So are you saying that Sony will be releasing a HDV plugin to enable capture and editing HDV from it's FX1?

--YUP ive got it installed and it works quite well at the moment, but its still in its Beta2 stage.. it also installs the CineForm HDV codec and afew other HDV project presets such as 50i. As the ZU1 is 50i/60i, Frame mode (not progressive) switchable these presets are set specifically for the new Sony HDV cams. Most likely V6 will carry these plugin features in version 6 as standard as were lookin at an update within the first quarter of next year, when teh ZU1 is released--

If it is so, do you know if it supports frame accurate edits of the FX1's interlaced footage? Now that would be something!!

--Vegas already does this with its "virtual" frames in your timeline. I frame and B frame problems are non existant. U dont have to worry bout GOP drop off/freezeframes as the software recognises that the frames are being replaced and resamples ll mpg2 frames anyway. On top of that, if yo supersample ur HDV footage, youll get almost zero aliasing. The FX1 is a brilliant camera and i know many companies ditching their broadcast gear to build a studio full of these cams. Theyre that good.


The Digital Media Festival you mention..... Is it on soon?

---Mon tue wed 6 7 and 8 December in exhibition hall 6 darling harbour. Im at the NewMagic stand 9the guys who disribute Vegas and Lightwave here in Oz. ---

At Sydney's Darling Harbour? If it is and I'm not working - or otherwise entangled - I might try to get down there with my FX1e and HD10u....

--groovy, come down and check out teh Pro HDV model of the FX1, it has built in 4:3 framing, XLR's, and afew other features within the menu system. Its also sexy black ;)

im starting to wonder why anyone would want to purchase an XL2 after seeing these cameras in action.....

Convert the files using the Demo version of Cineform's codec, or convert the media to Huffyuv.
If you use Cineform, getting 25p or 50i playback is crazy simple. Native m2t streams will NEVER playback at full rate on today's computers, MPEG is just simply cruel.


Thanks for that DSE, what are u using for the conversion to Huffyyuv??

Were running the mpg2's which are already captured as Cineform codec files straight from the new plugin. If theres a way to get away with converting these to another format for decent editing without killing frames, id love to try it :)

If youconnect a progressive scan DVD player, and have a progressive scan DVD, and connected to an LCD monitor or projector, you have PS all the way through. Change any component, and it's no longer progressive scan.
If you connect all that to a plasma or television monitor that isn't progressive scan, then it's converted to interlaced at the display.

Change default font size
 

Is there a way to change the default size of 60 every time I open the text window?
It's driving me nuts. Now where did I put that prozac...........

On mine, default is 72! Here's what you can do. Change the setting the way you want and then save as a PRESET. Now when adding text, add YOUR preset instead of the "default" preset.

Before the magic bullet filter, you could try this:

Apply the color curves plug-in. Making it concave down (a curve that points to the top left) increases brightness, making it concave up decreases brightness.

Making the curve look like a "S" increases contrast. Making it look like a s turned sideways decreases contrast.

Bring up the histogram. You want it to look kinda even, so there's a good balance of shadows, midtones, and highlights. Adjust contrast and brightness with curves until you get that.

What you're doing here is compensating for any under/overexposure. If the picture was under/overexposed then you will either have very little black diffusion going on or a lot of diffusion going on. *Side note: You can always make your histogram look very flat, although that may not always be desireable. For dark scenes, you may want just a few highlights in the picture (the histogram will on average slope to the right). For bright scenes that could be the opposite.

2- Try the black diffusion 5.0 preset. Increase grade all the way.

3- Bring up the checkerboard from Vegas' video generators and apply the black diffusion 5.0 preset to that.

Tape and Clip Logging
 

Does anyone here keep a database of tapes, and possibly even scenes on each tape? I have been looking for software to do it, and have not found anything interesting for the PC. I did see a couple of Mac things. I use Vegas, so ideally it would tie into the Vegas media pool stuff and capture. But even a separate program would be of use, especially for tape library management.

So how about it? Any decent software to buy, or should I just build my own database?

Ive found these two:

Scenalyzer
http://www.scenalyzer.com/

CatDV
http://www.squarebox.co.uk/catdv/


Scenalyzer is easy to use, and CATDV is a bit more advanced. To use the Capture feature in CATDV, you need to buy a third party plugin, and I haven´t found any good ones yet.


There are lots of threads on this subject. Just search for
DV logging
logging tapes
log tapes
etc.

Yep seventy two also. I guess the preset is the way to go.
Thanks again.

Ron.G

Thanks Viktor.

