How to render video from DCR-SR60 camcorder

[tarrickb]

Hello,
I just purchased the DCR-SR60 hard drive camcorder and have a quick question.
I want to edit the video and need to confirm the best settings for rendering (using Sony Vegas). I've noticed (after transferring the .mpeg files to my computer and processing them through DGIndex), that the bitrate is around 8.0 Mbps and that the field order is "top".

Does this mean that when it's time to render the edited file using Vegas I have change the field order to top (default setting in Vegas is bottom)? Any other recommendations on rendering this file?

Thanks.

[ozymango]

I'm only passingly familiar with hard drive camcorders, but doesn't this record in mpeg2 format? It's gotta be either mpeg2 or Sony's own format (which I wouldn't doubt!), but if it's mpeg2, then you don't need to convert this at all. In fact, you don't want to render an existing mpeg2 file into another file, unless you're trying to edit in AVI mode and even then ...

Anyway, assuming it's mpeg2, do NOT render it, just use as-is -- it seems very odd to me that using a Sony camcorder video file in a Sony (or close enough) program (Vegas) would require some kind of conversion.

It may be that you just need an update for Vegas to let you edit this; I'd check out their website for any updates.

[thecoalman]

I'm not familiar with Vegas and am assuming you are making edits which would require you to reencode. Generally the same rules apply using any editor when working with MPEG. You want to use the same settings as the original file for the best results. Additionally you want an editor that only reenecodes the parts you have edited. Whether Vegas does that or not I don't know.

[tarrickb]

Thanks for the responses...

The reason why I need to re-render is because I need to make edits to the video. And yes, the source vids. from the camcorder are MPEG-2.

I know it's best to leave the source vids alone, but I can't avoid rendering if i need to edit.

[Scorpion King]

If you are calling removing unwanted parts, adding transitions, adding text, adding fade in - fade out audio, etc, editing --- then a reencode is 'not' necessary. What would make reencoding necessary would be to do a resize, framerate conversion, filtering, ie... major changes that requires an reencode just to accomplish.

Simple cuts only requires a program that can remove unwanted parts of a video and save out the rest unchanged. Adding transitions and such requires a program that can reencode the actual transition effect - then copy out the remainder of the video - unchanged.

The word unchanged is a very important word when working with video because when a video is changed in just about any way you will probably take a quality hit. lol

Good luck.

[tarrickb]

Thanks for the reply, very informative.

Would a program like Sony Vegas make this possible (edits without a full recode), or would i be best editing with a program like Vdub?

[Scorpion King]

I have 'tried' Vegas but I don't know. But if you load your MPEG2 files into VirtualDub then you will haft to reencode because VD can't export MPEG2. Ulead VideoStudio can - if you set the project setting to exactly match the video you load. That is easy to do by checking the box "Display message when inserting first video clip" in Preferences. Check the box, drag in the first video, message displays, choose "YES" to set project settings to match the video properties - then you can smart render (direct stream copy) the file out without reencoding. I would image Vegas has the same ability - how to set it up I don't know.

Good luck.