Locking Sound to Picture? What's your method?

I have been up and down this road with much intensity and found out numerous things.

All video is using some type of codec, large or small, that use up CPU cycles.

Here is what I do:

1) Matrox G750 video to external via Video Overlay
2) All videos are NTSC DV 720x480, QT .mov files. (they are digitzed via FCP from DVCam.)

I have a TFT LCD screen with less than 8ms latency. It is a 17" analog computer monitor.
I use this:
http://svideo.com/video2vga.html
This converters either Svideo or Composite to XVGA, and works really well. I have it set for 800x600 and all other controls can done with its remote (brightness, contrast, frequency, ect)

The latency between onscreen picture and external is not even a 1/2 a frame.

Rather than go into all the problems with QT and QT Alternative, I'll just say this. I have dumped them both. Wiped off the system.
You don't need them.

Cinepak Codec: Looks alright but not great.
But, for a 16 minute reel, you are looking at about an hour and a half for convertion.

Here is what you do:

1) download Rad video Tools:
http://www.radgametools.com/down/Bink/RADTools.exe

2) download this codec pack. It has everything and then some. It will play everything. Has QT ALT DS Filters, QT abilities and alot of codecs.
http://www.codec-download.com/latest/k-lite-mega-codec-pack-1.57-12125.html (http://www.codec-download.com/latest/k- ... 12125.html)

The 2 codecs I found to be the best looking as well as the least CPU hungry are these:
Intel IYUV and Indeo 5.11 or 5.2 (there is little difference)
With the Indeo there are some settings I still have to see if it improves the video quality

For example, a 720x480 pic looks nice and uses about 20-22 percent CPU but blurs in places when there is alot of movement.

So, Open Rad Tools select the source file and hit the convert button. Select your destination (default is .AVI).
I have found that the larger the dimensions, the greater the CPU usage.
So I am converting the NTSC DV file (720x480 native) to 320x240. (you can change the size with the furthest right 2 boxes.)

Intel IYUV, 320x240 uses about 8-11 percent CPU and looks the best. It looks better than the NTSC DV AVI.
Indeo 5.11 or 5.2,320x240 uses about 4-6 percent CPU but has a little grain to it and isn't as clear. (again, there are other settings I need to mess with to see)

Intel IYUV, 320x240 uses about 8-11 percent CPU and looks the best. It looks better than the NTSC DV AVI.
Indeo 5.11 or 5.2,320x240 uses about 4-6 percent CPU but has a little grain to it and isn't as clear. (again, there are other settings I need to mess with to see)

Update - Indeo 5.2 - 320x240 - Compression 100 (0 if the worst), Alpha Channel selected is a little better. There is still a little pixelation.
It would be fine for the least amount of CPU useage when you are under heavy CPU load.

You CPU meter of your sequencer isn't going to show you the CPU used from the video.
In Nuendo/Cubase a blank session with just video reads 0%, but in Task Manager it reads 22% when running a native DV. So don't be fooled into thinking that your video isn't using CPU cycles because your sequencer doesn't show CPU activity.

LEX

I usually get small video projects, and I can control the timing of video events since I'm usually involved in both sides of the production, so it's pretty easy for me to sync. Everything is digital with my setup. I get the video in a digital format (mpeg, or AVI, etc..) So everything regarding sync is done in-the-box. Thanks to programs like Acid Pro, Sonar Producer Edition, and Vegas Video I can get just about everything done that I need to work on the projects I get. I don't know TOO much about the technical specs for the encoding and rendering the final video, but I usually get the formats requested specifically.

For the current project I recieve Quicktime DV files. In Quicktime Pro I create reference files for the individual cues and load them into Sibelius and Sequoia. Works well enough.

