Bizarre Ulead VS 6 - DV volume problem

[weshuang]

I've been using Ulead VS6 for months now to receive avi files from my camcorder, then cut and splice them for encoding via TMPGenc.

Anyway, I recently wanted to simply take some footage I had on my camcorder in LP, and put it back onto a DV tape in SP. I loaded the footage onto my PC just fine, but no matter what I do, when I cut the video down (its 90 minutes, so will take a tape and a half in SP), something goes wrong with the volume.

If I save a truncated version of the avi file, no matter how I change the volume setting in the storyboard tab, the result is a file that seems to have the volume turned up to the point that it causes static. No amount of changing the volume can fix this.

However, if I simply export the original 90 minute file back to my camcorder, the volume sounds fine. Its only if I'm splitting the file into smaller files. Does anyone have any idea what's going wrong?

[Specialist]

I read long ago that the LP mode should be avoided due to certain problems that might arise.

According to Bruce Johnson of DV.com...

"Contrary to popular belief, there is no quality difference between SP and LP modes in DV recording."

"What IS a problem is this:"

"The track width of SP DV recording is 10 microns, about the width of a human red blood cell."

"When you slow the tape down by 50% - to LP speed - that track width goes down to 6.6 microns."

"OK, as long as you play the tape back in the same deck you recorded it in - and even THAT is not guaranteed."

"The chances it will play back in any other camera or deck is slim."

"LP: Use at your own risk."

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[weshuang]

I read long ago that the LP mode should be avoided due to certain problems that might arise.

According to Bruce Johnson of DV.com...

"Contrary to popular belief, there is no quality difference between SP and LP modes in DV recording."

"What IS a problem is this:"

"The track width of SP DV recording is 10 microns, about the width of a human red blood cell."

"When you slow the tape down by 50% - to LP speed - that track width goes down to 6.6 microns."

"OK, as long as you play the tape back in the same deck you recorded it in - and even THAT is not guaranteed."

"The chances it will play back in any other camera or deck is slim."

"LP: Use at your own risk."

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

That's exactly the reason I am trying to convert the LP tape to an SP tape. However, I was able to get the hard part done, which was getting the footage off of the tape and into my PC as an .avi file. Once it's an .avi file, I can't imagine that the fact that it was originally recorded in LP matters. Now I'm just trying to cut the file in two so I can export it back onto tape in SP. Sounds simple, but no matter what I do can't get the think to work. Now you've got me thinking -- I'll see if I'm having the same error with footage that was created in SP...

Doesn't make sense, though, does it?

[Specialist]

Another Web site warns:

"Do not record in LP-mode over a tape that has previously been used in LP mode, as this can produce video that cannot be edited with NLE software."

"For these reasons, LP mode is best avoided, if possible."

http://www.cspry.co.uk/links/video_digital.html

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

[weshuang]

Another Web site warns:

"Do not record in LP-mode over a tape that has previously been used in LP mode, as this can produce video that cannot be edited with NLE software."

"For these reasons, LP mode is best avoided, if possible."

http://www.cspry.co.uk/links/video_digital.html

Jerry Jones
http://www.jonesgroup.net

Wow. OK. Kind of amazing, and a bummer to boot. I almost feel like the tape is now tainted. Waste of $8.

Thanks for the help, this was driving me nuts!!