User guide

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Using VFW programs without the RT.X100 Xtreme hardware
Using VFW programs without the RT.X100
Xtreme hardware
If you installed the Matrox Video for Windows (VFW) software codecs (see
“Installing the Matrox VFW software codecs on a system without the RT.X100
Xtreme hardware” on page 37), you can render and play back RT.X100-
compatible .avi files using your Video for Windows program without having the
RT.X100 Xtreme hardware in your computer. To capture material, however, your
system must be equipped with the RT.X100 Xtreme hardware.
Before you start rendering
Before you start rendering material to a Matrox .avi file, make the following
settings in your Video for Windows program:
• Set the frame rate for rendered material to 29.97 frames per second for
NTSC video, or 25 frames per second for PAL video.
• Set the frame size of your rendered material to full-screen: 720×480 for
NTSC video, or 720×576 for PAL video.
• To render a video production at a quality that’s different from the one at
which your clips were created, all your clips must be recompressed at the
new quality level during the rendering process. If your program provides an
option for controlling compression, set this option to
Always recompress
when rendering.
• For best results, make sure you clear your program’s
Data rate limit option
for rendered material. This ensures that your .avi files will be rendered at the
particular video quality you select.
• If you’re using Adobe Premiere, set the
Fields for rendering to Lower Field
First
for NTSC video, or Upper Field First for PAL video.
¦NoteBefore rendering a lot of material, check that your rendered animations
and transitions such as wipes and slides play back smoothly. If they appear
jumpy, try adjusting the field dominance or field order for your rendered material.
For example, if your transitions appear jumpy with the field dominance set to
Odd field or Field 1, try switching the setting to Even field or Field 2.