Oly 5050 video clip - playing with a Remora

[Meddler]

Ignoring the DSW for a moment,

I have to say that the Oly does shoot nice video, although I think it has a slightly jerkyness to it.

As for software for cutting it to disk, I have found a really neat product that is meant to be used to create VCD/SVCD/DVD slideshows in PAL and NTSC formats.

Most of its features are based around jpegs with transition effects and panning/zooming, but you can also import quicktime movies.

The software allows you to put in backing tracks and can synchronise the slideshow playback with the music.

Using it is a piece of piss. The only slight problem I have had with it is that it doesnt automatically rescale the quicktime movies to full screen in the SVCD format. So I use some free software called radvideo to resize the video before importing which also loses the sound, but then who wants to listen to me sucking on my regulator anyway?

The software is called Memories on TV and you can get a trial version from http://www.picturetotv.com

It must be good because I stayed up til 2am preparing a CD and my missus was going to give me a bollocking[1]. When I showed her the cd she was so impressed she shut up.

[1] For the benefit of people who arent british, a bollocking is not a good thing

 

[Genesis]

Note that this package DOES NOT support Quicktime Native.

I downloaded the "trial version" today, and discovered this after loading it. It wants you to upconvert first.

So much for that one - ULead's program DOES recognize Quicktime native. Guess which one I'll be using and which one I won't!

 

[Meddler]

Well the full version loaded my movies taken on the oly5050. Although now I think of it , I did have to upgrade my version of quicktime to 6.3 before I could import my movies.

But horses for courses, if it doesnt work for you, dont use it. I'll give Ulead a trial run myself although Im not sure if I will fork out $100 for it.

 

[Genesis]

OK, I have a major bone to pick with these turkeys.

The MISREAD the headers on a VBR MP3 audio file, such that they misstate the length of the clip, and the error propagages through any editing you do. For instance, I can take a 3:20 MP3 audio file and when it imports it claims to be 600 seconds long - or 10 minutes. If you actually burn that combination to disk, you get some really bizarre stuff at the end - repeating segments of the last part of the file...... ouch!

You CAN cut it down to the proper size "by hand", but then it won't preview properly, and you can't cut out part of a VBR MP3, 'cause if you attempt that what you actually get may have zero relationship to the actual location you were marked at on the clip.

For someone who has virtually all of his music in MP3 format that is a serious problem. In fact, its a deal-breaker for me.

There is apparently NO support or assistance available for their free trial version, and I'll be damned if I'll fork up $100 before finding out if this has been addressed in it - or in a patch.

Its a serious wart in what is otherwise a really decent package. As I noted, Pinnacle doesn't read .MOV files native, which kills my interest in that one right up front.

Any other packages that someone can recommend that (1) are reasonably priced, and (2) can be tried before purchase?

I'm going to try to call Ulead on Monday, but theri refusal to provide me with a means to contact support without a registration number (which you can't get for their trial) doesn't leave me with much confidence that this can be addressed.