Produce crisp AVI for usage in Vegas

[bogaertb]

Hi,

I would like to combine PTE slideshows and video captures taken with a DV cam. I currently tried PTE and generate an AVI:

- I use the default settings in PTE. Type is PAL and non-HD (I do not own a HD or HD-ready TV-set)

- I use TmpGenc to generate an AVI file.

The quality is "acceptable" but I was wondering whether it is possible to produce better results. I've read some posts and some suggest to download ACE Mega codecs pack. Is there information available on this forum describing how to generate AVI variants of the PTE slideshows and have them as crips as possible?

I do have plenty of HD space on my system.

Thanks, Bart

[nobeefstu]

Bart,

The quality is "acceptable" but I was wondering whether it is possible to produce better results.

What version of TmpGenc encoder are you using? I have never used TmpGenc myself, but many of its users claim its produces execellent results.

You possibly may need to configure the TmpGenc codec to use less compression to obtain maximum/better quality.

After clicking the Video Codec button in 'Make an AVI Video File' window and selecting your TmpGenc codec ... click the Configure button to view its configuration options available.

I dont know what quaility is acceptable to you ... but no matter what codec you use it wont reproduce that of the .exe quailty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TMPGEnc

[bogaertb]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

Here's what I tried to do already. I have loaded the ACE Mega Codecs pack and when selecting the codecs from the Make AVI option in PTE I do see more codecs then I had before. Whenever I pick one out of the list PTE returns that this is a priviledged instruction and I finaly have to exit PTE and restart again as this option seems to destroy something in PTE.

I basically do not encode with TmpGenc but merely save the project as an AVI that I then import in Vegas together with sequences taken from the video camera.

So the settings in PTE are:

- PAL/SECAM

- I ticked anti-flicker

- I generate a DVD-dideodisc

In TMPGenc (this is the free version so MPEG-2 coding has expired - but I want to save as AVI):

- DVD for PAL 4:3

- CBR Linear PCM Audio

- Clip frame option (using default setting)

- Noise reduction + High quality mode

- Output to file -> AVI

The version is TMPGenc Plus 2.5

Maybe this is the best quality I can get...

Regards, Bart

[nobeefstu]

Bart,

I dont quite understand your processing steps to produce a AVI file of your PTE show. It appears to me you are generating a DVD-Video Disc file in PTE and then using TmpGenc to convert that DVD image to an AVI file. Maybe this is part of your quality issue.

Why not directly convert the PTE show to AVI ... using Create Custom AVI File radio button and then select the Video Codec button to use any codecs listed. Use a MS Mpeg4, XviD, DivX if so installed on your system. Click the Configure button to view/set its configuration options available. See which produces the best quailty to fit your needs.

If you dont have any of these codecs currently installed ... you will have to download them ( some are freeware, some are shareware)

Do a Forum search for the codecs named above to find any possible links to download and use.

[potwnc]

Bart,

Since you're using Vegas, why don't you just use the PTE codec, leave PTE running, import the .AVI file into Vegas and render from Vegas itself?

That's what I do and my results are as good as any commercial content I've seen.

Ray

[jfa]

Bart,

Since you're using Vegas, why don't you just use the PTE codec, leave PTE running, import the .AVI file into Vegas and render from Vegas itself?

That's what I do and my results are as good as any commercial content I've seen.

Ray

I also do exactly as Ray has done in Vegas and have had the same very good results.

[bogaertb]

John, Ray,

Thanks for your suggestion. I will try this tonight and see what this gives.

In any case maybe some explanation is needed on this as I do not know what goes on behind the scene. What is the difference between using TMPGenc reading in the temp AVI file produced by PTE and having Vegas reading this in. As far as I can see the only difference is that I use TMPgenc to save as a full AVI file while when imported in Vegas using Vegas' explorer I have to render the project (unless there is a way to import this file and store it as AVI too. Auiting PTE will result in the temporary AVI file to be gone.

Maybe I am missing some pieces but I like to know more on this.

Nobeefstu,

I installed the ACE Megapack codecs and try to use a Microsoft MPEG4. PTE ends with an access violation in ptevideo.dll at address 03B41073. Read of address 6364697A. After that I basically need to restart PTE to make it functioning again. I tried that before and it seems that I can't use any of these without having an access violation.

