ProCoder 3 Installation and User Guide
ProCoder 3 Cautions (1) It is prohibited to copy a part or all of this product without prior permission. (2) The contents or specifications of this product may be changed without prior notice. (3) We have prepared the contents of this product to the best of our ability; however if you have any questions about the contents, or if there are any errors or missing items, please contact Grass Valley.
Contents Minimum System Requirements.............................................. 12 CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 1 Using ProCoder 3 Wizard......................................... 24 Using ProCoder Chapter 3 ProCoder 3 Wizard ProCoder 3 1 Installing ProCoder.................................................. 14 2 Uninstalling ProCoder..............................................
ProCoder 3 Advanced window.................................................................. 66 Video Filter tab..................................................................... 68 Audio Filter Tab..................................................................... 73 4 Convert Tab............................................................ 77 Playing converted files............................................................ 78 5 Presets and Profiles................................................
Contents Audio and video are out of sync.............................................. 115 1 Source Options...................................................... 120 Common Source Options...................................................... 120 AVI Source.......................................................................... 123 DV Source.......................................................................... 123 CHAPTER 2 AC3 Audio Source............................................................
ProCoder 3 3 Video Filters.......................................................... 177 601 Correction - Expand Color Space Filter............................. 177 601 Correction - Shrink Color Space Filter.............................. 177 601 to 709 Color Correction Filter........................................ 178 709 to 601 Color Correction Filter........................................ 178 Adaptive De-Interlace ........................................................... 179 Bitmap Keying Filter......
Chapter 1 Introduction
ProCoder 3 1 Before Installing ProCoder Before Using ProCoder Precautions IN NO EVENT SHALL GRASS VALLEY BE LIABLE TO USER OR ANY OTHER PARTY FOR INCIDENTIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES ARISING UNDER THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT WHETHER UNDER THEORY OF CONTRACT, TORT, INDEMNITY, PRODUCT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE.
Before Installing ProCoder Support n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W You can register your ProCoder here. http://www.canopus.com/support/ CHAPTER 3 Online User Registration CHAPTER 2 Including ProCoder, the latest company information is announced at our web-site: http://www.canopus.com/ The latest drivers utilities, product manuals, FAQs, etc. are also available at our website.
ProCoder 3 2 Key Features Whether you’re encoding MPEG for DVD production or a Windows Media Video for Web streaming, ProCoder makes conversion from one video format to another quick and easy. Featuring Grass Valley’s highly optimized DV and MPEG codec technologies, ProCoder provides high-quality output without the long wait and guesswork of similar tools. Supports the loading/exporting of Dolby Digital audio (.ac3) Dolby Digital audio (.
Key Features Improved scaling quality s t n e t n o C Video quality when changing the video size (scaling) has been improved. ProCoder 3 excels at converting SD video to HD video and/or NTSC to PAL. Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 When a file is being converted, the original timecode can be retained and when a file is exported from EDIUS version 4, the EDIUS project timecode will be retained.
ProCoder 3 3 Navigating this Manual To install ProCoder 3 on your system, go to Chapter 2: Installation. To learn about the easy-to-use ProCoder 3 Wizard, go to Chapter 3: ProCoder 3 Wizard. For an overview on ProCoder 3 and its major features, go to Chapter 4: Using ProCoder. For some helpful hints and tips on how to improve video quality, go to Chapter 5: Helpful Hints. For a complete ProCoder Reference guide, go to Chapter 6: ProCoder Reference.
Chapter 2 Installation
ProCoder 3 1 Installing ProCoder To install ProCoder: Before installing, make sure the USB hardware key that comes with your software is NOT plugged in. In order to install, you must log in as a user with administrator privileges. If QuickTime has not been installed on your system, go to My Computer, open CDROM drive, QuickTime folder, and run QuickTimeInstaller_7.1.exe to install it. 1 2 14 Insert the ProCoder CD-ROM in your CD drive.
Installing ProCoder The License Agreement appears. Select I accept the terms of the license agreement to accept the terms of the license and click the Next button. s t n e t n o C 3 CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 The Customer Information window appears. Enter your name and company name and click the Next button.
ProCoder 3 5 6 16 Choose Typical, specify a destination location for ProCoder, and click the Next button. To change the destination location, click the Browse button and select a new destination folder. Select No and click the Next button. If you are going to use a Tarari board, select Yes.
Installing ProCoder 7 Click the Install button. 8 Install Windows Media Format 9.5 runtime files. s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 The License Agreement appears. Click the Yes button to accept the terms of the license. CHAPTER 3 9 Click the Yes button.
ProCoder 3 10 Click the OK button. 11 Click the OK button. 12 Click the OK button. 13 18 When the installation is finished, you must restart your computer to complete the installation. Choose “Yes, I want to restart my computer now.” and click the Finish button to restart your computer.
Installing ProCoder CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W When the computer finishes restarting, plug-in the USB Hardware Key that comes with your software. You can use the computer's on-board USB ports, a USB PCI card or a USB hub connected to either of these ports. The USB Hardware Key MUST be connected before starting ProCoder.
ProCoder 3 2 Uninstalling ProCoder Before starting uninstallation, close all the other applications that may be running in the task tray. In order to uninstall, you must log in as a user with administrator privileges. To uninstall ProCoder: 1 2 20 From the Start menu, select Control Panel, and choose Add or Remove Programs. Select ProCoder 3 and click the Remove button.
Uninstalling ProCoder 3 Select Remove and click the Next button. 4 Select “Yes, I want to restart my computer now.” and click the Finish button. s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index The computer will reboot. Uninstallation is completed.
ProCoder 3 22
Chapter 3 ProCoder 3 Wizard
ProCoder 3 1 Using ProCoder 3 Wizard The ProCoder 3 Wizard is very easy-to-use. Its Wizard interface makes converting your videos as straightforward as answering a few simple questions. Simply launch the ProCoder 3 Wizard by going to the Start menu and choosing All Programs > ProCoder 3 > ProCoder 3 Wizard. The ProCoder 3 Wizard lets you configure a conversion by simply answering the questions displayed in the dialog.
Using ProCoder 3 Wizard Convert a Source s t n e t n o C If you choose to convert a source file, the Load Source screen appears. Click the Load button to choose the video file you want to convert. CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index The Source Parameters section of the window shows the selected source’s file information.
ProCoder 3 Setting In/Out points Setting In and Out points on your video clip allows the ProCoder 3 Wizard to ignore portions of video at the start and end. For example, you may have a few seconds of blank video at the beginning or end that you don’t need to encode. Click and drag the scrubber below the Preview window to choose where you want the final encoded video to start and click the Set In Point button.
Using ProCoder 3 Wizard Advanced Settings s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Advanced Settings let you set the video cropping mode for your source video. Choose a cropping mode and click the Next button. If you choose the Manual option, then click the Select Cropping button to open the Crop dialog.
ProCoder 3 Choose Conversion Settings Next, the Use the Wizard or Select a History Entry screen appears. This screen gives you three options – you can use the Wizard to help you select a target; select a generic target format and modify the parameters yourself if you are an advanced user; or you can choose the settings from a previous encoding job from the history list. The last option is not available if you have not performed any previous encoding jobs.
Using ProCoder 3 Wizard Selecting a Target format s t n e t n o C The Select Target screen appears and lets you choose the conversion settings for your source video. CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 Create MPEG-1 files that are ready to be used in VideoCD authoring CHAPTER 6 VideoCD Helpful Hints Create video files in AVI, MPEG-1, QuickTime or Windows Media format for delivery on CD-ROM.
ProCoder 3 Selecting Generic Targets Advanced users that know what output settings they want to use can select a generic target type and bypass the Wizard questions. The settings of the target can be specified later in the Job Summary screen by clicking the Advanced Output Settings button. Choose one of the output types and click the Next button. About the Formats AVI AVI is used for a variety of applications ranging from CD-ROM video to video editing and archiving.
Using ProCoder 3 Wizard Choosing Output Location s t n e t n o C After answering choosing your settings, the Saving Your File screen appears. On this screen, you can choose where you want your encoded video file to be saved and how the file should be named.
ProCoder 3 If the file exists, do you want to overwrite it? Checking this option lets the ProCoder 3 Wizard automatically overwrite any existing files in your Save folder if they have the same name as the file you’re currently encoding. Leaving this option disabled simply adds a number to the file name to differentiate it from a file in the Save folder that has the same name. Click the Next button to move to the Job Summary screen.
