Exporting a Video without Loss of Quality

[FL-Artist]

Because of having to add an external Audio file, I must run the straight from the camera 1920 x 1080 HD video through my VSDC editor, then export it with the new external Audio file attached, then re edit it, to make the actual cuts! What I need to know is, how can I export it that first time without lowering the quality? No matter how little I do, it never seems to come out of the editor with the original Quality. Sometimes when I export a video, it grows to sometimes double in file size!

[manono]

Because of having to add an external Audio file, I must run my straight from the camera 1920 x 1080 HD video through my VSDC editor, then export it with the new external Audio file attached...

Don't pass it through VSDC. You can send it to the hard drive and then add the audio without reencoding the video. Or export from VSDC losslessly, if possible, which will create a very large filesize. Maybe that'll be okay for you.

...then re edit it, to make the actual cuts!

If all you're doing is cutting parts out, that can be done as well without reencoding the video. Once you send it through VSDC, a reencode is required and that'll invariably lower the video quality when using a lossy video codec. If you're doing other things besides cutting then, yes, a reencode will be required.

[FL-Artist]

"You can send it to the hard drive and then add the audio without reencoding the video"

Hello, and Thanks! ..How would I send it to my Hard Drive and attach the audio file to it? without using The Editor?

[JVRaines]

What are the codec and container of the video file?

[FL-Artist]

What are the codec and container of the video file?

The Container I believe is MP4 ..I am quite new to this so you will have to excuse my ignorance! ..Codecs I don't know how to read exactly, here is a screen shot from VLC media Player.

[poisondeathray]

Why don't you import the audio as a separate track into VSDC ? Why the 1st step , then reimporting ?

If you can't do that, then use a tool like tsmuxer to add your new audio, and remux. Because it does not re-encode, it just stream copies, there is no quality loss

VSDC cannot do a "Stream copy" where it passes the original video through. . Eitherway, when you re-encode with a lossy format, you're going to lose quality. But losing quality once is better than twice

If it as just simple cuts type editing, a better tool would be videoredo, or solveigmm video splitter , or tmpgenc smart renderer

[FL-Artist]

poisondeathray Thanks ..I went all through this with VSDC support people, They said you can't cut the Audio and the video simultaneously in VSDC, and I myself can't sync. the audio file separately after the cuts have been made, especially when they are in the middle of the video! It my be just me! Because I'm a Beginner! ...but unless that audio is riding along with the video file I can't edit it! Any suggestions are appreciated!

[poisondeathray]

poisondeathray I went all through this with VSDC support people, They said you can't cut the Audio and the video simultaneously in VSDC, and I myself can't sync. the audio file separately after the cuts have been made, especially when they are in the middle of the video! It my be just me! Because I'm a Beginner! ...but unless that audio is riding along with the video file I can't edit it! Any suggestions are appreciated!

Then I suggest you use something else .

If you think about it, the basic purpose of a video editor is to cut audio and video simultaneously...


Free video editors like shotcut, davinci resolve, hitfilm express, lightworks.... etc... are probably better choices

[FL-Artist]

@poisondeathray And you say these other Editors are capable of making cuts to a separate Video file, ..and separate Audio file simultaneously??!

[poisondeathray]

@poisondeathray And you say these other Editors are capable of making cuts to a separate Video file, ..and separate Audio file simultaneously!

It depends what you mean exactly, but yes - you put separate video and separate audio, or separate "anything", on different tracks .

ie. You can "marry" different audio and video tracks and cut them together .


Did you want to discard the original camera audio, and just replace it completely with the new audio ? Or did you want separate audio tracks ? or "mix" the audio (combine them together) into the same audio track ?

[FL-Artist]

I just want to marry the external Audio track to the Video, and then do my Editing on that first pass through the Editor! ..I don't care what becomes of the Cameras audio once it's replaced! Also could you recommend which of those other editors might be best for a Beginner like me! ..And Thanks again!

[poisondeathray]

I just want to marry the external Audio track to the Video, and then do my Editing on that first pass through the Editor! ..I don't care what becomes of the Cameras audio once it's replaced! Also could you recommend which of those other editors might be best for a Beginner like me! ..And Thanks again!

Are you "happy" with VSDC ? Because every software has some learning curve, so you'd have to invest some time. If you are familiar with VSDC it would make some sense to do it there if possible

It can edit video & audio from the same video file, right ? It can shift audio if you need to , right ?

Is your external audio in sync at time zero ? Or does it need some timing adjustments ?

What I suggested with tsmuxer is to "marry" the external audio to the video . You can discard the original audio there too ("divorce" ) . You just checkmark the streams that you want, uncheckmark the streams that you don't want , push start muxing. This is just "stream copying" , no quality loss



If VSDC still has problems, and you're looking at other options - then it has more to do with user perception of the GUI, or how comfortable they are with the GUI for the other choices. Just look at some screenshots of the preview of some of them and since they are all free, try some out .

[FL-Artist]

I am used to the VSDC editor, but they have told me there is no way to simultaneously cut both tracks! and finally advised me to make 1 pass and attach the new audio, ..then run it through again! to make the edit cuts! ..As far as I understand Syncing Tracks, I am just lining up Clap marks as close as possible on both tracks, and so far the audio seems to match pretty well! ...But now this issue of losing quality from the two pass's ...has got me wondering what I should do! I am certainly not looking forward to learning a whole new program from the start though!

