I believe I did that but I will make sure. Thank you.

Do you have a link? Because there is one manufacturer that
I seem to run into a lot that makes all kind of NLE keyboards,
EXCEPT for Vegas...

http://www.bella-usa.com/Products-DV...rd-details.htm

It appears you buy the keyboard and a set of stickers.

Divx v Mainconcept
 

So if Divx is so good, should I be using this codec instead of the Mainconcept one that comes with Vegas?

DiVX is a computer-only codec. It's not going to do you any good for DVD encoding, the main point of the Main Concept codec.

If you want to distribute web or CD movies for watching on computer, DiVX is a contender right along with Quicktime and Windows Media.

This company has Vegas keyboards with laser etched icons:

http://www.worldtechdevices.com/

I've noticed some commercial standalone DVD players (Circuit City, Good Guys, etc.) advertising DiVX (MPEG4) playback.

http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers lists 45 players with
this support. This doesn't confirm an emerging trend until
the major players include the feature in all models in their product line . Phillips, Pioneer, Sony, Toshiba and
and other major players have one entry on the list.

YES vegas see's frame mode ( captured thru V ) as progressive.

if your clip was shot frame mode V can edit it as progressive or as interlaced project because a progressive frame is made up of 2 fields just like interlace therefore it will always remain 2 fields in progressive or interlace.

where you will see the difference is in effects , moving titles .. if you set project up as progressive then effects will be progressive ( both fields in frame will be same = 30 motions per second) .. if you set project as interlace then ( NONE on deinterlace method) moving titles will be smoother ( 2 fields are NOT same = 60 motions per second) , transitions smoother etc.. but the clips frame (2 fields) will be same ..

to test for yourself - set project up as lower field order 1st ( interlace) , and drop a frame mode clip in TL ..now render the clip out as interlace ( deinterlace NONE) ... now compare orginal frame mode ( which Vegas see's as progressive) to the rendered interlace clip ( which Vegas see's as interlace) ..notice they are exactly the same...

now if you set your project up as progressive and you have some interlace video then this is where the deinterlace method you choose will come into play on the interlace clips. .. if you choose NONE then it will leave the clips as interlace. i prefer BLEND when mixing interlace with frame mode ..

i shoot only frame mode & progressive but i prefer the smoother transitions, titles, fx's so i set 90% of my projects up as interlace.

Vegas video and JPEG sequence output
 

I need to output my VEGAS DV edit work as a JPEG sequence, which is announced in the product brochure but does not even appear in the HELP file.

How can I accomplish that?


Emilio

Let me get this straight-you edited something in Vegas---now you want to output it as a JPEG sequence file--What are you trying to accomplish--an animation? If that be the case then the instructions are within the Vegas 4.0 help file. Here it is:

From the File menu, choose Import Media. The Import Media dialog box is displayed.

Choose the folder where the file you want to open is stored:

Choose a drive and folder from the Look in drop-down list.

—or—

Choose a folder from the Recent drop-down list to quickly select a folder from which you have previously opened files.

Select a file in the browse window or type a name in the File name box. Detailed information about the selected file appears at the bottom of the dialog box.

To limit the files displayed in the dialog, choose a file type from the Files of Type drop-down list or enter *. and an extension in the File name box. For example, enter *.wav to display all wave files in the current folder, or enter *guitar*.wav to display all wave files that have the word guitar in the file name.

If you select an image from a still-image sequence, you can select the Open still-image sequence check box to import all images in the sequence as a single entry in the Media Pool. In the Range box, enter the number of the last image you want to open. For example, if you'd selected AnimationOne_00001.tga in step 3, you could enter 120 in this box to create a new Media Pool entry using AnimationOne_00001.tga to AnimationOne_00120.tga.

Click Open.

Vegas adds the file to the Media Pool.




IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IN MIND PLEASE BE MORE SPECIFIC IN YOUR DESCRIPTION.

divX is the best computer codec. It may not suit your needs if you need compatibility with viewers.

check in on the Vegas board .. there was a SCRIPT available that renders out png sequence and i believe it has been modified to output jpeg too ... they can tell you where to get it .. it might be on the CD or if you downloaded yours it might be on sonys V4 download page under SCRIPTS. also there are many scripts at sundance media ..

http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/home1.htm

click on "To reach the digital media tutorials, click here"

then under catagory choose "automated scripts "
then look for "render image sequence"

you need to have .NET loaded on your computer. use windows update to get the newest .NET

Stills into video
 

Learing the process of DVD authoring I have stumbled across menu creation.
I grab a frame for processing in stills imaging software (Photoshop or Ulead PhotoImpact 8) (to serve as background for main menu, paste it there and besides of deinterlacing I have to adjust a resolution prior to adding additional elements on top of this frame image.

As for PAL I read I'll have to change to 768x576 (from originaly grabbed 720x576)
in order the added graphic elements to have correct proprotions once improting the image back into authoring software.
(as I understood to compensate for non-square pixels of TV -> to square shaped pixels of PC monitor)
However I work in NTSC originally grabbing 720x480, so how shall I later the resolution prior to working with image ?

I'm guessing, since 768x576 equals to 4:3 proprotion for square pixels with preserving original vertical resolution, trying to do that for pal yields 640x480, but than improting it back to, say video editor (Vegas) I get black bars to the picture sides in preview window.

Also, if no any further graphic processing on frame grab is necessary
(aside of deinterlacing), should I also convert it proprotions in Photoshop in order to be properly rendered in authroign software once importet back to such ?

regards, Alex

for vegas NTSC make your stills 654x480 ( some say 655x480 )

Thanks a lot, Don, that helps. The image improted back as .bmp onto time line fills the preview window precisely once 655x480.
But what is the exact consideration ?
655x480 is not exactly 4:3 for PC monitor interpretation.

regards, Alex