Various Adobe Premiere Pro problems...

[kingstinky]

Extreme newbie here at video editing. i've got a bunch of home movies i was wanting to edit and turn into DVDs and i just got Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0. I'm using a Dazzle Digital Video Converter 100 to capture my videos. I'm just stuck in a number of ways and am getting frustrated that nothing seems to work the way i wanted it to. here's what i'm stumped on....

1. Premiere's capture feature won't recognize my device to capture so i capture the video using MovieStar (the software provided with DVC100).

2. It captures it as an mpg but when i try to import it into premiere it says unsupported file format.

3. if i convert the mpg to an avi then i can import it into premiere, but i can get no sound at all in any of the panels. i've tried all the helps i've found online about making sure your playback is set to desktop audio. nothing works.

4. the video itself in source playback plays fine, but in the sequence playback the video is much smaller with a big black box around it. when i try to export the movie it exports that black background as well.

5. I'm just trying to find the easiest way to take captured video and edit it to cut down on the dead space and also to add music in the background here and there. I've tried tons of different programs but i just get stuck on everything. i bought premiere hoping it would be the answer cause of how good it's supposed to be, but i just don't get it. maybe i'm too new still.

can anyone help me on any of problems. i'm getting really frustrated! thanks.

[daamon]

Hi kingstinky,

Welcome to the forums.

Your problems numbered 2 and onwards are as a result of number 1. If you can get your videos onto your PC as DV AVI then the rest will be plain sailing. I don't have a DVC100, so not sure if you can set it to do this.

Also, try using WinDV (perhaps?) to see if that works with your DVC100 to capture to DV AVI.

[edDV]

Start by telling us your camcorder model.

Also, please provide a link for a "Dazzle Digital Video Converter 100"

Google and the Dazzle site seem not to have heard of it.
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/Home+Video/Dazzle/?dz=1

[daamon]

Start by telling us your camcorder model.

I was wondering if "home movies" were VCR cassettes? Hence the digital video converter?

@ kingstinky: Please clarify...

[edDV]

Start by telling us your camcorder model.

I was wondering if "home movies" were VCR cassettes? Hence the digital video converter?

@ kingstinky: Please clarify...

Hard to tell from his post. The Dazzle most likely hardware caps to MPeg2/AC-3. Both will need to be decompressed by Premiere.

[kingstinky]

Hey guys, thanks so much for your help.

My DVCis a few years old, just never got around to trying it before. Dazzle only lists it in it's old models support and downloads area here....
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/docsupport1.asp?division_id=1&langue_id=10&product_id=1470&...e=&page_id=876

Here's a link with some specs about it...
http://www.omegamultimedia.com/products/dazzle_multimedia/dvc100.htm


I have no idea what my camcorder was - it is broken and thrwon away now but it used the old VHSC tapes. I've got a VHS converter that you put them in and they will play in a VCR. So i'm going from VCR into the DVC100 to capture if that helps.

i'm trying the WinDV to see how that works. thanks.

edit: you guys probably could've guessed by now. WinDV doesn't work. it is trying to record from a DV device right? cause yeah mine is just coming in through VCR. so it sounds like capturing it right is really my problem. what should i use to capture a video through this DVC 100 coming from a VCR?? any thoughts?

[kingstinky]

I tried Virtualdub's capture but it says that it can't connect to the desired capture driver?

[edDV]

First, only Dazzle software will work with that device for capture to MPeg2. USB2 devices are not standardized and usually only work with the software provided.
...

OK your source is a VHS VCR and you are capturing to MPeg2 with the Dazzle. The data sheet isn't clear as to audio standard. Audio is probably MP2 or AC-3.

Premiere Pro will not edit MPeg2 directly unless you buy a $250 plug-in from Mainconcept.*

You may have to first demux the MPeg2 (separate audio from video) and decode the AC-3 audio before Premier Pro will accept the import.

Internally, Premeire Pro will need to decompress the MPeg2 to your specified Project format. If DVD is the target, best to use DV or uncompressed YUV as project format.

