Any way to edit MPEG2 footage?

[vivsavage]

Are there any Mac programs to edit MPEG2 footage with?

[borax]

ProjectX

[AntnyMD]

... and now, for a Mac answer to a Mac question ... use MPEG Streamclip 1.3

[mrbass]

your better off to convert it to DV and then edit it with iMovie or what not.

let me quote from MacWorld May 2005 issue page 17

In addition, after many years of refinement, editing DV is remarkably stable. HDV editing is still a moving target. For iMovie HD and Final Cut Express HD, Apple added the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC), which trancodes HDV's hard-to-edit MPEG-2 into a more manageable format. This codec, though effective, is to be only a temporary patch until a better method is ironed out.

[sjk]

Sometimes you're "better off" using MPEG Streamclip.

[terryj]

MPEG Streamclip or converting back to DV for use in
FCP/FCE or iMovie....

It's whatever your comfortable with, and let's end it with that.

[rotuts]

how do you convert to DV? do you use QT and convert movie to DV? I ask as Ive had lots of trouble with streamclip. it seems slow, its quite cranky and seems to stop halfway thought a conversion, etc.

now my mpeg2 files come off a HDTV (divco) card on my mac. I hoped to easlily transform them to small QT movies as I do the QT files that come off my AlchemyDVR analog card to save.

it may be that the signal I get in the SF bay area is sometime weak some time the app iTele charshes if there is a lot of pixelation, and Im guessing there is less but significant pixelation in the 'complete' QT Im getting and streamclip cant hadle them

Im curious of export to DV first then manippulation with QTpro or imove to make sammler QT files.

thanks rotut

[terryj]

To get smaller files:

First is the mpeg2 playable via QT Pro?
( meaning, do you have the QT MPEG-2 plugin?)

if so, then
File--> Export --> Quicktime to -->DV.

This will export it out as DV.
It will of course be huge, so make sure you have alot of space.

Then Open iMovie,
File-->import into iMovie.
iMovie will bring in the DV as clips.
Assemble the clips as necessary onto the clip line
edit if neccessary, then Export--> (selected clips checked)
Quicktime tab-->Advanced-->Quickime to Quicktime Movie.
( Audio should be 16bit AIFF, Video should be processed
by Motion JPEG-A or 3ivx D 4.51, with little compression/HQ.

this will be a much smaller file than DV, but not as small as
small as say web video. It will be close but not as big as
MPEG-2, due to the HQ settings.

[rotuts]

yess I have QTPro and the mpeg2 plug in.

Ill try this later today and report.

with my analog alchemyDVR i initially use sorensen3 compression which it does in real time and a 320 x 240 file is about 2GB for 30 min

I edit out the commercials withj QTPro and then compress a second time with 3ivv best a constant setting of 5 in mono.

these files are about 100 - 140 mb depending on motion.

there are 'how to' shows on PBS etc cooking etc.

do you think Im haveing so much trouble with streamclip as the initial exporter due to pixalation?

thanks Ill be back to the topic this after noon.
one of my problems with the G4 dual is that while alchemyDVR is recording it takes 110 % porcessor power so I can't work with another video program at the same time or the sorensen3 drops frames.

thanks rotut

[AntnyMD]

how do you convert to DV? do you use QT and convert movie to DV? I ask as Ive had lots of trouble with streamclip. it seems slow, its quite cranky and seems to stop halfway thought a conversion, etc.

now my mpeg2 files come off a HDTV (divco) card on my mac.

Be sure to use the latest version of MPEG Streamclip, version 1.3. Earlier versions did not play well with transport streams from some high definition television broadcasts.

[sjk]

There's a version 1.3.1 update.

[rotuts]

AntnyMD and others:

I did get SClip 1.3.1 and it does handle my DIVCO files much better but there are still many problems.

is there a streamclip forum somewhere to ask these questions? for instance on my G4 I cannot move he sliding cursor to create in and out puts to cut in the program. I get the spinning beach ball.

is this the programs problem or that I don't have a fast enough CPU? these are the types of questions I ahve

thanks rotut

[AntnyMD]

I get the spinning beach ball.

is this the programs problem or that I don't have a fast enough CPU? these are the types of questions I ahve

thanks rotut

I think its a bit of both. I have a PBook 667, and I have to be very patient when editing high definition transport streams. Standard definition transport streams are easier to edit.

