Pixel Format Settings – which to use?

[Danny Hays]

Your project settings should match the footage your editing.
HDV 1 720p, HDV 2 1080i, both are in .m2t format. HD can be several formats. If you click on one of your videos in the Vegas explorer or project media tab, it tells you at the bottom of that window what the video is. Select a project preset that matches that. As far as 8 or 32 bit, I can get better contrast setting it to 32 when editing HDV, where my other two cameras shoot 1080 60p and setting it to 32 bit makes no visable difference.
Also if your burning DVDs or BR discs and your footage is interlaced, leave it that way as the players will deinterlace it for you. I usually watch my videos from a computer so if my video is interlaced I set my project settings to Progressive, method to blend for fast moving video and interpolate for slow moving video. Playing interlaced video from a computer, the interlacing is very visable.

Hope this helps, Danny Hays

[John Rofrano]

[Al Bergstein] “I’ve been defaulting to 8 bit, but should we be pushing to 32 (I assume so, as I’m running a 64 bit machine!). “

The default is 8 bit for a reason… That’s what most projects require. The 32-bit refers to the internal math that Vegas uses for color calculations. One reason to use 32-bit is if you have gradients that are showing banding. Sometimes using 32-bit will smooth them out. Otherwise, it’s not needed. This has nothing to do with being on a 64-bit machine.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Al Bergstein]

Thanks you guys. That clears it up. I’ll leave it alone then. I’ve also found info that states that it might be useful to switch to 32 bit for rendering purposes, then back for normal editing. Is that also something you would agree with?

Alf

[John Rofrano]

[Al Bergstein] ” I’ve also found info that states that it might be useful to switch to 32 bit for rendering purposes, then back for normal editing. Is that also something you would agree with?”

While I understand the raising the quality for rendering makes good sense in theory… in practice it may have undesired side effects.

I have read posts where people were having problems with plug-ins not looking the same when 32-bit was being used so, no… I would not agree with switching it on during rendering unless you are diligent to watch the entire rendered file and look for any surprises.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com