Is there a quick and easy way to create a rendering template that matches the source/project media properties? Other products I have used have a simple "same as source" button to make that process simple and fool proof.
Thanks,
Greg
@Gregory-Hastings Render templates with an = sign at the start match the project properties, if there isn't one that matches open Customize Template, change the setting & use the box at the top to name & save it.
Ya, that's what I've been doing. But it's quite cumbersome. I have to open the project media properties box to see what the source parameters are. Then I have to memories a couple of them because I can't open the render as dialog box while the project properties box is open, and vica versa. It would be nice if there was just a button or setting that would auto transfer everything over to a rendering template automatically.
Thanks
@Gregory-Hastings The project size & Frame rate are on-screen,
The other settings are in the Project tab in Customize Template - Use project settings. , There's only so many different templates variations that could be made so in time you will accumulate the ones you use regularly.
I'm not sure changing the templates multiple times or on a frequent basis for your renders is good practice? You'd end up having many videos with different formats/properties? Further editing & combining different clips could cause problems using multiple different formats/properties in the same project? Uploading or sharing videos often recommend a certain container type/format, those containers/formats are fairly 'run-of-the-mill' ? It's often recommended to render the project in a format/container that either suites to final destinations requirements as I just mentioned or to render to match the source file - How many different source formats are you making with your camera/s or how many are you receiving? ....
Basically what I'm saying is how many variations do you need that making a template is that hard.
I've just been working on cleaning up and archiving a lot of home videos, some of which date back 25+ years. Many of them were originally Hi8, many more from miniDV, and a few recent ones from a variety of sources (iPhones, DSLR, etc.).
Some of the Hi8 analog were captured in MPEG-2, some in MP4. Most of the miniDV were captured in AVI.
I ran into this particular problem when I was working on some MP4 files that were encoded 720x480, 29.970 fps. Modifying a rendering template to that didn't do the trick. The video was still slightly stretched vertically.
After muuuuchhhh fussing around, I finally discovered that setting the pixel ratio to match made the rendered video look more or less correct.
And there are so many other settings that I have no idea what they do, or if they are important. Would sure be nice to for the program to just match what the project is.
@Gregory-Hastings It's not easy to discuss this, I partially agree that it'd be nice if the render box auto created a template to match the project AR settings but I also like the need for manual settings, it's a learning curve & for me it isn't as difficult as you make it seem so, as you say there's 'settings that you have no idea what they do'.
If you look at the top of the project settings there's not a lot of options,
Someone can correct me or add any details I've missed but beyond that there isn't much else. When it comes to render it's just a case of setting those top few options in the container (MP4, AVI...) option you choose to render with.
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PS, sometimes this box helps with odd AR videos, when you tick this box you'll see the Pixel AR turns grey & inaccessible, You'd have to play with this & see how it goes.
There's also the Render window Filter which is useful.
Thanks for all the very detailed help. I'll get this pulled together...I have lots of time 😊
This project has been quite an experience, much of it learning curve, but quite a bit of it overcoming deficiencies in the tools.
I've been using Vegas since well back into the Sony years, and other products before that. I started capturing home videos back in the mid '90's. I'm now in the process of getting everything captured, cleaned up, and safely archived for the (now grown) kids.
I started out thinking that I should recapture all the old Hi8 tapes in a newer format like MP4. I figured that the hardware and software would be much better now. I spent a significant amount of time trying (not very successfully) to pull together "modern" hardware/software to do that recapture. Thats when I learned that the old captures to MPEG-2 are probably just fine. And, in fact, they would probably be even better for the editing process because they are less compressed than MP4.
Sooo...that's really good news! I don't have to recapture dozens of old Hi8 tapes. Yeah! Now all I have to do is capture a few old Hi8s and some miniDVs. I fire up Vegas and..what...it doesn't do any capture at all anymore!
So...off into the weeds again to get some software that will capture the Hi8, and miniDV tapes (hardware was an issue too).
I finally got everything captured. Much of it is the old MPEG-2. I'm ready to start cleaning up the videos and decide to upgrade my computer to make that process as smooth as possible.
I rebuild my PC from the MB up...everything new and fast. And that included a new, fresh installation of Win 11.
I'm ready to rock and roll, fire up Vegas, load my first old MPG file, and wooooooaaaaa! There's no audio!
It took days to get that sorted out. The good news about not having to recapture all those old mpg files turned into the bad news because Vegas (and Premiere) can't work with files that have AC3 encoded audio.
I finally found a $35 software product that does what the Big Boys haven't been able to do yet...load video that has the audio encoded in AC3. It can also convert those files in batches quickly. I did that to a few dozen mpg files and am back in business with Vegas.
In all the years I've been using Vegas, I don't think I have ever been able to use the "Match Project Settings" filter for the rendering templates. Not even once has there been a template that matched any video that I have been working on.
That should be the DEFAULT for the rendering engine. Do exactly what the video in the project is. THEN, if you want, you can change it to something else.
I think I'm back to getting acceptable results, the pixel AR fixed the distortion.
Thanks for all the help!
because Vegas (and Premiere) can't work with files that have AC3 encoded audio
Only if you have a fresh install of Win11 24H2. The problem occurs because Microsoft have dropped AC-3 from Windows. Anyway Vegas is fixing the problem in Vegas 22 and it's in the beta build 243 https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/update-beta-release-vegas-pro-22-beta-build-243-feedback--148571/
I finally found a $35 software product
You didn't need to purchase anything as free Shutter Encoder or Handbrake would have batch converted your files.
“Allow source to adjust frame size.” See Dexcons highlighted item.
This can also prevent black bars on all 4 sides. It can result in output that appears to be non standard height/width but in digital age thats not an issue.
To test for this letter boxing issue test playback on TV because playback on PC/Laptop may not show the black bars issue. Obviously black bars on both sides for SD material is not an issue.
I'll play around with that “Allow source to adjust frame size.” setting to see how it works.
One of the things I'm also doing in this process is doing a slight crop around the entire frame of the 4:3 Hi8 captured files. I'm doing that to get rid of little strips of noise on the edges that is prevalent on those videos (not sure what that's called...overscan?).
General consensus is it’s a Sony Pal device issue. I also simply cropped in to remove from Sony Pal derived V8 tapes. In my case as far as I can remember it was a green vertical mostly on the right side. So I only needed to do an off centre crop so not losing any of left side.