How To Use ULEAD VideoStudio With Panasonic Player/Recorders

[Jerry Jones]

Tonight, I again confirmed what I had learned several months ago when I worked with a Panasonic DMR-E30:

No re-encoding will occur when burning Panasonic player/recorder MPEG files - even with Ulead software that doesn't officially support AC-3 audio.

Ulead VideoStudio 7...

http://www.ulead.com/vs/runme.htm

...doesn't officially support AC-3 encoding.

Tonight, however, I visited my local Ultimate Electronics store.

I brought a blank DVD-RAM disc with me and the salesman was more than happy to demonstrate the new Panasonic DMR-E50 player/recorder model.

We recorded a few seconds of video.

I then took the disc home and inserted it into my Panasonic computer drive - an SW-9571.

These are the exact steps I took to extract the MPEG from the DVD-RAM disc and then create menus in Ulead VideoStudio 7's DVD authoring module and then burn the file to a DVD-RW disc WITHOUT RE-ENCODING:

1. I opened Ulead VideoStudio 7.0;

2. I inserted the DVD-RAM disc with the Panasonic DMR-E50 recording into my Panasonic computer drive - the SW-9571;

3. In Ulead VideoStudio 7.0, I selected FILE > CHANGE CAPTURE PLUG-IN and I selected the ULEAD DVD-VR CAPTURE PLUG-IN;

4. I then clicked Ulead VideoStudio 7.0's CAPTURE step button;

5. I then clicked the OPTIONS icon and then clicked VIDEO PROPERTIES and browsed to the DVD_RTAV folder on my DVD-RAM disc;

6. I then clicked the CAPTURE icon button and a pop-up screen appeared with a thumbnail representing the video that was recorded by the Panasonic DMR-E50;

7. I clicked on the thumbnail and then clicked FINISH to 'capture' the file to the Ulead VideoStudio 7.0 timeline;

8. I then observed the file's properties by right mouse clicking on it:

VIDEO -
FORMAT: 24 BITS, 704 x 480
COMPRESSION: NTSC DVD, FIELD B, VBR, 9556 Maximum Bit Rate
FRAME RATE: 29.97
TOTAL FRAMES: 1201

AUDIO -
FORMAT: DOLBY DIGITAL AUDIO
ATTRIBUTES: 48000HZ

9. During Ulead VideoStudio 7's EDIT button step, I then clicked the EXPORT button;

10. After clicking the EXPORT button, I clicked the Ulead DVD-VR Wizard;

11. I did so because I wanted to observe the pop-up to see where the program was temporarily storing the extracted MPEG file;

12. The pop-up revealed the file had been given a name - uvs030721-001.MPG and was stored here:

D:\Temporary\uvs030721-001.MPG

13. I then cancelled the Ulead DVD-VR Wizard;

14. I then clicked the SHARE step button and then clicked CREATE DISC, causing the Ulead VideoStudio 7 DVD authoring module to appear;

15. Having earlier made note of the location of the extracted MPEG file, I clicked the ADD VIDEO button and browsed to the file to import it;

16. I received this three-line message:

"[D:\Temporary\uvs030721-001.MPG] contains AC-3 audio tracks."

"Ulead VideoStudio does not support this audio format."

"Please convert the audio first to a compatible format."

17. I ignored the message and clicked OK.

18. I then clicked the button in the lower left hand corner of the authoring module interface and set my DISC TEMPLATE MANAGER AS FOLLOWS:

MPEG files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Field Order B
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 9556 kbps)
Audio data rate: 224 kbps
MPEG audio layer 2, 48 KHz, Stereo

19. I then clicked the other button - the one with the large CHECK - in the lower left hand corner of the interface to adjust my PROJECT SETTINGS as follows:

MPEG files
24 Bits, 704 x 480, 29.97 fps
Field Order B
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 9556 kbps)
Audio data rate: 224 kbps
MPEG audio layer 2, 48 KHz, Stereo

