Some software I'm using for editing / authoring

[Gramuk]

So - after a few months of entering the HD playground and many attempts at loading demo's of software etc. I finally opted to purchase a couple of software packages for the basic home editing of my HD. Nice and cheap and very effective.
So, I have an X900 and all of my footage is shot in Full 50p since storage space and archiving is not an issue for me and is my personal choice. I do some slow motion edits so this helps.
All basic editing is done in Sony Vegas HD Platinum suite which seems adequate for my general editing. Not looked at the supplied tutorial DVD as it all seems quite logically laid out and I've used similar editing software in the past. Now one piece of software I've never heard mentioned here in the forums may be of interest to people and so I wanted to let you know some of the features I use form that - Nero 11Platinum HD. Whilst is has many editing features and cd/dvd/br support the section of software I use is the videoStudio11 part. Once the editing is completed in Vegas, I load it up into Nero where I am able to use any of the many (and I mean loads) of authoring menu templates to produce a nice menu system for viewing on DVD. There are quite some 2D, animated 2D and many fancy 3D templates available and they also offer some customisation. Also thought I'd mention - there is an AVCHD to DVD output option to finalize to a regular DVD disc. (I heard Sony removed that functionality from thier lastest software).
Mostly in Nero I am making "Editable DVD's" which is a nice option - Using a DVD+RW you can add more movies to the DVD (and append the menu system) as and when you want to. Its a real good feature and simple to use / apply. Once you've filled a DVD you can just copy it to a regular DVD. So, Vegas for editing and Nero11 for final authoring.
Before anyone jumps in - I'm just using DVD and so I know it'll not be 50p but I also have all the 50p edits saved on NAS as masters for in-house streaming to TV and for backups.
So - if anyone is looking for nice fancy menu's for thier DVD's then take a look at Nero11. I bought the whole suite to get all the templates etc. but I think you can get just the VideoStudio side of things as a single install.

 

[12harry]

Interesting insight - thanks.
- as I understand you have bypassed the VS link to DVD Architect Studio (You bought the Suite?), and the ability to use Rewritable DVD is interesting, but don't you lose quite a large chunk with each addition, OR does it go back a rewrite the whole disc? (maybe that's it).
My Architect copy (along with several others I hear on the grapevine) has been destroyed by the "software update" but S doesn't appear concenred, so I'm no-longer keenly pushing that sw.

However, the cost of Nero: - isn't it a lot, just to replicate what you can do in DVD Architect (although not R/W but you can erase a disc for free).

Certainly an alternative for those that buy the starter Vegas Studio, but I still use Sound Forge for Audio files....

BTW I thought Nero uite 11 also included a Video Editor - have you tried this and how does it compare with VS? The way I reqd it, it did some incredible things, but advertisment allways seem to be like that!

Finally, that PS Tutorial DVD should be watched by folks that know their way round an Editor - it's far too slick for someone that has just opened the Box - but what do I care?

Good luck.

 

[chrishull3]

Rewritable dvd can be rewritten with the same amount of recording space as can blu ray -RE discs,i doubt dvd can be written as many times as the thousands quoted for blu ray,one point with dvd + rw is there is a small sound loss in the middle,i cant remember the reason.

 

[Gramuk]

Well, I've not really used Nero editing yet but am just about to try emulate a small video I made up with Vegas. So I'll see if the same functions are available. I use the time stretching to a small extent for slow motion so will see if that's available etc. One thing I have been experiencing with Vegas is poor playback over my network for full 50p videos. This has only started when using Vegas to edit and compile the videos. When just linking video files in the Panasonic HD writer software at full 50p they play flawlessly so it must be to do with the Vegas coding of the final edit. Really frustrated now as I have a nice fast PC and a nice camcorder and want to edit in 50p and keep the 50p as final output but Vegas is just not happening for me (yes it's fine at 25p). Only Panasonic HD writer has worked so far but there are really no editing capability using that. I know I could just produce 25p final video's but I want 50p since that's what I have paid the money for at the end of the day. Maybe I need a higher end software package but this is what I hope to find out over the coming weeks. So - I try now with Nero11 and see what happens.