Using ProCoder 3 Wizard Advanced Output Settings s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I If you are an advanced user and want to make some last minute changes to your settings, click the Advanced Output Settings button to open the Config dialog. Clicking on any of the settings gives you a brief description at the bottom of the dialog.
ProCoder 3 Converting Files You can monitor the conversion status of your file on the next screen. The conversion status appears in Time elapsed, Time remaining, Total time and speed in terms of realtime. For example, 2.0x Realtime means conversion is occurring twice as fast as realtime, or a 2-minute file will take 1 minute to convert. Click the Stop button to abort conversion. When conversion is complete, click the Next button to continue.
Using ProCoder 3 Wizard Conversion Finished s t n e t n o C Congratulations, your conversion is complete! A list of converted files appears at the bottom of the window. CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Click the Open Target Folder button to access your converted videos.
ProCoder 3 Create a Watch Folder If you choose the Create a watch folder option on the ProCoder 3 Wizard Welcome screen, the Select Watch Folder screen appears. Watch folders are useful for streamlining the conversion process by automatically encoding files that are placed inside it. If you create a Watch folder, the settings you specify using the Wizard are used to convert any files that are placed in the Watch folder.
Using ProCoder 3 Wizard Monitoring Watch Folders s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I You can also monitor watch folders using the Wizard. The conversion status appears in Time elapsed, Time remaining, Total time and speed in terms of realtime. For example, 2.0x Realtime means conversion is occurring twice as fast as realtime. In other words, a 2-minute file will take 1 minute to convert.
ProCoder 3 Other Watch Folder Options You can drag and drop files into the Monitoring Watch Folders window to begin encoding. Moving or saving file shortcuts instead of the real files into the Watch folder will also start the encoding process.
Chapter 4 Using ProCoder
ProCoder 3 1 QuickStart This QuickStart Guide gives you a basic overview of ProCoder’s conversion workflow. To use ProCoder: 40 1 Click the Source tab. 2 Click the Add button and choose the file(s) you want to convert. If you want to add multiple files to the Source List, hold down the Shift or Ctrl keys and choose the files you want to convert. You can also drag and drop files directly onto the Source List.
QuickStart 3 The file(s) appears in the Source List. s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Clicking the Source tab. ProCoder 3 Clicking the source’s icon in the Source List and pressing the Enter key on your keyboard. CHAPTER 3 Right-clicking the source’s icon in the Source List and choosing Advanced in the contextual menu that appears.
ProCoder 3 Assigning a Target format Your source video(s) is converted to one of several target formats. You can choose the targets you want to create in the Target tab. To assign a target to your source video(s): 1 2 42 Click the Target tab. Click the Add button to choose your source file’s target format. You can add as many formats as you like for the specific source file(s).
QuickStart CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W If you want to enhance the target’s parameters, including adding video or audio filters, click the Advanced button. The modifications you make to the target’s parameters in these tabs affect all the files in the Source List in the Source tab.
ProCoder 3 Converting the file To begin file conversion, click the Convert tab. Your encoded video is saved to the path in the Target tab’s Path field unless you have set a global or local preset output in the settings. For more information or if you want to change the default target folder, see Transcoding Settings. You can stop encoding at any time by pressing the Stop button.
Source Tab CHAPTER 2 ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W The Source Properties window appears when you click on the Source tab. All of the resources necessary for managing and modifying your source video parameters are available in this window. n o i t a l l a t s n I Source Properties CHAPTER 1 The Source Tab lets you modify source video settings, enhancing and repairing video before it is encoded to the desired Target format.
ProCoder 3 Source List The Source List displays all of the source files you are planning to transcode. Use the buttons and options on the left to modify the list. Add Adds files to the list. You can also add files by dragging and dropping them onto the Source List. Remove Click the Remove botton to remove the currenttly selected(s) ffrom the list. Remove All Click the Remove All button to remove all of files from the list.
Source Tab Parameters s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I The Parameters section gives you a brief summary of your source file’s settings. When you add a file to the Source List, ProCoder automatically reads the file properties, analyzes its parameters and makes the appropriate adjustments to read the Source correctly before it is encoded.
ProCoder 3 Video Parameters Video Frame Size Displays the current frame size of the source file in pixels. Frame Rate Displays the source file’s current frame rate in frames per second. The higher the frame rate, the more frames that are stored in the video file and the smoother playback appears. At lower frame rates, playback will be jerkier. Video Codec Displays the codec used to read the source file’s video.
Source Tab Audio d r a z i W CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Displays the codec used to play the source file’s audio. In order to play the audio in a file, the system needs to have the appropriate codec module installed. If the appropriate codec is not installed, the system will not be able to play the audio in the file. For the most part, ProCoder should be able to read the majority of major audio codecs.
ProCoder 3 Advanced window The Advanced window lets you modify and tweak your source file even further so it is at its highest quality before encoding. You can trim the overall length of the file, add a video filter to clean up the image or apply an audio filter in order to boost the overall volume or quality in this window. The Advanced window has three tabs – Setup, Video Filter and Audio Filter.
Source Tab Setup Trimming section CHAPTER 1 The Setup tab lets you trim your video using a variety of controls. Use the scrubber or play controls to choose your In point and then click the In button. Then choose your Out point and click the Out button. n o i t c u d o r t n I Scrubber/Play Controls s t n e t n o C The Setup tab lets you trim your video using a variety of controls.
ProCoder 3 Total Displays the source file’s total duration after the In and Out Points are set. This value is calculated automatically and cannot be modified by hand. It can only be modified by setting the In and Out points. Duration time is displayed in hours:minutes: seconds;frames. Close button The Close button closes the Advanced window and returns you to the Source tab.
Source Tab Relative Crop Remove unwanted edges on the video with this filter. This is often used for removing any edge blanking or other unwanted video information from the top or bottom of the video frame. Rotate This filter provides 90-degree rotation and axis-flipping for the video. Sharpen This filter sharpens the video using the "unsharpen mask" technique. d r a z i W This filter offers conversion without interpolation for progressiveto-interlaced (i.e. film-to-video) file conversion.
ProCoder 3 Temporal Noise Reducer This filter removes noise by using temporal noise reduction. Temporal noise reduction is effective for removing analog noise. Video Inverse Telecine Filter Use this filter to inverse telecine 2-3 telecined videos. Adding a Filter To add a filter to the Video Filter list: 1 54 Simply click the Add button. The Add Filter dialog box appears and gives you several filters to choose from.
Source Tab CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I In the Add Filter dialog box, choose a filter by double-clicking on it. The filter’s name appears in the Filter List and a preview of how it affects your source video appears in the Result window adjacent to the Original window. You can browse the different filter categories on the left and choose filters from the right. Holding down Shift or Control and selecting the desired filters lets you add multiple filters to the Filter list.
ProCoder 3 2 3 4 Custom presets are stored along with the default presets and can be categorized into folders and subfolders. To add a customized filter preset, simply click Add and load it the same way you would load a default preset. To remove a customized filter preset, simply click Add to open the Load Video Filter Preset dialog, click the filter preset you want to remove, then click the Delete Preset button.
Source Tab Settings s t n e t n o C This section displays the settings for the particular filter you are using. Use the sliders to adjust the degree of modifications for each filter. CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 The Orientation button switches the orientation of the preview windows between horizontal and vertical.
ProCoder 3 Audio Filter tab The Audio Filter tab lets you add audio filters to your source file to help improve the audio quality of your target files. These filters can be previewed in this tab and are applied to the source audio before any target audio filters are processed. Audio Filters 58 Channel Mixer The Channel Mixer filter interchanges audio channels. Fade In/Out The Fade In/Out filter is used to add a fade in and/or fade out to the audio.
Source Tab Adding a Filter s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I To add a filter to the Filter List: Simply click the Add button. The Load Audio Filter Preset dialog box appears and displays a list of filters to choose from. When the filter is highlighted, a brief description of each filter is listed in the Description box below when the filter is highlighted.
ProCoder 3 Saving and Loading filters 1 2 3 4 5 60 To save a custom setting for the currently selected filter, click the Save Preset button. A dialog appears asking you to name and enter a short description of your preset. Custom presets are stored along with the default presets and can be categorized into folders and subfolders. To add a customized filter preset, simply click Add and load it the same way you would load a default preset.
Source Tab Settings s t n e t n o C This section displays the settings for the particular filter you are using. Use the sliders to adjust the degree of modifications for each filter. CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I Preview The Preview section lets you preview your audio – with or without filtering.
