VideoReDo TVSuite & Professional - General Discussion Thread

[Marayong]

I've been away on holidays, just catching up on the latest batch of posts.

Tying all the recent posts back to VFRD (for the moderators), the discussion between Mozartman & bridgy underlines what is IMO the single biggest strength of VRD and one which continues to be the case even tho' development stopped years ago. And that is that VRD was designed to meet a wide range of needs. IMO none of the alternative software does this. Alternative software may be good at a few things, maybe even better than VRD, but they only do those few things. For example, SMC cuts as well as VRD, if not better, but that's all it (currently) does. No format changes, no resolution changes, no cropping etc etc etc. Or TMPGEnc where you have to buy multiple products to be able to do many (but not all) of the things you can do in VRD. And yes, VRD was originally designed for editing TV broadcasts, but it has expanded far from that, as evidence by Bridgy's use with camera video editing and that the latest versions had dropped "tv suite" from the software name.

All of this means that if your needs are specific with only a few editing tasks, then there are plenty of alternatives for VRD ... but if your needs are widespread such as editing videos from different sources, changing resolution/framesize/cropping etc (as is my case), then at this stage there are no alternatives ... unless you wish to buy commercial software with a $10K+ licence.

Changing the resolution, format etc with VRD does mean a full recode, but that's not really the point .. the point is that VRD has the capability to do these things, if needed. For example, with VRD you can take two (or more) videos with different frame sizes and after several operations join them into one video that plays seamlessly - something I have done with VRD. And cutting out unwanted bits of of the videos in the process.

Bridgy, you wrote: "This is my biggest bug with Pegasys Software company, you buy a given tool and you pay a fee that gives you a lifetime license to use that version only, if you want to upgrade to their next Build, you have to pay for the upgrade, and you get a small discount for your valued continual use of their software."

That's not really all that uncommon. VRD was the same You bought v5 and were entitled to minor updates, but if you wanted v6 you had to buy a new licence. Actually, most software licencing works this way.

[noemi7]

For example, SMC cuts as well as VRD, if not better, but that's all it (currently) does. No format changes, no resolution changes, no cropping etc etc etc.

You repeat misleading info that Smart Media Cutter cannot change video format (aka container). It does: just change the extension of the exported file. It won't re-encode if the container accepts the codec, i.e. ts, m2ts, mkv, mp4, mov. It can re-encode if not.

Yes, SMC doesn't have option to crop nor to change the resolution. I'm among those who do NOT need it as the most important feature is frame accurate and lossless cutting. I'm registered user of VRD since 2010 but I've never considered it as a (good) video converter as it gives the user minimal parameters to set. VRD is good for somebody who has no clue how to use ffmpeg, x264, and x265, no mention available bunch of interfaces for these encoders.

Please consider that some people don't like to pay surplus for options which are in fact limited toys, and can be done better in other programs.

Anyway, skeskinen perhaps will add other bells to SMC as he is very kind and open for input.

[Marayong]

Changing the container is NOT changing the file format. Changing the extension of a pdf to txt does not mean the file is then a text file, it is instead a corrupted and basically unopenable file. If a device does not have the codecs to play a mov, then changing the file extension ain't going to make it playable. That's video kindergarten.

As for VRD converting file formats, if you want non default parameters, they are there, you just have to dig for them.

And as for paying surplus .. you are kidding? A lifetime subscription for VRD was dirt cheap. SMC does a fraction of what VRD does and is (was) the same price .. by that criteria, which would be the over charged one?

[noemi7]

Changing the container is NOT changing the file format. Changing the extension of a pdf to txt does not mean the file is then a text file, it is instead a corrupted and basically unopenable file.

Have you checked it? I saved dozens of files this way. If they were corrupted they could not be opened in mkvtoolnix, mp4box, and obviously by video players. In fact some have already been shared with hundreds of people, and nobody reported any issue. BTW: I'm SMC beta (pre-release) tester.

[Bridgy]

You repeat misleading info that Smart Media Cutter cannot change video format (aka container). It does: just change the extension of the exported file. It won't re-encode if the container accepts the codec, i.e. ts, m2ts, mkv, mp4, mov. It can re-encode if not.

What is it that you just don't seem to understand, you keep blabbing on with the same old stuff and your just digging yourself into a deeper hole.

