Do I need to break down and "buy" an NLE?

[ecc]

I want to sync up English audio from a fullscreen DVD with the video from a widescreen DVD (with Italian audio). I opened the m2v in VirtualDub and imported the English audio (which I converted to a wav file) and after adding delay got it synced up perfectly for the first fifteen minutes or so then it goes out of sync (the fullscreen DVDR runs about a minute longer than the Italian DVD so there was no framedropping during the recording of the DVDR, the content is the same except for the opening logo on the English one that I trimmed from the wav with Audacity, and they are both PAL speed).

I could not get the Windows version of Jahshaka to work (could import the clips but not get them onto the timeline no matter what I tried). Blender is too complicated for me. I can import the video (mpg of muxed original Italian audio and video) and English audio into ZS4 but could not figure out how to do anything further with it (I cannot insert the delay, preview the video and audio together, and have no idea how to trim one thing without trimming others). I've looked at Cinelerra (which I like) but only on a LiveCD and I didn't buy the Linux for Dummies book at my local bookstore because someone stole the included CD so I have no idea how to do anything with Linux. I haven't tried Avid FreeDV but I have a disc of it.

Windows Movie Maker will not take an m2v file (none of the other programs would either) and I cannot mux the longer audio with the shorter video because the muxer that would do that without error would just slow down the video to match the audio. Theoretically, I can sync up the English audio with the Italian video if I add the audio as the music track in WMM but once again, it will not take an m2v so I'd also have the Italian audio (which I guess I could turn the volume down all the way) but it would not output an MPEG-2 file and I do not have enough space on either of may hard drives for a DV-AVI output.

Do I need to finally break down and buy an NLE like Premiere to accomplish this (I could probably get that with my university discount but I do not have XP Professional)?

[ron spencer]

get editstudio from mediachance....$79....awesome

[JohnnyMalaria]

Try renaming your .m2v files to .mpg and then import into WMM (it works for some people).

WMM can also output to WMV which will help same disk space.

RE purchasing, try the trial version of Sony's Vegas 8.0 - it is fully functional and you could probably get your job done before the trial expires.

The same will be true for Premiere - but it's a dog's dinner of a program.

[ecc]

EditStudio does look interesting. I'll try it out first.

Try renaming your .m2v files to .mpg and then import into WMM (it works for some people).

It would still not output an .mpg file afterwards. Anyway, WMM does not output WAV files (the only audio files it outputs are WMA.

[ron spencer]

Sony Vegas is tied to your machine....not sure what sony's policy is, but if they are strict and you move machines your license code will not work

[JohnnyMalaria]

Sony Vegas is tied to your machine....not sure what sony's policy is, but if they are strict and you move machines your license code will not work

That's not true - at least with Vegas 8.0.

When I got it, I installed it (trial and licensed versions) on more than 4 installations of Windows (XP, Vista, Vista 64, a laptop etc). Sony expressly permit you to do this as long as you only use one instance at any given time.

This is in direct contrast to Adobe's pitiful licensing. You can't even try a licensed copy on a new OS or PC without having to phone them inorder to uninstall your existing installation and install it on the new OS. If you decide you want to stick with things as they were, you have to go through it all again. That was part of the reason that I finally said goodbye to Premiere after nearly 14 years.

Sony's approach is refreshingly straightforward and trustworthy.

[ron spencer]

well....that is great news then.....you have it?

I know that with previous versions it was tied to machine when I tried them, hence I bought EditStudio.

there is NO online activation with V8 then? None at all?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Each time I installed it I entered the same license key, it went online to activate it and that was that! I was pleasantly surprised.

[ron spencer]

well that is only a BIT better than adobe....you still need online activation, which would still lead me to goto editstudio.

[Mariot]

How about the Vegas Home, is it still tied to machine?

[JohnnyMalaria]

I don't have any experience with Home.