Unable to edit 2 different videos on one program

[learner]

I have 2 different videos recorded: one on my Sanyo Xacti VPC HD1000 GX and the other on a SONY DCR-TRV80E and I need to put them together in one movie. The Sanyo's is already in a Quick4mpeg file.
and the Sony on a AVI file. I have Pinnacle 9 and 10 and also the Ulead provided with Sanyo that can do HD but I am getting nowhere. Also their support do not seem interested in assisting. I have tried all sorts of converters to try to open both on one editor program but nothing works.
The producers of the programs are obviously full of tricks and I am about to give up! unless any one in this forum could help and advise if there is any simple way on how to edit the two with one editor.
Thanks

[gonwk]

Hi Learner,

Convert your MPEG4 file to AVI also ... and then combine the 2 AVI files together. Then convert that AVI to whatever Format you like ...

G!

[learner]

Hi Gonwk,
First I made a movie file from Sony to AVI with Pinnacle 10 which on Virtual Dub shows: 720x576, 25.000fps (40.000us) decompressor: internal DV decoder (dvsd) data rate 28.800 kbps and keay frames: 46.366.
I can open this movie on Pinnacle 10 to edit it.
Then, I took the other movie file marked "Quicktime mpeg4" and tried to open it on Virtual dub but said: not supported file. Then, I converted it with Tmpceg to the same or most similar to the above AVI, and I could then open it up with Studio 10 together with the Sony one, but the quality of this one (ex Quicktime) was not good at all.
Ideally, I should use a different movie editor that would allow me to place both type of files together to edit, or I would need to know more in detail what to do.
If you could help.
Thanks

[gonwk]

Hi Learner,

I noticed that you are working with payware ... I mostly fool-around with freeware ... so ...

Tell me if I am understanding you correctly ...

1) You are Happy with your Sony Clip conversion (let's call this "Clip 1") to get out refrences right!

2) Let's call your MPEG4 clip ... "Clip 2" and you converted this using TMPGEnc and you are not Happy with the output result.

Q1: What is exactly you are trying to EDIT out of these 2 clips? Cut out frames or edit Audio or what?

Thanks,

G!

[learner]

Hi Gonewk,
The idea is to put together both videos and burn into a DVD disk.

1) Clip 1 - is OK, I used Pinnacle Studio 10 to download it to my PC with the use of Pinnacle Studio 10 and turned it into a project and a standard Studio AVI file, so that I can later make a DVD movie.

2) Clip 2 - In order to place it together with Clip or project/movie (Clip 1), I tried converting it using different freeware programs including Tmpenc to all sorts of AVI files but no one of them I was able to place together into the Studio 10 project/movie

Q1) Need to edit Clip 2 by having to cut out some frames (not worried about the audio) and add it into Clip 1 so that I can then burn a DVD movie, which is the main final goal.

Perhaps I have been using the word video "clip" instead as a movie "file" that can be later converted to a DVD disk and perhaps besides Pinnacle you could suggest a less complicated freeware editor that I could use instead, to solve these problems.

[gonwk]

Hi Learner,

Peace of cake ... I might be showing the long way ... but this is 1st thing came to my mind and I am sure it will work ...

Let's start with Clip 2 ...

1) Download and install AviDemux 2.4.4

http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/

2) Using AviDemux convert Clip 2 to AVI ...
- For Video choose MPEG-4 ASP ... under Configure for "Encoding Mode" change to "Constant Bitrate" and for Target Bitrate choose 8000.

- For Audio use MP3 Lame ... under Configure go to Bitrate and choose 224 and save

then go to Top Left Hand corner and File > Save >Save Video ... the file as whatever ***.AVI

3) Use AviDemux to cut out the Clips that you want out of the AVI from Step 2 ... and name each of a different name ... Clip1 (not to confuse with Your Original Clip 1), Clip2, Clip3, ... and so on.

4) Download and install DVD Flick 1.3.0.6

http://www.dvdflick.net/download.php

5) Add your Original Clip1 (the one that you are A-OK with) ... and all the clips from Step 3 to DVD Flick and get a Final DVD ...

NOTE: Under Project Setting ... look under "Playback" and see how you want your Final DVD to be.

Post back your result!

G!

[paglamon]

@Learner,

I don't know about Pinnacle.....but Corel Video Studio 12(formerly Ulead) does support Quicktime as input format.

Virtualdub can also open Quicktime files using the Quicktime plugin. It can be found here:http://www.tateu.net/software/
Download the qtvd_bin.zip. Extract the quicktime.ini file in the Virtualdub root folder and the other quicktime.vdplugin into the plugins32 folder.

[gonwk]

Hi Paglamon,

AviDemux might be much easier for Learner vs VDub for now!

G!

[paglamon]

Maybe. But VD has the advantage of being used as a Frameserver. That way ,he can feed the file into his favourite editor without converting it to avi first.As a result, quality is not compromised.

[learner]

Ok, thanks to all.
However, with your previous instructions, I managed to convert my clip 2 (Quicktime mpeg4) into a mpeg2 and then placed it into Pinnacle studio 9.
I was able to edit it and burn to DVD. It was not easy as most converters would not recognise Quicktime.
I first had to check the exact specs on the (clip 1) and then convert (clip 2) to the correct bits, fps, kbps, etc, same ones used by Studio 9 to be able to open and edit.
Mediacoder also opens Quicktime.
I find my Studio 10 very unestable and Ulead difficult to edit with.
I have learned a lot so far!
The quality of the DVD obtained with Studio 9, could I still improve on it?
I shall try your new instructions.
Thanks

[gonwk]

Maybe. But VD has the advantage of being used as a Frameserver. That way ,he can feed the file into his favourite editor without converting it to avi first.As a result, quality is not compromised.

Hi Paglamon,

I knew YOU are a Smart Cookie ... you are RIGHT as usual.

I was concerned about the Quality Loss also ... that is why I had Learner to set the Bitrates so HIGH to get around that.

@ Learner ... VirtualDub as Paglamon said it is a very powerful tool and it does have "Filters" that can improve on your current Source video ... try it.

G!

[paglamon]

G!

Make no mistake. I love AVIDemux too(in fact I prefer it over VD myself). But it has some limitations(which,strangely,the AVIDemux team claims to be their strengths).....no third party codecs or filters are supported. So,if one likes DivX over XviD,he cannot use AVIDemux. But that frameserver thing is a great thing for VD.
For preserving quality(if encoding is unavoidable), I would prefer Huffyuv.

[gonwk]

... For preserving quality(if encoding is unavoidable), I would prefer Huffyuv.

Hi Paglamon,

You know I can't remember what program I was using but it had a drop-down selection box and I chose (I believe, if my memory serve me right) the Huffyuv encoder and my Test Clip came out with Blue Shade ...

But mind you I did not change any of the settings on the Huffyuv encoder ... now that might have been what caused ... but not sure.

Q1: Any idea what could have casued it?

Q2: What program do you use Huffyuv with?

Thanks,

G!

[paglamon]

See here:

http://neuron2.net/www.math.berkeley.edu/benrg/huffyuv.html

I rarely needed it.When I did, I used it in Virtualdub.
In fact I needed it for transfer of my old Hi8 analog tapes into PC. But finally settled for Picvideo MJPEG codec to avoid the huge size of Huffyuv encoded files.

[gonwk]

Hi Paglamon,

THANKS man!

G!