I Need Help Digital Video !!!

[Debbie]

Hi all,

I have just gone to digital video but all I can say is that I am getting very poor picture quality.

I am on P4 2 Gig Hz, MSI 645 Ultra-C, SIS Cipset
Mainboard, 512 RAM, Marvel G-400, Audigy sound card + firewire connector.

I am using Win98SE + DX 8.1. I had the same resuts with Win 2k. Capturing software: Ulead DVD Worshop and Premiere 6.1

I have a feeling that it is a Windows problem since I had identical results on my other computer with different hardwate exept the OS.

The camcorder is working without problems since I used it on an other machine with very good results.

The incoming picture also looks bad on both machines.

Do I perhaps require some Windows patch ??

Regards,

Debbie

[Dr Mordrid]

If you're using MP 7.1 try browsing to the Tools/Options/Performance tab and turning the "Digital Video (DV) settings" slider in MediaPlayer all the way up to "Large". It's the slider at the bottom of the page.

Yes, it can affect the output quality of the editor because it sets a flag in DirectShow itself.

Dr. Mordrid

[Debbie]

Hi Doc,

Thanks for your reply. Infact I am using Windows Media player 7.1. I will be able to test your advice this evening. Is there anything else I can do I f this will not solve the problem ?

Regards,

Debbie

[wkulecz]

DV playback on windows is inferior.

Output a few clips back thru the DV cam over 1394 and check the quality on a TV monitor.

--wally.

[Debbie]

Hi Wally,

I did. Its like watching law quality MPEG.

Debbie

[wkulecz]

Hmm...

I'm confused. DV is just a data transfer over the 1394 serial bus. Should get the same quality on the computer as on the DV tape. Thus computer file going back thru the DV cam should look the same as playing back the original tape. Displaying the DV on the computer will not look so good because of MS DV codec.

Perhaps the Audigy 1394 port is buggy or broken. Can you try a cheap TI based 1394 controller like the ADS Pryo?

--wally.

[Debbie]

Hi Wally,

It was just what Doc said further up, a DirectShow problem. The Audigy 1394 port is working fine.

Thanks for your help just the same.

Debbie

[Dr Mordrid]

The problem is that when it's set to the default setting the footage gets down-scaled then upscaled again to full frame when it's output, which does wonders for quality

Dr. Mordrid

[Debbie]

Hi again Doc.,

What happens if I use MP 6.4?

Debbie

[wkulecz]

Not sure if you can uninstall 7.1

I guess that explains why I've never seen the output back over 1394 degraded, I don't use 7.1 and the first thing I do is make media player default to playing DV full size -- 720x480 for NTSC.

--wally.