ProCoder 3 3 Target Tab A Target is basically the video format of your converted source file. You can assign multiple Targets to a single source file, which lets you create different formats of the same source file in one shot. You can create various kinds of the following types of media with ProCoder, including: AC3 Audio AVI DV Flash H.
Target Tab Web contains MPEG, QuickTime, RealMedia, Windows Media and Thumnails profiles suitable for Web delivery. CD/DVD contains Computer, VCD, DVD and SVCD useful for video on CD and DVD media. Image Sequence exports a series of still images. You can also create your own categories and subcategories to store and organize your own target presets. 4 Index The format you selected appears in the Target List. You can modify a target´s parameters in the Target Parameters section of the Target tab.
ProCoder 3 Modifying Targets ProCoder offers a plethora of customizable parameters that help you easily encode highquality video. These parameters can be edited in the Target tab either before or after you add videos to the Source List. 1 2 3 Click on the Target tab. Click the Add button. The Load Target Preset dialog appears. Choose the target you want to use and click the OK button. The chosen target appears in the Target List.
Target Tab The target’s basic parameters appear in the Target Parameters section. You can modify any of the parameters that aren’t grayed out. Simply enter values in the fields, or use the drop-down menus to modify the default target parameters.
ProCoder 3 Customizing Advanced Settings There are two different places in the Target tab where targets can be modified. When you add a target to the Target List, its basic parameters are displayed in the Target Parameters section of the tab, and you can easily modify nearly all of these settings. See the next section for more information on the Advanced window. If you want to modify the selected target’s more advanced settings: 1 2 Click the Advanced button in the Target tab.
Target Tab Setup tab s t n e t n o C The Setup tab lets you modify the parameters for the various different presets available for all the different formats ProCoder can encode. Since every format has its own set of parameters, this list changes depending on the target you choose.
ProCoder 3 Video Filter tab The Video Filter tab lets you apply filters to your video to help improve image quality of your source files before they are converted. These filters can be previewed in this tab, but are applied when the video is being converted to its new format. Video filters 68 601 Correction Expand Color Space This video filter expands the RGB range of the video from 16-235 to 0-255.
Target Tab Video Inverse Telecine Filter Use this filter to inverse telecine 2-3 telecined videos. d r a z i W Temporal Noise Reducer This filter removes noise by using temporal noise reduction. Temporal noise reduction is effective for removing analog noise. n o i t a l l a t s n I This filter sharpens the video using the "unsharpen mask" technique. n o i t c u d o r t n I Sharpen s t n e t n o C This filter provides 90-degree rotation and axis-flipping for the video.
ProCoder 3 Adding a Filter To add a filter to the Video Filter list: 1 2 3 70 Simply click the Add button. The Add Filter dialog box appears and gives you several filters to choose from. A brief description of each filter is listed in the yellow Description box below when the filter is highlighted. In the Add Filter dialog box, choose a filter by double-clicking on it.
Target Tab Removing a Filter ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 The Original window displays what the original file looks like before filtering. The Result window displays the original file with the filters applied. Helpful Hints Preview Windows CHAPTER 5 To remove a customized filter preset, simply click Add to open the Load Video Filter Preset dialog, click the filter preset you want to remove, then click the Delete Preset button.
ProCoder 3 The Fit to Window button resizes the preview images to fit inside the window’s current size. No matter what size the window, this preview mode preserves the aspect ratio assigned to the file. This button is useful if you enlarged or reduced the preview image and want to view the whole image in the window again. The 1:1 button displays the video at 1-to-1 pixel size.
Target Tab Audio Filter Tab s t n e t n o C The Audio Filter tab lets you add audio filters to your target file to help improve the audio quality of your target files. These filters can be previewed in this tab and are applied to the target audio after any source audio filters are processed. CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W Index The Volume filter lets you adjust the overall volume of the audio.
ProCoder 3 Adding a Filter To add a filter to the Filter List: 1 2 Simply click the Add button. The Load Audio Filter Preset dialog box appears and displays a list of filters to choose from. When the filter is highlighted, a brief description of each filter is listed in the Description box below when the filter is highlighted. In the Load Audio Filter Preset dialog box, choose a filter by double-clicking on it.
Target Tab Loading and Saving filters n o i t c u d o r t n I A dialog appears asking you to name and enter a short description of your preset. CHAPTER 1 2 To save a custom setting for the currently selected filter, click the Save Preset button.
ProCoder 3 Settings This section displays the settings for the particular filter you are using. Use the sliders to adjust the degree of modifications for each filter. Preview The Preview section lets you preview your audio – with or without filtering.
Convert Tab CHAPTER 1 The Convert tab is very straightforward. When you click it, the Convert window appears. You can watch your files encode in the Convert window’s preview section. n o i t c u d o r t n I Convert Tab s t n e t n o C 4 CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 To begin converting files, click the Convert button.
ProCoder 3 Playing converted files If you want to play a file after it’s encoded, click the file you want to view in the Output List on the right side of the window and then click the Play button. The appropriate player for the file you select appears and plays the file. If you want to open the destination folder, click the Open Folder button.
Presets and Profiles ProCoder 3 d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 To save a custom setting for the current list of Targets, click the Save Profile button. A dialog appears asking you to name and enter a short description of your preset. To load a custom Target setting, click the Add Target button. The Add Target dialog appears. Click the Custom tab and select the preset you want to load.
ProCoder 3 6 Queue Manager In addition to its normal conversion processes, ProCoder also provides job queuing capabilities. Instead of waiting for the ProCoder application to finish a conversion, you can queue jobs to the ProCoder Queue Manager which takes over and performs conversion of queued jobs much like the print spooler handles printing jobs.
Queue Manager n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Click the Queue button to add the job to the queue. The Launch Queue Manager button launches the ProCoder Queue Manager so you can view the status of the conversion queue.
ProCoder 3 Managing Jobs The ProCoder Queue Manager is used to monitor the progress of conversion jobs the system is processing. You can launch the Job Queue Manager by clicking the Manage button in the ProCoder application or by launching the ProCoder Job Queue Manager by choosing by choosing Start Menu > All Programs > ProCoder 3 > Job Queue Manager. Any jobs that are pending or in progress are displayed in the list, along with information about the job and any sub-sections.
Queue Manager Managing Jobs n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W You can display the details of a job. n o i t c u d o r t n I Show Details Glossary You can display a preview of a job in progress by right-clicking the job and choosing Preview. CHAPTER 7 Previewing a job ProCoder Reference To remove a job, right-click the job and choose Remove. CHAPTER 6 Removing a job Helpful Hints A running job can be paused by right-clicking the job and choosing Pause.
ProCoder 3 7 Watch Folders A watch folder is used to automatically convert files placed into it. ProCoder “watches” the folder for new files and when a new file arrives, it is converted automatically according to the settings assigned without needing user input. In ProCoder, there are two types of watch folders: Permanent Watch Folders are set up by ProCoder’s Watch Folder Manager tool.
Watch Folders Creating Permanent Watch Folders n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W If the ProCoder Application is open, click the Watch button to open the Watch Folder Manager tool. Otherwise, run Watch Folder Setup from the Start menu in All Programs > ProCoder 3. The ProCoder Watch Folder Manager tool appears. Existing watch folders appear in the Active Watch Folders area.
ProCoder 3 2 3 4 5 6 Click the ... button next to Watch Folder under New Watch Folder. The Browse for Watch Folder dialog appears. Select the folder to watch for new files. To create a new folder, click the Make New Folder button. To convert files placed into subfolders of the selected folder, enable the Include Sub Folder option. To delete Source file once the conversion is finished, enable the Delete Source after Conversion option. Permanent Watch Folders use conversion settings from a preset.
Watch Folders Click the ... button next to Target Folder to select the output folder. All files that arrive in the Watch Folder will be converted and the output is written to the Target Folder. The Browse for Target Folder dialog appears. s t n e t n o C 7 CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index Click Update selected Watch to update the Watch Folder.
ProCoder 3 Removing Permanent Watch Folders To remove a permanent watch folder: 1 If the ProCoder Application is open, click the Watch button to open the Watch Folder Manager tool. Otherwise, run Watch Folder Setup from the Start menu in All Programs > ProCoder 3. The ProCoder Watch Folder Manager tool appears. Existing watch folders appear in the Active Watch Folders area. 2 To remove individual watch folders, select a folder in the list by clicking on it then click the Stop Watch button.
Transcoding Settings n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index When the source or target frame rate is below approximately 23fps, ProCoder will pick the nearest frame instead of interpolating in order to avoid ghosting. ProCoder Reference Automatic selection CHAPTER 6 This option creates a target frame interpolating between the two nearest temporal source frames. This guarantees smooth movement.