20. I also checked the DO NOT CONVERT COMPLIANT FILES box;

21. I then clicked the NEXT button and chose my menu;

22. I then clicked the NEXT button and tested the menu on the software player;

23. I then clicked the NEXT button and arrived at the final burn page;

24. At this point, I ejected the DVD-RAM disc from my Panasonic drive and I inserted a clean DVD-RW disc;

25. I then clicked the OUTPUT button to burn the disc;

26. After the disc was finished, I checked to make sure the AC-3 audio had 'passed through' without re-encoding to either LPCM or MPEG Audio by closing the authoring module and then clicking the CAPTURE button step in Ulead VideoStudio;

27. I again made certain the Ulead DVD-VR Capture Plug-In was selected and I browsed to the location of the Video_TS folder on the burned disc;

28. I then clicked the CAPTURE button and the pop-up confirmed the file's properties as follows:

Video :
MPEG-2 Video
4:3 Ratio
704 x 480 Size
1201 Frames
9556 Kbits/sec

Audio :
Dolby AC-3 Audio
stereo Mode
48.00 kHz
2 Channel(s)

IT WORKED!

So - as you can see - one *can* use Ulead VideoStudio 7 and Ulead DVD MovieFactory 2 to burn AC-3 MPEGs recorded in Panasonic player/recorders - and burn the material to disc with nice menus - WITHOUT RE-ENCODING!

Good news for Panasonic player/recorder owners!

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

P.S. This method assumes you don't wish to *edit* the MPEGs.

If you wish to edit the MPEGs, then you'll need to upgrade to either Ulead DVD Workshop AC-3...

http://www.ulead.com/dws/ac3.htm

...or Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7.0...

http://www.ulead.com/msp/runme.htm

[Dr Mordrid]

Using Ulead programs is like being part of a continuing education program; you're always learning about some feature or trick that isn't in the manual

Dr. Mordrid

[wkulecz]

If you aren't going to edit what you record might as well record straight to DVD+/-R and save a whole bunch of time and trouble!

I'm still waiting for confirmation that that MSP7 will actually smartrender DVD-VR recordings with AC3 audio after editing before I jump in.

--wally.

[Jerry Jones]

Wally wrote:

"If you aren't going to edit what you record you might as well record straight to DVD+R or DVD-R and save a whole bunch of time."

Wally,

The Panasonic player/recorders already *save time* because they record in real-time to a very high quality MPEG-2.

In addition, cuts-only *editing* can be performed using the player/recorder - itself - on DVD-RAM media prior to burning a final disc.

One can either use the machine to record to DVD-R.

Or one can choose to take advantage of Ulead software to burn to DVD-R with much nicer menus than are possible using the machine.

This is the great advantage of recording to DVD-RAM - the high quality MPEG recorded to these discs can be recorded very quickly and edited very quickly.

As for your question about Ulead MediaStudio Pro's Smart Render feature:

YES, YES, YES!

I just verified that it works BEAUTIFULLY with the Panasonic MPEG-2.

I set up a custom "Panasonic" project template with the following settings:

NTSC drop frame (29.97 fps)
Overlay track(s):5
MPEG files
24 Bits, 704 x 480, 29.97 fps
Field Order B
(DVD-NTSC), 4 : 3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 9556 kbps)
Audio data rate: 256 kbps
AC-3 Audio, 48 KHz, 2/0(L,R)

I then inserted the MPEG-2 file recorded by the Panasonic DMR-E50.

I then used the scissors to cut the file into two clips and I moved the second clip to the VB track and then placed a transition between the two clips.

I then clicked FILE > CREATE > VIDEO FILE and then SAVE to see if the timeline would Smart Render.

Wow!

Smart Render worked perfectly!

The Ulead MediaStudio Pro render progress indicator appeared as a pop-up and the vertical timeline indicator just SAILED through the first clip - only slowing down to render precisely where the transition was located.

When it finished the transition, the vertical timeline indicator again sailed through the remainder of the clip.

To check even further, I then used the scissors to clip the second clip in a location farther down the timeline.

I then moved the last clip back up to the Va track, overlapping with the clip in the Vb track and I inserted another transition.

I then clicked FILE > CREATE > VIDEO FILE and I again watched as the Ulead MediaStudio Pro render progress pop-up appeared.

Again - the vertical timeline indicator shot through the already-rendered portion of the timeline, slowing down only where the second transition was inserted.

Ulead MediaStudio Pro's Smart Render feature works with the high quality MPEG-2 recorded by the Panasonic player/recorders!

