Compression of DV AVI

[bowmah]

In Videostuio 9, there is an option to choose compression under File>>Project Properties (for the MPG option). I think this is for the output and not for the transfer? I am transferring miniDV using DV format.

[daamon]

Hi bowmah,

Can you rephrase your question please? I'm not clear on what exactly you're asking...

[SingSing]

In Videostuio 9, there is an option to choose compression under File>>Project Properties (for the MPG option). I think this is for the output and not for the transfer? I am transferring miniDV using DV format.

I think you are right. miniDV avi is not compressed. The option is for the output, the higher the compression ratio, the more you can fit on a DVD. This is the same as the XP or SP r LP setting on DVR.

[daamon]

miniDV avi is not compressed.

I don't believe this to be correct - as far as I know, DV is lightly compressed at 25Mbps.

[Cornucopia]

Yes, that's ~5:1 compression for DV-AVI. Other types of AVI may be uncompressed, losslessly compressed, or lossily compressed to a greater or lesser degree, using one of many codec algorithms.
MPG is ALL compressed, usually between ~10-50:1, somethimes more.

Scott

[SingSing]

Lossless compression is invented by payless shoe store ?

[daamon]

Lossless compression is invented by payless shoe store ?

Not quite sure what you're getting at here, but the files output by WinZip (and similar) are an excellent example of lossless compression - it means that you can get back exactly what went in, even though the size of the compressed file is smaller.

[redwudz]

To get back to his question : Yes, that's for the output. The DV should just be a transfer from your source. It will be the same as the source when it's on your hard drive. You can't change that. In your case it should be a exact copy of video on the tape. (Hopefully)

Then you would select a compression for outputting (encoding) it to a format like MPEG-2. I'm assuming MPEG-2 as that is the common format for a DVD.

Here's a guide that might help:

http://www.jonesgroup.net/media/tutoriallist.htm

[bowmah]

Thanks for everyone's help! In the project settings, I can choose AVI and MPG settings. In MPG, I can choose to compress but in AVI, the compression scale is at 100% quality nd greyed out so I can't choose this.

But I can choose the audio. it is defaulted to 32 khz I think. I just did a last project and cranked it up to 44.1 khz. Anyone know if this will make a big difference?

By the way, having a blast with VS9. Way less crashes and prettty quick for the most part. The external drive is really helping my setup of usign a notebook!

[edDV]

I'm not quite sure what you are asking but you need to think of any editor as having a project format (the timeline), a capture format (same or different from project format) and an export format.

If you want to set the project format for DV, set "General" for 25 fps (Netherland), lower field first and 720x576. Set AVI for DV Video encoder - type 2 (or 1). Audio will be PCM 48K 16bit stereo.

Under "Capture" - "Capture Video" make sure your Format is DV. Under "Options" make sure you match type 2 (or 1) with project format.

That gets you set for DV import and DV project editing. Export ("Share") can be any of many formats including DVD MPeg2.

[Cornucopia]

Yes, and unless you have a particular reason to use 32kHz on your DV (1 being needing 4 channels to record in camera), you're MUCH WORSE off by leaving it at 32kHz, both from a compliancy and a quality standpoint.

Set it on your camera and in your timeline to default to: 16bit, 48kHz, LPCM, stereo, and you'll be happy you did.

Don't know why your options are greyed out...?!

Scott

[bowmah]

Thanks for the overview reply edTV. Much appreciated.

Set it on your camera and in your timeline to default to: 16bit, 48kHz, LPCM, stereo, and you'll be happy you did.

Don't know why your options are greyed out...?!

Scott

Hey Scott,

In the Project Properties of VS9 for MPEG:

Compression is set to 70%
Audio: LPCM
Stereo and Audio Frequency is greyed out. If I select MPEG, tehn I can select Audio and bit rate.

In the Project Properties of VS9 for AVI:
The onyl reason shwy compression is greyed out, it's because Compression was set to none. If I choose Compression using Microsoft Video 1 for instance, the quality slider bar comes back. Choosing no compression defaults to:

Data Type: 24bit RGB
Format: PCM
Attributes: 44.1 kHz, 16 bit, Stereo

I think I am good to go.

[Cornucopia]

Not a user of Ulead products, but I'll venture a guess.

There's file format choices: AVI vs. QT vs. MPEG vs. Real, etc.
Then there's codec choices: eg. in AVI--Uncompressed, DV, MSVideo1, Indeo, DivX, etc. in QT--Uncomp(None), DV, Sorenson3, MPG4, etc.

The "amount" of compression, aka the "quality" percentage is an adjustment of the bitrate along its native range.
IOW, "uncompressed/none" doesn't need a quality setting, 'cuz EVERYTHING is 100% of the expected bitrate for that resolution/framerate/colorbitdepth. Lossless has a small range, lossily compressed codecs much more so. DV is only 25Mbps, so no "range" there either.

**Note**: You probably don't see "DV" as a codec choice in VS9, esp. if all they show you are VFW-based codecs, as opposed to Directshow-based. To be able to see one there you'd need to add a VFW-based DV codec, like Panasonic's (careful--there are some conflicts with it and other video software/codecs). Audio for that should be like I said before (which is uncompressed/LPCM).

**Also Note**: When you're outputting/exporting to MPEG, you DON'T want to waste video quality/bitrate and available disc space on LPCM audio (with some exceptions). Also, most authoring apps will PUKE if you give them a muxed MPG file that has LPCM audio in it. It's non-standard in normal MPG program/transport/system streams, only standard in DVD VOB's ("super"-program streams). So don't choose that as your audio option. Use AC3 (preferred, if you got it) or MP2 (Mpeg1Layer2) @ ~224-192kbps (also obviously at 48kHz for DVD).

Scott

[thecoalman]

Don't know why your options are greyed out...?!

Scott

Ahh young grasshopper but I am familiar with Ulead... :P

Depending on the template you pick some options will be greyed out... For example if you pick the NTSC DVD template you can only adjust the resolution within the DVD specs, switch it to MPEG2 and you can pick any resolution... Same with AVI, if you have selected a DV codec under the compression tab your left with pretty much nothing to adjust.

So if your intended output is for a DVD use the NTSC DVD template and adust it from there... That way you can insure you don't select soemthing that is non-compliant.

The quality setting slider is IMO there to take up space... :P I've encoded with it at 70% and 100% and see no difference in the final video or encoding time... If it actually does anything I don't know...

BTW the slider doesn't set the bitrate, you'll find that on one of the other tabs... forget which one at the moment.

Edit: As EdDV mentioned you have 3 seperate setting. For the project property settings I usually use whatever the source is, this allows for real quick previews of edits you have made. It only has to encode the edited part.

Set your mpeg settings when you go to create disc or whatever they are calling it now... Haven't used VS in a while but do use Medai Studio Pro.

[Cornucopia]

Kinda one of the reasons I've never liked Ulead products.
Vegas,Premiere,AVID,FCP,etc are more powerful and more "straightforward" for an editor.

Scott