Problem with AVI file loaded on timeline (Adobe Premiere Pro)

[Madisoid]

Due to being a newbie, I wanted to post here so that I would not acciedntly be posting in the wrong forum. This is a very specific question/problem and step in my editing process for a family project I am creating. Below in bold is my problem that I need assitance on. I will try and be as clear as possible.

Process:

My current project is to edit home video footage using Adobe Premiere Pro. The footage was orginally recorded on a Super8MM Video Film and then tranferred to a DVD format. Using the convertor Auto GX I converted the DVD formated recorded video into an AVI formated file - which would then be loaded into Adobe Premiere for editing. The converted AVI file plays back fine on my computer as well as in the Adobe Premiere monitar panel. However, the problem begins here...

Problem/Question:
When setting in and out points in Adobe Premiere, then dragging the video into the timelinethe video does not read properly. And yes, I do render the file and then play the video back for playback. Each video you load into the timeline has a little thumbnail preview window. My thumbnail preview window shows static lines, much like error lines. Once I playback the video in the timeline the screen is black, as if there was actually not footage recorded.

To test if AVI file -- I loaded another AVI formated video and did the exact same editing and the file reads. The main question is why does one AVI read in the timeline fine and another doesn't? Did something go wrong during the conversion from DVD to AVI? But, if this was the case why would the video play fine on the computer and not in Adobe Premiere's timeline?

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope that someone here can help me get over this particular hump in the process to finish my family video.

Please get back to me as soon as possible. And if there are any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Take Care,
Amy Madden

[daamon]

Hi Madisoid,

Welcome to the forums.

There's a number of things here...

1) AVI files, while being video with sound, aren't all the same. "AVI" stands for "Audio Video Interleaved" and can store video and audio in a number of formats.

A video "format" is basically the way in which the information is encoded and stored in the AVI file. The same for the audio.

You may have heard of Divx, Xvid, DV AVI etc. - these are all different video formats that can be stored in an AVI file.

2) So, based on the above, what format of AVI are you creating from your DVD when you're using Auto GK? If you're not sure, use GSpot with the AVI file and post a screen shot here.

It'd also be useful to see the GSpot details of the AVI that works...

Click here for info on posting screenshots

3) Adobe Premiere Pro is designed to work with either totally uncompressed video (i.e. no codec like Divx, Xvid or DV) or DV AVI. Anything else causes the problems you're seeing.

Uncompressed video produces massive files (really big), so 99% of people using Premiere Pro will use DV AVI. I do.

There are technical reasons why DV AVI is better than, say, something like Divx but I won't go into it unless you're interested.

So, how to fix it...?

Well... There's two things you can do.

1) Ideally, capture your Super8 to DV AVI - this is by far the most preferable thing to do if you want to edit (as you do) and it avoids unneccessary steps and loss of quality issues.

2) Take your existing DVD and convert to DV AVI. This can be done as follows:

a) Download the free VirtualDubMod - this works with DVDs
b) Download and install the free Panasonic DV Codec - if you haven't got it already.
c) In VirtualDubMod: File -> Open video file - Select you DVD file
d) Then, Video -> Compression and select the Panasonic DV Codec
e) Then, Video -> Full processing mode
f) Then, File -> Save as - this will save the DVD file to a DV AVI.

Repeat as required if there's more than one VOB or MPG file.

This method will save you having to re-capture all your Super8 footage - but, depending on the settings used when recording it to DVD, it may not be the best quality.

I hope that helps. Good luck.

[Madisoid]

Thanks for responding back so quickly --- I am going to try out the things that you suggested within the next couple days.

Please look for an update from me

[daamon]

Good luck. I will do. Feel free to come back with any questions if you get stuck...

[jjachin]

I'm not sure if I should start a new topic, but since this is directly related to the above, I'll post it here. I followed the above with much success. However, if I attempt to import the AVI into Premiere it crashes every time.

I imported the AVI into Quicktime Pro, but it doesn't have any audio. I exported it as a .mov anyhow just to see if I could import it into Premiere and it does indeed import.

My computer seems up to par with the (possible) exception of the sound card.. could that be causing the problem?

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

[dcsos]

using convertor Auto GX I converted the DVD formated recorded video into an AVI formated file

You need to select UNCOMPRESSED VIDEO & AUDIO when you "break out" of a DVD unless you want to risk transcoding artefacts

An Uncompressed AVI should be a NTSC DV file if you live in AMERICA
this will import into PREMIERE PRO

(note there are two kinds of audio in DVD streams, premiere pro only reads one of these, so be certain that your conversion program uses the correct DVD audio format (type 1 and 2 (I and II) they are called)

here is their info from ADAM WILT:
Microsoft defines two types of DV files as part of the AVI file specification. Type 2 contains two data streams, a "vids" video stream and an "auds" audio stream. This is the sort of AVI file used by VfW (Video for Windows) compatible applications, including most of the first-generation DV NLE products on Windows. In a Type 2 file, the audio buried within the DV datastream is separated out into its own track or stream. This allows current tools to get ahold of it and manipulate it, but there is a slight storage penalty as the audio stream redundantly replicates information buried inside the DV datastream being treated as the "vids" stream.

A Type 1 DV AVI has neither the "vids" nor the "auds" streams familiar to most VfW compatible applications, but a single "ivas" (interleaved video & audio) stream. This is more efficient in terms of storage, but not many NLEs can deal with it
Type 1 AVIs are also blessed with the removal of the 2 Gig limit, through an extension of AVI called OpenDML, created by Matrox and approved by Microsoft, and part of the DirectShow architecture.

The DirectShow architecture can read and write both Type 1 and Type 2 files, though the Type 2 files are usually not backwards-compatible with the VfW architecture.

[jjachin]

dcsos YOU ROCK! You saved me from tossing myself in front of our company shuttle bus in the name of video defeat.

Admittedly, I didn't quite understand half of what you said (being quite new to all of this), but I derived enough from it to solve my problem.

I'm sure I'll be back, but in the meantime I thank you.

[dcsos]

Go To It!
Uncompressing DVD's takes up a lot of DISC SPACE for awhile tho'
till you re-author and put the stuff back in the new edited form on a new disc