I agree with farss. If you want to edit your videos get miniDV camcorder and nothing less. The camcorders that capture MPEG are for people who just want to shoot and view like the VHS days. MPEG is not a good format for editing. I would also look at what people who buy these camcorders are saying. The quality just isn’t there. In fact, I believe Sony is not making any more microMV format camcorders because customers complained about poor quality (and they weren’t even edit their videos). Get a miniDV camcorder if you want to edit your videos.

~jr

If you're looking for something low cost could I recommend my favourite? Digital8, still DV and excellent as an A/D device as it has DNR and a TBC, even takes vdeo as well.

Thank you very much for your answers. By the way, I don't wanna make anything illegal. As a matter of fact, there's nothing illegal about recording some tv shows and editing them for personal use. I guess buying Vegas to edit commercials is too stupid, isn't it??? Simple video harware can do that.
Furthermore, if I understood the answers, then what good it makes to buy a camera such as Sony or Panasonic CDD? Isn't Vegas a Professional Video Editor? So then, which is the best format Vegas accept for editing? Is it DV? What if I capture video as MPEG 4 and render as AVI for editing later with Vegas? And so, what if I buy an analogic Video Cam Such as Sony or Panasonic? They cost less but the resolution is much worse....what do u think fellas? And finally, please, let me know the format you use most for editing.....
THNKS IN ADVANCE

Sounds like they did a fair job answering. I do not know a fraction of what may on this forum know, but seem's like going from a mpg4 file to an avi then back to a mpg for dvd is raising havoc with your quality, presuming it works well at all. All my experience has been with capturing digitial 8 and sony minidv which is to .avi. Great quality and work toward your end product from there. Good luck.

Let me try and answer your questions one-by-one:

> what good it makes to buy a camera such as Sony or Panasonic CDD?

Without knowing the model numbers of the cameras you looked at, I cannot fully answer your question. Sony and Panasonic make lots of different camcorders. I was referring to the ones you were looking at that record MPEG4. Each camera is targeted at a different audience. Some people like to record directly to DVD and watch their movies without editing. Some people like to edit their movies. You just need to buy the camera that fits your purpose.

> which is the best format Vegas accept or editing? Is it DV?

Yes, DV is the best format for editing. It could be miniDV for Digital8. They are both DV25 format.

> What if I capture video as MPEG 4 and render as AVI for editing later with Vegas?

You may loose quality in the re-rendering because each render introduces compression artifacts.

> And so, what if I buy an analogic Video Cam Such as Sony or Panasonic? They cost less but the resolution is much worse....what do u think fellas?

I for one don’t think analog camcorders are much worse. They have much better low light capabilities. I just finished making a DVD from a VHS tape that I recorded in 1989 (my very first camcorder) and it looks great. My family was commenting on how clear the DVD was. I just don’t think you save that much buying an analog cam and DV is easier to transfer and work with.

> And finally, please, let me know the format you use most for editing.....

I use DV for editing from my Panasonic miniDV cam but I also have a lot of VHS-C and VHS tapes that I’m starting to transfer to DVD. I capture them in DV format using a Pinnacle Deluxe capture card. I also just purchased an ADS Pyro A/V Link but it has some trouble with the output from my VCR so I still mostly use the Pinnacle card for analog capture.

Hope this helps,

~jr

Thank you very much Johnny for taking time to respond. People like u must go to heaven. Now I've learned a bit more about capturing and editing thanks to your answers. But I do have some more questions:

1.I've got a project (simple JPEG pictures + audio transitions to make a slide show). The project is perfect and finished. Now let's say that I've got another project (an introduction, such as Booga Booga video presents.....etc..). What I was planning to do was to insert or merger both projects into one, but that seems to be impossible. Copying audio files is ok, but the entire project made up of many JPEG files, it's frustrating........By any chance, is it possible to do that (mergering 2 or more projects)?
2.There's a way to merger projects: rendering them (each one) as AVI files and later, rendering the whole thing as an MPEG 1 or 2 file (but there's the problem of loss of quality).......

Can anybody help this newbie???????????