Ok so let's revisit this from another angle, a Container (.MP4, .MKS etc etc) is kind of like a video Format, but it is just a box that contains the video and audio data, the Video Codec itself is not changed so when you change the container of course the video file will not be Recoded.

Where i come from, and maybe this applies to others too, when i refer to a video Format i refer to the Codec, you can call it whatever else you like.

You can change an AVC .MP4 file to a AVC .MKV and it won't recode it, if you want to go from AVC to HEVC regardless of the Container, you need to do a full recode.

SMC has 2 export modes.

1: Smart Cut: which exports back to the same as the source file, no recode.

2: Full Recode: this will do a full recode when changing from one Codec to Another (HEVC, AVC, AV1, and VP9) but it can only do it at the same resolution and framerate as the imported Source File.

SMC cannot export to any other Codec/Format at a lower or higher resolution, nor can it crop either.

VRD can do all of these functions.

Yes, SMC doesn't have option to crop nor to change the resolution. I'm among those who do NOT need it as the most important feature is frame accurate and lossless cutting.

Haha, what a joke, you was the one who famously claimed that SMC will be the next VRD and even better, but you will only be right when SMC can replicate every single feature that VRD can do, something that the Developer hopes to achieve at some point in the future, and now that i have been testing my own files for him, so far SMC is going along very nicely, and what i CAN DO right now it does it extremely well, and i am very happy with it so far, BUT i still need to use VRD to add my Titles and export to other Formats (sorry Codecs) and to resize when i need to.

I'm registered user of VRD since 2010 but I've never considered it as a (good) video converter as it gives the user minimal parameters to set. VRD is good for somebody who has no clue how to use ffmpeg, x264, and x265, no mention available bunch of interfaces for these encoders.

You should be ashamed of being a registered user of VRD to sprout this rubbish, you have no idea or clue how Dan Rosen created VRD and how it even works, and let me tell you now that Dan Rosen was the one who invented and implemented his Intelligent Recode Feature, and was the first to do Smart Render as well, everyone else since then has copied these features, some have even failed.

You need to learn how to use VRD properly before you sprout this nonsense.

Please consider that some people don't like to pay surplus for options which are in fact limited toys, and can be done better in other programs.

Please do us the courtesy of giving us some examples of software that you know for a fact can do stuff better than VRD, i refer to Encoding Video, Frame Accurate Cutting, Smart Rendering, and Intelligent Recoding, where you just need to select or create a custom export profile and let VRD do everything automatically.

Anyway, skeskinen perhaps will add other bells to SMC as he is very kind and open for input.

I certainly hope that he is not listening to anything that you have had to say, otherwise SMC will simply fail.

I love SMC for what it can do so far, it smashes any other software that i have used for doing Frame Accurate Smart Cutting and Smart Rendering of my 4k HEVC video files, even better than my VRD Pro, and it does a great job at Recoding my 4k HEVC files to AVC, VP9, and AV1 (in my testing) at the same 4k resolution.

That is why i use SMC now to do all my Cutting and Smart rendering back to 4k HEVC, and i use VRD for titles and exporting to other Codecs and Resizing.

[Bridgy]

Have you checked it? I saved dozens of files this way. If they were corrupted they could not be opened in mkvtoolnix, mp4box, and obviously by video players. In fact some have already been shared with hundreds of people, and nobody reported any issue. [COLOR="red"]

What don't you understand, you are talking about a CONTAINER not the dam CODEC.

BTW: I'm SMC beta (pre-release) tester.

You are no more a Beta Tester than anyone else is, others, including me, are using SMC version 2.3.3 right now, and i am in constant contact with the Developer offering my advice to him about new features and changes that he has made, so does that make me a Beta Tester too, i just offered my help especially given that i record my videos in 4k/60p HEVC Format, and VRD had not completed full support for this format when Dan Rosen passed away.

[noemi7]

You should be ashamed of being a registered user of VRD to sprout this rubbish, you have no idea or clue how Dan Rosen created VRD and how it even works, and let me tell you now that Dan Rosen was the one who invented and implemented his Intelligent Recode Feature, and was the first to do Smart Render as well, everyone else since then has copied these features, some have even failed.

I already got that you know everything better, and for unknown reason I'm your special target. Enough, stop these nonsense lectures and ad personam comments.

Yes, VRD was the first one which enabled lossless and frame accurate cutting of h264 therefore I bought it. However, there were number of applications which handled mpeg in similar way.

