MPEG 2 Questions

[dancer_mom]

I want to buy a camcorder for our Disney Trip and the models I am looking at record in MPEG2. I want to be able to edit - cut/put in transitions, add audio and then burn to DVD to play on a TV. (I have adobe premiere elements but read that pinnacle can be good for this file type)?

I have read that the compressed format of an MPEG2 can lower the image quality when putting it on DVD to play? Our goal with this camcorder is to create fun home movies that could be sent to Grandparents and played on their home DVD players. Will this type of file support this goal? If not is there another one that would come recommended?

Thanks so much.

 

[photo_chick]

Mpeg 4 is the way I'd go if you're going to do a lot of editing. Yes, you can make and edit vdieos just fine that are mpeg 2, and we were doing it with a lot less not so long ago, but in this day and age where everyone has an HDTV and we're used to looking at high quality images... I'd personally go mpeg 4.

I've used Pinnacle and I'm not a fan. I much prefer Premiere.

 

[hakepb]

Technically, Hollywood DVDs are generally MPEG2, and HD channels over the air and from most cable providers are MPEG2, also (DirecTv and Dish use MPEG4)
On a still screenshot, there would be more information in a MPEG2 feed, but MPEG4 is more clever, and done correctly you process as much or more detail than MPEG2. MPEG4 can use smaller files more effectively (more channel per satellite)

Depending on what/how you are editing makes more of the difference.
My camera has MPEG4 and AVCHD, and most people think the AVCHD looks better.

 

[pjacobi]

You can record and edit in just about any digital video format. When your movie is complete on your computer, the final step is DVD-video "mastering".

DVD-Video mastering is usually a separate software program that will convert your digital video into DVD-video format. You will also need to design DVD-video menu that appears when the disc is loaded into DVD player. The process of transcoding the video format and burning DVD can take hours to complete even on a modern PC.

Once this DVD-video disc has been mastered, there is no guarantee that it will play on all DVD players! Older DVD player will sometime will not play DVD+-R/DVD+-RW media.

The process is more complicated that you might be expecting!


-Paul

 

[dancer_mom]

Thank you so much for all of your responses...

so I just realized I was wrong. The camcorder bought does film in AVCHD mode. I already tried uploading a video to my computer but my adobe premiere elements said they do not support the file type? So now I need to convert it I assume?

I have done video editing a little in college. I worked with a mini dv camcorder and learned how to upload, cut, paste, add audio, titles etc. Yes - I do remember the "rendering' and burning taking lots of time. I am not sure if I ever learned how to do a disc menu though.

I think that if I can figure out these formats I will be able to start playing around with it. I just remember enjoying so much the projects I did in college (putting together dance videos - I was a dance major) that I wanted to try again with our family videos.

Thanks guys - also do you have any recommendations for forums that really focus on this kind of stuff for extra support? Thanks

 

[WilsonFlyer]

What version of Premier (Elements?) do you have? Something is not jiving here. Premier has supported AVCHD for years now. What kind of camera is it (Sorry if you already said. I missed it.)?

Something's not imported correctly or something. You should be able to copy thiose files off your camera or card and just open them and go to town. You could even import them with Premier if you wanted to.

I'd be willing that most consumer editing today is AVCHD. If Adobe didn't support it, they'd be out of the video editing business.

 

[hakepb]

I've heard some people having trouble with the max 1080 60p 28mbps AVCHD on my Sony camera... It's at the very top of the AvCHD specs, and for compatibility and ease of processing some go with the lesser 60i 24MBpS recording.
I'm not sure about your software, but I think I heard that Final Cut Pro recently added support, but iMovie does not support it.

 

[dancer_mom]

Uuuuuuh - yes - I would assume my software is out of date. It is adobe premiere elements 3.0. I bought it back in 2006 or so.

I am using a sony hd-cx210. I know it's not top of the line but about 300-+350 was our price point. We also own a DSLR that does the HD videos but we wanted to have a separate device and also one that could take longer than 10 minute videos so that we could record kids' sports/recitals as well.

