prob capturing in Virtuadub at 720x480 editing in MS8 where it changes size

[slickdaddy96]

I am capturing analog VHS through a USB capture card with Virtualdub. I am capturing in 720x480 AVI compressed at 19 quality with PICVideo MJPEG codec. When I am done capturing if I open the file in any program the video looks normal, and the properties show that it is indeed a 720x480 AVI video.

Now here is the problem. When I import those AVI files to the Production Library of the video editor in MediaStudio 8, the thumbnails show up as the top half being a video and the bottom half being black. When I play them in the source section of the editing software they look fine, but when I add them to the timeline and preview they only show the half screen. It is almost as if MS8 is recognizing the videos as 360x240 or something.

This problem continues even after I render it to 720x480 MPEG2 format for DVD if I render it in MS8. Now if I use TMPGEnc to render the file it looks fine before and after. I figure this issue has to be with MS8, but I don't know what setting is messed up that is causing it.

A few other things the video is not deinterlaced or anything like that. If I capture in realtime MPEG2 when I send it to MS8 the videos look like they are suppose to. I want to capture in AVI though for better quality.

I have searched all over the internet for this answer and have not found it yet, but I have found a similar question asked with no replies.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me, as this is driving me crazy.

[mikiem]

HAve you tried the various combinations of settings for Picvid?

[gadgetguy]

It sounds like an incompatibilty between MS8 and Picvid. Try capping with HuffyUV or Panasonic DV codec?

[slickdaddy96]

I have tried several setting with the PICVideo codec. None seem to change it. I would try the HuffyUV codec if it wasn't for the lack of hard drive space that I have to work with, and that the PICVideo codec puts less strain on the CPU. I think I am just going to try Vegas and some other editing programs and see if I get the same problem.

Thinking about it, it almost seems like it is letterboxing but putting both parts of the black bars at the bottom, but this is a 4:3 aspect ratio, so I wouldn't think that would be it.

I am still playing around with this, and would be glad for any other suggestions.

[mikiem]

I've had prob with picvid quite a while ago where the solution was to turn off fields. Can also have prob. with v 3 if you force yuv (or I supose, in some prog if not forced).

A guess, if that sort of thing doesn't help, would be to try another codec as suggested, if just a short test -- at least you know what's wrong.

ANother guess would be to check and make sure your aspect ratios are correct & not locked.