[Kert]

I edited a feature length movie on Vegas 7. I used CineForm intermidiate files for HD, worked out fine.
CineForm (cineform.com) now has available conversions for both the PC and the MAC. So, the same intermidiate files can be in MOV or AVI format thus importable to both the MAC and the PC. Look up CineForm’s website and see if they could be helpful to your project. It’s a very infomative site.

JK

[Kert]

I use LP sometimes when need 90Min. My experience is similar to listed in this tread. And…
I found that if I capture with a different camera of the same manufacture (that is Sony HC1 and an other HC1) the video is not pixelated BUT the sound has dead gaps in it. If I capture with the same camera I took the footage with – got perfect playback video and audio.
I found the same to be true of a pair of Canon HV20s.

JK

[Kert]

I have been using Vegas since V3. Switched from Premier. Took a while to get used to it, but now I love it and I think it is the most advanced NLE for the following reason:

It is based on a Drag, Cut and Paste principle as opposed to the OLDER NLEs (FCP, Premier,etc). which are based on the capturing from tape and carefully marking In and Out points and the carefully inserting it onto the timeline.

With Vegas I operate on cutting film metaphore. I Cut, Glue, Shorten, Lengthen the “FILM” all on the timeline. Plus of course do transitions, title etc. on the timeline.

I am going to try FCP because some projects I got that was edited on FCP. So I bought a intel MacPro on Ebay ($1200, Dual 2 Mhz, 2 Gb memory). I also added BOOTCAMP and with Windows Vista I can run Vegas 7&8 on the same computer. I also have a dual Intel 3.2 Mhz desktop and Vegas runs faster on the MacPro than on the desktop.

But, I will stick with Vegas except for special projects.

JK

[Kert]

I have been using Panasonic DV tapes for about 8 Years. The cheapest one works even for HDV. Appearently, the coating on Panasonics is such that it prevents head clogging.
Rarely have had dirthy heads, when I do I clean heads with Radio Shack cleaning set (solution plus long q-tips).
JK

[Kert]

I rendered a 1 hour 15 minute segment avi (with color correction in all segments) on V7 timeline, to MPG2 on Window Vista, running on MacPro laptop (dual 2GHz, 2 Gig memory).
The render took 1 hour and 43 minutes.

Then I switched on the 32 bit processing. After 20 minutes the timer indicated 6 hours and 26 minutes rendering time for the same segment described above. You pay for 32 bits.

By the way does 32 bit rendering means that the color is also processed at 32 bits? DSL and other could you explain how 32 bit helps and how it works.
Thanks, JK

[Kert]

Thank you Edward,

[Kert]

As a previous person commented, Vegas has to recompress the HDV footage to MPG2 usable by DVDA which adds one generation of compression loss.
However, when you capture by Cineform, CIneform (wavelet) converts HDV to an intemidiate HD AVI that is 4:2:2 and each HD frame is reconstructed (no data frames as in HDV) as a result you can edit it as you would DV.
When you ready to create MPG2 for your DVD the compression creates a much clearer MPG2 from the Cineform intermidiate footage.

Go to Cineform.com and you will learn a lot.

John K

[Kert]

Buy NEOHDV from Cineform ($250). Capture your HDV footage using NeoHDV (it tells you how). Edit your resulting Cineform in Vegas 7 and render it to MPG2 and AC3 then burn it on DVDA. I do this and I get unbelivebly clear DVDs. It looks almost as good as HDV and as good as commecial DVDs. Try it.
In fact I made a full length movie using Vegas 7 and Cineform. The DVD I made looks great (submitted to a festival). More about this later.
John K

[Kert]

Another way of looking at it is that if you have say 2 1/2 hours DV footage to render and you set 3.8 MBS compression, one gets a useable quality DVD. But with 24P with the same 3.8 MBS compression one can put on DVD approx. 3 hours of video with the same quality as the 2 1/2 hour at 60i.

I meant to say: Another way of looking at it is that if you have say 2 1/2 hours DV footage to render and you set 3.8 MBS compression, one gets a useable quality DVD. But with 24P with 3.2 MBS compression one can put on DVD approx. 3 hours of video with the same quality as the 2 1/2 hour at 60i.

JK

[Kert]

Thank you all for responding.

The same VOB file size for 60i and 24P now makes sense.
In fact when I originally compared 2 1/2 hour footage I rendered at 60i and then at 24P, I noticed that the 24P footage seemed higher quality, but I was not sure. Now I know.

Another way of looking at it is that if you have say 2 1/2 hours DV footage to render and you set 3.8 MBS compression, one gets a useable quality DVD. But with 24P with the same 3.8 MBS compression one can put on DVD approx. 3 hours of video with the same quality as the 2 1/2 hour at 60i.

Thanks again, John Kert