Capturing and editing footage with different software???

**slimbob** · 06-02-2012, 03:01 PM

Hi Guys

I have a question linked to capturing/exporting footage and software … hope you can help me out here as always.

O.k

As you know I am using my very old P.C running WMM2.1. (saving up for a new P.C/software ).

I capture my footage as DV-AVI (PAL) so it is as uncompressed as possible.
It captures at:

Bit Rate =30mbps
720 by 576
16:9
25 fps

My camera is capturing at 16;9 ratio and 1/50 shutter speed and 25fps (ie) Panasonic NVGS400 Mini DV (Pal) Camcorder).

My question is are you best to capture edit and export using the same software?

If I capture with WMM2.1 and I get Sony Vegas and a new P.C in the future can I import he DV-AVI captured footage using WMM into Vegas

or

Is it best to recapture with Vegas from the original archived mini-dv tape?

I had a trail version of Vegas and it wouldn’t run well on my p.c but one thing I managed to do was to capture some video to try to edit .I noticed the file size of the captured footage was basically identical to the same footage captured using WMM (I think Sony Vegas was like 60 kb bigger so not much difference.

So am I right in assuming the quality of the same footage being captured by both software (Vegas /WMM)is the same?

If you recommend I capture edit and export all using the same software I will have to keep using WMM for now and make sure to keep all my original footage tapes so in the future I can capture it again using Vegas when I get it compared to importing the captured footage which was captured using WMM????

Please advise

Thanks a million everyone

**CaptionWorld** · 06-02-2012, 03:47 PM

Hi Slimbob

I use Pinnacle Studio which will import WMM For editing. I would have thought Vegas would too. I transferred a lot of VHS Footage to DV and the video transfer quality is not as good as the original but only by a minute amount. Of course bearing in mind that since the early days of Video tape, these days Video quality has improved to such an extent that editing virtually makes no difference to the quality.

At least you will always have the originals so you can experiment. Keeping in mind that transfer quality may not be as good as the original.

Hope this helps

**slimbob** · 06-02-2012, 04:09 PM

Thanks CW

I am pretty sure Vegas will allow you to import original footage (DV-AVI) originally imported/captured using (WMM2.1)

From what you say CW am I right to understand that if I imported from mini dv tape into "Vegas" using vegas import/capture option then edited and exported with Vegas I would see no noticeable difference in end quality compared to taking a DV-AVI (PAL) file (footage captured using WMM2.1) then put that into Vegas and edited and exported it exactly the same way??

My worry was that Vegas (ie) better software would some how capture /import the info off my tape better than cheaper software like WMM2.1 ??

Or like you say are they both capturing the same information so no difference quality wise in the captured footage ???

This would save me in the future having to re capture the original footage all over again using new software(Vegas) wen I get it compared to just importing the footage already captured with WMM2.1 ???

Cheers CW

**CaptionWorld** · 06-02-2012, 04:37 PM

Your Welcome

I would expect some quality loss from PAL Format to DV No matter what software you use. Unlike with the modern day Digital cameras already recording in DV Format so there is virtually no converting to do and the transfer quality is mind blowing top quality.

Just a quick note I would highly recommend that you transfer all your Video tape material to DV anyway as a safety measure. I have found that Video Tape can deteriorate over time.

**TimStannard** · 06-02-2012, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by CaptionWorld

I would expect some quality loss from PAL Format to DV No matter what software you use.

There seems to be some misunderstanding going on here (possibly on my part)

Please explain what you mean by the above.

My understanding:

Slimbob's camera is PAL and it is DV. PAL is simply a definition of 50 fields/25 frames per second interlaced, 720 x 576. It is recorded digitally to a MiniDV tape. MiniDV tape is a very reliabe media for archiving material. During filming, compression occurs in the camera (so the compressed data is on the tape). During capture no compression occurs.

This is not the same as capturing from VHS or another source.

Therefore it will make no difference to the quality of the footage whether Slimbob captures in WMM, Sony Vidcap (the program which Vegas uses for capture) or another capture program such as Scenalyzer. Where there might be a difference is in whether/how the different programs split the captured video into multiple files (using timecode, content analysis or not at all)

**CaptionWorld** · 06-02-2012, 05:48 PM

Hi Tim

This is not the same as capturing from VHS or another source.

Ah well this is more of what I was referring to. Taking it as Video tape in general. Interesting point though Tim on MiniDV Tape. Thanks for that. Sorry didn't mean to mislead .

**slimbob** · 06-02-2012, 07:04 PM

Thanks Guys!

Thanks very much for your input too Tim ........ it is great to know that even though WMM 2.1 is free simple software it is doing a good job of transferring the footage from my camera (tape) to DV-AVI file on my P.C.
It is also good to know that whether I use Vegas or WMM to get the footage on my P.C it will make know noticeable difference (quality)and my DV-AVI (PAL) files can later be accepted and used in Vegas to edit and export with when I save up for a new P.C & software (Vegas) in the future.

Thanks Tim

Thanks Too CW .. you are right I will make sure to have my footage not only archived on mini dv tape but also on my p.c as DV-AVI file like you suggested.

Thank you for your feedback and help to my thread ........

Much appreciated