When I record in standard quality it comes out in an mpeg 2 (which my software does support) and I did a practice DVD last night that played in our regular DVD player - so I got that to work

However - the quality did look like a home movie - which isn't the worst thing in the world to me as I am not entering any film festivals However if we have overlooked a better camera in our price range I am stil open to suggestions. (The only one we have nixed was the Canon vixia that was around the same price as ALL the reviews said the battery was awful and when you record in full HD you can only get 30 minutes at a time.

Eventually we will get out of the dark ages and buy a high definition TV. I was thinking of doing a practice DVD using the HD setting and then playing it in a friends player to see how good that one turns out.

You all have been very helpful. Do I need to assume at this point that we simply need to upgrade our editing software??? Thanks

 

[photo_chick]

You need at least Premiere Elements 7 for AVCHD import and 10 for AVCHD output.

I have avoided AVCHD because of a lack of compatibility in the past. It's Sony's baby really and works great with Vegas and other Sony products but has some wonkiness in Premiere, even in the latest version.

 

[dancer_mom]

Thanks so much - I think I will look into upgrading software.

 

[pjacobi]

I was thinking of doing a practice DVD using the HD setting and then playing it in a friends player to see how good that one turns out.

You can record in HD, but when you master to DVD, the video will be converted to SD.

For HD, you need to record in HD, master to Blu-Ray media, play in Blu-Ray player connected to HD television.


-Paul

 

[BuzzLiteyear]

I record in Sony AVCHD and use Adobe Premiere CS6. It is most definitely supported in the newest versions.

 

[dancer_mom]

You can record in HD, but when you master to DVD, the video will be converted to SD.

For HD, you need to record in HD, master to Blu-Ray media, play in Blu-Ray player connected to HD television.


-Paul

Ooooooooh - that is very helpful to know. So if we have no plans to buy a blue ray player is it better to do our video at the parks in Standard quality or is it still better for some reason to record all our videos at the highest setting. Thanks again everyone I am really glad to find all this out before we go!

 

[photo_chick]

Ooooooooh - that is very helpful to know. So if we have no plans to buy a blue ray player is it better to do our video at the parks in Standard quality or is it still better for some reason to record all our videos at the highest setting. Thanks again everyone I am really glad to find all this out before we go!

It's always best to record at the highest setting you can. You never know what you may plan to do in the future. And the quality of the source affects more than just the resolution you render at.

 

[hakepb]

Looking at your specs, is would choose the best, FX mode.
I would not be against a good 720p mode as a compromise, but it looks like you only have the option to choose lower bit rates which result in less color accuracy and/or more artifacts.

As another benefit, higher resolutions increase the quality of any still screenshot, at least for Facebook/or small print use.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

You can record in HD, but when you master to DVD, the video will be converted to SD.

For HD, you need to record in HD, master to Blu-Ray media, play in Blu-Ray player connected to HD television.


-Paul

Not entirely true. If you master to AVCHD, you can write it to any DVD (SL or DL) and it will play in virtually any BluRay player ever made in full AVCHD.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I record in Sony AVCHD and use Adobe Premiere CS6. It is most definitely supported in the newest versions.

I know you know this but just so we don't confuse anybody, Adobe Premier CS6 is a totally different animal than Premier ELEMENTS. I think CS6 is still the current version of Premier so it makes perfect sense that it would fully support AVCHD.

OP: As you've already recognized, you've got to get to Elements 10. You're just so far behind that it isn't even practical to play with AVCHD on the version you have, as you have discovered.

I don't do anything even resembling advanced, but I use AVCHD almost exclusively and I haven't had any problems since PE 9 doing anything I Wanted to do. I'm not disputing Photo Chick's claims because she's probably doing things I wouldn't even think about doing, but for basic stuff, you're not going to have many issues with 10. Just make sure you have a fairly new machine. NLE with AVCHD will suck the life out of any machine you buy. It's a hungry animal and will eat all the memory, CPU(s), video performance, and HD speed you can throw at it.