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Editing Handycam footage
Hi. I just bought a Sony Handycam DCR-SX60 and am having some trouble getting the footage into Vegas 8. Using the PMB software (included with the cam), I can import the footage to my hard drive, but when I try to open it in Vegas, it has video only, no audio. The files play with audio when played in Windows Media Player or other software, but I think perhaps it’s because the Handycam records audio in Dolby Digital format that Vegas can’t recognize it.
I’m honestly just dumbfounded when it comes to new camcorder technology. The HDD or Flash cameras record in MPEG-2 format, apparently compressing in real-time, then if you want to edit and render the clips for making a DVD, you have to compress them again as MPEG-2, resulting in further compression and quality loss. How are people dealing with this? I’m not ready to give up tape!!!
Thanks for the help.
Rob
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3 Replies
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dont use the camera software ! use firewire and capture straight into vegas is how I do it on my tape camera
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Thanks, Michael… I’m not using the included software, and the camera doesn’t have firewire. I capture with Firewire when using my tape cameras also, but this is a hard drive/flash media camera, and there’s no way to “capture” using Vegas, as far as I can see.
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> …there’s no way to “capture” using Vegas, as far as I can see.
Have you tried all of the File | Import options? Perhaps one of those options will recognize your camera when it’s plugged into your computer’s USB port? DVD Camcorder Disc might actually work depending on how the HDD on the camera is organized.
> …then if you want to edit and render the clips for making a DVD, you have to compress them again as MPEG-2, resulting in further compression and quality loss. How are people dealing with this?
Well… people who want to edit their videos and are concerned with quality should not buy MPEG2 cameras. These cameras are for people who just want to shoot and watch or burn directly to DVD. My Sony HDR-CX12 shoots MPEG2 in addition to AVCHD but it has a setting for MPEG2 at 9Mbps which is a pretty good bitrate and you really don’t loose that much quality when re-rendering. I would always shoot with the highest bitrate your camcorder allows.
~jr
http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com
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