Question about Project Properties

YesMaestro wrote on 7/9/2009, 10:26 AM
I've always worked with DV and rendered out to mpg2 for dvd so from start to finish the project dimensions was the same. Now I'm starting to work with HDV and HD. Should the project properties be set to the what the footage is shot at or what the final output will be? Also, when working with footage with different dimensions, do you set the properties to the lowest resolution I have or what the final output will be?

Thanks, Paul

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 7/9/2009, 10:58 AM
Should the project properties be set to the what the footage is shot at . . .
Yes.

. . . or what the final output will be?
Generally not.

Also, when working with footage with different dimensions, do you set the properties to the lowest resolution I have or what the final output will be?
Whatever works best for you in preview or whatever the majority of the footage is. The project properties have no effect on the render dimensions. They are entirely controlled by the render settings. If you set your project for the output parameters you are more likely to have trouble getting a smooth preview.
Jeff9329 wrote on 7/9/2009, 11:20 AM
I always set the project properties to the final output type.

For me, this sets up the Vegas preview and all the titles, lower thirds, etc. to the correct aspect ratio and size (i.e. 720X480 NTSC widescreen).

This also allows you to more accurately insert stills & do the pan and scan.

Of course, I could be wrong, but I have successfully completed hundreds of projects in both HD & SD widescreen this way.
musicvid10 wrote on 7/9/2009, 2:24 PM
You can sure do it this way, but the preview has to work harder to keep up with it.
If you're going from 16:9 to 16:9, it makes little sense to encumber the preview by superimposing on it the output dimensions and par; I know there is a "little" sar difference between some of the various HD Widescreen flavors and SD Widescreen, but cheez . . .
MPM wrote on 7/10/2009, 12:54 PM
"If you set your project for the output parameters you are more likely to have trouble getting a smooth preview."

Agree 100% FWIW... Besides that, you stand a chance that in modding your preview, Vegas is masking a problem you won't necessarily spot till after it's rendered I've had that happen.

"This also allows you to more accurately insert stills & do the pan and scan."

Be careful using Vegas preview for more than a general idea with stills. For example, with properties set to wide screen, snapshots from a composite using a background still won't match those when you use a pre-rendered clip for the background. Now you probably don't do menu composites in Vegas, but point is, if it was accurate at all, should be close if not identical.