ProCoder 3 NTSC-PAL conversions between formats that have specific NTSC and PAL parameters are handled by ProCoder automatically and do not use this setting. Source Playback Speed Adjustment ProCoder normally does not alter the playback rate of sources in order to preserve the source’s original speed and visual intent. In other words, objects always move at the same speed through video regardless of the target frame rate and a 10-second source always converts to a 10-second target.
Transcoding Settings Time Code CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I Scaling and Letterboxing n o i t c u d o r t n I Check this option to use NTSC Drop Frame Time Code. CHAPTER 1 Use NTSC Drop Frame Time Code s t n e t n o C As a NTSC video is in 29.97fps, it takes more than a second to display 30 frames. To correct this difference, drop frame Time Code drops frame numbers.
ProCoder 3 Add Letterbox/ Scale & Crop slider Adjust the slider to the desired percentages. 100% letterbox, or sliding it to all the way to the left, leaves the source frame completely visible, with letterbox bars added if necessary. If the slider is at 0% letterbox, the image will fill the entire space without letterboxing, but the sides will be chopped off. Leaving the letterbox slider in the middle (50%) is a mixture of adding letterbox bars and scaling the file to fit the space.
Transcoding Settings Conversion Options tab s t n e t n o C The Conversion Options tab controls various preview, loading and system preferences.
ProCoder 3 Source Loading Options Apply modified Source options to similar Sources Enable this option to use modified source options on subsequent source files. With this option enabled, subsequent sources of similar types will be loaded with the same source parameters as the previous source of the same file type. This is useful for Watch folders because it allows source files to be adjusted automatically without the need for the user to interact with the software.
Transcoding Settings Default Target Folder Tab s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 d r a z i W ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index 3 4 5 CHAPTER 6 1 2 Helpful Hints To set the Local Default Target folder: CHAPTER 5 Sets the output location for specific target presets. The local defaults override the global defaults.
ProCoder 3 9 Application Settings The Application Settings window lets you set enable or disable application-specific behaviors. To open the Application Settings, choose Options > Application Settings. Settings Window animation This toggles whether or not the windows slide into place when they open or close. Show “Save Project” dialog on exit This toggles whether or not ProCoder prompts you to save your projects when you exit the application.
Advanced Features d r a z i W Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 When you are finished adding and adjusting the targets, click the Save Preset button. This preserves all of your modifications and saves it to a custom preset. The saved preset can be selected later in the Load Target Preset dialog box. CHAPTER 5 Adjust the parameters for each target to your specifications. If necessary, click the Advanced button of the desired target to modify its advanced settings.
ProCoder 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 98 Choose Tools > Create Droplet. The Save Droplet dialog appears. Select the preset you created by selecting the appropriate category and clicking on the preset at the right. Choose a location for the droplet in the Folder section by clicking the Browse button. The default location is the Windows Desktop. Enter a name for the droplet in the Name field. This will be the name of the Droplet executable file.
Advanced Features /Targetdir:
Writes target files to the specified folder. [project file] The complete name and path of your ProCoder project file. If the filename contains a space, you should enclose the entire path in double-quotes (i.e. “C:\Windows\Desktop\My project.PCP”). [source files] Any additional source files If the filename contains a space, you should enclose the entire path in double-quotes (i.e. “C:\Windows\ Desktop\My project.PCP”).ProCoder 3 Example: ProCoder3.exe /Start /Closeapp /Log:C:\MyJobs\Job1.log /Targetdir:D:\MyOutput C:\ MyProjects\Job1.pcp D:\Misc\AdditionalFile.avi Will start the ProCoder application with the the project file C:\MyProjects\Job1.pcp. Conversion will start automatically and the ProCoder application will be closed automatically after conversion is complete. A log will be saved to the file C:\MyJobs\Job1.log and output will be saved in D:\MyOutput.
Advanced Features Premiere Plug-in s t n e t n o C n o i t c u d o r t n I n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 In Premiere, choose File > Export Timeline > ProCoder 3 Wizard Exporter... The ProCoder Wizard launches. ProCoder 3 2 In Adobe Premiere, choose the section you want to export to ProCoder. This can be either the entire project or a section of the project that you want to simply preview.
ProCoder 3 3 Source selection is skipped since the source is coming from the Premiere timeline. The rest of the ProCoder Wizard operation is the same as when using it as standalone application. To use the ProCoder Premiere plug-in (ProCoder 3 Exporter): 1 2 102 In Adobe Premiere, choose the section you want to export to ProCoder. This can be either the entire project or a section of the project that you want to simply preview. In Premiere, choose File > Export Timeline > ProCoder 3 Exporter...
Advanced Features CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W The Source and Convert tabs are disabled when you use the Premiere plug-in and the Start button starts the conversion. The rest of the ProCoder application operation is the same as when using it standalone.
ProCoder 3 EDIUS Plug-in The ProCoder Installation installs the ProCoder EDIUS plug-in, which allows you to export your timeline directly from EDIUS version 4 to ProCoder for encoding. This means you can take either a complete finished project or a section of a project for a quick preview and drop it into ProCoder so it can be encoded to multiple formats.
Advanced Features To use the ProCoder EDIUS plug-in (ProCoder 3 Exporter): n o i t c u d o r t n I In EDIUS, choose the Export to Tape function in the Monitor window, then choose ProCoder 3 from the export list. ProCoder launches and the Target tab is enabled. CHAPTER 1 2 In EDIUS, choose the section you want to export to ProCoder. This can be either the entire project or a section of the project that you want to simply preview.
ProCoder 3 106
Chapter 5 Helpful Hints
ProCoder 3 1 Maximizing ProCoder performance While adding more RAM, upgrading to faster CPUs and adding additional CPUs are usually the best ways to increase ProCoder’s performance, there are a few optimizations that you can do to increase ProCoder’s speed without hardware upgrades. Close other tasks Close any other applications that are running. Any background applications will take CPU cycles from ProCoder and slow conversion.
Using Filters Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index Use Target filters to apply filters that are useful for certain encoding types, such as Blur for streaming formats. ProCoder Reference Enhance encoding of specific targets CHAPTER 6 Use Source filters to apply filters that enhance or improve the source quality, such as Color Correction. Helpful Hints Improve or correct sources CHAPTER 5 Broadcast formats often have a larger frame than is normally visible.
ProCoder 3 3 Improving your Video Even when using an intelligent tool like ProCoder, sometimes things just don’t seem quite right. This section illustrates some common video encoding problems and how you can fix or avoid them. Video is blocky or appears to break up > Result > Original image The video image appears to break up into different moving blocks. Parts of previous video may appear in different locations.
Improving your Video Cause: Video bitrate too low or not enough keyframes n o i t c u d o r t n I n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 The video appears fuzzy or blurry. When played zoomed, it appears blocky, almost like viewing something through a frosted glass window.
ProCoder 3 To fix this problem in Windows Media Player: 1 2 3 4 Open Windows Media Player, and look for the Options selection in the menu (usually under Tools). Look for a setting called Digital Video that has a slider with Small at one end and Large at the other. In Windows Media Player 9, this is found by clicking the Advanced button in the Performance tab. Set the slider to Large. Close all open programs including Windows Media Player, then open the file for playback again.
Improving your Video Video has halos or blocks near objects s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index If the video appears to have vertical jitter or flashing horizontal edges, the source image may have single-field detail. This usually occurs with still images used for video.
ProCoder 3 Cause: Improper target interlacing field order For interlaced output, the target field order may be incorrect for the playback device. Check the requirements of the intended playback device to determine the proper interlacing setting. Video movement appears jumpy > Result > Original image Movement in the video does not appear smooth – it seems to jump instead of move in a fluid fashion. Objects in motion seem to jump or “flash” to the next position like a strobe effect.
Improving your Video Audio and video are out of sync n o i t c u d o r t n I n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index If your problem exists with an authored DVD, it could be a problem with the DVD authoring. Substandard DVD authoring can also cause audio/video sync problems. Try reauthoring the DVD with a different DVD authoring application.
ProCoder 3 Video shows strange patterns or blocks > Result > Original image The video shows strange patterns or blocks of different data. Cause: Corrupt video file The data of the video file is probably corrupt. Check to see that the source file does not show the same problem, as any problems in the source will be faithfully reproduced in the output. If the problem only occurs in the output, try writing the file to a different drive or directory, or try a different compression format.
