Filming at the highest quality?

[John Harris]

Hey there. I'm pretty new to using my XL-1s camera and i've noticed during some filming that after I capture the video to my PC via firewire, and edit it in a program like Pinnacle Studio 8, that the output (mpeg-2) video has a tendency to look a bit "liney" and "blocky" from time to time.

I set Pinnacle's project mode for NTSC-DVD production and the Mpeg-2 output isn't anywhere near as crisp and clean as the original footage. I'm noticing a lot of resolution "lines" (for lack of a better term) in the finished movies and "blocky-ness," especially in motion shots, where the camera itself is in motion.

I'm trying to put together a highlight reel for some film stock on the camera and edit it in pinnacle studio. I'm not sure if i'm doing it right or if the PC's monitor resolution has anything to do with it (PC resolution better than NTSC) but the finished product looks "lossy" to me when I compare it to direct signal output from the camera itself.

I'm not previewing the finished mpegs on an actual TV monitor (this could be the problem) but just using Windows media player.

I'd like to be able to preserve the clear, crisp images the camera can produce, and i'd like some tips on how the camera should be set up and how I should master the video in Pinnacle to preserve the video so that it remains broadcast quality.

How should I set up the camera for shooting in most daylight and/or low light situations for optimal broadcast resolutions?

Which capture mode(s) and/or project modes should I use within Pinnacle Studio 8 to do the mastering for the cleanest looking finished product?

Is it possible that the line and blocky problems are caused by the rendered video's NTSC resolution being drastically different from an 800x600 monitor with millions color depth?

I need help. Any tips you can give to me would be greatly appreciated.

[Dan Uneken]

Check out the Pinnacle forum and post your question there as well:

Pinnacle Systems Discussion Forums

Perhaps you can find a download for a software update as well on their site.

[Jeff Donald]

I agree with Dan that the quality problems sound more like an issue with Pinnacle and the MPEG2 encoding. It does not sound like a DV or XL1 issue. You might also want to post this in the PC editing section.

[John Harris]

I did. I also did a test burn this weekend (frankly i'm a cheapskate and didn't want to waste the DVD+R) and I discovered that indeed it was the Windows Default Media Player Codec that was making the rendered mpegs look like crap.

The images were crisp and clean on the actual DVD on the set top player, so it's all good yo!