I thought there WOULD be alot of threads, but could only find a couple. I probably didn't use the right keywords, but I tried a bunch of different ones.

I had looked at Scenalyzer, but it seemed to be only a capture tool. CatDV looks interesting tho, and I will examine it in more detail. Any other suggestions from the group here?

Making DVD duplicates
 

Does DVD Architect let you make copies of DVDs without having to keep a copy of all the footage and a copy of the project?

Many programs let you burn a DVD and then use that DVD as a master for all other copies in the future.

Hi Tony,

You can use Nero or what-ever-recent burner program you like to copy NON PROTECTED DVD:s.

// Lazze \\

Personally, I always burn from folders on the hard drive. However, I don't know why it wouldn't work. You may have more potential for a bad burn, though. When you choose burn, have you tried simply selecting that drive as the source? I'm sure you'd have to have TWO drives (one for reading, one for writing). The only reason I can think of for not work would be if DVDA didn't like reading from the root directory instead of a folder.

DVX & 24p 1080p, square vs. non-square pixels
 

I'm starting post on an experimental short that I have shot using both DVX100a footage (24p w/ Anamorphic) and 35mm still motordrive which I convert to 24fps 1080p HD using Twixtor in After-Effects.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to edit this film in Vegas and preserve DVX100a resolution.

The final outout will be 1080p 24p HD, uncompresses (it's only a 6 minute short).

So:

(1) Edit the DVX footage first in 0.9 DV 23.97 project, then uprez to HD (I have PhotoZoom Pro) - however, what's the best way to get square pixels? Then, edit the DVX uprez footage with HD footage in 1080p 23.97 project?

(2) Uprez footage first, before editing (I have one hour of raw footage), then edit everything in 1080p 24fps project?

(3) Can you create a HD 1080 project with non-square pixels during edting, then stretch at output?

(4) Something else?

MPEG2 output size
 

I tried to render a 1.5 hr avi out to mpeg2 with 'best' settings (in Vegas4). output mpeg2 file came @ 4.0GB and the corresponding .ac3 file @ 134MB.

Then why is it that when i go to DVDA, it says that disc space used as '6.1GB'!? DVDA also wants to recompress the video, obviously to make it fit on the DVD.

I believe I've output a MPEG2 file this big before with no complaints from DVDA.

Thanks for your help.

It surely should work. Are you running the latest version of DVDA?

yep, 1.0d

Vegas Audio ?
 

At what level do you run the peaks on the audiometers..At work we use VU and Dorrough audiometers so the Vegas meters are a little different

It seams I need to run them a little low

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Vince

1) I would edit first and then uprez, should save you lots of time and disk space

The numbers (I think) you need:

- start Vegas
- create a new project with NTSC DV Widescreen!
- load some footage
- set the preview to Best (Full)
- and hit the save button besides it
- the resulting file should be 872 x 480

So you need to output at that resolution with uncompressed AVI
at 1.0 pixel aspect ratio.

However, 1080 / 480 = 2.25 and 1920 / 872 is not (it's 2.2018 etc.).
So you might want to export at 1920 / 2.25 = 854 or 852 to get
to 854 x 480 which *might* upscale better lateron.

2) nope

3) yes you can

Just enter the resolution and square pixels (make sure it is
progressive!) into the new project settings in Vegas. To what
would you like to stretch when outputting?

You definitely want to keep everything below zero. Lately I've be running mine so it bounces around -12. Remember that -20 is the same as "zero" in the analog world.

DVDA sometimes "misguesses" at what the size will actually be. Try building the project and see if it actually does come out to bigger than 4.3 gig.

Thanks Edward about 10 years ago we got a device call a digicart a kind of NLE for announce and VO audio it was kind of hard to get use to recording into digital that much lower. Now I need to do the same on the Vegas and Avid

Thanks

Vince

Rendering just an alpha channel; possible?
 

Does anyone know if V5 will render an alpha channel only?
I have some logo projects that that need to be brought into Adobe P (my co-editor uses it), but he only wants the alpha channel rendered. My fear is that if I just render them against a black background & he goes to chroma out the black some of the logo's also have black in them & well, ya know what happens then...

Thanks in adavance.

Shane

If you render with alpha channel, you WON'T NEED to chroma key. The alpha will not be visable anyway.

Thanks for the speedy reply Edward.
Now how do I just render the alpha then?
I just did a test with a logo and Vegas defauts with a black background when I rendered it. When I brought the test render back into Vegas & dropped a different background under the test render you cannot see it.
I feel that I should know the answer to this but I sadly do not ;)

Shane

File - Render As - Type: AVI - Template: Default (Uncompressed), Click on Custom and on the second tab make sure "Render Alpha channel" is CHECKED.

