Video Degrades When Imported Into Editor

[Mike_Sony_User]

I recently bought a Sony DCR-SR220 DV Camera. It has been great and the video has been super clear. When I use the very basic video editor that Sony provides (Let's Enjoy Video) the DVD is very clear. The mpeg-2 files also appear extremely clear when I just bring them up using Windows Media Player.

I tried using my Adobe Premiere Elements 3 to edit and burn the MPEG-2 files, but the video becomes grainy. I also have tried Pinnacle 11, which I took back because it also lost quality and became grainier after imported. I bought Vegas Movie Studio 8 Platinum today, thinking that since the basic Sony editor that came with the camera worked this might work as well. However, the quality also degrades and becomes grainier when I import into the Vegas editor.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me. I am exteremely frustrated and not sure what to do.

Any help would be most appreciated!

Thanks.

-Mike

[zoobie]

try viewing your video with gspot or the like
try viewing it in vlc media player
try removing and reinstalling your mpeg2 codec and or display drivers
sounds like something went wonky

[guns1inger]

This isn't a mini-DV camera, so it records using the mpeg-2 codec. Mpeg-2 is a poor codec for editing, especially in Premiere or Vegas, as neither are designed to edit mpeg-2 natively. This means any editing you do with force a complete re-encode, and a drop in quality. Womble would be a better choice, as it allows you the ability to edit mpeg-2 on a traditional timeline with minimal re-encoding.

Other factors include the original bitrate. The camera has three levels of quality - HQ @ 9 mbps (approx 75 minutes to a DVD), SD @ 6 mbps, and LP @ 3 mbps. All 3 are at full D1 resolution, so LP will be low quality to begin with, and only get worse. SD will be OK for talking heads, but suffer badly if the camera or subjects move around. HQ is the only mode to come close in quality to standard DV.

What mode are you using ?

The best choice of all (aside from getting a better camera) would be to buy the Mainconcept mpeg-2 editing plug for Adobe Elements. This will allow you to edit the files as native mpeg-2 video in elements, making faster and reducing quality loss substantially.

[Mike_Sony_User]

Thanks for the quick reply Gunslinger. I have shot all of my video in the HQ mode.

Would you say the Vegas is now a wash? It seems crazy to me that Sony wouldn't develop a editing software that is compatible with their cameras?

Is there any reason why the cheap software that Sony sent me did not degrade the video but Vegas did? I can't understand it.

I will also try the Main concept plug for Premiere elements and also try Womble, but any help in getting Vegas to work would be great (since I just bought it)

I truly appreciate everyone's expertise.

Thanks!

-Mike

[guns1inger]

Sony haven't developed any of the software form the ground up. They have bought what they needed, and taken it from there. Vegas was never designed for consumer DVD or mpeg cameras. It has always worked best with DV. It can work with the others, but at a cost. The freebie that Sony threw in will be dedicated mpeg-2 editing software. It works natively with the compressed footage, but is limited in most other areas.

Vegas should be able to load the footage without degrading, and allow you to edit it. It should also be able to output mpeg-2 without degrading the image noticeably, so long as you use the correct settings. To maintain the quality you have now, you would have to keep the running time do 70 minutes or so, and use as close a bitrate to the original as you can. If, after doing this, you find you have major quality differences, then you have other problems.

[Mike_Sony_User]

Gunslinger, it sounds like I need to use something other than the default settings for Vegas. Do you have any advice on what settings to change and what to change them to?

Thanks!

-Mike

[guns1inger]

When you choose the Mainconcept Mpeg-2 profile in the Render As dialogue, click on Custom and you can alter the video bitrate on the Video tab

[ingeborgdot]

This isn't a mini-DV camera, so it records using the mpeg-2 codec. Mpeg-2 is a poor codec for editing, especially in Premiere or Vegas, as neither are designed to edit mpeg-2 natively. This means any editing you do with force a complete re-encode, and a drop in quality. Womble would be a better choice, as it allows you the ability to edit mpeg-2 on a traditional timeline with minimal re-encoding.

Other factors include the original bitrate. The camera has three levels of quality - HQ @ 9 mbps (approx 75 minutes to a DVD), SD @ 6 mbps, and LP @ 3 mbps. All 3 are at full D1 resolution, so LP will be low quality to begin with, and only get worse. SD will be OK for talking heads, but suffer badly if the camera or subjects move around. HQ is the only mode to come close in quality to standard DV.

What mode are you using ?

The best choice of all (aside from getting a better camera) would be to buy the Mainconcept mpeg-2 editing plug for Adobe Elements. This will allow you to edit the files as native mpeg-2 video in elements, making faster and reducing quality loss substantially.

You mention womble as being a better choice. Could you explain why? I am debating on getting vegas pro 8 or womble. I know there is a difference in cost and power but I do want good quality videos.