Intelligent Recode / Smart Render works within the same codec and resolution, and it concerns cutting the video - re-encoding around cut frames only. Obviously, change any of the two, and full re-encode will be required, and there is no any "intelligent" or "smart" way for the process. You haven't proven anything.

[Bridgy]

I already got that you know everything better, and for unknown reason I'm your special target.

You are a target for anyone in here because of your ill informed comments, maybe i am the only one who is willing to call you out when you post something that is wrong.

Yes, VRD was the first one which enabled lossless and frame accurate cutting of h264 therefore I bought it. However, there were number of applications which handled mpeg in similar way.

Yes others can now do frame accurate cutting and Smart Rendering, no other software does Intelligent Recode that VRD uses.

Intelligent Recode / Smart Render works within the same codec and resolution, and it concerns cutting the video - re-encoding around cut frames only. Obviously, change any of the two, and full re-encode will be required, and there is no any "intelligent" or "smart" way for the process. You haven't proven anything.

The Intelligent Recode feature in VRD refers to the Full Recode of video files to other Codecs and/or Resolutions where you convert your edited file from one to another (this is not referring to just changing containers)

Smart Render is the process of cutting and exporting back to the same format as the source file.

This is a screenshot of a 4k/60p HEVC File (Bitrate is 60.9Mbps) Exporting to 1080/60p AVC format using the Intelligent Recode feature in VRD.

I created the export profile with 1080/60p AVC as my resolution and MP4 as the container (same as source file) and i leave the Audio as it is to copy, and the great thing with using Intelligent Recode is that i never had to set the Export Video Bitrate (quality) because Dan Rosen already built this into VRD using some method to automatically export the File to the correct Bitrate for the set Codec and resolution.

In this export, the 1080/60p AVC file ended up at 25Mbps.


[Attachment 91999 - Click to enlarge]

[noemi7]

See you don't even know what the Intelligent Recode feature is, nor understand how Dan Rosen set this up in VRD to work the way it does, so stop going on about it, Intelligent Feature is used for full recode to other Codecs and for resizing, which requires recoding too.

You have no clue what you are writing about. Read a bit about how works video encoding. I reply to your fantasies last time, leaving info from other programmer:

The framerate and resolution changes you're making will force a recode anyway. So the only difference between intelligent and force recode is whether you want to manually set the bitrate or have us set it for you using our quality factor calculation.

Source: https://www.tivocommunity.com/threads/editing-a-tivo-file-with-videoredo-question.5768...#post-12021110

[Bridgy]

The framerate and resolution changes you're making will force a recode anyway. So the only difference between intelligent and force recode is whether you want to manually set the bitrate or have us set it for you using our quality factor calculation.

Source: https://www.tivocommunity.com/threads/editing-a-tivo-file-with-videoredo-question.5768...#post-12021110[/QUOTE]

So i was correct mate, using Intelligent Recode in VRD means that i don't need to set an export Video Quality Bitrate manually like in a Force Recode, Intelligent Recode uses what Dan called a Quality Factor Calculation which is what i basically mentioned in my previous post (the bit in red text)

Intelligent Recode still does a full Recode of your file if changing Codec and/or resolution, just like a Force Recode does, a Force Recode requires you to manually set your target Video quallity Bitrate.

Looks like you should go back to using SMC because if you are happy using SMC you obviously don't use the full features of VRD anyway, if you did then you would already know that SMC is nowhere near VRD yet as far as features go, but he is slowly getting there.

[Mike2020]

[QUOTE=Bridgy;2766077]Hi everyone, i have been given the nod to create a new Thread dedicated to all things relating to VideoReDo TVSuite and VideoReDo Professional, for those who might be interested.

Hi Bridgy

I have installed it on linux now , I have got my key from 2019 for the v6 pro , when I press enter key ,I only see key and no username etc
I have it installed in my win 11 pc , but Im moving away from windows to linux
any help would be gratful

so glad this thread is open , keep up the great work

regards
Mike

[Marayong]

Mike,
Follow the instructions for manual activation at the top of this page: https://www.reddit.com/r/videoredo/new/

Note that an internal counter in VRD has expired so in order to get the activation to work, you need to set the system clock back a year, do the activation and then reset the system clock. By system clock I mean the windows clock, not bios.

[Bridgy]

@ Marayong, Mike2020 has the v6 Pro version, not TV Suite.

