Hi all.

I recently decided that having a video library of my families events for the future was something that was important to me.

So I purchased a Sony DRC HC90, upgraded to a 100Gb hard drive, replaced my mb and CPU with an A64 3000+, and began looking at video editing software.

My first attempt at using my new camcorder involved pressing the various buttons of the software included in my Sony package. By accident, I ended up using the video wizard and was ASTOUNDED at what could be done in nearly no time by automation in the Sony software.

Suddenly, a feature I didn't even know existed became my highest priority in purchasing video editing software.

Ok, so now I am over the automated feature Lets get on to the remainder of the software.

Capture is pretty straight forward and works fairly well. As far as features, I would like to have the capture software cut the capture into scenes instead of one long AVI file. This would have prevented a later (and my most serious) gripe.

CineMagic is .... well Magic. The ability to automatically produce to this level and THEN edit the results is unsurpassed by any other software on the market at this time.

VideoWave editing.

Ok, this is where my biggest gripe is, so lets get it out of the way. There is no mechanism of easily seperating a long AVI into scenes. The trim feature without "multi-trim" is nearly useless. This ommision is SO BAD that I am evaluating a second video editor just so I can trim my captures effeciently. Ulead Studio 9 has this feature in SPADES.

End of gripe.

Transistions are fantastic. The selection is great, and they work well. Editing audio levels dynamically is a snap, editing individual clips in the storyboard is easy. Adjusting picture quality .... great. Including slide shows, text, the list goes on and on. All features are very easy to understand and use.

DVD Production

MyDVD is the best package I have seen on the market. Unbelieveable flexibility at this price point.

So overall, I still would recommend EMC8 to any home video oriented consumer. Someone at Roxio PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give us a patch with a useable multi-trim feature for creating scenes out of a longer AVI. Without this feature, we are left purchasing another piece of software to do this important piece of editing.

Sounds like you need to read the manual, Help files and go through all the tutorials. There are tons of websites on video editing and you can find books on the subject in any local bookstore. Maybe even your local library might have a few.



Hmmm... It's called scene detect and it can be done during capture or can be done on ANY file that you already have.
Click on the MEDIA MANAGER button.
Navigate to your file.
Right click on it and select 'Scene Detect'



Again you simply don't understand the term. You only 'trim' from the beginning or the end. Trim assumes that you will discard part of the video. You can do that as much as you like.

If you are referring to CUTs or SPLITTING into several pieces. You're using the wrong tool.
Load your project
Switch to Timeline
Select the clip, move the blue line and then click the split icon. (4th right of the TIMELINE incon)
Again you can do this all you want.

Transitions can only be applied between 2 scenes.

Other editors like Ulead may use different terms, but they all work in very similiar ways.

I am experiencing similar situations. I had no problem with the video automatically importing to my notebook. The Roxio Media Manager directed me to begin creating my home movie. However, I could not add existing video clips to the project/production file I had saved. I do have all of my movies broken into video clips so I can add/trim/etc. to be creative. But I am unable to complete making my movie because I can't add exisiting video clips to my saved project/production.

Under the Roxio Media Manager, I select DVD and then Edit Video. Is this the function I should be using? Should I be using CineMagic to add video clips to my exisiting project?

Help!!!

The best EMC 8 component to use for creating/editing videos is Videowave. You can then load your Videowave productions into myDVD for creating menus and burning to DVD. Unless you are creating very basic videos avoid any of the so called wizards.

I suppose I should have been more specific.

I found the media manager and its ability to make scene detect. I was able to do this during capture as well. What I wasn't able to do was to open a captured file in VideoWave and get a seperate story board for each scene.

There may well be some way of doing this; however, it has eluded me.

FYI, I am the manager of Architecture and Design for a large software company. If it is hard for me to figure this out, many others will certianly be having issues.

Thanks! That certianly helps alot.

I found a work around for this entire issue. You can load a file into a single storyboard slot, trim it to the area you want, then load the entire file into the next pane and do it again. I suspect that this isn't the most effective way to get multiple trim's done, but it does work.

Using the slit feature (thanks for showing me that), I think this would be even easier.

Is there a way to get the scenes detected to show up as different storyboards in the storyboard view?

I would like to add the following to my review:

I have now made several DVD's from my home video camera (Sony DCR-HC90). These have been distributed to family and friends around the USA.

The results are fantastic and I have been recommending this software to all my friends at work.

The cinemagic component and the ability to edit the cinemagic output is simply the most powerful feature I have ever seen. Nothing compares to the ease this provides.

My Sony camcorder came with software that does something similiar to CineMagic; however, it is less powerful and can not be edited. The Sony software DID come with some fine background audio tracks though. I have found a few decent tracks on the web; however, I am still pretty low on good background audio tracks to put to my videos.

Anyone have any leads on this? I have ordered Sony's loop based music building software and should have it soon. Perhaps this will let me make enough variations so that I can continue sending out great DVD's without duplicating the music

This is not automatic, but rather you drag each scene separately. The purpose behind this may not be readily apparent. This way you can place the scenes in any order you want from the start and you can always drag/move the storyboard panels at anytime.





Not familar with their entire line, but I do know that they have a free version of Acid Express. They also some free stuff like audio loops and even video backgrounds (still and moving) that anyone can download.

ggrussell,

Thanks for your help.

I have been able to get the scenes parsed through the media manager. How do I get them into storyboards in VideoWave?

I would argue that having a scene parser availible within VidoWave would be very adventageous. It should also be relatively simple since the code obveously exists in other modules already.

The scene parser in ULead Studio has both time based and motion based parsing algorithms availible. I am hoping for such a feature within the 8.X release of EMC

Thanks yet again. I will look into this ASAP. I have been dredging around the web for new tracks!

Thanks for the guidance.
I've spent hours trying to figure this software out. Now I finally have some clue where to begin.
I have the scene detector running right now.
I'll start with videowave then import to mydvd.