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MidnTPK
12-14-2009, 02:21 PM
So I recently bought a new PC, and I need some help making movies.

I have a Flip HD (720P video) and a Sony Handycam DVD camcorder (480I video). I can easily get the video off off these two devices and onto my computer. But I've had some issues getting the DVD video onto my TiVo and combing the two media onto a DVD (for the grandparents).

Several times I've used the Windows Movie Maker (WMM) to combine items from my DVD created video files. WMM combines the items into a single file, but is letterboxing everything into a 4:3 picture, despite me setting it to a 16:9 HD output. The same is happening when I try to combine both Flip and DVD video into a single file, to then burn to a DVD.

Is there easy-to-use, novice, video editing software out there that will do this....or is there someplace 'secret' in WMM that will give me the output I want (a full frame 720/1080 16:9 picture)?

FYI...I still use the DVD Camcorder because I have a waterproof case for it. Otherwise I'd go to 100% Flip....so much easier to manage and use with TiVo.

DizneyRox
12-14-2009, 02:54 PM
I would look at Adobe Premiere Elements...

I use Sony Vegas, but that's probably not what you're looking for. If you are outputting to standard DVDs and want it to play on most DVD players, then you want to stick with 720x480 resolution (for NTSC). DVDs are not capable of playing HD videos.

Your DVD player may upsample to HD resolutions, but the source can be no greater than 720x480 and in MPEG2 format. Audio would be PCM or AC3 as well, MP3 audio is non standard and may not play on some DVD players.

tazlikesrobots
12-14-2009, 03:17 PM
I would look at Adobe Premiere Elements...


This is a great product for novice users and has lots of great features. If you are looking for something on 50.00 (order from pinnaclesys.com) or less side, check out Pinnacle studio HD. It has features comparable to Adobe Premiere Elements!

MidnTPK
12-14-2009, 03:59 PM
I would look at Adobe Premiere Elements...

I use Sony Vegas, but that's probably not what you're looking for. If you are outputting to standard DVDs and want it to play on most DVD players, then you want to stick with 720x480 resolution (for NTSC). DVDs are not capable of playing HD videos.

Your DVD player may upsample to HD resolutions, but the source can be no greater than 720x480 and in MPEG2 format. Audio would be PCM or AC3 as well, MP3 audio is non standard and may not play on some DVD players.
Thanks.

I understand that the DVDs won't be HD/more than 480....its the 4:3 conversion with letterboxing of absolutely everything, no matter the original aspect ratio, that really frustrates me. It makes the picture 50% of the TV's size, or with half the original clarity when zoomed to 16:9.

DizneyRox
12-14-2009, 09:02 PM
The problem you may be having is that the aspect ratio may not be able to be stored within the movie clip. For example, on my old camcorder, it filmed at 720x480 regardless of if it was in widescreen or not. I would capture the clips, and have to specify in the captured AVI (file properties within Vegas) that it should treat that as a widescreen clip.

Widescreen pixels are not square and 4:3 pixels are, or vice versa... I don't think the DV-AVI container can hold that information during the capture not sure about others.

Once you get the editing program to understand what is what, often it works fine throughout the editing and rendering of the movies into MPEG2, and then again in authoring (I author DVDs in a different program) you may need to tell it what the format is. If it's all in the same program, that might carry over.

MidnTPK
12-15-2009, 09:15 AM
Thanks for the tips.

Last night I played with Video Redo on a friend-of-a-friend's recommendation. It did a great job of combining my DVD Camcorder files into a single MPEG file (which look great on my TiVo HD), but it doesn't play nice with the WMV files the Flip software creates. I'll try Adobe's Premiere Elements for the next step.

DizneyRox
12-15-2009, 10:05 AM
Video Redo is an awesome program for editing MPEG2 movies without the need to re-render them. It's one of the best options for editing video from those camcoders that save as MPEG2 as even the first edit, you're looking at about three generations removed from the original (Like a copy of a copy of the original). The version I have doesn't do anything else though, it's not meant as a general editing tool. I think they have a TV Suite that might do more.

I'd try everything in your power to stay away from WMV files for editing. DV-AVI is my preference, but I haven't dealt with the new HD formats on many of the new cameras (AVCHD I think).

If worse comes to worse, maybe convert the WMV files to something better using a program like SUPER or other free conversion tool. You'll lose some quality, but quite honestly, if you're going from HD to DVD quality, you've got some room to play around before you would notice on the end product.

MidnTPK
12-15-2009, 11:12 AM
You'll lose some quality, but quite honestly, if you're going from HD to DVD quality, you've got some room to play around before you would notice on the end product.I'm only burning to DVD to give the grandparents some video of their granddaughter....otherwise I can keep everything in its original resolution and watch on my HD TiVos.

alex61821
12-17-2009, 12:28 PM
I use a program called Super converter it is freeware and does almost any file format. if you need a link let me know.

magicofdisney
12-17-2009, 12:54 PM
I cast another vote for Pinnacle. I've been using their software for years and I love their features and user friendliness. But to be fair, I have no input regarding HD output. ;)