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[wkulecz]

I tried the Phillips 985 about a year ago and cuts only editing in the machine is a bad joke. Sure it worked but finding the cut points was too slow and the buttons on the remote are painful to use after only a few minutes. Maybe the E50 is a lot better but I doubt it.

I'd planed on doing cuts only edits on the recorded DVD+RW and then copy to DVD+R or DVD-R with Nero but the DVD+RW image wouldn't copy to the hard drive -- I suspect this is the DVD-VR format and why MSP has to "capture" it instead of simply copying the files. Having an "edited" disk on DVD+RW wasn't very useful as compatability in set top players is pretty poor, although much better than DVD-RAM would be.

How does the E50 copy from DVD-RAM to DVD-R? does it have two trays? internal hard drive? If internal hard drive whay do you need the DVD-RAM media at all if the goal is DVD-R (or DVD+R) as DVD-RAM is pretty useless for most set top players. I'm a bit more familar with the E30 which is pretty much the bottom of the line.

Now that we've HDTV, I'm not as intrested in making DVDs as I was a year ago. On our 65" HDTV original DV straight from the DV camcorder is a bit (but noticibly) better than even commercial DVDs. My main justification for DVD recorder is my SVHS deck seems to be dying, not sure I want to replace it. I'm rethinking all my video plans and may just stay with what I have now until "Blu-Ray" or some other consumer HD distribution format comes along.

--wally.

[Dr Mordrid]

HD DVD players using current "red laser" tech & main/high MPEG-4 profiles should arrive before DVD blue/HD. Current MPEG-4 uses the low profiles, hence the low quality.

Dr. Mordrid

[Jerry Jones]

Wally wrote:

>I'd planned on doing cuts
>only edits on the recorded
>DVD+RW and then copy to
>DVD+R or DVD-R with Nero
>but the DVD+RW image
>wouldn't copy to the hard
>drive -- I suspect this is the
>DVD-VR format and why MSP
>has to "capture" it instead
>of simply copying the files.

Well, it *does* copy the files.

When one uses the Ulead DVD-VR Capture Plug-In, one can browse to the VIDEO_TS or DVD_RTAV folders that store either .VOBs or .VROs.

All the Ulead plug-in does is extract the raw MPEGs from these .VOBs or .VROs.

These raw MPEGs are exact copies.

>Having an "edited" disk on
>DVD+RW wasn't very useful
>as compatibility in set top
>players is pretty poor, although
>much better than DVD-RAM
>would be.

That is missing the point.

Neither DVD+RW or DVD-RAM discs are intended for mass distribution.

But they do work for cuts-only editing and their content can be easily re-published on DVD+R or DVD-R discs - which offer a higher level of compatibility.

>How does the E50 copy from
>DVD-RAM to DVD-R?

The Panasonic DMR-E50 lets you record *either* to DVD-RAM *or* DVD-R.

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&itemId=63387&catGroupId=11058&modelNo=DMR-E50S&surfModel=DMR-E50S

The Panasonic DMR-HS2 lets you record to a hard drive.

Or you can record to DVD-RAM.

Or you can record to DVD-R.

From the hard drive you can record to DVD-RAM or DVD-R.

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&itemId=63096&catGroupId=11058&modelNo=DMR-HS2&surfModel=DMR-HS2

>does it have two trays?

No

>internal hard drive?

DMR-E50 = No.

DMR-HS2 = Yes.

>If internal hard drive why do you
>need the DVD-RAM media at all if
>the goal is DVD-R (or DVD+R)

DVD-RAM is great for archiving!

It's easier to use than DVD-R.

And if you change your mind, you can erase it and re-use it.

That's the simple answer.

>as DVD-RAM is pretty useless
>for most set top players.

It's not intended for distribution.

Moreover, the number of set top players that support DVD-RAM is increasing... not decreasing:

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelList?storeId=11251&catalogId=11005&catGroupId=11059

Jerry Jones

http://www.jonesgroup.net

[Dr Mordrid]

And lets not forget that DVD-RAM is a more robust archival format than DVD+R/anything. It's also supported in the vast majority of all DVD recorders, the majority of DVD camcorders plus a bunch of DVD players made by Panasonic, Hitachi and Toshiba.

Dr. Mordrid