Improving your Video Video appears stretched or squashed s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I d r a z i W ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index Check the aspect ratio setting in your source file. If it is set incorrectly, ProCoder will interpret the shape of the video image incorrectly and therefore process it incorrectly.
ProCoder 3 Cannot load encoded MPEG files into DVD authoring software Your DVD authoring software does not accept the MPEG files you made with ProCoder. Cause: File naming problem Some DVD authoring applications do not recognize the standard .m2p file extension for MPEG-2 program streams. Instead, they want files named .mp2 or .mpg instead. Try renaming the output file from .m2p to .mp2 or .mpg and try again.
Chapter 6 ProCoder Reference
ProCoder 3 1 Source Options Most sources contain these options, and they all have the same meanings. Some options may not appear in certain sources. Common Source Options Source Source File Displays the name of the source file. Length Displays the length of the source in hours:minutes:seconds;frames for drop-frame timecode and hours:minutes:seconds:frames for non-drop frame timecode. Video Select Video Stream Specifies whether to use the Original Video of the source or not.
Source Options Interlacing Frames are stored as separate fields with the upper field first. Aspect Ratio Audio Stream SourceIf Alternate Audio is selected for Select Audio Stream, select the file to get audio from by clicking the ... button. Audio can be retrieved from any supported source type. Channels Glossary Do not use the audio in the source and treat it as a video-only stream. CHAPTER 7 None ProCoder Reference Use audio from an alternate file.
ProCoder 3 Audio Bitrate (kbps) For non-fixed bitrate codecs, displays the audio bitrate in kilobits-per-second. Generally, the higher the bitrate, the better the audio quality is. Audio Codec Displays the audio codec used to decode the source audio. Notes Not all sources will include all of the common parameters. Some parameters are available only in certain cases. Most parameters are read-only and are for informational purposes only. AC3 Audio Source Common Options See Common Source Options.
Source Options AVI Source d r a z i W ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 Displays the DV mode. CHAPTER 6 DV Mode Helpful Hints Source CHAPTER 5 DV-specific options CHAPTER 4 See Common Source Options. Using ProCoder Common Options ProCoder 3 DV Source DV Format Specifies the DV format DV/DVCAM or DVCPRO. If your source does not process correctly, try changing this setting. CHAPTER 3 AVI files with odd (not evenly divisible by 2) width or height cannot be imported.
ProCoder 3 DVD (VIDEO TS.IFO) Source Common Options See Common Source Options. DVD-specific options Basic Settings Source File Displays the name of the source file. Length Displays the length of the source in hours:nimutes:seconds;frames for drop-frame timecode and hours:nimutes:seconds;frames for non-drop-frame timecode. Title Displays the number of the titles, chapters and the length. First Chapter Specify the first chapter to use as a source.
Source Options Decoder Properties Notes s t n e t n o C Click the browse button to open the properties for the selected decoder. No notes. d r a z i W Glossary CHAPTER 7 Closed Caption (line 21) preservation requires setting the Track Mode option to a specfic video track. ProCoder Reference Flash sources that have odd (not evenly divisible by 2) width or height will be cropped to even width and height on import. ProCoder only decodes video from Flash files. It cannot decode the audio.
ProCoder 3 H.264 Source Common Options See Common Source Options. H.264-specific options Video Video Size Displays the size of the source as width x height in pixels. See Video Frame Size in Common Source Options. Field Order Displays the interlacing mode of the video stream. See Interlacing in Common Source Options. Video Compression Displays the video codec used to decode source video. Profile Displays the H.264 profile. Level Displays the H.264 level.
Source Options HDV(m2t) Source Basic Settings Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Displays the name of the source file. CHAPTER 5 Source File CHAPTER 4 Displays the length of the source in hours:nimutes:seconds;frames for drop-frame timecode and hours:nimutes:seconds;frames for non-drop-frame timecode. Using ProCoder Length ProCoder 3 No notes. Use timestamp Enable this option to use timestamp to specify the In/Out positions.
ProCoder 3 Audio Stream Type Displays the stream type of the source audio stream. Audio Stereo/Mono Mode Displays the channel type of the audio. Flags Lists any flags in the audio stream. Subpicture Stream Specifies the subpicture stream ID to decode. Video Stream Type Displays the stream type of the source video. Video Frame Size Displays the video frame size. Use Film Decode Enables this option to ignore 3-2 pulldown and output 23.976fps/progressive sequence.
Source Options MP3 Audio Source Program/System Stream Glossary Enable this option to use the timestamps in the stream for setting precise in/out points. CHAPTER 7 Use timestamp ProCoder Reference Basic Settings CHAPTER 6 Set this name to affect the target name handling. This setting can be used as a source file base name (use %s on the target side). Helpful Hints Module Name CHAPTER 5 Name CHAPTER 4 MPEG-specific options Using ProCoder See Common Source Options.
ProCoder 3 Video Stream Type Displays the stream type of the source video stream. Display Size Indicates the intended display size which may be different from the size of the encoded frame. Use Film Decode Enable this option to ignore the 3-2 pulldown flag in an applicable video stream and provide 23.976fps output. MPEG Aspect ratio Displays the intended display aspect ratio of the source. Video Bitrate (kbps) Displays the video bitrate and mode of the source.
Source Options PCM (WAVE) Audio Source Glossary Select whether to use a particular track or all available tracks. CHAPTER 7 Track Mode ProCoder Reference Video CHAPTER 6 Click the ... button to display the detected movie properties. Helpful Hints Movie Properties CHAPTER 5 Source CHAPTER 4 QuickTime-specific options Using ProCoder See Common Source Options. ProCoder 3 Common Options Audio Track Mode Select whether to use a particular track or all available tracks.
ProCoder 3 RawDV Source Common Options See Common Source Options. RawDV-specific options Source DV Mode Displays the DV mode. DV Format Specifies the DV format - DV/DVCAM or DVCPRO. If your source does not process correctly, try changing this setting. Video Decoding Mode For Panasonic 24p DV sources, specifies whether it should be decoded as 23.976fps progressive or 29.97fps interlaced. Audio Audio Mode Displays the audio mode. Notes No notes.
Source Options Multi-Image Files n o i t a l l a t s n I Click the ... button to display a numbered list of files matching the Wild Card File Name. CHAPTER 2 File List CHAPTER 1 Specify the file naming convention for multiple image files here. Use the standard “?” to specify any character and “*” to specify any number of characters. For example, Video1?.jpg will read Video1a.jpg, Video1b.jpg, but not Video10a.jpg while Video*.jpg will read Video1a.jpg, Video1b.jpg and Video10a.
ProCoder 3 Windows Media Source Common Options See Common Source Options. Windows Media-specific options Source Video Streams In multistream video sources, select which track will be used as the source video for the encoded file. Audio Audio Streams In multistream audio sources, select which track will be used as the source audio for the encoded file. Notes Windows Media files with odd (not evenly divisible by 2) width or height cannot be imported.
Target Options Quality/Size Index Click the ... button to bring up the Quality/Size Configuration window. The Quality/ Size Configuration window displays the media requirements for your conversion parameters and can set the bitrate to an appropriate value based on the number of media you want to output. For example, if your target media is a single CD-R (650MB) and your current setting will output 800 MB, the Number of media will be 2.
ProCoder 3 The target supports a user-specified bit rate for encoding. Split using max. Size is enabled. There is only a single source or the Stitch function is enabled. Destination Base Name Sets the name of the output file. A few special substitution strings can be used in the Base Name and ProCoder will replace them with the values during its processing. Periods are not allowed in the base name.
Target Options Video Don’t Use A video track is not generated, even if the source contains video. Width Specifies the width of the output video frame in pixels. Frames are stored as separate fields with the lower field first. Upper/Top Field First Frames are stored as separate fields with the upper field first. Index Lower/Bottom Field First Glossary Entire frames are stored in the stream instead of separate fields.
ProCoder 3 Audio Use Audio Selects whether the target will contain an audio track. Use Always The target will always contain an audio track, even if the source does not contain audio. Use if Exist The target will contain an audio track if the source contains audio. If the source does not contain audio, the target will not have an audio track. Don’t Use The target will not have an audio track, even if the source contains audio.
Target Options AC3 Audio Target Sets to dual channel (2 independent channels). Stereo Recording Sets to stereo (2 channels - left/right) Multichannel Recording Sets to multichannel. Automatic Gain Control Glossary Enable this option to use LFE Filter. CHAPTER 7 Use LFE Filter ProCoder Reference Enable this option to enable LFE Channel. CHAPTER 6 LFE On Helpful Hints Sets the sampling rate or number of samples per second, of the audio in thousands of samples per second.