* http://www.mainconcept.com/mpeg_pro.shtml#standard

[kingstinky]

thanks Eddv. I'll try seperating out the audio and video. do you just use virtual dub for this? and will i still need to convert the mpeg2 into an avi or something before premiere pro will edit it?
i was planning on keeping them mpegs and using them in VCDs. so is there anything else i would need to do?

sorry for all the questions i just don't know anything really about video editing.


edit: i tried opening one of the mpeg files that i captured from the DVC100 in virtualdub and it gave me this error - invalid pack at position 3, marker bit not set, possibly MPEG-2 stream.

this MovieStar program that i downloaded from Dazzle's site captures video which nothing else i've tried does, but it seems to not be able to capture it right, and it gives you not options to choose how you capture it either.

[edDV]

thanks Eddv. I'll try seperating out the audio and video. do you just use virtual dub for this? and will i still need to convert the mpeg2 into an avi or something before premiere pro will edit it?
i was planning on keeping them mpegs and using them in VCDs. so is there anything else i would need to do?

sorry for all the questions i just don't know anything really about video editing.

I'll let others respond on the AC-3 decode. There has been discussion of Besweet etc. but I haven't used them.

Why are you using Premiere Pro for VHS? Try a MPeg2 editing program like MPeg VCR.

Like Premiere, Virtualdub will have to decode your MPeg2.

If VCD is your target, you can probably do it all in the Dazzle software.

[kingstinky]

I'll let others respond on the AC-3 decode. There has been discussion of Besweet etc. but I haven't used them.

Why are you using Premiere Pro for VHS? Try a MPeg2 editing program like MPeg VCR.

Like Premiere, Virtualdub will have to decode your MPeg2.

I just got Premiere Pro cause i heard it was the best for digital editing? i haven't tried MPeg2 VCR i'll give it a go.

what exactly do you mean that they will have to decode the Mpeg file? is that something i have to do in an outside program. cause i can't load the file at all in Premiere Pro or virtual dub.

[devlynh]

Here are some comments;
First, It is very unlikely that the DVC100 will be recognized by Premiere Pro 2.0 as it is a USB device and needs a custom driver to work at all. Use a DV camcorder to convert from video to DV and connect via firewire.
Remember that AVI files are not a "format" but a wrapper that contains the video and audio streams. You could use VirtualDub to convert the raw MPEG files into a AVI file (still MPEG) that Premiere could understand. But you are better off having the video as native DV to start with.
Check that you are capturing the same resolution as you want for the finished product (~720 X 480) it sounds like your capture resolution is ~320 X 240.
Using Premiere Pro 2.0 to accomplish what you describe is a bit like killing a butterfly with a sledgehammer. You should look at Premiere Elements 2.0, Windows Video Maker or one of the various packages at around the US$100 price range. Premiere Pro 2.0 is alot of software for home video work.

[edDV]

I'll let others respond on the AC-3 decode. There has been discussion of Besweet etc. but I haven't used them.

Why are you using Premiere Pro for VHS? Try a MPeg2 editing program like MPeg VCR.

Like Premiere, Virtualdub will have to decode your MPeg2.

I just got Premiere Pro cause i heard it was the best for digital editing? i haven't tried MPeg2 VCR i'll give it a go.

what exactly do you mean that they will have to decode the Mpeg file? is that something i have to do in an outside program. cause i can't load the file at all in Premiere Pro or virtual dub.

MPeg2 is a compressed format ready for DVD authoring. To edit it with Premiere or Virtualdub, you need to decompress it back to YUV or RGB thus loosing quality. Both programs will decompress the MPeg2 video but may not handle AC-3 audio.

For VCD you need to be in MPeg1 with MPEG-1 Layer2 audio. I'm sure the software that came with the Dazzle can handle making a VCD.

Also, if you capture to VCD spec instead of DVD spec with the Dazzle, Premiere or Virtualdub will be able to import, decompress and edit those MPeg1's but you will loose quality that way.