Thanks and best regards, Bart

[bogaertb]

John, Ray,

I tried your suggestion but I do not see any noticeable difference. Here is what I do:

- Select AVI

- Select DVD-videodisc or Selecting PTE encoder as a pick in the Video Codec list

- Import the AVI file from the Vegas' explorer window.

- Put both fragments after each other (the one via TMPGenc and the Vegas import)

- Render

- Burn onto DVD

When played no noticeable difference is visible.

Trying to use other codecs (e.g. a MS MPEG4 from the ACE pack makes PTE crash)

I also need a way to have these AVI files permanent as I am combining Video and slide sequences. Closing the PTE make AVI removes the temp file.

Regards, Bart

[nobeefstu]

Bart,

I installed the ACE Megapack codecs and try to use a Microsoft MPEG4. PTE ends with an access violation in ptevideo.dll at address 03B41073. Read of address 6364697A. After that I basically need to restart PTE to make it functioning again. I tried that before and it seems that I can't use any of these without having an access violation.

I looked over the 'ACE Mega CodecS Pack 6.03 - Professional Edition' and thats alot of installed codecs. Having too many codecs on your system has been known for promoting corruption/compatability issues. I would completely uninstall the 'ACE Mega CodecS Pack 6.03 - Professional Edition' package ... then reboot. See if your PTE is still crashing/receiving access violations.

I also need a way to have these AVI files permanent as I am combining Video and slide sequences.

For the best DVD quality for your needs ... create a file using Mpeg 2 encoding. Since your TmpGenc MPEG-2 encoding capability is expired ... I gather you are encoding with TmpGenc MPEG-1. MPEG-1 is of much lower quality than MPEG-2. MPEG-1 is of VCD quality.

PTE-Video Builder encodes MPEG-2 files also ... providing you have purchased the Video Builder upgrade. Select the Create MPEG2 Files checkbox in the last stage of Video Builder ... no need to burn a DVD Disc.

Mpeg4 encoding is probably not what you need to use at this time. If 'ACE Mega CodecS Pack 6.03 - Professional Edition' installer allows individual codec selection ... then install just the MPEG4 v2 codec.

[bogaertb]

Thanks Nobeefstu,

PTE is indeed running fine when the ACE codec pack is removed (I had tried that already, I also removed the files flagged by the system as not being used any more - naybe that was not such a good idea...).

On the "workflow": in fact I am only using TMPGenc to permanently save the slide sequence to an AVI file, I am not encoding (at least this is what I assume that no MPEG encoder is being used when an AVI file is written).

I just want to combine AVIs "produced" this way with AVIs from the video camera in Vegas and then have Vegas render the complete project (in fact a video on a journey to Cub). It is about 50 minutes in total and has about 20 PTE AVI sequences and about 10 true video sequences.

Music and titles are added using Vegas.

I thought that this way of working would be a good way. I was aware that good quality still can only be achieved using HD-TV and the quality that I currently get is the maximum achievable in PAL and "normal" TV. I read in numerous posts that it is not possible to match the quality of the exe file.

Best regards, Bart

[Lin Evans]

Hi Bart,

You don't want to install "all" the codecs from ACE, only selected ones (this is one of the install options). You can install the Microsoft MPEG 4 and a few others but certainly don't need (or want to install) all of them.

The quality of the AVI created will depend on several factors including compression. For a high quality output you really don't want a great deal of compression and you can create the high quality AVI with PTE then import this and mix with your video in Vegas.

Best regards,

Lin

Thanks Nobeefstu,

PTE is indeed running fine when the ACE codec pack is removed (I had tried that already, I also removed the files flagged by the system as not being used any more - naybe that was not such a good idea...).

On the "workflow": in fact I am only using TMPGenc to permanently save the slide sequence to an AVI file, I am not encoding (at least this is what I assume that no MPEG encoder is being used when an AVI file is written).

I just want to combine AVIs "produced" this way with AVIs from the video camera in Vegas and then have Vegas render the complete project (in fact a video on a journey to Cub). It is about 50 minutes in total and has about 20 PTE AVI sequences and about 10 true video sequences.

Music and titles are added using Vegas.

I thought that this way of working would be a good way. I was aware that good quality still can only be achieved using HD-TV and the quality that I currently get is the maximum achievable in PAL and "normal" TV. I read in numerous posts that it is not possible to match the quality of the exe file.

Best regards, Bart