ProCoder 3 AVI Target Common Options See Common Target Options. AVI-specific options Video Video Encoder Selects the video encoder to use. Some video encoders may expose additional options. Color Format Sets the color format to use for encoding. The appropriate color format normally depends on your application. Automatic ProCoder will select an appropriate color format based on the color format requested by the codec. Automatic is not always available as a selection.
Target Options Max keyframe interval s t n e t n o C n o i t c u d o r t n I n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Select the ACM driver to use for audio compression. This option only appears if ACM codecs... is selected for the Audio Encoder Type. Using ProCoder ACM Driver ProCoder 3 Select the audio encoder to use. DirectShow codecs appear in the drop-down list.
ProCoder 3 Multiplexer A/V interleaving period AVI files alternate video and audio in chunks. This setting determines the spacing between the audio chunks with respect to the video. Higher interleaving periods allow for better bitrate control, but some applications require a specific interleaving period to maintain audio/video synchronization. In general, it is best to use the default value.
Target Options DV Target See Common Target Options. CHAPTER 1 DV-specific options n o i t c u d o r t n I Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index A/V interleaving period ProCoder Reference The output DV AVI file contains DV video as a vids stream and DV audio as an auds stream. This type of DV AVI is compatible with both DirectShow-based and Video for Windows-based video applications and codecs.
ProCoder 3 Canopus Reference DV Enable this option to create a Canopus Reference AVI. Canopus Reference AVI files are DV Type 2 AVIs and can surpass the AVI filesize limits by creating separate reference data files. The AVI files points to these data files and accesses the AVI as if it was one large AVI file. Reference AVI files cannot be moved or renamed without using special tools such as the Canopus Ref. AVI Manager. This option is only available when the encoder is set to Canopus DV.
Target Options Flash Target Number of passes Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Audio CHAPTER 5 Two-pass VBR performs an analysis pass before the encoding pass. The analysis pass determines the best bit allocation for the encoding pass. The actual bitrate varies between the specified minimum and maximum bitrates. The increases and decreases in bitrate are balanced to keep the average bitrate to the specified video bitrate.
ProCoder 3 Sample Rate(kHz) Specifies the number of audio sample per second (in thousands) for the Target. The reproducible frequency range of the encoded audio depends on the sample rate. Choosing a higher sample rate produces better sound quality but a larger file size. The combination of sample rate and bits per sample determine the overall quality of the audio. The available sample rates depend on the audio encoder selected.
Target Options H.264 Target PCR_PID Index Video Bitrate(kbps) Glossary Two-pass VBR performs an analysis pass before the encoding pass. The analysis pass determines the best bit allocation for the encoding pass. The actual bitrate varies between the specified minimum and maximum bitrates. The increases and decreases in bitrate are balanced to keep the average bitrate to the specified video bitrate.
ProCoder 3 Level Combines with the profile, the level defines the minimum and maximum values for the frame size, frame rate, bitrate and other settings. GOP size Specifies the size of a Group of Pictures. Set is to 1 to only generated I-frames. The GOP size must be a multiple of (Number of B-frames plus one). Number of B-frames Specifies the number of B-frames between consecutive I and P frames. B-frames are not allowed when the Baseline profile is selected, or if GOP size is set to 1.
Target Options HDV Target HDV Format Displays the size of the frame as width x height in pixels. ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 Channels CHAPTER 6 Audio Helpful Hints Determines the profile andlevel compliance of the HDV output. The profile and level impose restrictions on various parameters in order to guarantee compatibility with MPEG hardware devices. CHAPTER 5 Profile / Level CHAPTER 4 Displays the frame rate used for playback time.
ProCoder 3 MP3 Audio Target Common Options See Common Target Options. MP3 Audio-specific options Audio Channels Displays the channel mode. Bitrate Type Select the bitrate control type here. CBR(Constant Bitrate) Encodes using a constant average bitrate. Quality may vary depending on the complexity of the source. VBR(Variable Bitrate) Encodes using variable bitrate. The specified audio bitrate defines the base or average bitrate. Audio Quality Sets the encoding quality level here.
Target Options MPEG Target d r a z i W Glossary Stream CHAPTER 7 Sets the chapter interval in minutes. For example, if the chapter interval is set to 5, a 13-minute source will have 3 chapter points set at the start, 5 minutes and 10 minutes. This option is only available when the Stream Format is set to DVD (VOB Files). ProCoder Reference Chapter Interval (mins.) CHAPTER 6 No chapter points are set.
ProCoder 3 Stream Type Select the stream type depending on your application requirements. Available stream types depend on the selected Stream Format. MPEG-1 System Stream Output as a multiplexed stream with audio and video. MPEG-2 Program Stream Output as a multiplexed stream with audio and video. MPEG-1 Elementary Stream Output as separate audio and video elementary streams. MPEG-2 Elementary Stream Output as separate audio and video elementary streams.
Target Options Number of passes n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Profile/Level Index Valid only in 1-pass VBR mode. The output file size is at most [average bitrate] * [duration] + [ExpenseReservoir Buffer Size]. Glossary Expense Buffer Size(KB) CHAPTER 7 Valid only in 1-pass VBR mode. The output file size is at least [average bitrate] * [duration] [Reservoir Buffer Size].
ProCoder 3 Aspect Ratio Code The Aspect Ratio Code tells the decoder what the intended display frame size is. VBV Buffer Size (KB) Specifies the video buffer verifier size in kilobytes. This is used by the encoder to ensure the stream can be properly decoded by hardware players. Max GOP size Sets the maximum GOP (Group Of Pictures) size. Larger GOPs provide better compression while smaller GOPs provide faster access.
Target Options Chroma Format s t n e t n o C For profiles and levels that support multiple color sampling formats, select the desired format here. Intra DC Precision n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Enable this option to indicate the audio is copyrighted. The flag is informational. Index Copyright Flag n o i t c u d o r t n I Enable this option to add CRC error checking data into the audio stream. Some applications require error checking data.
ProCoder 3 Emphasis Select whether the audio was recorded with emphasis. This is used by the decoder to restore the audio to its original sound. Emphasis was frequently used for phonodisc recordings. None The audio was not recorded with emphasis and no de-emphasis is required on playback. 50/15 The audio was recorded with 50/15 emphasis and de-emphasis is required on playback. CCITT.J17 The audio was recorded with CCITT.J17 emphasis and de-emphasis is required on playback.
Target Options Poster Frame (Still Image) Target Numbering Schema Set vertical video resolution. Use Chapter Marks Certain formats (such as DVD's/VOB's) have Chapter Marks. If the engine can extract those, poster frames will be created at each mark. Interval Glossary Video SizeY CHAPTER 7 Set horizontal video resolution.
ProCoder 3 Preview DVD Target Common Options See Common Target Options. Preview DVD-specific options Stream Settings Format Specifies the file format of the target DVD. Video-Basic Frame Size Specifies the frame size of the target DVD. Quality/Speed The Quality/Speed setting determines the quality vs speed trade-off the encoder uses. High Speed Optimize encoding for the highest speed. High Quality Balance encoding speed versus quality.
Target Options Use Closed GOP n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Specifies the audio type. CHAPTER 5 Audio Type CHAPTER 4 Audio-Basic Using ProCoder The DC Precision determines how many bits are used for the coefficients of the Discrete Cosine Transform function. If you have very complex footage, increasing the number of bits can help improve the video quality...
ProCoder 3 QuickTime Export Target Common Options See Common Target Options. QuickTime Export-specific options Destination Select Exporter Select a QuickTime Exporter from the drop-down list. Additional exporters may be available with updates to QuickTime. 3GPP Export a 3GPP video file. AIFF Export an AIFF audio file. FLC Export an AutoDesk Animator animation file. QuickTime Movie Export a QuickTime movie file. uLaw Export a uLaw audio file.
Target Options QuickTime Target Video Frame Rate Type Glossary Click the ... button to access the Hint Exporter Settings. This option is only available if Hinted Streaming is selected as the Streaming Mode. CHAPTER 7 Settings ProCoder Reference Sets the output for hinted streaming playback. This is the best choice for playback from a streaming server. CHAPTER 6 Hinted Streaming Helpful Hints Sets the output so playback can begin before the download is complete.
ProCoder 3 Codec Options Click the ... button to access the codec options for the selected codec. Not all codecs have options and some do not have modifiable parameters. Bits / Pixel Select the number of colors to reproduce in the output from the drop-down list. The number of bits per pixel, also called the color depth determines the number of colors that can be simultaneously reproduced. More bits per pixel allow for representation of more colors. Some encoders only support certain color depths.
