[Daverey2]

Hi all

I recently went on a weekend away where I took some camcorder footage in Mini-DV format, and also a couple of short movie files from my digital stills camera.

I'm trying to burn the whole lot of footage to a DVD movie using Pinnacle Studio 9 (full version).

The problem I'm having is that I can import the Mini-DV footage no problem and add it to the project, but when I try to add the camer footage, it gives me the following error:

Cannot add 25.0 fps movie to 30.0 fps project.

I assume this means the Mini-DV footgae is at 30 fps, and the camera AVI at 25 fps.

My question - is there some sort of software I can use to convert the frame rate of the AVI file back down to 25.0 fps, so the 2 files can be used on the same DVD??

Also, another problem I have encountered - I'm trying to make up a DVD of various camcorder recordings. Some of these were filmed in normal 4:3 mode, and some in widescreen mode. Pinnacle will not let me combine both modes in the same project. Is there any software than can convert the "normal" aspect ratio footage into widescreen, maybe by just adding borders at the top and bottom??

Thanks very much for your help in advance.

Dave

[DigiStuff]

Dave,

Sounds like you have started to make a project in NTSC format. NTSC is the format for the USA at 30 fps and not the UK which is 25 fps.

Try looking along these lines first, as I don't think you will need any other software.

Hope this helps

Digistuff

[senu]

Simple answer Yes ,Canopus Procoder2 Express or Full version can transcode your cameras AVI ( mpeg4?? mjpeg??) to a 25 fps file, as to whether studio will import it as a valid video source , Youll have to find out.
There is a simple program called all video converter which may well be worth checking as Procoder is not exactly cheap and may be too much for your limited needs ( it is a fantastic software though)
look here for AVC

As suggested above, Make sure your project template is not for NTSC at 29/30 fps ( to suit the cameras input) while your camcorder is Pal with Dv AVI at 25fps.
Your second query:
I have Studio 10 plus and feel it supports 16:9 ( I have no "real" widescreen source and just depend on the TV to Auto display any signal it gets .
I think Ulead Movie factory 4 does as well. That though would mean editing on Studio and exporting as a dvd mpeg2 then importing this into MF4. download a trial version
here
and see if it works for you
HTH

[Daverey2]

Hi Digistuff & Senu

Thanks for your answers - yor help is much appreciated.

I have just re-read what I wrote in the original post, and I think I might have got myself a bit confused.

The project and my Mini-DV footage are both in PAL format - which I guess is at 25 fps. The AVI file created by my digial camera is at 30 fps.

It is when I try to add the AVI file to the project that it won't allow me to mix the fps rates, so what I am after trying to do is to convert the AVI file back down to 25 fps.

Sorry for the confusion.

Dave

[senu]

Hi Dave ,
I ( finally ) got your drift, re read my edited post and see if it helps . Now it is established the project setting is pal it is a matter of converting your still cameras avi to the right format ( 25 fps) to fit in. There is also a question of size though. It is unlikely that the avi from the still camera is the same pixel size ( 720 x 576 ) as the dv avi from your camcorder.: the smaller size may impact on quality

[RichardBoult]

I have only just begun tinkering with my mini-DV camcorder tapes and creating DVD's. I useMS Movie Maker purely to capture my AVI's from the camera. The wizard that sets this up gives the option for 25fps so isn't the solution to go back to the capture stage and make sure the correct frame rate is set up there!?

[senu]

Richard,
Dave is trying to mix an avi from a digital still camera with a dv avi from his camcorder in the same project; Selecting the right frame rate at capture will not mean that AVI ( mpeg, mpeg4??) shot at 30 fps will be reduced to 25 fps to fit the template settings. He needs to transcode his still cameras avi to " conform" to the standard 25fps pal or capture them separately in different projects.

[shoehorn]

How about two projects first and burning two DVD's?
One from your miniDV footage and the other from your camera and then capturing each DVD that you've created and editing that?
Upside - simple(?)
Downside - loss of quality (of the miniDV at least)

Not something I've tried - so don't know if it will work - I don't see why it shouldn't though.

[senu]

...Or capturing and editing the clips separately in S9 , outputting as dvd mpeg2,
Both mpegs can then be imported into Ulead movie factory4 or Movie workshop2 specifying a ( single) PAL DVD : Viola!

PS: It may be possible to see if the mpegs so created can be imported into Nero Vision 4 , That will save on the cost of any of the ulead products or indeed any converting software as nero vision might be able to transcode the mpeg2 (originating rom the digital still camera)

[cliveg]

Hi Daverey2...one way I got around this was to take the avi file from the digital camera, drop it into Studio 9 on its own and create another AVI file...no changes, just "make movie"...this then creates a 25fps video. You can then combine it with the video from your camcorder.

I found this tip somewhere else - it may have been of these forums, can't remember! Anyway, it worked for me.

Hope this helps.

Clive

[Daverey2]

Thanks guys for all your help - much appreciated and I'll give the suggestions a go tonight.

As far as the other part of my original question goes, does anyone kow how to get Studio 9 to accept both normal aspect ration input clips and widescreen clips in the same project?? Alternatively, can I convert the "normal" ratio clip into widescreen in any way. to make it compatible??

Thanks again

Dave

[senu]

Hi Again Dave,
I have a not much used Studio 10 and I dont have True widescreen material but I will get some to see if it differs from S9 with respect to combining different aspect material
To answer your query directly ( I did try in one of the post above,) Pinnacle Studio 9 cannot accept both 16: 9 and 4:3 aspect footage in the same project and Im pretty certain the software cannot "change" the aspect. Maybe someone out there knows of a workaround Pinnacle isnt telling us
It usually sets the aspect based on the first footage captured. You can view the footage in whichever aspect you wish but it does not affect the actual footage itself.
PS: Ive now had a play with S10 and some widescreen material made on my camcorder in " cinema" widescreen mode ( pseudo 16:9)
S10 will not allow capture of both types of aspect in one capture session. Unlike S9 though, It will allow a mix of both aspect in the same project but during rendering will commit to only one format for output , So it will "change" the aspect of one or the other for output depending on what was chosen at the initial template format for the project.
Im not advocating that you run to the shops to get S10 but it is better than S9 in that regard. I am keeping my S9+ ( alongside 10+) until Im confident 10 is not a glorified beta release Ill probably remove S9 soon!
good luck with your "project"!
PS: In S9 you could capture and edit the aspects separately, out put as avi or DVD mpegs2 and see if a dvd authoring program like ulead mf4 or even nero vision will accept them on the same DVD

[Daverey2]

Thanks for all your help guys.

If anyone's still following the thread, I think I might have found a solution.

I've been directed to a program called VirtualDub - which is free - and seems to be a very useful way of editing video files. Within the program is the option of downgrading the fps rate of an AVI file - solving my problem of getting the 30fps clips down to 25fps to fit in with the rest of my project.

I haven't tried yet whether it can convert the aspect ratio to widescreen, but will give it a go tonight. I've also been told a program called TMPGEnc might be able to help, bt again I havent tried it yet.

Thanks again

Dave