PTE exe to avi

[RayPar]

The question I have is: If you convert a PTE of mine to SVCD format, can that SVCD version be emailed to me and then burned like any data file with my CD burner?

The answer is yes. Once you have the MPG file then you can use a VCD/SVCD CD burning program (Nero for me) and create the CD. You can then view it in your DVD player (if it supports SVCD) or on your computer using WinDVD or PowerDVD or similar programs. You can also use Windows Media player if you have the right codec on your PC, but I prefer using a DVD player software.

Mail me your presentation and I'll be glad to convert it for you.

Ray

[RayPar]

Ray:

What a pleasant surprise! Good to hear from you again.

As for menus, yeah, you'd just create new ones in your authoring tool - Studio 8 for me.

But how the heck are you? Been busy, I presume...

And, sadly, no TV out on my laptop. But when Igor provides the AVI out, I'll be styling!

Dana

Hey Dana,

Same old, same old. Just busy trying to make a living in this awful economy. I just finished a video editing project using Studio 8 and Premier. I can't wait till Igor provides the AVI capability for PTE. It will sure save a lot of conversion time. Hope you and the family are doing well.

Take care,

Ray

[SilverSurfer]

Hey all,

One thing you could do, is have your slides in P2E show on a timer. And then use Camtasia to video capture the P2E presentation. Then convert video to MPEG-2 and burn onto DVD.

My hunch, is that it would just be best to just insert your single images in a DVD authoring program and make a DVD menu to navigate the pictures. That would probably be the best way to go.

SilverSurfer

[Casey]

Folks,

Just wanted to interject a few warnings. If you attempt to capture a PTE show via the S-video or composite out ports from your video card to a digital video camera you're exporting an ANALOG signal. So that means that the fundamental digital source that PTE works with is converted to analog (adding generational loss), then is converted BACK into a digital format (again, adding generational loss) and if you are exporting at any resolution besides 720 X 480 (NTSC) then you're also getting degradation due to resizing.

If you are exporting via S-video or composite cables to a VCR then you have the same digital to analog generational loss AND you introduce the resolution loss due to the limited resolution of the VCR tape (max is 400 lines, I believe).

This doesn't even touch upon the PITA factor (Pain In The Ass). My recommendation is to save your project files and wait for Igor to give us the ability to export to AVI. THEN video will have a much lower PITA factor and the results should be superior.

Another warning.... Video is a fundamentally different animal than a computer based show, even if they ostensibly achieve the same end. I'm willing to wager that two things will happen almost immediately upon release of the AVI export capability: incessant begging for "menu creation" and demands of Igor to make the process easier. I encourage everyone to be patient with Igor.

Last warning (this one for Igor). You mentioned in an earlier post that video transitions can be very smooth even with the limited frame rate. Yes, indeed they can, but there is a very important reason WHY they can be. Motion blur is the reason why. Here is an experiment for those interested (and have a DVD player). Put a movie in the deck and do a frame by frame advance on a "high action" scene. The blurring you see in the frames look TERRIBLE if you look at one cel (frame) at a time. When you show them at 25 or 30 frames per second though, that blur makes all the difference. Purpose-made encoders can introduce motion blur, but I'm not aware of any of the free encoders that allow this. If you do not introduce motion blur then you'll get a "jumpy" appearance in high translational (high movement) scenes.

Note, this is not a death knell! It only means that you'll have to be conscientious about your choice of transitions and your transitions' durations. Fades should not be affected by this as there is no pixel translation. If you choose to use "movement" transitions, be sure to use longer durations. You'll have to experiment to see what the minimum acceptible duration is for your tastes.

So Igor.... any idea WHEN?

[RayPar]

If you are exporting via S-video or composite cables to a VCR then you have the same digital to analog generational loss AND you introduce the resolution loss due to the limited resolution of the VCR tape (max is 400 lines, I believe).

I agree 100%. However, the results are well within the acceptable norms. As for the PITA factor, I think being able to pop a CD or VHS tape into your DVD/VCR player and watching your show with the family makes it worth while. Unless of course you have a 50" plasma display in your living room and could plug your computer or laptop's monitor port directly into it.

All I can say is just wait until we hear from Lumenlux sometime next week. It's all in the eye of the beholder!

[Casey]

Ah, well if I had a HDTV I wouldn't even bother with DVD. The resolution of HDTV is *theoretically* 1,440 X 1,080 pixel equivalent and DVD is only 720 X 480 (or 720 X 576 for those of us in Europe). I'd connect it directly to the PC via the LCD connector (I've forgotten the name of that connectory just now) and watch a show at the upper native resolution of the screen. Now wouldn't THAT give you delusions of being Spielberg? At that point the images would retain the subtlety that the conversion to video loses.

One interesting thing is that there are no "mortally affordable" video cameras for High Definition, but when they ARE available, everyone with one will have the capability to create movies that will scale to the "small theatre" level. Another thing people will beg for when Igor enables AVI export is to be able to import video clips. Then Igor's headaches will REALLY start if he tries to accomodate that request.

[Ken Cox]

Casey

JVC has just released

GRHD1 hd camera

$5000 Canadian

ken

[LumenLux]

OK Ken, we expect your personal test results within 48 hrs after you have your new camera in hand.

[Casey]

Yeah, well.... that's why I said, "mortally affordable" . I did a search on that camera and this is what the blurb says:

Shoot crystal-clear high-definition video with the JVC GR-HD1 digital video camcorder. By utilizing a 1.18-megapixel progressive-scan CCD and JVC proprietary processing, the GR-HD1 camcorder records and plays back at 750 lines of resolution at 30 frames per second, recording MPEG2 video to MiniDV tape.

While it is technically high definition at 750 lines of resolution, the 1080i format (with 1,080 lines of resolution) is the REAL DEAL. Also, note that this camera saves the video in MPEG2 format. I don't like that. I guess they had to do that in order to avoid creating yet another tape format for HD. But if you're going to work with high definition, you may as well go all the way and work in uncompressed format. My unsubstantiated estimate is that at it should produce about 500 MB per minute uncompressed in file size! The 1080i format *should* use about 1 GB per minute uncompressed. WOW!

With file sizes like that, I'll have to retire my IBM XT... or maybe upgrade to that new fangled 286 processor.

Oh, for those of you in the market for a high end video camera, you might want to check this site out: http://production.digitalmedianet.com/2002...mbg_nab2002.htm Warning: you'd best be sitting down when you look at the prices.