@ Mike2020 ...... unfortunately since Dan Rosen passed away in late 2022, you cannot ever use your Pro License any more on a different machine or OS, which means you are now locked to the machine or OS that your current License was activated on.

Unfortunately the Pro version activation (like i have) was done using a different method to the TV Suite version, which apparently can still be reactivated on a different machine or OS, and Marayong is a bit of an expert on that one.

Back before Dan Rosen passed away the original way to move the Pro License to another machine or OS was to contact Dan and he would issue a new Code to you which would be used with your License key to reactivate it on a new machine or OS, and this is a very unfortunate thing for all Pro users.

I also have no idea if VRD ever worked on Linux, i never used it before.

If you would like to move your Pro license to another machine or OS, please send me a Private Message and i may be able to help you.

Cheers

[Marayong]

@ Marayong, Mike2020 has the v6 Pro version, not TV Suite.

Aha ... he didn't specify so I assumed like most users he had the non-pro version.

[Bridgy]

Aha ... he didn't specify so I assumed like most users he had the non-pro version.

yes he did, it is written in his post above.

Hi Bridgy

I have installed it on linux now , I have got my key from 2019 for the v6 pro , when I press enter key ,I only see key and no username etc
I have it installed in my win 11 pc , but Im moving away from windows to linux
any help would be gratful

[Marayong]

So he did. I'm blind.

[Mike2020]

@ Marayong, Mike2020 has the v6 Pro version, not TV Suite.

@ Mike2020 ...... unfortunately since Dan Rosen passed away in late 2022, you cannot ever use your Pro License any more on a different machine or OS, which means you are now locked to the machine or OS that your current License was activated on.

Unfortunately the Pro version activation (like i have) was done using a different method to the TV Suite version, which apparently can still be reactivated on a different machine or OS, and Marayong is a bit of an expert on that one.

Back before Dan Rosen passed away the original way to move the Pro License to another machine or OS was to contact Dan and he would issue a new Code to you which would be used with your License key to reactivate it on a new machine or OS, and this is a very unfortunate thing for all Pro users.

I also have no idea if VRD ever worked on Linux, i never used it before.

If you would like to move your Pro license to another machine or OS, please send me a Private Message and i may be able to help you.

Cheers

Hi Bridgy

I have the licence for the TVSuite V6 from 2019 not the pro one sorry, I have acitivated it on a few different pc's
as for linux , I have a prog called winboat , that let me run win 10 pro on linux , much like a vm , but better.

thank you so much for replying , will have a look on my hdd for the correct one I should be using

kindest regards
Mike

ps , its still the best video editing software I have ever used

[Mike2020]

Mike,
Follow the instructions for manual activation at the top of this page: https://www.reddit.com/r/videoredo/new/

Note that an internal counter in VRD has expired so in order to get the activation to work, you need to set the system clock back a year, do the activation and then reset the system clock. By system clock I mean the windows clock, not bios.

Hi Marayoung

maybe I have the wrong suite installed , but when I open to put the licence key in
I only have 1 line for the key , will have a look in my hdd for the correct one , thank you for your reply

kindest regards
Mike

[Bridgy]

Hi Bridgy

I have the licence for the TVSuite V6 from 2019 not the pro one sorry,

Ok so it was a typo error, that's fine, and yes it is still the best software out there for doing what it was capable of up until late 2022 when Dan Rosen passed away, sadly now with newer formats and 10bit video VRD is no longer valid for some users, lucky for me i can still use it for most of the work that i do with my camera recorded files (4k HEVC 8bit) but sometimes need to use other software along side my VRD Pro to get some of my files completed.

Good Luck.

[Mike2020]

Hi Bridgy

I have the licence for the TVSuite V6 from 2019 not the pro one sorry,

Ok so it was a typo error, that's fine, and yes it is still the best software out there for doing what it was capable of up until late 2022 when Dan Rosen passed away, sadly now with newer formats and 10bit video VRD is no longer valid for some users, lucky for me i can still use it for most of the work that i do with my camera recorded files (4k HEVC 8bit) but sometimes need to use other software along side my VRD Pro to get some of my files completed.

