making a compilation vid from various file types/sizes

[pooksahib]

Hi. I've got a lot of small clips - avi, wmv, mpg, mov - that I'd like to make into a single video. I know that I first of all have to reencode them all to a uniform file type. But what to do about the resolution - bring them all down to the lowest of my collection (352x240), make them all the largest (720x576) or somewhere in between?

And would anyone disagree with my intended uniform file type - avi with xvid codec?

Many thanks.

[aedipuss]

all depends on what you want to do with the output. what are you planning to play it on?

xvid is fine.

[budwzr]

Do it the easy way. Use Sony Vegas Movie Studio. Just throw it all on the timeline at once and start editing.

[pooksahib]

aedipuss - a Western Digital 'Live Hub' plugged into the telly.
budwzr - thanks, I'll check that out.

[pooksahib]

I can see that vegas is a terrific program but I don't need all that it offers. In fact, I had an odd problem with it - avi files which vegas would load quite happily ON THEIR OWN or AT THE START OF A CHAIN did not load properly when added to an existing timeline. The audio was missing. The only way I got round that was by using virtualdub to reencode the audio of the 'rogue' avi files.

However, I stumbled upon an alternative solution for anyone wishing only to join together a mishmash of different clips without any fancy editing effects: Boilsoft Joiner. But only v6 onwards. It does a great job.