Vegas Video discussions from 2005 (Q1Q2)

[Rob Lohman]

Although the Microsoft DV codec was the worst and looked bad,
it has gotten significantly better with newer versions of Windows
and Service Packs. On my system it looks as good as others.

HOWEVER, I would still advice you to use the default "Vegas" one
(actually it is the MainConcept DV codec). Stick with that. It
produces good results and it is the preferred choice.

[Rob Lohman]

No, you don't need to slow it down, you need to re-interpret the
footage. Here is how you do it:

1. make sure you have your movie (both video + sound) outputted as a PAL AVI file (may be DV in format), make sure your pixel aspect ratio + interlaced/progressive settings are correct

2. go to www.doom9.org, go to the download sections and download Avifrate 1.10 under AVI Editing tools section. Extract the program from the ZIP file, run it and open the AVI file from point 1 above. The frame rate should say 25.0. Change the framerate to 23.976 and click Apply. Close the program.

3. start Vegas and load one of the 24(p) NTSC templates. Go to File -> Import Media and select the AVI file. Make sure the framerate says 23.976 in the information section below, before opening the file

4. drag the file to the timeline. You should see that the audio and video are of different lengths. Right-click on the audio track and select Group -> Remove From

5. zoom in on the end of the movie and stretch out the audio to the exact same length of the video WHILE HOLDING THE CTRL key. This stretches the audio.

6. right-click on the video and choose properties, make sure the framerate is still 23.976 for the video

7. check to see if you audio and video are still in sync over the duration of the movie

8. export to MPEG-2 in the 24p format.

This should produce the result you are looking for

[John Cline]

Rob,

The DV codec in Vegas was written 100% by the Sonic Foundry (now Sony) Vegas team. It is not the Main Concept DV codec. The MPEG2 encoder IS Main Concept's, but the DV codec is not.

John

[Greg Jacobson]

So when do people have to do an actual PAL to NTSC convertion?

You are saying that all I have to do is slow the video and audio down a bit and the render out to MPEG2?

In what sisuation do people hat to actually do a convertions of PAL to NTSCE? I always hear it is difficlut and degrades quality.

What you are telling me to do is not actually a real PAL to NTSE conversion. Right?

[Edward Troxel]

4. drag the file to the timeline. You should see that the audio and video are of different lengths. Right-click on the audio track and select Group -> Remove From

Alternately, you could click on the audio and press "U" or turn on the "Ignore Event Grouping" button on the toolbar.

[Edward Troxel]

ALWAYS stick with the Vegas DV codec (unless you run into some unique situation that calls for something different). The Vegas DV codec (and, no, it is NOT an version of the MainConcept DV codec) and been tested through over 50 render generations to show virtually NO loss. If you do a search here I'm sure the tests were posted here.

[Edward Troxel]

It's using the default "Border" fx (Translucent Blue Border). I suppose you could change that border FX and it would use the revised version.

The next version will handle the tally differently and you will be able to do this task more easily (assuming you don't mind editing an image in your photo editor.)

[Frank Aalbers]

Has anyone tried to capture Time Interval footage shot with XL2 using Vegas ?

All I get is a small 1 second snipped part of the footage and that's all.

I had to capture it using a very old copy of MediaStudio 6.0 .

Anyone knows what to do so Vegas captures it correctly ?

Here is the clip I finally made:

http://home.comcast.net/~chalbers/fast.wmvx

Just take out the x at the end when downloaded

Thanks !

Frank

[Lorraine Boyle]

Hello all,

Well, here's the thing; not a big problem but curious and annoying.

Some few, not all, clips on track #1 will appear in the output viewer window to *incompletely* cover the underlying clip in track #2. Likewise for track 2 overlaying track 3.

A vertical black bar appears down the right or left side of the screen and the underlying clip is seen behind the track 1 clip.

This does not happen all the time. In one case I deleted the event (clip) on track 1 and then re-inserted at exactly the same place and it was fine, 100% coverage. I don't even think it occurs upon insertion but as the result of some later operation.

This doesn't seem to have anything to do with the fade or fx on the event, or the clip properties. Split screen is off and I've tried several different settings for the viewer (draft-full, preview-auto). It even renders out this way; to .avi.

My guess is that I'm doing something wrong or have some option set that I don't know about.


many thanks,
Lorraine

[Adi Head]

thanks for your reply filip, but it isn't a frame rate issue. both avi file and project are at 25 fps. i think it really may be the fact that vegas doesn't "officially" support dvix, as edward pointed out. if i happen to run into anything simillar when using a vegas supported media, i'll let you guys know.

[Shannon Rawls]

Will someone give us the steps by the numbers. Not allot of discussion, let's not lose focus by talking about outher stuff.

For those of us with a Sony FX1E or Z1U who shoots their project in CF25 mode and will like to use Sony Vegas 5.0d to edit and convert their project to a 24P DVD....how do you do it?

I'll start it off....

Scenario: You are an indie filmmaker and want the so-called 'film-look' that is wonderfully shot in the DVX100a and XL2. However instead of buying those cameras you have purchased a Sony HDV camera because you want the bragging rights of telling people that your stuff is in High-Definition rather then SD and to 'future-proof' your work for the days when you can finally afford to have every room in your house outfitted with a 42" plasma and a HD-DVD player! *smile* You have read everywhere on the WWW to shoot your project in CF25 mode for many reasons we won't get into. You agree to do it. Your pre/production workflow is to Shoot in HDV so that your MiniDV tapes will have the footage in HiDef (so in the event you wish to deliver your movie in high def you can, by onlining it later). You don't have a Super-Computer, so you have decided to 'cut' your project in SD by capturing your footage, not in HDV, but rather in DV format so you can cut it like normal. To do this, you tell the camera to do an 'in-camera' downconversion via firewire. You have now reached post production. What are your steps????

1. Shoot your project in CF25 mode with your Sony HDV camera.

2. Downconvert the CF25 HDV footage to your computer via Firewire.

3. Open up your Sony Vegas 5.0d program

now what?

4. (will someone fill in the blanks)
5. (will someone fill in the blanks)
6. (will someone fill in the blanks)
7. (will someone fill in the blanks)
8. (will someone fill in the blanks)
9. (will someone fill in the blanks)

10. You now have a 24p DVD with a wonderful looking movie that carries the cadence of a Hollywood movie that you can show off to your friends & family and submit to festivals and prospective buyers. You also have the bragging rights of saying you have the same movie in High Definition and can be delivered in HD at anytime.
____________________________________

Will someone fill in those blanks above for us please??

- Shannon W. Rawls

[Emre Safak]

If I could figure out how to do it with a keyboard, I could program my Shuttle, but I always need a mouse!

I want to be able to change focus from one track to another, then move from event edge to event edge.

Using Alt+Shift+Up/down seemingly changes focus, but when I try to move to the next event edge, it still uses the previous track! I have to click on the event to focus on it.

[Emre Safak]

When I enter the Contour Shuttle Device Configuration and select Mouse Click instead of Type Keystroke as the response, I can select whichever event the mouse cursor happens to be stationed over. This is very close, but I want to select the event on the focused track at the current time.

[Edward Troxel]

You could write a script to select the event under the cursor on the currently selected track. This could then be assigned to a keypress and, subsequently, assigned to a button on the Shuttle Pro.

[Emre Safak]

Sounds like a winner! Unfortunately, I have never written a script for Vegas before so I do not know what function to call. I am writing this in case someone writes before I find it...