Sony YUV AVI Codec: Clarification

fldave wrote on 5/23/2005, 9:34 PM

I recently read several posts about the Sony 4:2:2 codec, and how it appears within Vegas.

On a new computer with Vegas 5d (version 6 on order, also have V4), I select the "installed" AVI compression option "Sony YUV Codec" and render.

In windows explorer, I right click the rendered avi and select properties, summary. The details on the file are16-bit video with MS-YUV codec. I have stayed away from this codec in the past because most of the other render options, Huffy and uncompressed. produce 24-bit video files, as confirmed in the media pool in Vegas.

I guess my question, is this the real 4:2:2 Sony YUV codec that you pros keep tali\king about as the greatest, or is the "true 4:2:2" Sony YUV codec that you use the result of installing a high-end software/hardware that installs the real 4:2:2 codec that I don't have in my base Vegas install?

In other words, does 4:2:2 equate to 16- or 24-bit files. Or does it matter?

And ultimately, is the base "Sony YUV Codec" the one I should be using?

Note: I have had an FX1 since December, just now gearing up on a new higher powered PC to maximize my investment.

Dave

Comments

farss wrote on 5/23/2005, 11:59 PM

The Sony 4.2.2 codec comes with Vegas, no need for anything else.
I think the codec is capable of 16 bits per channel even though Vegas will only write 8 bit data into it. The other codecs that are reported as 24 bit are probably 8 bits / channel.
Hope this helps but hopefully someone else with a bit more detailed knowledge can chime in as I'm not 100% certain about this 8/16/24bit thing.
Bob.

ForumAdmin wrote on 5/24/2005, 11:19 AM

The Sony YUV codec supports 8 bit per channel.

fldave wrote on 5/24/2005, 2:53 PM

Thanks, farss and Sony. I need to study up on the 4:2:2 tutorials that I have seen referenced on this board.

From the file attributes that Windows XP and the Vegas media pool reports, I wanted to make sure I was not losing anything important. Same HDV clip rendered three different ways:

HDV m2t file: 1440x1080x32
Uncompressed avi: 1440x1080x32
NTSC DV avi: 720x480x24
Sony YUV avi: 720x480x16

It just seems to me that something would be missing.
On to the tutorials again...