where did i go wrong ?

Glenn Chan · May 5th, 2005, 12:47 PM

1- What is your target format?
i.e. VHS, DVD
broadcast
computer format (streaming, a data file on a CD/DVD, etc.)

This makes a big difference. With TV (which typically display interlacing), you have to avoid fine detail that causes flickering. This can seriously hurt the legibility of text and other fine detail that is very common of computer-generated images. You may also need to avoid illegal colors.

2- The problem is that computer images tend to be a lot higher resolution than video. In your case, the computer resolution is 1024X768 (using square pixels) and DV is 720X480 (which uses non-square pixels). DV can't handle the much higher resolution of the computer image. When your footage is shown on a TV or computer, you may lose even more resolution. Computers can lose resolution depending on how you want to handle the non-square pixel issue. If you want the aspect ratio to be correct, you'll get around 655X480 resolution with DV (for a computer format; you may kind of get less resolution than that). The end result is that text is hard/impossible to read if it involves ~1-pixel lines.

You can help this slightly by making text bigger. The process is different depending which operating system you are using. However, you will still have problems because computer images have so much more resolution than video.

If you want text and other fine detail to be legible, you will probably need to do zooming of some sort. The top solutions for this are likely:
A- Use screen capture software such as Camtasia. If you do a search, you will find some threads on it.
I believe Camtasia has a feature to capture video of your screen zoomed. Otherwise, I suppose you'd have to zoom from within your editing program.
B- Shoot a LCD screen. Do zooming in the camera.

Scan converters: you might as well get screen capture software?

3- What operating system are you using (on the laptop, for the program that you want to show)?

Michael Moore · May 5th, 2005, 01:15 PM

Thanks for the input,

Let me start by saying that the footage is already shot and there is about 8hours of video.
The best way to dicribe the issue is the video is like you said “The end result is that text is hard/impossible to read if it involves ~1-pixel lines.”. The software it self is a DB training meant for an in house guide to setup the software and add in using the DB features.

The formate for viewing will be mostly laptop actualy it will almost exsculsively laptop. I was hopeing to have it on DVD’s so that it can be easly distribuited.

The operating system I am using is XP Pro and the OS that will used to view the video will also be XP Pro.

The thing is I cant seem to understand why I cant just have the raw video data that was recoreded during the training and just capture. I know there is scan convertor and that this makes it so that it is formatted for NTSC but I don’t want that I just want the raw info.

Thanks for the help and if there is anything else that you could suggest please please let me know.

Thanks
Michael

Glenn Chan · May 5th, 2005, 06:16 PM

1- Well first you should determine what format you want to go to:

A- Encode the file as a computer file onto a DVD. This DVD will not work in DVD players (video), but will work in computers. It may need a special codec to play back, depending what you use to encode.

Or if your company has a LAN, you could just stick the file there in a shared folder/drive.

Bottom line:
You can get full 1024X768 resolution without worrying about video issues.
These DVDs won't work in video DVD players, and may need instructions to install the right codec.

B- Go to video DVD. Effective resolution is around 600-720X480, so you need some way to make everything larger so it's legible (or zoom in at specific stuff).

If you can run the program at 800X600 or even 640X480, that may help you. It may also help to increase the text size. It's in the menus if you right-click the desktop, click the second tab, and choose large fonts.

2- The video data on your mini-DV tape (or captured into Vegas) probably won't get any better. If you can't read important text there then you may need to reshoot.

3- Let's suppose you want to pick option A in #1.
An example solution would be to use Camtasia to do your screen capture. This captures to the computer you are recording on.

To play back the video, you would need the Tech Smith codec. Users have to install it on their computer. With that codec installed, they can play back their video at full resolution (whatever you recorded in), although they may need to full screen the video.

*Not sure if the tech smith codec is easily editable, but I think it is.

May 5th, 2005, 12:47 PM	#16
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	1- What is your target format? i.e. VHS, DVD broadcast computer format (streaming, a data file on a CD/DVD, etc.) This makes a big difference. With TV (which typically display interlacing), you have to avoid fine detail that causes flickering. This can seriously hurt the legibility of text and other fine detail that is very common of computer-generated images. You may also need to avoid illegal colors. 2- The problem is that computer images tend to be a lot higher resolution than video. In your case, the computer resolution is 1024X768 (using square pixels) and DV is 720X480 (which uses non-square pixels). DV can't handle the much higher resolution of the computer image. When your footage is shown on a TV or computer, you may lose even more resolution. Computers can lose resolution depending on how you want to handle the non-square pixel issue. If you want the aspect ratio to be correct, you'll get around 655X480 resolution with DV (for a computer format; you may kind of get less resolution than that). The end result is that text is hard/impossible to read if it involves ~1-pixel lines. You can help this slightly by making text bigger. The process is different depending which operating system you are using. However, you will still have problems because computer images have so much more resolution than video. If you want text and other fine detail to be legible, you will probably need to do zooming of some sort. The top solutions for this are likely: A- Use screen capture software such as Camtasia. If you do a search, you will find some threads on it. I believe Camtasia has a feature to capture video of your screen zoomed. Otherwise, I suppose you'd have to zoom from within your editing program. B- Shoot a LCD screen. Do zooming in the camera. Scan converters: you might as well get screen capture software? 3- What operating system are you using (on the laptop, for the program that you want to show)?

May 5th, 2005, 01:15 PM	#17
Michael Moore Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Vancouver Posts: 94	Thanks for the input, Let me start by saying that the footage is already shot and there is about 8hours of video. The best way to dicribe the issue is the video is like you said “The end result is that text is hard/impossible to read if it involves ~1-pixel lines.”. The software it self is a DB training meant for an in house guide to setup the software and add in using the DB features. The formate for viewing will be mostly laptop actualy it will almost exsculsively laptop. I was hopeing to have it on DVD’s so that it can be easly distribuited. The operating system I am using is XP Pro and the OS that will used to view the video will also be XP Pro. The thing is I cant seem to understand why I cant just have the raw video data that was recoreded during the training and just capture. I know there is scan convertor and that this makes it so that it is formatted for NTSC but I don’t want that I just want the raw info. Thanks for the help and if there is anything else that you could suggest please please let me know. Thanks Michael

May 5th, 2005, 06:16 PM	#18
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	1- Well first you should determine what format you want to go to: A- Encode the file as a computer file onto a DVD. This DVD will not work in DVD players (video), but will work in computers. It may need a special codec to play back, depending what you use to encode. Or if your company has a LAN, you could just stick the file there in a shared folder/drive. Bottom line: You can get full 1024X768 resolution without worrying about video issues. These DVDs won't work in video DVD players, and may need instructions to install the right codec. B- Go to video DVD. Effective resolution is around 600-720X480, so you need some way to make everything larger so it's legible (or zoom in at specific stuff). If you can run the program at 800X600 or even 640X480, that may help you. It may also help to increase the text size. It's in the menus if you right-click the desktop, click the second tab, and choose large fonts. 2- The video data on your mini-DV tape (or captured into Vegas) probably won't get any better. If you can't read important text there then you may need to reshoot. 3- Let's suppose you want to pick option A in #1. An example solution would be to use Camtasia to do your screen capture. This captures to the computer you are recording on. To play back the video, you would need the Tech Smith codec. Users have to install it on their computer. With that codec installed, they can play back their video at full resolution (whatever you recorded in), although they may need to full screen the video. *Not sure if the tech smith codec is easily editable, but I think it is.