Good Luck.

found the correct exe on my hdd , just have to activate it manually like you said , have it installed , will do that later this evening
and will let you all know how it works on linux

I hardly use the newer formats , and don't really need 10bit videos either tbh , glad your still making great use of it , yes was very sad
when Dan passed away , may he rest in peace, but his legacy lives on and will do for a long time , as making the best
and easist video editor on the market

[Bridgy]

Yeah i can't see myself moving from 4k/60p HEVC 8bit recording so VRD Pro will always have a place in my editing arsenal, but i have new been a tester for the Smart Media Cutter software for the past 3 or 4 months and the Developer claimed that his software will be the next VRD and should be as good as, or even better than VRD has been, now i really thought that this was a very big (and brave) call by him at the ime, but he has certainly come quite a way in recent times with his development, and now has support for newer formats that VRD is not able to handle.

His frame accurate smart cutting feature is as good, or may even be better than VRD, and i have been using that a lot in recent times because i can cut my 4k files up much quicker than i can using VRD.

He has a feature to export to AV1, VP9, HEVC, and AVC in 8 and 10 bit, but it is only available for export to the same resolution as the source file, he will eventually offer export to these formats (Codecs) in other resolutions sometime in the future, as well as adding a feature to add titles.

He does not have same Intelligent Recode as VRD has, using the same Quality Factor Calculation method, but i hope he will offer this in the future.

Apparently SMC handles TV broadcast files very well too.

I kind of see the similarities between Dan Rosen and the SMC Developer, both very small private operators starting out slow and eventually building the software up as time goes by, and i am very impressed with SMC so far, and i already have a life time license for the software and have a feeling it will definitely be the equal to VRD at some time in the future.

[Mike2020]

Yeah i can't see myself moving from 4k/60p HEVC 8bit recording so VRD Pro will always have a place in my editing arsenal, but i have new been a tester for the Smart Media Cutter software for the past 3 or 4 months and the Developer claimed that his software will be the next VRD and should be as good as, or even better than VRD has been, now i really thought that this was a very big (and brave) call by him at the ime, but he has certainly come quite a way in recent times with his development, and now has support for newer formats that VRD is not able to handle.

His frame accurate smart cutting feature is as good, or may even be better than VRD, and i have been using that a lot in recent times because i can cut my 4k files up much quicker than i can using VRD.

He has a feature to export to AV1, VP9, HEVC, and AVC in 8 and 10 bit, but it is only available for export to the same resolution as the source file, he will eventually offer export to these formats (Codecs) in other resolutions sometime in the future, as well as adding a feature to add titles.

He does not have same Intelligent Recode as VRD has, using the same Quality Factor Calculation method, but i hope he will offer this in the future.

Apparently SMC handles TV broadcast files very well too.

I kind of see the similarities between Dan Rosen and the SMC Developer, both very small private operators starting out slow and eventually building the software up as time goes by, and i am very impressed with SMC so far, and i already have a life time license for the software and have a feeling it will definitely be the equal to VRD at some time in the future.

will have a look at it sometime , I see they have an app for linux too . I dont do as much now as before
but thanks for the heads up about that one Bridgy

[Marayong]

Mike2020, glad to see you were able to get it activated. VRD activation was never a simple process, but it's a bit more challenging now. Thankfully one of Dan Rosen's employees (well the employee) was able to get access to the activation software and reset up the online activation server for v5 & v6.

Worst case, you can clone/image a drive with an activated VRD and transfer that into another pc or onto a VM and it will still be activated.

[Bridgy]

Still a big shame about the Pro version activation not being able to be done again on a new machine or OS.

[Marayong]

Still a big shame about the Pro version activation not being able to be done again on a new machine or OS.

Indeed. Blame DanR's paranoia over the activation process.

[Bridgy]

Indeed. Blame DanR's paranoia over the activation process.

I think a lot of users could never work out why Dan set up such a strange Activation process for both versions of VRD, but more so the way he set up the Pro activation.

I also hope that this VRD activation mess serves as a reminder for all other software developers to make sure that they use some kind of universal activation process that makes it easier for users to handle, and if their software company is a 1 man outfit like VRD was (where only Dan Rosen was involved with running the business) that they have a plan put in place for someone else to take over the business and keep it running/developed into the future.

Dan Haddix (dan203) was the code writer for VRD, and he lived in a different part of USA, so he was never involved with the business side of VRD, which is why he was not in a position to continue running it after Dan Rosen passed away.

I am not criticizing Dan here, but what happened with VRD should not have happened.