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10-01-2011, 01:15 PM   #1
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Newbie in editing video footage

Hi. Just like the vast majority of people here, I came from the photography section and then started to explore the video capabilities of the Pentax K-r. I have a trial version of Sony Vegas and have even edited some videos (nothing fancy, I'm a beginner), but what strikes me is that I don't know what export format to choose. Avi seems too large (720p at 25fps is about 3GB/minute), so I got away by exporting it as WMV (just like Windows movie maker, I think). This file has ~30MB/minute. Obviously there seems to be a tradeoff between the two (I can't imagine that there's no advantage in using the Avi format), but I can't see it. More so, my video player can't even play the 3GB file (maybe it's too big). So what codec do you all use? Thanks and pardon my ignorance.

10-01-2011, 03:25 PM   #2
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I don't what video format is being used by the AVI that Vegas is creating, but there are many, many options to choose from. AVI doesn't necessarily have to be large, it really depends on the codecs within the container. File extensions like AVI, MPG, MKV are just containers. Each container supports a combination of video and audio codecs that can be stuffed into them, within certain parameters and pairings, and get it to work. MKV is the most pliable, in that it supports almost everything. Have a look at this for some detailed comparisons of each container.
10-15-2011, 04:28 PM   #3
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I still don't understand very well. Can you please give me examples of good codecs and how to use them in Sony Vegas (or anything else, for that matter)?
10-15-2011, 07:45 PM   #4
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Welcome to the often frustrating world of video exporting! I'm not familiar with Vegas's exporting dialogue, but hopefully some of this can help you through it.

First, you need to figure what you would like this video to be for, web/computer display or TV or larger? If you only need the video for computer display, you can cut down the frame size from 720 to anything smaller, such as 480 or even less, and still have a high enough quality video to watch. This alone can save you on the file size. But if you want a high enough resolution video for, say, projecting onto a theater screen, you will need to have the larger frame size which comes with the larger file size.

A good and very commonly used codec for HD video is H.264. I recommend it, as it keeps file size down and retains excellent quality. Videos from YouTube all they way to BluRay authored movies commonly use this codec.

There is your first two steps to try and export a nice video at hopefully a lower file size. Just keep in mind, exporting and compressing video can be a great trial and error adventure until you can feel it out.

As far as your video player not playing the movie... Hard to say without knowing the player you used or the exact export settings you have for the file. But, if Windows Media Player, be sure you have the latest updates. If that still doesn't work, which wouldn't surprise me, I don't invest much stock in WMP, Quicktime always plays back everything without a hitch, just make sure you have the latest updates for that, as well.

On a final note, if you have Quicktime and aren't opposed to using it for your main video player, I would recommend exporting your files with the H.264 codec into a .mov file. This combination yields great results with minimal file sizes.

I hope this helps you a bit, I know video exporting and such can be a tricky thing until you get some experience under your belt and find the right settings that you feel comfortable with. Let us know how it goes, and if you're still having issues, perhaps I can think of some more tips.

10-16-2011, 08:33 AM   #5
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Well, I guess I'd like to keep the video at 720p. But the question is: HOW do I select the H.264 codec for output in Sony Vegas? (or anything else)
10-16-2011, 04:33 PM   #6
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Sorry, again, I'm not familiar with Vegas, but I'm sure you can find the answer in a forum dedicated to Vegas. Or try google searching something like "sony vegas h.264" I'm sure something will pop up. Good luck!
10-18-2011, 09:40 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by kcobain1992 Quote
Well, I guess I'd like to keep the video at 720p. But the question is: HOW do I select the H.264 codec for output in Sony Vegas? (or anything else)
I don't use that video editor either but I did a search on YouTube for exporting video with Sony Vegas and a bunch of tutorials came up. Have to checked any of them out?

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