.avi format

alphalogan wrote on 6/19/2011, 3:17 AM

My camera records HD 1920x1080 in avi format, when I try and open the video clips in VMS 10 I just get the audio. It seems I must change the format to mpg and have found a programme, "Any Video Converter" that will do it for me but it coverts as a default with a frame size of 720x576. My questions are as follows (and please forgive me if they seem stupid but I am not too technically minded when it comes to video editing):
1. Should VMS 10 accept avi format
2. Is "Any Video Converter" a recognized programme in this field or could I do better.
3. By converting to mpg am I losing definition bearing in mind I want to play the finished video in HD on my HD TV.
4. It appears that I can change the frame size to 1920x1080 if I use a profile shown as MPEG II ('.mpg), is this advisable.
Any advice is appreciated.
Many thanks,

Comments

laz wrote on 6/19/2011, 3:36 AM

Try making a copy of the avi file and physically change the extention to .mpg. This is a bit hit and miss depending on hd file type. If not someone else can advise.

Steve Grisetti wrote on 6/19/2011, 6:31 AM

What model of camcorder is this?

AVI is generally a format that standard def camcorders use.

Hi-def is usually an M2T, MTS or MP4 format.

Marco. wrote on 6/19/2011, 6:48 AM

Movie Studio does accept AVI container. Now as it's just a container - all depends of what's inside the AVI wrapper. You need to know which codec is used inside this AVI file. Then maybe installing right this one codec may help you.

musicvid10 wrote on 6/19/2011, 9:10 AM

"It seems I must change the format to mpg"

That is likely not the case.
You just need the right codec.
If you will post your file properties using MediaInfo, I can probably tell you where to find the missing codec.

In the meantime, here is some interesting reading for you that addresses your question. There are as many flavors of AVI as there are jelly beans in a five gallon jar:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=12&MessageID=660127

alphalogan wrote on 6/19/2011, 11:53 PM

Thanks, and the suggested reading is most useful and I shall be studying it in detail.
However, the codec information you asked for is as follows:
Video Format AVC Codec ID H264
Audio Format ADPCM Codec ID 11
I have a JPEG screen shot of all the information from MediaInfo but am not sure how to include it in this reply.
Thanks for your help.

Eugenia wrote on 6/19/2011, 11:56 PM

Read the comment below the form, it will tell you what you need to install to get h.264 support in the AVI container inside Vegas: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=12&MessageID=766137&r=1

alphalogan wrote on 6/20/2011, 7:57 AM

I am not sure as to the mechanics of what I have done following your instructions but it appears to have worked. avi files imported directly into VMS10. Will update after I have done some editing etc.
Thanks again

alphalogan wrote on 6/20/2011, 12:31 PM

Sorry to be a nuisance but everything worked fine as previous message, avi clips transferred into VMS 10, video and audio. However, when I tried to edit a clip from the video I was working on in to Sound Forge Audio Studio and then save it I got the message "No compatible video codec found". Your advice will be appreciated.

Eugenia wrote on 6/20/2011, 12:37 PM

Soundforge does not support as many codecs as Vegas supports. It would be best to export from Vegas in a codec that Soundforge supports, and then edit it there.

alphalogan wrote on 6/20/2011, 12:58 PM

As previously sorry to be a nuisance but as a beginner how do I do that?

alphalogan wrote on 6/21/2011, 8:15 AM

By working on a copy of audio track I appear to have overcome the problem. I do not think this is necessarily the right way and if you have time will still be interested in your advice but at least I can continue editing my video.

Chienworks wrote on 6/21/2011, 10:48 AM

Generally the best way to do this is to right-mouse-button on the audio event in Vegas and "Edit Copy in Sound Forge". This creates a .wav file of just the audio, opens it in Sound Forge, and lets you edit. When you're done in Sound Forge and return to Vegas the newly edited audio appears as a new "Take" on the timeline. There are many reasons why this is a Very Good Thing, but i'll list a few key ones:

- It doesn't alter the original video file, so that is still kept safe for future needs, including the possibility that you might need to access the unedited audio.

- It produces a file that is guaranteed to work not only in Sound Forge, but pretty much any other editing software.

- It's FAST, since only the audio is included and there's no need for Sound Forge to open & resave the video.

- Takes are wonderful things in Vegas. Select the event that has takes and press the T key to cycle through them. You can keep several versions "live" in your project and choose which one is best for your particular needs, even if those needs change from session to session or render to render.

The only downside is that it does produce a separate audio file. However, in light of all the advantages, personally i don't see this as a downside but really as another advantage too.

alphalogan wrote on 6/21/2011, 12:28 PM

Many thanks for the explanation and to everyone thanks for all your help everything seems to be working fine now.

Steven Myers wrote on 6/21/2011, 1:15 PM

Good post, Chienworks. There's only one caveat I can of right now:
Avoiding removing time from the beginning of the audio -- that is, if you make it shorter, don't chop it at the beginning. If you do, the audio will be out of sync with the video.