Video File Formats
Right now it would be fair to say that the video file format that most people are dealing with is some flavor of H.264.
The reason for this is due to the fact that the majority of capturing methods being used will be employing the H.264 codec in some way.
Easily the best way to deal with these files in an editing situation is to keep them exactly as they are, complete all editing tasks then render to a totally new H.264 file.
After that you can convert more easily and more accurately to any other file format needed for different types of distribution.
One of the problems most people encounter is maintaining quality throughout the process.
Most of the major video editing software brands come with a series of preset parameters for various purposes and in the main these are usually all you will need.
However there comes a time when everything doesn’t quite go to plan and for some reason you may find you are just not getting the quality or file size you think you should.
Whilst I am no expert in the technical details of any codec one thing I do know is that once I began to understand what the codec was doing and how it was doing it the technicalities became a whole lot less… ummm… technical!
The link below start off with a very good resource for understanding exactly what it all means!
The other elephant slowly ambling into the room is H.265 or HVEC. Given that this is most likely to become the new beast you will have to deal with I guess now is as good a time as any to dive in and begin to understand it!
And while we are on the subject of tackling new learning curves I have also added some links to some of the news this week on 4K resolution and what the heck it all means!
- HEVC – High Efficiency Video Coding – Encoding.com
- 10 Things You Need to Know About HEVC (H.265)
- Google’s VP9 Gets Hardware Support, Poised to Be the Dominant 4K Streaming Codec
- CES 2014 – Sony Releases New Compact 4K Handycam Camcorder – FDR-AX100
- Sony’s new 4K Consumer Cam Unveiled
Boris Graffiti 6.1 Working with EPS
Installing Movie Edit Pro Plugins
For anyone using Magix Movie Edit Pro here is a good tutorial from Magix explaining step by step how to install compatible plugins to the software.
Plugins are one of the ways video editing software companies are offering tailor made customizations of their software to the end user.
The advantages are that you only pay for what you use, there are a wide range of free plugins available and you can keep your installation of the software as light as possible.
Corel VideoStudio Pro x 6 Best GoPro Settings
MAGIX Using Filters to Create the Film Look
PowerDirector Freeforming Tutorial
Color Grading Tips
Color grading is the new “black” in consumer level video editing software and the top three software makers have now included it into the base programs as a “must have” feature.
Of course usually the new “must have” feature turns out to be last year’s “I never actually bothered with it” feature.
This time I think it’s a little different because color grading can really be used to make you video stand out from the crowd.
The problem is there are very few tutorials or information on exactly how to achieve color grading success!
Below is a link to a very good piece of advice on how to learn color grading by watching what others are doing.
New Sony Updates
Sony announced this week upgrades to their consumer range of editing products. These are major upgrades so require payment to receive them.
- Sony Announces Latest Consumer Software
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