Many AVI Questions

[deandec]

I've captured many clips in to rtv format from Speed Razor using batch capture. I need to use these clips in other apps that don't read rtv. I'm using DDR to convert them. First problem is that if I convert to uncompressed AVI using either the UYVY or YUV2 codecs the footage looks like crap. Obvious degradation. Using BGR24 yields no difference from the orignal but file size is almost double. Writing out rtv with avi wrapper is what I've been going with but I discover that if the files are moved the avi becomes unusable? Can hear audio but no picture. Is there a way to repair this? Is this the way it is in VT3 or does it use real avi format files? Many thanks for any and all info. P.S. Any way to get Combustion, AE, Pshop to read rtv files? Plugins?

[deandec]

I should have said that BGR24 takes up 50% more room. It's RGB instead of YUV? That makes sense. Another thing about the avi wrappered rtv files. Is there a way to set it so that the adjoining rtv files are always written to the same place with the same name but difference extention?

Thanks again.

[deandec]

While on the tact of replying to my own thread I'll add that Windows Player keeps hanging up after playing the wrapped avis. I have to go in to task manager and kill the process after playing most times. Also I'm seeing some strangeness in Combustion where frames will drop out of a sequence when rendering. The source avi is fine and if I clear the cache it will render ok. I've used many different file formats with combustion and haven't seen this before. Anyone? Jump right in....

Thanks.

[Paul Lara]

Dean,
You're on a roll! :D

First, any 'wrapped' file is not a render, but merely a pointer back to the source path it came from. So yes, if you MOVE the source file, the wrapper becomes invalid.

Patient: "hey doc, it hurts when I do this"

Doc: "Yeah? Then don't do that!" :rolleyes:

As for getting support for Combustion, simply run the utility to configure 3rd party support.

For Photoshop support, VT reads PSD files, and Aura, if you ask to File, Load (project) instead of Import Image, will load a PSD image with all layers separated.

[deandec]

I ran the 3rd party utility and the framebuffer output in Combustion works great! However, if I point to .rtv files it doesn't recognize them. Should it? Can it? It would save lots of time converting rtv -> avi.

Also any answers on:

1.) Why YUV2 and UYVY codecs look like crap?
2.) Why Windows player 7.1 is hanging after playing wrapped avis?
3.) Ever heard of Combustion skipping frames when loading a wrapped avi? This could very well be a Combustion bug. I'll post it on that forum also.

Thanks.

[deandec]

Oh and,

4.) When writing wrapped avi Is there a way to automatically have the software write the adjoining .rtv to the same location and have the same prefix? Would save a step.

Thanks again.

[Paul Lara]

Dean,
You keep referring to wrapped AVI's.
Video Toaster [2] doesn't have that capability. If you're creating AVI via the render panel, then they are indeed rendered.

I don't know why UYVY would look bad, as it should be indistinguishable from the rtv.

[deandec]

I guess wrapped is not the right term then. I'm referring to the toaster codec avi that has a small avi file referring to an rtv file. Yeah, strange about the YUV2 and UYVY codecs. I'm using WM player version 7.1. Would I be better off using version 9?