[budwzr]

The problem here is that you started off on the wrong foot. Now is the perfect time to dump VSDC and go with Sony Vegas Studio.

Don't waste time and energy on a software that can't even do the basics without a headache.

[poisondeathray]

I am used to the VSDC editor, but they have told me there is no way to simultaneously cut both tracks! and finally advised me to make 1 pass and attach the new audio, ..then run it through again! to make the edit cuts! ..As far as I understand Syncing Tracks, I am just lining up Clap marks as close as possible on both tracks, and so far the audio seems to match pretty well! ...But now this issue of losing quality from the two pass's ...has got me wondering what I should do! I am certainly not looking forward to learning a whole new program from the start though!

I think you are mistaken, or you're misunderstanding what I'm suggesting

There is only 1 track required.

How do you cut a "normal" video from camera, or youtube, or anywhere ? The audio and video are on the same track in VSDC. I think only the "pro" version displays the audio waveform, but both A/V are on the single track

I'm suggesting you replace the old audio with new audio . So it's still 1 A/V object. Still 1 track. The only problem is syncing. You might have to sync audio separately before "marrying" in tsmuxer. But you don't incur lossy compression losses when using uncompressed audio to uncompressed audio

[FL-Artist]

poisondeathray What I have is, ...a Camera raw Video file, plus I record a separate audio file from a Zoom H1n Recorder, I open that VIDEO file in the VSDC editor, ..then I open the separate AUDIO file, ..I do have the Pro version so I see the Waveforms on both tracks! Now VSDC gives me the option to, Not Use AUDIO from the Videos track, I do this, and I am left with the Video now using the Zoom recorders Audio, but they are still separate tracks! that would need to be cut separately! ...until I export them! ...Then they become part of the same file!

[budwzr]

The problem here is that you started off on the wrong foot. Now is the perfect time to dump VSDC and go with Sony Vegas Studio.

Don't waste time and energy on a software that can't even do the basics without a headache.

VSDC is what I call bogus software. It does not adhere to the principles of professional editing. I have Zoom recorders too. If you don't align yourself with a software that adheres to the basic principles of editing, then you handicap yourself.

[FL-Artist]

VSDC is what I call bogus software. It does not adhere to the principles of professional editing. I have Zoom recorders too. If you don't align yourself with a software that adheres to the basic principles of editing, then you handicap yourself.

I see the cost of Sony Vegas is about $150 ..I don't think I'm ready for that level of software yet! Could you recommend anything a little lighter that will still allow me to cut the 2 tracks as one single track!

[budwzr]

Look around the web. Vegas Studio used to be like $59 dollars. Do some research. Even the very entry level Vegas Studio will solve your problems.

[FL-Artist]

I will do that Thanks!

[_Al_]

The question then is, can Vegas Movie Studio separate video from audio and then group them together? Because studio version has lots of features gone as oppose to Pro version.

Platinum version is usually much better equipped.

[poisondeathray]

poisondeathray What I have is, ...a Camera raw Video file, plus I record a separate audio file from a Zoom H1n Recorder, I open that VIDEO file in the VSDC editor, ..then I open the separate AUDIO file, ..I do have the Pro version so I see the Waveforms on both tracks! Now VSDC gives me the option to, Not Use AUDIO from the Videos track, I do this, and I am left with the Video now using the Zoom recorders Audio, but they are still separate tracks! that would need to be cut separately! ...until I export them! ...Then they become part of the same file!

I'm suggesting you "marry" the zoom audio and camera video beforehand . "divorce" the original camera audio. Using tsmuxer . Import that "new" file. So there is 1 track only

I'm assuming you can edit the audio, shift it +/- to sync it, but maybe not...

[FL-Artist]

poisondeathray "I'm assuming you can edit the audio, shift it +/- to sync it, but maybe not"

You Mean to move each track forward and back on the timeline so to line up and Sync. with the Videos Audio track?

I'm going to give this tsmuxer a try before going to any new program, ..I don't really know how to use it! can't see any wave forms so I'm not sure whats audio or video, when I put a file into it's workspace, but I'll keep messing with it! Thanks

[manono]

You Mean to move each track forward and back on the timeline so to line up and Sync. with the Videos Audio track?

No, he said, "edit the audio" which means you set a delay in the audio - move it forward or back relative to the video. I've never used TSMuxer myself and don't know whether or not it has that ability.

can't see any wave forms...

You wouldn't. You determine the delay needed before setting one in TSMuxer. Or you guess, do the muxing, refine the guess until you get it right. Most people play a video and audio in a player capable of setting a delay on the fly to help them figure out what it is. MPC-HC is one such player.

[FL-Artist]

manono ..I downloaded the MPC-HC. ....But I also have VLC media player is that any good?

[JVRaines]

You can press F or G in VLC to shift the audio earlier or later, respectively. Each keypress moves the audio by 50 ms.

[manono]

And using MPC-HC and the + and - keys, you can advance or delay the audio in 10ms increments.

[FL-Artist]

Thanks to Everyone for your Help! These New programs all new to me! ...so I'm going to have to try and learn to use them. I really hoped it could all be fixed by just using an editor, as this external Audio track has become such a hassle! I may just start looking at new ways to perfect my audio on site with a better Camera ..and hopefully eliminate the problem all together!

[budwzr]

@poisondeathray And you say these other Editors are capable of making cuts to a separate Video file, ..and separate Audio file simultaneously??!

Of course any decent editor cuts the audio and video on the the same point. If you want to use video editor to cut audio, that's ok too.