Cunhambebe, assuming you're doing all your editing on the first run through with each section, and your merging consists of nothing more than dumping all the rendered DV .avi files back onto the timeline to do one more final render, there should be no noticeable loss in quality at all. In fact, if your final render is also DV .avi then there won't be any loss. If the final render is to MPEG then there may be a tiny bit of compression artifacts around high contrast color edges that you wouldn't have had if you went directly to MPEG instead of DV .avi first, but it will probably be negligible. In fact, at the bitrates commonly used for DVD, you'll probably get more artifacts from the MPEG encoding than from DV compression anyway.

I agree with Kelly. I do my introductions separate from my projects all the time. What I do is render the intro to DV AVI and then place it in front of my video with ripple edit on. This will move everything over to make room. You can also render both to AVI file and then place both AVI’s on the timeline and render that. I doubt you’ll be able to see any difference in quality.

You can also copy one project into another by opening two copies of Vegas and load one project into each. Then do a Ctrl-A in one to select all and Ctrl-C to copy and then go to the second copy of Vegas and use Ctrl-V to paste. If you have ripple edit on, everything should get pushed to the right together keeping it all in sync.

I think most people render to AVI and print-to-tape and then place that AVI back on the timeline to make their MPEG files for DVD. Even if you print-to-tape from the timeline, it will pre-render the changed video to AVI so when you go back and make an MPEG file it will use the pre-rendered video. So you shouldn’t see any loss in quality doing this.

~jr

Thks again for u (Chienworks n' Johnny).
About Chienworks' answer: I rendered both projects as .avi files (intro + the rest). The rest is a project with simple JPEG pics with transitions for a slide show). Then I rendered both as MPEG 1 (VCD). The result was a big loss of quality and yes.....artifacts ; (
About Johnny's answer: Thank u very much once again. I'll try to do that. If you've got MSN, pls let me know that I'll send u my address as soon as possible. By the way, who's Kelly? loll

Probably the majority of the quality loss was in going to MPEG 1 for VCD. It's a pretty low grade format. If you were to render to MPEG 2 for DVD you'd probably be suprised at how good it it.

ps. I'm Kelly. ;)

Thanks again Johnny: it works....sorry for being so ignorant lolll...but there are 2 more things, in fact 3...
1. When I paste, the way you taught, I couldn't keep the parameters for the text plug-in in the project introduction (such as size, outline colors, etc), so I had to redo all that stuff once again (that was easy of course).....Is there any way to save those parameters when u have text involved with the introduction?
2.What's the best, I mean the best format to render as for dvd burning, VCD, SVCD, etc...? Could it be AVI, MPEG 2 (which is better than 1) or what? Any idea?
3.About the DV format, if I understood, I have to open the DV file (captured from the cam), edit and then render as what for DVD burning? Do you ever know if DVD Architect accepts project files or the real thing such as AVI or MPEG 2? Thanks again. Please I'd really appreciate your help.

Thank u Kelly for letting me know that, AND of course, your name..lolll ;)

Your best bet for going to DVD via DVDA is to render to mpeg-2 using the DVDA template. You also need to render out teh audio to a seperate file, preferably same name with appropriate extension so you end up with two files:

Video1.mpg
Video1.wav or Video1.ac3

When you drag Video1 .mpg intot he work area in DVDA it'll automatically pickup the audio file.

> who's Kelly?

Sorry about that. I see Chienworks let you know.

> Is there any way to save those parameters when u have text involved with the introduction?

There are two things you can do about text attributes. One is to save them as a preset. This way, when you get the text looking the just way you want it, you can save it so you can easily call it up for another project. The problem with presets is that they also save the actual text. That’s where “paste attributes” comes in handy. When you get one text media looking the way you want, copy it. Then go to all the other text media and just right click and select “Paste Attributes” and it will keep the text and only change the style to match the one you copied. This will make fixing up you text a lot easier (and quicker).

> the best format to render as for dvd burning, VCD, SVCD, etc...?

As far as VCD/SVCD/DVD rendering, just use the templates that are supplied. VCD is MPEG1 and SVCD/DVD are MPEG2. The templates will make sure the render is compliant. I don’t think DVDA will burn VCD or SVCD but it handles MPEG2 files using the DVD template just fine. I make my VCD’s and SVCD’s with Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 ater rendering the MPEG files in Vegas.

> you ever know if DVD Architect accepts project files or the real thing such as AVI or MPEG 2?

