Best video compression method in Virtual Dub for sony vegas

[Toki]

Well I have a .avi format video but is in divX format and doesn't run smoothly in vegas. I'm using virtual dub to convert it, what is the best way to convert it (best compression method), that will result in a video that runs smoothly in vegas and is not a horrificly large file. Also I am not inlcuding audio, ill have the "no audio" option selected in virtual dub.

Just to say the original size of the video is 699 mb.

I don't want to cut clips out, I want to convert the whole file.

Thank you for any tips =]

[The Origonal Head Hunter]

runs smoothly in vegas and is not a horrificly large file.

Unfortunately, you have to deal with the file size if you want a consistently smooth running. From what I've heard, Lagarith (avalible in AMVApp) is the best codec to use for Vegas. And you really might want to reconsider the not-cutting-clips stance, since it truly will be a horrific size if the base file is already 700 megs.

[Toki]

o.k thank you, i will cut the clips then =]

[JazzyDJ]

I have tried to use Lagarith in Vegas from encoding a vob rip in virtualdubmod and I always get horrible results. There is always hideously noticable interlasing on many frames. It's almost as if the animation freezes for a moment during the frame where there are 2 cels of the character showing (during his movement). I actually get better results simply converting it to Sony wmv in Vegas and then editing, and it's only a fraction of the size.

But if anybody can tell me why I shouldn't use Sony WMV or what might be going wrong with the Lossless codec, by all means please be my guest and set me on a better path.

[JaddziaDax]

lagarith doesn't interlace your footage... the vobs are interlaced therefore you need to deinterlace them before/as you convert them to lossless avi...

what you should be doing is
1. rip your dvd
2. dgindex your vob files
3. avisynth/filter and deinterlace
4. convert to a lossless format

(#4 is optional if you would like to attempt the bait&switch method but don't ask me how to do it cause I'm lazy and refuse to learn a new process at the moment)


WMV is a highly lossy format and will lag in Vegas... while for the most part a WMV from Vegas still looks fairly clean it's no match for a lossless avi.

[kmv]

(#4 is optional if you would like to attempt the bait&switch method but don't ask me how to do it cause I'm lazy and refuse to learn a new process at the moment)

With bait-n-switch you create low quality lossy files that have the virtue of being small and fast to work with (when I used to do this in Premier 6 I used MJPEG at 30%), and then save your high quality files somewhere convenient.

You then edit using the lossy files, they look like crap but it doesn't matter.

When you are finished editing and ready for your final render and export you move or rename the lossy files, bring the HQ files back, and let your editor complain that can't find the source files it has been using. When this happens the editor should ask you to tell it where the files are and at this point you point the editor to the HQ versions of the files.

This works in most - but not all - editors, so you should always test this out first.

Bait-n-switch is good if you have disk space and/or CPU problems. Obviously, bait-n-switch can not be used if your workflow involves more than one tool, for example: you do some compositing in AE or some tweaking in Photoshop.