Recommendation in how to make a movie to be used on Youtube

[Jeff Wisener]

I am using Vegas Platinum 9. Currently I am making my movies by using AVI file format, Template is the default template, uncompressed. I live in Indonesia, they block Vimeo so I am placing my videos on Youtube. Data for uploading is expensive so there is a compromise in uploading cost vs video Quality.

With the above being said, can someone above my "paygrade" give me suggestions for getting a higher quality video then I am getting now on youtube? Recommendations are really appreciated!

Thank you in Advance.

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi Jeff,

What resolution, length and file size are you currently uploading to youtube? Also as you are concerned about the upload cost, what size of file would you prefer to limit your uploads to?

Roger

[Jeff Wisener]

Roger, I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.:

1. Background: I shoot mainly surf photography. My equipment includes:

A. Canon 7D body and main lens used is a 400mm L series.
B. Phantom 4 Pro Drone with 1’’ CMOS - 20M sensor. Video options for the Drone camera are:

H.265
C4K:4096×2160 24/25/30p @100Mbps
4K:3840×2160 24/25/30p @100Mbps
2.7K:2720×1530 24/25/30p @65Mbps
2.7K:2720×1530 48/50/60p @80Mbps
FHD:1920×1080 24/25/30p @50Mbps
FHD:1920×1080 48/50/60p @65Mbps
FHD:1920×1080 120p @100Mbps
HD:1280×720 24/25/30p @25Mbps
HD:1280×720 48/50/60p @35Mbps
HD:1280×720 120p @60Mbps

H.264
C4K:4096×2160 24/25/30/48/50/60p @100Mbps
4K:3840×2160 24/25/30/48/50/60p @100Mbps
2.7K:2720×1530 24/25/30p @80Mbps
2.7K:2720×1530 48/50/60p @100Mbps
FHD:1920×1080 24/25/30p @60Mbps
FHD:1920×1080 48/50/60 @80Mbps
FHD:1920×1080 120p @100Mbps
HD:1280×720 24/25/30p @30Mbps
HD:1280×720 48/50/60p @45Mbps
HD:1280×720 120p @80Mbps

2. I loaded my video clips onto Vegas Platnum by converting my MOV files to AVI using Pavtube converter software. In conversion, Specs I used were:
Codec: XVID
Resolution: 1920 X 1080
Length of last Video: 4 Mins
File size of edited video: 2.2 GB

3. Regarding desired file size, give me options of OK, good, & really good video quality and I will try all 3 options.


Thank you for taking the time to help me

[Roger Gunkel]

Hi Jeff,

Well there are some interesting options there :-)

Although all the codecs are pretty standard, I am slightly puzzled that they are all .mov. Are DJI using a camera that records everything to .mov as I usually associate that with apple/quicktime files and I have always been a pc man?

My cameras all have similar codecs to yours, but on the Panasonics I have the option of .M2ts or Mp4. I have been a long term user of Magix editing software and currently use the latest Media Edit VPX. As Magix now market Vegas, I would assume that there was a crossover in reading the codecs, although I believe you are on Vegas 9. Apart from the problem with my Yi cam that I mentioned in another thread, VPX reads everything including different formats from different cameras on the same timeline. One project I am working on has ultra UHD 3840x2160 25fps, 1080 at 25 fps and 2.7k at 50fps and runs without a problem.

If you are converting your files to 1920x1080 and they are at 2.2Gb for 4mins, that sounds like a big file for that size. As an example, Most of my work is weddings and stage productions, and I render down to 1920x1080 mp4 at 25 fps as I have found over the years that is the most compatible across the board for my clients and is about the minimum that I can maintain good HD picture quality. I split my delivered files into 4Gb segments again to be compatible with most tvs etc. That enables me to get 55 minutes into a 4Gb file using a VBR of 10,000kbs min and 14,000kbs max, which is about the lowest I can go to maintain quality. For the sort of lengths of files that you are suggesting, you could double that bit rate for a much higher quality for your youtube uploads and still be hugely smaller than your current files. You could also use m2ts or mp4 rendering depending on what your system handles best.

I does sound as though you should upgrade Vegas 9 as your lockups etc are probably due to the codecs not being up to current standards. Your 17 CPU and ram should be fine.

Hope some of that helps,

Roger

[Jeff Wisener]

I guess I should point out that the drone camera gives me the option of filming in MP4. My canon is only MOV

[Bruce Dempsey]

Buy a copy of Tmpgenc video mastering works to encode for Youtube and others. You just load your finished (edited file) into the program, select the template(s) you need and click encode.
Nothing better imo

[Roger Gunkel]

To make a file specifically to upload to YouTube, I simply click on the export to YouTube option in VPX and the programme converts the timeline to the required format and uploads it for me. I suspect that if you upgrade to a current version of Vegas, that you will have a similar facility.

As Bruce says, you could use a separate programme to convert for uploading if you prefer. The one advantage that I find with VPX and probably other recent editing programmes is that you can select a number of different export formats from your timeline to optimise for phones, pads, YouTube etc, without using a separate programme.

Roger