Video Editing - Windows XP or not????

[CotswoldCS]

I know that there are limitations of file size with Windows 98, so when I configured a PIII machine and Pinnacle DV500 card for a friend I used Win 2K. I was wondering if Windows XP has any advantages or disadvantages over 2k in terms of video editing. I am using a Pinnacle Studio DV for the next system.

 

[rbV5]

The file size limitation is present in Win2k and WinXP as well if you use the fat32 file system, so you need to use NTFS for your capture drive at least.

The one advantage for XP over 2K, would be in a dual head configuration (common for video-editing) XP has much better multi-monitor support. IMHO, if you don't already have 2k, get XP the price is similar. If you already have 2k, XP doesn't really offer enough to upgrade.

I use XP for video editing, works just dandy. Before you get the Pinnacle Studio DV, make sure it is 2k or XP compatable, some Pinnacle products lack support for 2k/XP, which makes working with large files a PITA.

 

[NicColt]

RB how's your vid capture under XP and what drivers are you using ?

the main problem I had with XP was capturing not editing. the darn thing would just hickup at the start and cause the sound to be out of sync for a 1 sec at the start.

 

[rbV5]

<< RB how's your vid capture under XP and what drivers are you using ? >>



Its working very good, since I installed MMC 7.5, I took my VIVO out and got another AIW Radeon to put back in here. Right now I'm using 6025's with success, but the 6018's were great drivers for my rig.

My FIC board is solid, but the HD performance is poor. I got a couple of the new maxtors in a RAID 0 array, and now I have enough room/performance for some decent captures.

I found this cool little proggy (mp4def) to configure divx for MMC, and I've been capturing straight to Divx, and its working suprisingly good.

I'm not dropping frames capturing, except when I try the higher resolution windows media codecs(haven't tryed them lately) MPEG-2 and ATI VCR codecs are working good. And I've used GordianKnot to encode the mp2 files to Divx, but I get the best quality period capturing Raw AVI and encoding with Nandub.

Here's what I'm doing:

Using the timeshifting/tv features I use the ATI VCR codec.
Capture a program to watch later, straight to Divx (I can't believe how good this works)
High quality for editing, archiving. Raw AVI 720x480 Huffyuv>Nandub (Nothing I've tried beats Nandub's 2 pass encoding)

I'm not really using MPEG1 or 2 right now. The way GordianKnot handles audio confuses me, its more for ripping DVD's than encoding your own captures, and I want to use Nandub to encode, I'll tackle it again soon. Untill I get a DVD burner, I don't have much use for the format, and VCD's just don't cut it next to Divx.

 

[NicColt]

>Its working very good, since I installed MMC 7.5

I'm afraid to go back to XP for now with my A7V, I think I'll stick with my 1.3 Bird and Win2K and upgrade hopefully before the end of Q3. This is what I'm waiting for, the Soyo Dragon + Ultra based on the KT333A, AIW Radeon R300, AMD XP2000+ or XP2200+ with a Thoroughbred .13 micron core, it will have a core voltage of 1.60 volts which is going to be much cooler. Two Maxtor 6L080L4 80.0 GB in Raid setup. and my Maxtor 54098H8 40 GB and 5T030H3 30 GB on the IDE as backups disks and a DVD-RW.

I don't use timeshift so that's not an issue.

> found this cool little proggy (mp4def) to configure divx for MMC, and I've been capturing straight to Divx, and its working suprisingly good

I'm really going to check this out thanks.

Here's what I'm doing: I'm using it as a vcr, I program the guide to record shows during day or night and then burn them to cdrw to view at work on 12hr shifts.

as a vcr, I capture MPEG1 (not a problem at work) at 1.11MB at 75 Motion. for 30min=313 Megs and for 60=626 Megs so 2 half hour shows or 1 one hour show per cd-rw. At 10X it takes 7 minutes/cd.

If I need higher quality I capture MPEG2 at 4 or 6MB and edit it in Vegas Video onto SVCD.

I was ready to start putting my entire personal tape collection on SVCD but I'm now holding off since the AIW R300 will have Hardware Encoding and Vegas Video can now do 2.4MB SVCD and even 8MB DVD with 4:3 and 16:9 aspect.

The Holy Grail of video capture and putting my personal tape collection on HQ-DVD should be here before the end of Q4, I've been waiting for this for 10 years, I think I can wait a few more months.

 

[rbV5]

Are you using a DVD player at work? (playing VCD's and SVCD's)





<< I've been capturing straight to Divx, and its working suprisingly good >>



Try this with MMC or VirtualDub:

320x240 6000 Kb/sec 75 crispness 8 sec keyframes, using 3.11a codec. Good starting point, the lower resolution avoids having to de-interlace, and the resulting file is excellent IMHO. I can only beat it encoding on the fly is with the highest mpeg-2 files which are at least 3X the size. You can also re-compress the PCM audio to mp3 and re-encode to really bring the sizes down.

Try it, you'll be suprised.

 

[CotswoldCS]

I've been reading your posts with interest guys. However, I'm new to video editing and wonder if you could provide me with a little advise or perhaps a few links to some useful website.

 

[NicColt]

CotswoldCS sorry for taking your thread there buddy, but one site I do like when I need to get informed is Doom9.org try that out.

>Are you using a DVD player at work? (playing VCD's and SVCD's)

Oh no.... I just capture plain mpeg1 and burn it to cdrw to view them at work. I wish we did have a dvd player, I'd be renting movies by the handfull.

>320x240 6000 Kb/sec 75 crispness 8 sec keyframes, using 3.11a codec

Ohly moly isn't that a little big for a file, thing is that with MPEG1 I know that at 1.11 Mb/sec I will have an hour for under 650Megs that will easily fit on cdrw. What size would you get for an hour at 6000 Kb/sec for divx 3.11a ?

 

[duragezic]

You say that it avoids have to deinterlace, but what is the disadvantage of deinterlacing? I capture at 640x480 deinterlace on but it's better with the higher resolution because I'd have to 2x it at 320x240 which degrades the quality quite a bit to equal the viewing size of a 640x480 capture. Is that right?

 

[rbV5]

<< I'm new to video editing and wonder if you could provide me with a little advise or perhaps a few links to some useful website. >>



Sorry, I'm done hijacking your thread, what advice are you looking for? ask away. VCD Help is a nice site with Video information.




<< Ohly moly isn't that a little big for a file >>



Wouldn't you think, but....

Divx capture settings: 320x240 6000 Kb/sec 100 crispness 1sec keyframe
VCD capture settings: MMC default VCD preset


File size 1 minute capture:

Divx Capture:.........................................................................20,118 KB
Divx Capture and recompress Audio only to MP3: .................10,132 KB
VCD........................................................................................10,359 KB

Interesting hugh? Recompressing the audio takes very little time in VirtualDub, so its not a hassle. Try it for yourself and see.

UPDATE: Started a new thread to discuss video capture.