beginner here: video in preview window jumpy

VEGAS Pro

beginner here: video in preview window jumpy

Posted by Liz Margoshes on June 7, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Hi,

I am editing mp4’s (something about .264 is in the format name too) —
They play wonderfully in Windows Media Player (but they don’t play well in any other media player). However, when I import into Vegas, they play as if they are a series of still photos rather than a smooth continuous video.

I have a Pentium R (M) 1.20gig processor and 1.24gigs of RAM, which I guess is considered “slow” for video editing* so maybe that’s the problem. But then, why do the videos play so well when they are not in the editor?

(*for those of us who have lived a rather longish time, this seems absurd, doesn’t it? haven’t people been editing video with MUCH slower machines for years?)

I am shooting with a Sanyo Xacti HD1000, but I have given up on HD for the moment. I am experimenting with what the camera menu calls “TV quality”: “TV-SHQ” and/or “TV HR” (both 640X480, one is 60fps, one is 30fps.)

As I say, they both play great in Win Med Player but not when I import them into Vegas.

I am experimenting with a whole bunch of project settings when I import, but I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for the best settings. Basically I’m trying setting that seem logical for these files. (720X480 are on the list, so I”ve tried that, and I’ve also “customized” it to 640 X480 but it’s always the same shakiness).

On the other side of things, I can play tiny files (“web” resolution, I forget the numbers) just fine in the Vegas preview window, edit them, and could go wild on You Tube, but I would like to produce TV-quality video, burn to a DVD, etc.

I was thinking about getting the program Gearshift to convert to something more editable in my computer, but I see that Gearshift is for HD. I wonder if the “TV” files I’m trying to edit in now are the same sort of resolution that Gearshift converts TO for editing, or, would Gearshift (or some other program) shift the format “down” even further so that I can see the files nicely in the Vegas preview window for editing? I wonder if I should/could convert these “tv quality” files to those tiny “web-type” ones (oh I see it’s 320×240, 15fps), edit them that way, and then blow them up again? The kind of projects I’m doing are not of a level where complete precision is necessary — this is for amateur use.

Thank you for any help.

Liz

Liz Margoshes replied 17 years, 11 months ago 4 Members · 7 Replies
7 Replies

Terry Esslinger
June 7, 2008 at 3:35 pm

[Liz Margoshes] ” have a Pentium R (M) 1.20gig processor and 1.24gigs of RAM, which I guess is considered “slow” for video editing* so maybe that’s the problem”

I assume that yoiu mean 1.2MHz processor. That is rather weak for video editing but it can be done. Probably won’t come close to handling HD though except amybe with Gearshift.

[Liz Margoshes] “As I say, they both play great in Win Med Player but not when I import them into Vegas.”

I assume that you are watching the video in Vegas in the preview window? With the weakness of your computer make sure that the preview is set to at least preview(auto) or lower.The quality of the picture will degenerate but will play closer to full rate. BTW, the output that you render will not be affected.

Terry Esslinger
Liz Margoshes
June 7, 2008 at 4:08 pm

I’ve set it as low as Draft (auto). No difference.

Any theories as to why it will play so nicely in WMP but not in the Vegas preview window?

thanks
Steve Rhoden
June 7, 2008 at 6:24 pm

Remember Liz,
WMP is a media player…sony vegas is a editing tool and unless you
have a very powerful pc (which you dont)you wont get your video
playing back smoothly in vegas.
Hence you will get stuttering in your preview window…
absolutely nothing is wrong with that, it wont affect your video
when you render it.
And as for other media players…not all handles mp4’s playback well.
So enjoy your editing and dont worry.

Steve Rhoden
TNX EFFECTS STUDIOS.
Liz Margoshes
June 7, 2008 at 7:03 pm

Steve,

Thanks for that info. I will now cease driving myself crazy changing settings every minute. I still have my question, however: how have people been able to edit video for “all these” (a bunch) years on their computers, then? I understand I don’t have the most souped-up system, but really, five years ago, a system as powerful as mine didn’t even exist!

I am wondering what the minimum requirements would be in order to say for sure one would able to have a smooth editing process? I am also wondering what the contribution of the particular graphics card is to all this.

I can’t seem to find out what graphics card I have.

Thanks.
Douglas Spotted eagle
June 7, 2008 at 7:36 pm

Liz, even the most powerful machines have challenges with MP4, which is what your Xacti shoots. It isn’t really an ideal format, which is why it’s predominantely relegated to cheap cameras for the consumer.
Given the age/speed of your machine coupled with the challenging format…frustration is the norm.
DV, will edit very well on your machine, HDV will edit fairly well, and AVCHD? It’s gonna be a struggle. You might want to check out AVCUpShift from VASST/NewBlue. It’ll definitely cure your problem, but it does add an editing step.

Douglas Spotted Eagle
VASST

Certified Sony Vegas Trainer
Aerial Camera/Instructor
Liz Margoshes
June 7, 2008 at 9:09 pm

Wow.

Thank you for putting this all together for me. I’d heard that mp4s were an editing problem, but I thought that this particular sub-format my camera uses was an improvement. I have gone to the VASST site and am exploring the software you are recommending.

Thank you, very much appreciate your help!
Liz Margoshes
June 7, 2008 at 11:50 pm

UpShift or GearShift?

I am looking at the site now.

thanks

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