Sony Vegas and other software...

seal123 · 05-18-2009, 03:52 PM

Hi to all
I have decided to learn as much as I can about the various editing software and different ways of doing things and thought you guys could help.

Firstly, am I being unrealistic to expect my camera footage (Mini DV tape) to look as good as it does in its' original form after I have taken through Vegas for editing, add transitions, FX etc, then burning to disc?
I am always disappointed with the end result, however I am not really sure what project settings to use, or render settings for that matter as a friend set it up for me a long time ago, and I have since bought another type of TV (for viewing the footage burnt to disc), and I have also bought a new camera since he set it up. What are the rules or parameters for deciding these settings?

I usually take the vegas file to DVD Architect to burn the footage to disc. I only do this because that is what my friend showed me. He is not in this area anymore so I can't pick his brain over these things.

Is there anyway I can duplicate the excellent quality that the DV tape produces... I am willing to look at other software etc?

I have just rendered a partial file in Vegas as an .avi, I then sent it back to my camera (print to tape) and then viewed it on my DVD player, and I am still disappointed with the quality. The preview window in Vegas makes the footage look excellent, but once it leaves Vegas there is a real loss of quality.

Any help much appreciated, and willing to learn and explore all options.

PS A friend wants a small section of one of my Vegas files for their web site...what format should I render this as please...?

A big thanks to all
Deb

**blah789** · 05-19-2009, 02:33 PM

Do you do any intermediate encoding and/or resolution changes? What's the resolution and codec of the original? And into what codec is the final file encoded, and what's the relative size of the final file compared to the original?

Generally speaking, it's best to preserve the dimensions during editing, and do any intermediate encodes using only lossless codecs (meaning there is no loss of image quality). Huffyuv (http://neuron2.net/www.math.berkeley...g/huffyuv.html) is very fast and well-suited for that task. Finally at the very last step, you can resize (if you want) and encode lossily for maximum compression (though you'll always have to make a decision where to cut off the compression-to-quality balance: it's a tradeoff).

seal123 · 05-20-2009, 12:32 AM

Thanks blah789

I am afraid that if I can't even get a grip on the project or render settings at this stage, then I would not even know what a codec was let alone doing any encoding or resolution changes.
I will just have to do some study on the software and the subject of video editing so I at least know what I am talking about, instead of just using the software blindly.

Thanks again
Deb

05-18-2009, 03:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
seal123 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 29 OS: XP Pro SP2	Sony Vegas and other software... Hi to all I have decided to learn as much as I can about the various editing software and different ways of doing things and thought you guys could help. Firstly, am I being unrealistic to expect my camera footage (Mini DV tape) to look as good as it does in its' original form after I have taken through Vegas for editing, add transitions, FX etc, then burning to disc? I am always disappointed with the end result, however I am not really sure what project settings to use, or render settings for that matter as a friend set it up for me a long time ago, and I have since bought another type of TV (for viewing the footage burnt to disc), and I have also bought a new camera since he set it up. What are the rules or parameters for deciding these settings? I usually take the vegas file to DVD Architect to burn the footage to disc. I only do this because that is what my friend showed me. He is not in this area anymore so I can't pick his brain over these things. Is there anyway I can duplicate the excellent quality that the DV tape produces... I am willing to look at other software etc? I have just rendered a partial file in Vegas as an .avi, I then sent it back to my camera (print to tape) and then viewed it on my DVD player, and I am still disappointed with the quality. The preview window in Vegas makes the footage look excellent, but once it leaves Vegas there is a real loss of quality. Any help much appreciated, and willing to learn and explore all options. PS A friend wants a small section of one of my Vegas files for their web site...what format should I render this as please...? A big thanks to all Deb

05-19-2009, 02:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
blah789 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2,235 OS: Windows 2000 SP4 and Windows XP SP3	Re: Sony Vegas and other software... Do you do any intermediate encoding and/or resolution changes? What's the resolution and codec of the original? And into what codec is the final file encoded, and what's the relative size of the final file compared to the original? Generally speaking, it's best to preserve the dimensions during editing, and do any intermediate encodes using only lossless codecs (meaning there is no loss of image quality). Huffyuv (http://neuron2.net/www.math.berkeley...g/huffyuv.html) is very fast and well-suited for that task. Finally at the very last step, you can resize (if you want) and encode lossily for maximum compression (though you'll always have to make a decision where to cut off the compression-to-quality balance: it's a tradeoff).

05-20-2009, 12:32 AM	#3 (permalink)
seal123 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 29 OS: XP Pro SP2	Re: Sony Vegas and other software... Thanks blah789 I am afraid that if I can't even get a grip on the project or render settings at this stage, then I would not even know what a codec was let alone doing any encoding or resolution changes. I will just have to do some study on the software and the subject of video editing so I at least know what I am talking about, instead of just using the software blindly. Thanks again Deb