Target Options Frames / Keyframe s t n e t n o C n o i t c u d o r t n I n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 ProCoder uses a precise NTSC frame rate (29.97002997... fps) which is based on the industry-standard rate/scale information of 30000/1001.However, some video editing applications such as versions of Adobe Premiere prior to 6.5 do not properly import files with precise Rate/Scale information.
ProCoder 3 Attributes Title Enter the title of the file. This value is added to the file’s metadata and may be used by content management systems or shown by during playback. Author Enter the author of the file. This value is added to the file’s metadata and may be used by content management systems or shown by during playback. Copyright Enter the copyright information for the file.
Target Options Raw DV Target Uses 50Mbit per second data rate. DV25 Uses 25Mbit per second data rate. Use Line21 Select the action to take when Closed Caption (Line21) data is present in the source. Not all sources support Closed Caption data. If Closed Caption data exists in the source, include it in the DV output. Dont Use Closed Caption data is not output, even if the source contains Closed Caption data...
ProCoder 3 Notes The DV specification states that DV data is always Lower/Bottom Field first. However, ProCoder allows you to change the output setting in order to work with decoders that do not follow the specification. RealMedia Target Common Options See Common Target Options. RealMedia-specific options Destination 2-Pass Encoding Enable this option to perform 2-Pass Encoding.
Target Options Audio Music Selct this option if the source contains music or other non-voice sounds. Profile Click the ... button to show the Video Profiles Quick-Selection dialog. You can select one or more streams from the dialog. CHAPTER 2 Profile Selection n o i t a l l a t s n I Select this option if the source is mostly voice. CHAPTER 1 Voice n o i t c u d o r t n I Select the type of audio to encode for.
ProCoder 3 Max. Bitrate (kbps) Set the maximum bitrate for the stream in kilobits per second. Higher bitrates provide better quality but create larger files. This option is only available if VBR encoding is selected. Profile-Video Max. Frame Rate (fps) Specify the maximum frame rate for the output. The encoder will attempt to maintain this frame rate, but the rate may be reduced when scenes are complex. VBR Encoding Select the encoding type here.
Target Options Profile-Audio Select the audio encoder to use from the drop-down list. s t n e t n o C Encoder d r a z i W Glossary CHAPTER 7 Use the Profile Selection option to configure individual streams of a multi-stream RealMedia target. ProCoder Reference Notes CHAPTER 6 Enter a description of the file. This value is added to the file’s metadata and may be used by content management systems or shown by during playback.
ProCoder 3 Windows Media Target Common Options See Common Target Options. Windows Media-specific options Destination Output File Type Select the type of file to output. WMV file (Audio/Video) Select this option to create a Windows Media video file with only video or both video and audio. WMA file (audio only) Select this option to create a Windows Media audio file with only audio. Total Bitrate Displays the total data rarte in kilobits per second for this target.
Target Options Video-Basic Click the ... button to display the Video Stream Properties dialog where you can view the currently selected streams, add new streams, rename streams or remove streams.
ProCoder 3 Number of Passes Select the number of passes to use for encoding from the drop-down list. 2-pass encoding provides better quality but takes longer to encode. VBR Quality Sets the quality level for encoding. Higher values result in better video quality at the expense of larger file size. This option is only available when Quality Based VBR is selected as the Bitrate Mode. Maximum Bitrate (kbps) Sets the maximum bitrate for encoding.
Target Options Inverse Telecine Pattern Video-Advanced s t n e t n o C Select the inverse telecine pattern of your source video. n o i t c u d o r t n I Sets the streaming buffer window size in thousandths of a second. A larger buffer size results in smoother streaming but a requires longer delay before starting playback. CHAPTER 1 Buffer Window (ms) Seconds / Keyframe Index Specifies the keyframe interval in terms of the number of seconds per keyframe.
ProCoder 3 Audio-Basic Multi Bitrate Streams Click the ... button to display the Audio Stream Properties dialog where you can view the currently selected streams, add new streams, rename streams or remove streams. Select Audio Stream If more than one stream is defined, select the stream to view or modify from the dropdown list. The Audio-Basic and Audio-Advanced sections will change to reflect the selected stream. Encoder Select the audio encoder to use from the drop-down list.
Target Options VBR Quality d r a z i W Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Attributes CHAPTER 5 Sets the maximum size of the streaming buffer in thousandths of a second. This option is only available if Constrained VBR is selected as the Bitrate Mode. CHAPTER 4 Maximum Buffer Window (ms) Using ProCoder Sets the streaming buffer window size in thousandths of a second.
ProCoder 3 Marker Points You can add Marker/Chapter Points by either getting marker data from the source, for example, from an editing applications' timeline or from a QuickTime file, or you can specify periodic markers. Marker Interval Adds Markers to the WindowsMedia file. A value of 0 will not add any markers, other values indicate the interval duration in seconds. Markers will be named with numbers, with 0 at the beginning of the stream.
Video Filters d r a z i W ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index Options CHAPTER 6 The 601 Correction - Shrink Color Space Filter shrinks video RGB values from the full 0-255 range to the ITU-R BT 601 recommended 16-235 range. This filter is useful when transcoding files between different systems that use different YUV-RGB conversion methods.
ProCoder 3 601 to 709 Color Correction Filter Description This video filter is used to convert video in the SD (601) colorspace to the HD (709) color space. Broadcast HD video uses YCbCr colors following Rec. ITU-R BT 709-5 where as broadcast SD video is following ITU-R BT 601. Those color spaces are fairly close to each other so you typically will not see a difference. Because of this, ProCoder won’t automatically perform this conversion, which maximizes performance.
Video Filters Adaptive De-Interlace Bitmap Keying Filter Index Description Glossary If this filter is not applied, ProCoder will automatically perform deinterlacing when necessary. Adding this filter overrides the basic deinterlacing process and allows control of the deinterlacing settings. CHAPTER 7 Notes ProCoder Reference Adjusts the motion detection error threshold for the Adaptive Detection mode.
ProCoder 3 Configuration Click the ... button to access the Bitmap Keying Option window. The left image is the original image. The image at the right shows the area to be transparent in a blue-gray color. If using the Color Key, select a color in the image to make transparent by clicking on the left side image or by adjusting the R, G and B sliders at the bottom and adjust the Luminance and Color tolerance sliders to achieve the desired transparency.
Video Filters Scale Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Settings CHAPTER 4 Options Using ProCoder The Black/White Correction Filter is used to adjust the black and white levels of the video. This is useful when converting between computer video and broadcast video. ProCoder 3 Description White Threshold Adjust the slider to determine the minimum value considered to be white.
ProCoder 3 Blur Filter Description The Blur Filter is used to reduce detail. This filter applies a simple blur. Blurring can help compression by reducing video complexity. Options Settings Radius Sets the radius of the blur. Higher values result in more blurring. Notes No notes. Broadcast Color Safe Filter Description The Color Safe Filter restricts the color range of video to broadcast-safe colors. This is important to ensure proper playback when producing video for broadcast.
Video Filters Circular Blur Filter ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 Brightness CHAPTER 6 Settings Helpful Hints Options CHAPTER 5 The Color Correction Filter can adjust the brightness, contrast, hue and saturation of the video. CHAPTER 4 Description Using ProCoder Color Correction Filter ProCoder 3 No notes. Use the slider to adjust the brightness. Contrast Use the slider to adjust the contrast. CHAPTER 3 Notes d r a z i W Use the slider to set the radius of the blur.
ProCoder 3 Fade In/Out Filter Description The Fade In/Out Filter can be used to reduce visible compression artifacts at the start or end of the video. Options Settings Fade In Select Enable this option to apply a fade in to the video. Fade In duration (sec) Select the number of seconds that the fade in lasts. Fade Out Select Enable this option to apply a fade out to the video. Fade Out duration (sec) Select the number of seconds that the fade out lasts. Notes No notes.
Video Filters Gaussian Blur Filter Glossary CHAPTER 7 No notes. ProCoder Reference Notes CHAPTER 6 There are no options. Helpful Hints Options CHAPTER 5 The Median Filter is designed to remove single-pixel noise from video. CHAPTER 4 Description Using ProCoder Median Filter ProCoder 3 No notes. CHAPTER 3 Notes d r a z i W Sets the radius of the blur. Higher values result in more blurring.
