Using VF to create a for-sale VHS movie

Glenmm201 wrote on 8/12/2002, 11:36 PM
Ok, nobody cream me here for using a 1.0 cheap software package to create a for sale VHS movie, but... can't blame me for trying.

I am running into the following problem/questions, anyone's help would be appreciated.

1) I have a Sony VX1000 camera connected to a Sony VAIO PC. I captured the video using DV Motion using the Sony CODEC. When I created my movie, I output using AVI format in DV template, lower field first. Any slow mo (playback rate) adjusted movie recorded back to the DV tape using Print to Tape looks very jerky. If you imagine a fluid hand motion, the hand doesn't move with each slo mo frame, it moves like 2 frames then stutters back one, etc. It's a strange effect -- not one I was looking for.

2) When you give a DV tape to a duplicating house, how do they convert it from the 4:3 screen to the VHS standard? Do they just shave off the left and right and center the image?

3) Should I **not** be using VF to do this. BTW the demo of Vegas 3.0 I downloaded did not make a difference on the render.

THANKS!!!

Comments

Former user wrote on 8/13/2002, 9:06 AM
2) The video is a 4:3 aspect when they dub from DV, just like when you watch it on TV. There is no shaving involved.

3) VF is a good piece of software. The only thing that Vegas might add, and I am not sure on this, is a RESAMPLE option that might smooth out the slo-mo. Slo-mo on video can look pretty bad sometimes unless you have good interpolating software.

Dave T2
Chienworks wrote on 8/13/2002, 12:21 PM
VideoFactory is definately up to the task. You might want to consider upgrading to version 2.0c though (i think it's in the $30 range). One of the features added in the new version is much smoother interpolation during slow motion rendering.

I'll add something else for you to watch out for ... The preview window shows the entire video frame. But, due to overscanning, some of this frame is lost on television screens. There will be a narrow area around the outside edge of the frame that won't be visible when the video is watched on a TV. I don't recall that VideoFactory has a way to show this to you. You can judge with this image:

http://www.chienworks.com/media/safeareas.jpg

Usually anything outside the outer dashed line is lost. Only the part of the frame inside the inner line is more or less guaranteed to be visible. Keep this in mind especially when doing titles.
Glenmm201 wrote on 8/13/2002, 6:18 PM
So Dave are you saying that it will look "letterboxed" with the black at top and bottom when I give them a miniDV tape to duplicate onto VHS?

So how do I give them a digital master on miniDV?

-- glen
Glenmm201 wrote on 8/13/2002, 6:22 PM
It looked to me like they "dumbed down" the 2.0 release compared to 1.0 == there's now no [x] Resample check box in the Clip Properties dialog, which I took to mean they dumbed fown the slow motion rendering and didn't even try 2.0. Guess I will just have to try it.

Another MAJOR pet peeve is they removed the scrubber. Someone talked about turning it back on in <SHIFT> preferences, but in 2.0c I couldn't spot that. Guess maybe they even took out that back door. They really want you to buy Vegas.
Chienworks wrote on 8/13/2002, 6:22 PM
What Dave is saying is that it will fit just fine without cropping or squeezing. Standard (non-widescreen) DV is designed to be format compatible with VHS.
Former user wrote on 8/13/2002, 6:55 PM
You can see the same effect on the preview window. Right click on the preview window and check SQUARE PIXELS. This gives you the 4x3 aspect. DV standard is 720x480 NTSC, but converts to 4 x 3 aspect when viewed.

Dave T2

ps. do a search for scrubber or preferences and you will find how to turn it back on. Be careful when changing these preferences.