I convert every movie I get from my clients into Quicktime MJPEG. This makes it possible to scrub thru every frame without hogging too much on the CPU.

we use QT, however most stuff coming in these days are mp4 or mov and avi but we use a great little application that converts every visual media to another on mac called Visual Hub, its very fast, so we convert all the films/ reels we get into DV format, i found that logic or any apple media system prefer this format for streaming

Man old thread. Kid-surf was actually composing!

OK, an ancient thread - but I'm still in the dark ages. I ask for a timcode window dub, use a Sony BVW-65 Betacam player and a video monitor, and clock Logic from the SMPTE output via Unitor 8. It seems to work just fine...

On Mac Cubase here. I get the show Quicktimes on my FTP in mp4 format.
I re-code to Apple Photo JPEG 320x240 @ 75% quality using MPEG Streamclip.

I import the video into Cubase extracting and splitting the stereo audio into 2 mono files
One for live sound/fx. The other for temp music.
(I request this audio separation format from the post supervisor in advance.)

No problems.

Very old thread, but a few things that still seem to apply to any video format:

- Always try to get a window burn of the timecode so you can verify sync in your DAW's timeline.
- Always try to verify the video format & frame rate in order to match your DAW's settings.
- Always try to put a 2 pop at the head and the tail of mixes & stems (2 sec. before picture start and 2 sec. after last picture frame).

SFX work and ADR often require a bit more accuracy than music with regards to sync, but it's a good idea to use as little video compression as possible (like DVcam) to make it easier on your computer (more horsepower for virtual instruments!), and use a format that has a key frame at every frame, otherwise it can be difficult to find the exact frame while scrubbing.

I'm on a Mac, so usually whatever the client sends me, I convert it to a DV pro .mov file in Quicktime. The $35 investment in Quicktime Pro in order to export to any codec was a no-brainer. Beware that Snow Leopard installs the new Quicktime X player, which is really dumbed down and removes the export features. You need to go to the OS installer DVD and specifically tell it to install the older Quicktime 7 player - it still functions normally with all the export features.

Very old thread, but as I've been using the same method for ten years it still applies:

- Digitize incoming project via ADVC100 using Final Cut Express into dummy FCE project on slave Mac Mini, quit without saving.

- Dig around in the "Capture Scratch" folder and drag the capture files out to desired folder and rename.

- Use Virtual VTR or Logic Pro to play said files on the Mac Mini slaved to MTC/MMC coming from main machine.

- Enjoy freedom from lag on main machine since no video is present on that machine.

- Mac Mini plays video via ADVC100 - composite video goes back to DVD recorder, S-Video goes to big screen, audio goes into two analog inputs on main rig for monitoring of temp and dialog playback.

- When I need to make preview DVDs, audio from main rig (which can include dialog and temp via MOTU CueMix or Aux Inputs in Logic) goes into DVD recorder and video comes via composite from ADVC100.

Simple and cheap.

hey charlie,

Can I do this with a second older mac G4 and link it to my Mac Intel dual core running logic?

what would I need to connect the 2 machines? the older mac cant run logic node.

thanx!

Hayley Moss

hey charlie,

Can I do this with a second older mac G4 and link it to my Mac Intel dual core running logic?

what would I need to connect the 2 machines? the older mac cant run logic node.

thanx!

Hayley Moss

I get delivered Quicktimes most of the time, I import into Cubase 6... DONE.

yes me too... but the quicktimes are draining to much power when I have big arrangements.

and Im working on longer formats like film with larger files

yes me too... but the quicktimes are draining to much power when I have big arrangements.

and Im working on longer formats like film with larger files

if the qt are h264 it will strain more the computer. try dv or photo jpeg codecs.

also, u can get pt9 w any pc and sync it up to your daw via midioverlan.

I was wondering if protools 9 would do the trick....


thank you I will further investigate!

It's really just a case of drop and load, most sequencers now take all type of video format so you can compose and not have trouble with conversion and nonsense like that!

VHS?! Video tape?! What is this legendary phenomenon!

Well ... this thread is almost 7 years old now ...

someone's been doing some digging into the forums!