 

[grahamlthompson]

BTW I thought Nero uite 11 also included a Video Editor - have you tried this and how does it compare with VS? The way I reqd it, it did some incredible things, but advertisment allways seem to be like that!

.

Nero Vision. Probably the first affordable software to include AVCHD support in earlier versions (ver 9). The UI is odd for anyone used to multilayer pro/semi pro timeline editing software. I have version 10, only a little while ago it was the only way I found of opening some files from a DVD camcorder copied from the original mini DVD disc.

 

[12harry]

Thanks glt, but I was referring to the Nero Suite (Sorry Typo) version 11 . . . which claims it does all sorts of clever Editing things . . . funny then that so few use it.

Gramuk, it may be a Vegas issue, but if you have v11 that supports 50p I understand - v10 doesn't and it may be that they haven't quite got it right - although that isn't a general cry yet, I believe.

It may be worth trying other template-settings and if you want to "match media settings" - you have to point VS to a specific clip (found this tip only recently), needless to say mine works OK with 1080i.

However, playback after rendering is always tricky IMHO, not sure why, as it makes little sense, but PC's aren't good for playback....so you will only really know by burning a Disc and playing it on the Telly, using a BD player (for AVCHD, or higher).

My own AVCHD discs play stunning video on a HD-tv using a BD player. A straight copy from the camera files means you have virtually no artistic input. Whilst "...you've paid for 50p..." . . . etc. I wouldn't worry too much about that, if the Playback is good at 25p. For slow-mo in Vegas Studio, you can time-stretch about 1.5- 2x and that's it.
Unlike film, camcorders don't do Slo-mo . . . unless you pay £ots. It's all to do with data-capture.... and Cost.

Good luck.... Pse tell us how Nero Suite 11 shapes up.

 

[vkmast]

For slow-mo in Vegas Studio, you can time-stretch about 1.5- 2x and that's it.

12harry,
you might need to check that . You should get 4x (10&11)
https://www.custcenter.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/478

 

[Gramuk]

At this time I don't need to burn to disc as video is all streamed via cables to a Panasonic plasma for viewing in glorious 50p (if I could only get Vegas to play along). Like I say, streaming files written by the Panasonic writer software runs flawlessly - and as does files produced by Nero and so I might start using Nero as the editor for a while. It was handy doing the slo-mo in Vegas as it was quick ans simple but I guess I'll slo-mo the files another way and import to Nero.
Yes I agree that not many people are using Nero here (or so it appears)- I only bought it because I had an older version (9.0) installed on my old PC and liked the "burning ROM" side of things so thought I'd buy the latest whole suite since it mentioned HD in the titles - lol - and put that on my newer PC. anyway - will play around over the next few weeks as heading on holidays so will be getting a few more shots to hopefully edit. Cheers, Graeme

 

[grahamlthompson]

Thanks glt, but I was referring to the Nero Suite (Sorry Typo) version 11 . . . which claims it does all sorts of clever Editing things . . . funny then that so few use it.

.

Nero Vision was the video editing package that comes with Suite Versions earlier than 11. In 11 they call it Nero Video (it's basically the same programme).

Nero - Product FAQs

 

[Gramuk]

Yay - finally got Sony Vegas to produce some 1920 1080 50p AVCHD that I can actually stream to the TV. Turned out that it was the bit rate setting for the render which was causing the stuttering issues. I thought Sony would have had a template already for this HD setting (not) but it was easy enough to modify and create a new one. I suppose this would have been straight forward for someone with a bit of experience with rendering and the spec of AVCHD but I just dived in and expected it all just to work out of the box. I just looked at the properties of the file made from the Panasonic and matched those bit settings to the render settings. Strange thought that the "Match settings" automation in Sony did not pick up the right bit rates etc. Anyway - all working now so back to using Vegas.

 

[Bob++]

Too late for you but I really recommend that people should look at Magix - it does all this stuff straight out of the box