1) Best app to convert video 2) Which codec(s) ?

will-3 wrote on 3/17/2015, 2:30 PM
I've been away from intense use of Vegas for some time and will be ramping back up and trying to re-educate myself.

Firstly I'm trying to rework an old project that was done with Vegas 5 (I think)...

We currently have Vegas Pro 10... what is the latest?

The issue:

We discovered some of the old content used on the project will no longer import into Vegas Pro 10... specifically some AVI files... which according to the MediaInfo program were encoded with cinipack...

I understand that both AVI container and cinipack codec are old and have been superseded by newer and better solutions.

The questions:

1 - What is the best tool or tools out there to convert the video encoding and the container used from one format to another?

2 - As I understand it now days...

a - mp4 = Best container

b - mpeg4/H.264 = Best Inter-Frame encoding for distribution

c - what? = Best Intra-Frame encoding for fast editing

So which codecs are best for these?

3 - If 2 above is not correct then what?

Thanks for any help.



Comments

VideoFreq wrote on 3/17/2015, 3:29 PM
Will, Vegas is currently up to v13. The basic look has stayed the same but the graphics support vendors have all changed in terms of 3rd party media generators and effects. Also, many changes center around graphics cards with GPU and Open CL. The may be a good chance that you will need a better video card just to use 10 properly, e.g. a nVidia QFX-4000 with not work WELL with v11 or later. There is MUCH debate on graphics cards.

There is no best converter except the one that works best. I use Sorenson Squeeze, MPEG StreamClip (mov into mpg) and Neoscene (mts or m2v into avi). The biggest issue with Cinepak is that it is a vector quantization based codec and not a discreet cosine transform which nearly every codec is now based on. You will have to dig around to find a converter and you will possibly need a 32 bit OS machine to run it. That's why I still have a dual boot Win98 and XP unit in the corner.

The best codec is the one that you or your client needs. H.264/mp4 is widely acceptable for most distribution outlets for typical work. If you are an Apple snob you'll want h.264, though they are the same. YouTube and Vimeo will support either. I use MXF, mp4, mts and m2t & mov - all less than 60mb/s But they are nowhere near the quality of a 100 or 200 mb/s Apple ProRes codec or AVID DNxHD. Your computer's processor will tell you what it can handle and this may be best for you.

Good luck.
will-3 wrote on 3/17/2015, 4:26 PM
Thanks for the help.

fyi - I'm running Windows 7 Pro 64 with an Intel I7 processor and 12 GB of ram.

1 - How does VLC do as a video converter?
2 - Any other free or open source tools?
3 - How about Apple Quicktime Pro ($29)

3 - Which Video Card does Sony suggest for Vegas Pro 10 on a Win7 64 bit pc?
4 - ditto for Vegas Pro 13?
5 - What are some of the top contenders in the video card debate?

Regarding suggested Codecs... we will be producing for, among other things... ipTV / streaming ... here are some questions...

6 - Does Sony Vegas Pro 10 or 13 come with any codecs just use what it finds on your machine or what?
7 - I assume many codecs implementations can code and decode H.264... true? If so suggest one or two we should consider.

But H.264 is an Inter-Frame encoding/decoding scheme as I under stand it... OK for rendering to distribution but can bog down the system when being edited... So...

8 - What Intra-Frame codecs are out there ? I understand Intra-Frame encoded videos take more disk space but are less drain on the system when being edited.

I understand that AVID DNxHD is one... will that work with Vegas 10 Pro or 13 Pro? Can you get just the codec from AVID ? Is it free? Where to download?

Sorry for all the questions guys but we are just rebooting here and your kind assistance will save us some much needed time.

Thanks again for the help.
videoITguy wrote on 3/17/2015, 4:43 PM
Search the forum - Digital intermediate, Avid, and Magic YUV
will-3 wrote on 3/18/2015, 9:47 AM
VideoITguy.

Thanks for the help.

I have more questions but think each would do best in a new thread that wasn't as broadly focused as this one.

Thanks again.