After you bring the rendered clip back into Vegas, right-click it, choose properties, and pick the desire alpha format. Now the areas below should show through the alpha.

If the logo doesn't change over time, you could also use a PNG file which also saves the alpha channel.

AH HA! "Unmatted" under properties worked for me.
Now the question is whether this can be imported into Adobe Premiere as an alpha?
My co-editor lives in Ohio & he uses Premiere, I live in Oregon & I use Vegas (still trying to get him to convert).
We're producing a TV show called "Steve's Outdoor Adventures" that is now into it's second season on the The Mens Channel, The Sportsmans Channel and Wild TV (whatever the hell that is).
I usually handle all the effects, alpha channels and commercial spots but he is now getting into the alpha channel fun so this is the first time that he has requested just an alpha channel video and I feel embarrassed that this one stumped me.

Thank again Edward, you da man!

Shane

Rob:

Thanks for the info - I was leaning to trying one - thanks for the tip about 872X480 - that makes perfect sense now that I think about it.

What was tripping me up is when you shoot with the anamorphic adapter, you are shooting in 4:3 (0.9 pixel ratio) mode.

You mentioned Nero. Is that a good program for copying DVDs? Any other recommendations?

Tony,

Nero Burning Rom is more or less the standard application for burning CD:s and DVD:s - it also offers lots of extra functionality for a great price!

http://www.nero.com/en/index.html

// Lazze \\

<<<-- Originally posted by Lars Siden : Tony,

Nero Burning Rom is more or less the standard application for burning CD:s and DVD:s - it also offers lots of extra functionality for a great price!

http://www.nero.com/en/index.html

// Lazze \\ -->>>

Cool, here I go to nero.com...

And Nero even works with my drive for cheap money compaired to DVDarc which dose'nt.

If DVDA wants to recompress it, it may mean that something wasn't quite right in the render settings (resolution, bitrate, etc).

First I'd render it using the template for DVD Architect (try rendering a small section first) and checking DVDA will accept it without recompressing.

Once it does that you can just build the disc and see what happens.

I take it you don't have any amazingly big media in menus or anything.

Mpeg 2
 

Hi - Can any tell me why my MPEG2 render option is suddenly missing?

If it is totally missing, I think I would try a reinstall. I can think of NO reason why it wouldn't be there.

dvx100a and vegas
 

So one question - the film look plugin - sounds sweet, but I shoot with a dvx100a, and the 24p is built in.

BUT - it has 2 scene settings for 24p - F5 and F6 - Sony in their white paper says that you should use the F6 setting on my camera, and that's cool.

But, I've been reading a bunch on this topic and it seems that there are different gamma settings - and sharpness settings with the two different scenes.

So...I'm just looking for some advice - should I just make the changes in the settings in the F6 scene, and let it go with that, or is there something in the new plug in that would be a major benefit - I guess I don't know which way to go right now.

Thanks a bunch!
Milt Lee

You could perhaps export a 1 frame uncompressed AVI with
alpha channel and send it to him so he can try? Should only be
around 1.3 MB in size or so.

Yes, but if you just start a DV Widescreen project and load the
footage to the timeline, right-click choosing properties you can
alter the 0.9 aspect to the correct Widescreen aspect so it looks
correctly! Then export at the correct resolution with a 1.0 pixel
aspect and you should be fine.

Ofcourse make sure you test the complete workflow before
committing to things, also don't forget the whole 24p issue
(make sure the entire workflow is in 24p! DOUBLE CHECK THIS!)

What happens on reinstall? Does Vegas think it's in a new
computer as far as registration and such? Do you reinstall from
Start>Program Files>Vegas or do you reinstall with the CD?
I'm still getting Delay/Write/Fail errors so I would like to do the
reinstall but when I installed Vegas on my second computer
it didn't give me Mpeg-2, it told me I had to register for Mpeg-2
and they would send me a confirmation email with a number
to enter but after multiple tries they never did so on the second
computer I have to use an external drive and then connect that
drive to my other computer to render and burn it, which of course
no longer offers me Mpeg-2. Frustrating. Thanks

If you do an uninstall, reinstall, it will think it is a brand new computer.

If you do a "repair install", it should just try to update what has been messed up.

I would first try the "repair install" and then if it does not repair the problem do a full uninstall, delete the Sony folders, and then reinstall the current version.

Is your version on CD the current version? If not, download the latest update from Sony and use it instead.