DVD Architect will accept AVI files so you can just render to AVI and let DVD Architect do the MPEG2 rendering for you. I always render in Vegas using MPEG2 with the DVD Architect NTSC video stream setting and then render the audio to AC3. This saves time in DVDA since everything is in the correct format but the results are the same either way. I do the rendering with a script so its one step actually.

~jr

Thanks farss, but what if I don't render with separate files? What happens?
What about u Johnny?What do u think.......What about the text problem?

Well, it seems everybody went to the beach......No answers anymore? C'mon folks. Today, I went to downtown and looked for some sony cameras such as the ones you all told me to. I've found some, which are the following ones:
1. SONY TRV 22;
2. SONY TRV 33;
both capture as DV or MPEG4

3.Panasonic DV 123
4.Panasonic DV 402
both capture as DV or MPEG4

-All models capture with a quality of one (1) CCD (I guess 3 would be better, and yes, much more expensive)

Well, there are more questions of course:
Do I need to use the software (to transfer the video for my pc) that comes with those models? In fact, it seems that if I have to do so, the transfers to the pc can only be done as MPEG 4. Is that true?
Can Vegas capture DV from those cams?

And pls, finally, Mr. JohnnyRoy, what about the other questions on the text plug-in?????

Thank you very much for your hep!

Thank u very much JohnnyRoy. I've just read your answer. Once again, people like u, must and will go to heaven (lolll).....and I thought all this thing about video and etc would be as easy as the mp3 thing......Well, I was mistaken....In fact, it is difficult as everything, at least in the beginning........later.....a piece of cake, isn't it???? ;)
Thank you again Johnny and thanks to all of you guys (and maybe girls)...If I can do anything for ya all, please let me know.....
Cunhambebe!

One more thing Mr. JohnnyRoy. I didn't understand well this last part of one of your answers:
"I always render in Vegas using MPEG2 with the DVD Architect NTSC video stream setting and then render the audio to AC3. This saves time in DVDA since everything is in the correct format but the results are the same either way. I do the rendering with a script so its one step actually".

What is the AC3???????? Another plug-in?
How do ya render with a script?

THKS AGAIN

AC3 is a type of audio file just like WAV, W64, and MP3 are types of audio files. It's one of the options when you choose File - Render As. The AC-3 encoder is installed with DVD Architect or is available separately.

Thanks for your answer. By the way, JohnnyRoy, where are u??? I'd like to thank again for everything.

Hi there!
About one of JonnnyRoy's answers: I didn't understand well one part of one of them : "I always render in Vegas using MPEG2 with the DVD Architect NTSC video stream setting and then render the audio to AC3. This saves time in DVDA since everything is in the correct format but the results are the same either way. I do the rendering with a script so its one step actually."

Questions:
1. I should render as DVD NTSC video stream (in one of the Mainconcept screens - audio - with the box unchecked for audio, right?).
2.I get the AC3 and then render the audio file as it was explained somewhere around here, so I end up with 2 files with 2 different extensions, correct? OK
3. Now, pls, can anyone (maybe Johnny) help me with those parameters for Mainconcept screeens? ...for instance:
4.Project (Do I always have to set Best quality and check the box resemple the frame rate of all video?)
5.In the "adio guide", do I always have to leave "include audio streaming" box unchecked (case of the AC3) or I may check it so as to end up with just one file (despite the fact, I guess encoding time will be longer)? In this case, checking this box, will there be any loss of quality?
6. Is it necessary to modify any other parameter when I render as MPEG 2 (doesn't matter with what template:
DVD NTSC;
DVD PAL;
DVD NTSC video stream;
DVD PAL separate streams (why don't we have the same for NTSC?);
DVD Architect NTSC video stream;
DVD Architect NTSC Widescreen video stream;
DVD Architect NTSC 24p video stream (? 24 would be 24 frames p/second?)
DVDArchitect NTSC 24p Widescreen video stream (? same question here as above)
DVD Architect PAL video stream;
DVD Architect PAL Widescreen video stream;
and pls...What about those HD values????????

Thanks in advance to all of u. U can take a look at the other post (Vegas and XP: Perfection) and find out why it seemed to be impossible openning- in fact , viewing, MPEG 2.

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