[rotuts]

A:

do you know what ' data breaks' means when SClip is exporting to QT? Im wondering if these are the parts of the file that has 'pixelation' ( not shure if thats the term)

Ive moved my HDTV antenna around and it seems better now, but after recording a show to disc, I have no way of knowing if in the middle of it there are these ' pixelations' and if so, is this why on export, my video just stops playing but the sound keeps going.

also, I had hoped to use the batch feature to do a lot of shows over night, but this feature crashes from time to time and again I don't know if its the "pixel' problem or something else.

but indeed 1.3.1 is much better.

too bad the new G5's are not too impressive. Im going to keep fiddleing with what I have and await a larger increment for a new G5.

thanks for your help

rotut

[mhar4]

AntnyMD and others:

I did get SClip 1.3.1 and it does handle my DIVCO files much better but there are still many problems.

is there a streamclip forum somewhere to ask these questions? for instance on my G4 I cannot move he sliding cursor to create in and out puts to cut in the program. I get the spinning beach ball.

I do a "Convert to MPEG" of transport streams first, and edit with the new file. I don't really know what it does technically, but it makes it much easier to work with. Give it a shot, anyhow.

[AntnyMD]

Thats a good idea, mhar4 ... I'll give it a try soon.

As for data breaks, I'm pretty sure it means MPEG Streamclip has detected non-continuous timecodes in the transport stream. Letting it fix data breaks will help all of your captured video show up. Also try mhar4's suggestion of Convert to MPEG once you fix the data breaks.

As for pixelization, not much you can do about it as you're capturing a bit for bit copy of whats being broadcast. If you're seeing some pixelization, thats because thats what the broadcaster sent.

For batch capturing, try using an Applescript in conjunction with iCal and DVHSCapture. I havent tried it but I've read on the internet in some places (try a Google search) that folks have been using it sucessfully with their cable tv high def stuff.

[rotuts]

A:

the "pixelation" im refering to is when the digital signal falls below the minimum and I get large blocks with no video on them. think a photoshop image that has blocks of 100 smallest pizel into a larger block that missing. Im told that thats because in my area about 30 minles S of the broascast tower in SF from time to time does not meat the minimum for the image to bve created.

is this the "data break" that SClip is refering to? not all my files have them, Im just guessing the ones with the missing largeer pixels.

Ill try the above when I can. my other problem is that when the analog card Alchemy is recording, it takes 98 % CPU as per activity monitor, and to use SClip to export to QT take 116%. so its one or the other for me or I get dropped frames with the Alchemy.

its interesting to note that the DIVCO HDTV card with iTele uses only 15% CPU to record the 400 line HD as no real time compression is involved.

I have a second G4dual where I can spread this out but not here. eventually Ill get a G5 but not for a while.

thanks Ill let you know how fixing the data breaks does.

rotut

[AntnyMD]

Thanks for clarifying. I would call those pixelization problems "dropouts" where the signal disappears for a moment or two. That will cause a data break .. and lost portions of your program.

Since you're quite far from the broadcast tower, you might be happier over the long run of just subscribing to high definition local channels from your cable company. Thats what I do.

[rotuts]

I thought of that but thats a lot of $$$ and I don't watch a lot of TV. I save the PBS "how to " files.

btw: your cable company MAY be compressing a lot of the true HDTV signals. in my area, PBS KQED at 8 pm has true HDTV broadcast that fillmed in true HD full spectruim and transmitted that way.

these images I watch on my samsung and are truely astonishing. they are far far better than the commercial transmissions ( by air) of their prime time line up in " available in HD" such as ABC, NBC, CBS. these have black stripes on the left and right of about 20% my guess,

the ABC, NBC etc are about equal to the PBS nighttime HDTV of broadcasts of various concerts. Im told by a PBS engineer that these were not filled with true HD camearas. the images are much much better than analog TV, but not the same as true HD fillmed in HD.

its like looking out a window with no pane in it, these I do not record as they are 20GB or so.

I imagine its hard to "see" true broadcast HDTV as all the stores that sell the sets rely on cable for their signal. imagine paying 5000 and getting everyting home and ooops, no broadcast signal!

thanks for the tip on "dropout" rather than "pixelation"
Ill try the repair process soon.