ProCoder 3 Pulldown Filter Description The Video Pulldown Filter is used to convert non-interlaced sources to interlaced targets without interpolation. The most commonly used pulldown is 3:2 pulldown, used for converting film footage for playback on NTSC devices. DVD video is for example very often making use of this method. When your source is 23.976 frames per second progressive and your target is 29.97 frames per second interlaced, this filter will produce footage following the 3:2 pulldown rule.
Video Filters Relative Crop Filter n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index Drag the handles to define the new video frame. Grayed-out areas will be removed from the video. Click the Full button to reset the video frame to the full frame. CHAPTER 4 Click the ... button to display the Crop window. Using ProCoder Cropping Rectangle ProCoder 3 The current cropping setting is displayed here.
ProCoder 3 Constrain by Aspect Ratio Enable the Constrain by Aspect Ratio option to restrict the cropping rectangle to the aspect ratio of the uncropped video frame. This will ensure the remaining video will entirely fill the frame when Scale after Crop is enabled. This option only affects the Crop window. The Horizontal Cropping and Vertical Cropping settings are not affected by this option. Horizontal Cropping Left Sets the position in pixels of the new left edge of the video.
Video Filters Rotate Filter Glossary CHAPTER 7 No notes. ProCoder Reference Notes CHAPTER 6 Enable this option to rotate the video counter-clockwise by 90 degrees so the upperleft becomes the lower-left. Helpful Hints Rotate -90 degrees CHAPTER 5 Enable this option to rotate the video clockwise by 90 degrees so the upper-right becomes the lower-right.
ProCoder 3 Sharpen Filter Description The Video Sharpen Filter enhances fine details of the video. It is essentially the opposite of a blur and is useful for sharpening blurry video. It can also be used as a post-processing filter for transcoding or filter operations that unintentionally blur, such as scaling or deinterlacing, in order to obtain sharper video results. Options Settings Radius of the blur Select the radius of the filter effect using the slider.
Video Filters Temporal Noise Reducer d r a z i W ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index Determines the maximum number of times a pixel can be locked beyond which all corresponding prior information is flushed. However the pixel is still filtered with spatial techniques. Helpful Hints Pixel refresh rate CHAPTER 5 Sets the threshold for chrominance locking and also helps in pixel change detection. Larger values allow for more shifts in color to be locked.
ProCoder 3 Video Inverse Telecine Filter Description Use this filter to inverse telecine 2-3 telecined videos. Options Settings Use Inverse telecine always Enables this option to always force usage of inverse telecine. Maximum buffer duration Specify the maximum buffer duration. Telecine Pattern Select an expected telecine pattern of the source. Telecine Start Sequence Expected telecine start sequence of the source. Choose 'Automatic' to analyze and detect the sequence.
Audio Filters Settings Input Channels ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 The Audio Fade In/Out Filter can be used to fade audio in and out. CHAPTER 6 Description Helpful Hints Fade In/Out Filter CHAPTER 5 No notes. CHAPTER 4 Notes Using ProCoder Specifies the number of audio channels. ProCoder 3 Interchanges audio channels. Options Settings Fade In Select CHAPTER 3 Channel Mixer CHAPTER 2 Options d r a z i W The Channel Mixer Filter interchanges audio channels.
ProCoder 3 Lowpass Filter Description The Lowpass Filter can be used to remove high-frequency noise from the audio. This is useful when humming or buzzing is present in the audio. Options Settings Cut-off Frequency (kHz) Sets the maximum audio frequency in kilohertz for audio to be preserved. Any sounds with a frequency higher than the selected frequency will be removed from the audio. Notes No notes.
Audio Filters Volume Filter d r a z i W Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 No notes. ProCoder 3 Notes CHAPTER 3 Set the volume adjustment level using the slider. A value of 1.00 leaves the volume level unchanged. Values lower than 1.00 reduce the volume level while values greater than 1.00 increase the volume level. 2.00 is the maximum value and represents doubling the volume.
ProCoder 3 5 196 ProCoder Preset Categories Audio MP3 PCM DV AVI QuickTime RawDV Storage AVI MPEG WM HD Canopus HQ MPEG WindowsMedia Application Specific Editing Software DVD production/Authoring MediaEdge / HDMA-4000 H.
Chapter 7 Glossary
ProCoder 3 Authoring Refers to the process of taking your converted video files and creating a DVD, VideoCD or Super VideoCD using a authoring software package. Authoring software lets you do things like add chapters or menus to your disc and allows it to be played on many set-top players or computers. Examples of authoring software include Adobe Encore DVD, Ulead DVD Workshop, Roxio Easy CD Creator and Nero Burning ROM.
Glossary Data Rate n o i t c u d o r t n I n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W ProCoder Reference Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index Refers to the pixel size of your converted video. You’ll encounter a frame size option when you try to create CD-ROM or HD video. For CD-ROM video, 320x240 is half the size vertically and horizontally of full-screen video (640x480). For HD video, resolutions are much higher so your options are 1920x1080 interlaced for 1080i, and 1280x720 for 720p.
ProCoder 3 MPEG-1 Elementary Streams MPEG-1 Elementary streams carry either audio or video, but not both. The file extensions for MPEG-1 elementary streams are .mpv or .m1v for video elementary streams and .mpa or .m1a for audio elementary streams. MPEG-1 System Streams MPEG-1 System streams carry both video and audio together in a multiplexed (mixed) arrangement where audio and video data occur together. The file extension for MPEG-1 system streams is .mpg but elementary streams are often named .
Glossary Noise s t n e t n o C For video, typically refers to noticeable dots, lines, or patterns that should not be in the video. Noise is generally noticeable in poor-quality source video. n o i t c u d o r t n I n o i t a l l a t s n I d r a z i W Helpful Hints ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 A method of viewing video where the viewer receives enough of the video file to start playback while it continues to receive the remainder of the video during playback.
ProCoder 3 Resolution Typically refers to the frame size, but can also refer to the density of pixels. 640x480 is generally considered full-screen for computer video players. Source video In ProCoder, source video refers to the source video file you are going to convert. Streaming The process of simultaneously receiving and viewing video. Streaming video playback displays video as it is received, with minimal, if any delay before playback begins.
Glossary VOB n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder 3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W A popular video format developed by Microsoft. Windows Media Video is the successor to the AVI format and is a common format for streaming video as well as video archiving and delivery. CHAPTER 2 Windows Media n o i t c u d o r t n I A folder or directory that is monitored by ProCoder so that it can encode any files that are placed inside it. CHAPTER 1 Watch folder s t n e t n o C Abbreviation for Video OBject.
ProCoder 3 204
Index
ProCoder 3 Index Symbols C 601 Correction - Expand Color Space Filter 177 601 Correction - Shrink Color Space Filter 177 601 to 709 Color Correction Filter 178 709 to 601 Color Correction Filter 178 A AC3 Audio Source AC3 Audio Target Adaptive De-Interlace Advanced Features Advanced window Application Settings Assigning a Target format Assigning Targets Audio and video are out of sync Audio Filters Audio Filter Tab Authoring AVI AVI Source AVI Target 122 139 179 97 50,66 96 42 62 115 193 58,73 198 19
Index Loading and Saving Custom Settings 79 Loading and Saving Target profiles 79 Lowpass Filter 194 Index L P PAL PCM (WAVE) Audio Source PCM Audio Target Playing converted files Poster Frame (Still Image) Target Premiere Plug-in Presets Preview DVD Target Glossary 110 14 38 201 CHAPTER 7 Improving your Video Installing ProCoder Other Watch Folder Options Overscan Area ProCoder Reference I O CHAPTER 6 126 147 127 149 201 194 201 Helpful Hints Noise Normalize Filter NTSC H H.264 Source H.
ProCoder 3 Processing Options tab Profiles Progressive Download Pulldown Filter 89 79 201 186 Q Queue Manager QuickStart QuickTime QuickTime Export Target QuickTime Source QuickTime Target 80 40 201 160 131 161 R RawDV Source Raw DV Target RealMedia RealMedia Target Relative Crop Filter Removing Permanent Watch Folders Resolution Rotate Filter 132 165 201 166 187 88 202 189 S Selecting Generic Targets Settings Sharpen Filter Source Options Source Properties Source Tab Source video Speed Encoder Still
Index s t n e t n o C CHAPTER 1 n o i t c u d o r t n I CHAPTER 2 n o i t a l l a t s n I ProCoder3 CHAPTER 3 d r a z i W 134 170 Windows Media Source Windows Media Target Using ProCoder CHAPTER 4 Helpful Hints CHAPTER 5 ProCoder Reference CHAPTER 6 Glossary CHAPTER 7 Index 209
ProCoder 3 210
