI NTSC STANDARD, AVI NTSC PROGRESSIVE, and so on...
it plays smooth and crisp in the preview window
On ANY render it looks like hell in:
Media player, quicktime or even nero's player through the same preview monitor.
It would be hard to imagine that my PC cannot manage the playback stream if it can play the original footage fine and edit in real time, even when dropping magic bullet on the timeline.

I created a HDV project template to edit my HDV 1080 60i footage from my Sony HVR-A1U. I captured the clips using HDV Split - perfect. I rendered each of those .m2t files as a Cineform intermediary 1080 60i (avi). I edited everything with the intermediaries and all is well.

Then I want to print back to my Mini-DV tape (in standard def). I change the properties of my project template to NTSC DV Widescreen, progressive, and field pixel aspect ratio of 1.18 (because for some reason 1.2121 leaves slight black borders on the sides).

Anyways, I turn off my computer, connect my firewire to comp first, then to my camera (which is turned off). Then I turn on my computer, then turn on my camera. I open up Vegas, and go to tools > print to tape (DV). I try to go through the stuff, but in the end, all the options are greyed out. I can't do it manually, can't do it with crash record, or anything.

Why are all the options greyed out? I've tried putting my camera on all the modes (recording, photo, and play/edit) - all still don't work (all fields greyed out).

Help? I've done it once, but back then it was extremely frustrating and tricky too. I don't know why this print to tape thing is so hard.

When I try the second method (print to tape using the capture app, instead of print to tape from timeline), it says Microsoft AV/(something) subdevice or something isn't turned on. What is that? I have my camera connected properly. In any case, I can't print to tape at all.

Thanks for the feedback. The interview "hiss" was on material I was given and a lavalier was used. The subject spoke so softly that I had to increase volume - thus causing the hiss to surface.

I had a chance to play with Apple Motion recently and I can say that I'm impressed.

Does someone offer something similar (price, functionality etc) for Vegas?

not really..
closest thing to the motion particle engine is Particle Illusion.. actaully you can use Particle Illusion emitters IN motion.. so i believe theyre the same engine in fact.. im not sure, ill need to speak to Lawrence about that.. ((lawrence is teh guy who invented Particle Illusion)

The closest thing to the Compositing tools would be Combustion (another tool which ALSO shares the same PI engine... )

Some say that Fusion is great, but im yet to dive into that one due to time restrictions on my workload..

IMO, if you want a fast and dirty way to get some great effects, PI is the way to go. If you want a comprehensive package, with particle sand compositin, motin compensation, tracking yadda yadda, combustion is the way to go.

Motion is dirt cheap for what it is and for what it can do, and i think THAT in itself is more of selling point for it,than anything else.. as most FCP user will be using motion.. hell Mac users really dont have THAT much of a chocie compared to Win users when it comes to this sort of thing..

Another thing, is that Wondertouch are soon to be releasing (for tha last 18 months now.. lol) a Particle Illusion plugin for After effects.
After effects is a great tool.. i hate the interface as adobe and i dont like each other.. and all my own adobe stuff breaks on me.. but my clients seem to love it.. I thik it picks up that i am a vegas nut and decides not to behave for me..

Ive seen fusion in action and im very very impressed. The engine on that bugger is ASTOUNDING.. its particle engine is very differnt to PI and is much more photorealistic, couple that with (IMO) some of the best keying tools on teh market, and you have a great package also.
Combustion is STILL king for keying IMO..

Peter

Thanks for the info. I'll try a demo of particle illusion. I really like motion's price point and the way it integrates with FCP.

Any chance of Sony developing their own version of Motion?

HA

never dude.. theyd find something that worls well first and then BUY it out.. maybe after the intergrate it.. but with Sony, u never know..

I agree motion is good, however i dont liek the idea of being stuck with th choice of one NLE simply because im using a mac.. thats my biggest gripe..

the codec management and performance in FCP are awesome.. i mean were talkin multitracked DVCProHD100 running on software only... offering very close performance to a Matrox Axio in fact..
The only thing that sux is the FCP workflow... compared to the Vegas workflow, it sucks long and hard IMO... but thas not what this thread is about so i'll shut up.. lol

LOL am i THAT much of a nerd??

I called and asked them that very question by phone and I can verify that you are correct.

There are decompilers out there. I'm not sure if they'll work with protected stuff, but the other day I needed old footage off a DVD that didn't exist anywhere else (from an old shoot) and it decompiled fine.

On a side note, that dvd wouldn't import in Vegas either for some reason.

Anyway, try to Google "decompilers", and if you still need help, let me know. When I get in in the AM I can see what decompiler I got and let you know the exact name.

I've done some work this way, and nexted animations and actionscripted effects don't work. This pretty much blows it for a direct conversion, although I have an app somewhere that I bought that does it frame by frame. The results aren't exactly broadcast quality however.