Timeline output via firewire -- Is this possible?

TRS80 wrote on 12/14/2009, 6:06 PM
Hello:

I would like to know if the following is possible with Vegas Movie Studio. I want to create a slide show and put it on a DVD. I want to lay down the audio track and then go back and place jpg images on the timeline so that they sync with the audio.

Here's the question: After my timeline is completed, can I play the timeline from the beginning and record the output via firewire to my DVD recorder in real time? In other words, no rendering to MPEG2, just a straight across transfer via firewire.

I am interested in doing the project this way because it's simple and the DVD should play in most machines. Also, any changes in script or pictures do not require rerendering, etc. My goal is to just play the movie timeline into a DVD recorder, finalize the DVD and the project is done.

Any help on my question would be appreciated!
Thanks!
TRS80

Comments

richard-amirault wrote on 12/14/2009, 7:33 PM
I suspect not. Vegas has the option to "print to tape" via firewire .. but it has to render before doing so.

Why don't you just try it and see what happens. I suspect that Vegas won't recognize your recorder as a valid device .. and even if it does it may want to render before outputting anything ... but there is only one way to know for sure.
Chienworks wrote on 12/14/2009, 8:04 PM
There are a few issues.

The "preview via firewire device"* is the only way to get out through firewire directly from the timeline. It includes no audio, so only the video will be transmitted. Also, as with any preview operation, if you have crossfades, compositing, effects, titles, etc. then it's likely that the framerate will drop and the motion will stumble. Rendering avoids both these problems.

Print-to-tape will work fine no matter what device is connected to the firewire cable. You may have to disable "device DV control" and then start the recording on the DVD recorder manually, but the signal will still flow.

* I'm not sure if this feature is available in the studio version.
TRS80 wrote on 12/14/2009, 8:27 PM
Thanks guys! If I understand Chienworks correctly, it appears that print to tape is the only solution. The downside is the time to render the slideshow, but that should not take very long.

If I understand correctly, Vegas Movie Studio will render out an intermediate file that will play from the timeline. When the rendering is comple, it will give a cue to start the tape. Press the record button on the DVD recorder and the spacebar on the computer and the movie will stream through the firewire. This should be doable. Thanks, again.
jetdv wrote on 12/15/2009, 8:28 AM
We use the Print To Tape option frequently to record straight to a DVD at church. Just push record on the DVD recorder exactly the same as you would any other device. Just remember to be there to STOP the recording. At church, the output is 1 hour so I can hit the record button two more times and it will automatically stop for me.
Terry Esslinger wrote on 12/15/2009, 10:09 AM
Are these for DVDs that one wishes to play on a DVD player? Isn't the language of DVD MPEG2 so somewhere along the line it would have to be encoded as MPEG2 ( a quite compressed format) and therefore lose some resolution (but may not be objectionable)?
Chienworks wrote on 12/15/2009, 12:46 PM
Yes, but i believe the point of this discussion is to get the encoding done in real time by the hardware encoder in the DVD recorder, thus saving time over encoding in Vegas.