Vegas Video discussions from 2006 (Q1Q2)

[Edward Troxel]

No "codec" is actually used during capture. Think of it as a file transfer from the camera to the hard drive. Codecs come into play when you start playing and editing the files.

[Stephen Finton]

I'm an old Mediastudio fella. But I've grown weary of their fascination with bugs. I can't build a system that satisfies their strict requirements and my current editor even bought a premade system to see if it would make any difference, to no avail. Still having problems.

Never had problems with our cameras, though. Always bought Sony. I figure this to be a sign.

Vegas, here we come!

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Yep, it'll hold up just fine. Everything you learn for VMS is applicable to the full version, only there are a few things the full version makes easier. For instance, the full version offers a one-button/one image color pass, where the VMS version requires we do it "the old" way, which is one additional step. But overall, 100% of the tools, techniques, and workflows are applicable.

[Randy Stewart]

You'll never look back ;-). Been there. Vegas is so much more stable and feature rich.
Happy editing,
Randy

[Glenn Chan]

The simple answer:

A- Capture the same footage into both programs, apply some effect like flip (or broadcast safe in another test), master the footage onto two tapes.
Capture both tapes into one editing system and see if the video levels are different.
If the video levels between both programs are the same, this indicates that the video levels are just being displayed with different brightness.

Or feed the same footage from both systems into your preview monitor (i.e. one via S-video, the other via composite). The video levels should match.

B- If quality control is critical, then get an external hardware waveform monitor + vectorscope. Make sure the input type matches your deck. A hardware waveform monitor + vectorscope will be the most accurate, as it is not prone to setup error or confusion. The waveform monitor + vectorscope in FCP and Vegas are both wacky and can be setup improperly.


---

The Vegas Video scopes settings:

This stuff is more confusing that it should be.

Studio RGB: Check this box if using a codec that operates in studioRGB color space. If using the default codec (vegas DV codec), then check this.

7.5 IRE setup: Your preference.

If this is checked, proper digital black level will be at "7.5".
If unchecked, proper digital black level will be at "0". This will affect the composite display in the waveform display, and how the chroma levels are displayed in the vectorscope. For consistency with FCP, you can uncheck this setting.

2- The confusing logic behind's Vegas' video scopes settings is this:

The scopes are designed to emulate a traditional analog hardware waveform monitor + vectorscope.

When converting from digital (i.e. DV) to analog, one of two things can happen:
A- Proper digital black level (Y'=16) goes to 7.5 IRE. This is the way things should be done for NTSC (everywhere except for Japan, and for PAL).
B- Proper digital black level (Y'=16) goes to 0.0 IRE. The majority of DV equipment does this.
Most North American NTSC equipment expects setup at 7.5 IRE, so this is wrong.

Vegas can be set to emulate either scenario.

3- In an all digital workflow, this stuff doesn't matter too much. As long as you maintain proper digital levels, you are good. Since you never convert digital-->analog, whether your equipment does 7.5 or 0.0 IRE doesn't matter.

To make sure your digital levels are correct, take a look at the Vegas Video scopes setting.
There are four possible combinations of settings- this affects where proper digital level should be on the waveform display.
Studio RGB: This setting needs to match the particular codec you will be using. For DVD (via DVD architect, or mainconcept MPEG2 encode straight out of Vegas) and DV (with the SONY DV codec), the right setting is studioRGB checked.

7.5 IRE setup: Once the setting above is set properly, this setting determines where proper digital black level will show up. If this setting is checked, your shadows should kiss 7.5 on the waveform display.
If the setting is unchecked, your shadows should kiss 0 on the waveform display.

Vegas is fairly twisted because there are 4 different possible combinations, and it never tells you what the current settings are (until you look in the settings).

[Dean Orewiler]

I want to get this software: Vegas 6 + DVD Upgrade from Vegas 5 and DVD Architect 2 , but do I need to have the Vegas 5 before I can get the Vegas 6??? If so, I may go with the Vegas Movie Maker ($100) compared to the expensive version. My question is does Vegas Movie Maker convert 4:6 to 16:9 when I use my guides with my XL1S?? Also, does it have the 24p conversion??
Thanks for any info.
Dean

[Joel Bradley]

is there anyway to change the DV footage from a sony handycam to look more professional? with a video effect.

stupid question cause its probably impossible.
like how film companys like dimension take old kung fu movies, and make them look 1000 x's better then the chinese version. they must use some kind of filter

[Edward Troxel]

Welcome to Vegas. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

[Peter Wright]

(also posted on Sony Forum)
As has been noted previously, when capturing HDV with the internal capture app in Vegas, Time Code on the captured clip always starts from Zero, no matter where in the tape you start. This means that unless the whole tape is captured from the beginning, the time code in the clip in Vegas does not match the original camera T/C.

BUT,

I've just done a capture starting mid-tape (using Z1 camera), and although afterwards the captured T/C did start at Zero as described above, I noticed that during capture, the actual Camera TimeCode was being accurately displayed in the Internal Capture window, bottom right hand corner, the left of the two time code read outs.

This means that Vegas IS indeed able to read the correct time code when starting mid-tape, but for some reason it doesn't transfer it to the clip thumbnails, as it does with DV.

I hope this can be sorted in the next update.

[Don Donatello]

different Vegas versions comapred
http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/pro...FeatureID=8357


upgrade link
http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/sho...ory.asp?id=111

[Dean Orewiler]

thanks Don for the info.
I didn't see where the vegas movie maker could convert 60p to 24p....do you know if this has it? I also wanted to make sure that I could modify color timing and give it some "film look" effects.

[Damian McCrohan]

Very impresssed with Vegas but is there a straightforward way of saving a selected region of a video clip to disk in the Trimmer Window? If I only will ever need 30secs of a five minute file, in the previous program I used, it was simple to save this trimmed section as a file allowing the deletion of the never to be needed 900MB or so (in this example). Have searched help and manuals to no avail and would appreciate advice.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Yes, Vegas Movie Studio can convert to 24p. I haven't tested it against the full version to know if there is a difference in algorithms, but it does indeed, do 24p. Just for giggles, I recently did a 2 hour project in VMS Platinum to see if I could. It was all 24p from 50i HDV.

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

No. You can make a subclip, but this always references the original. The easiest method, and VERY fast, is to set a region, and render that region to a new track. This is one area I wish Vegas could improve, allowing a subclip to be actual, not virtual.

[Randy Stewart]

VASST Absolute Vegas training DVD samples are up on the VASST site here: http://www.vasst.com/coming_soon.htm. What do you think?
Randy