Best codec to render HD from Vegas?

Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by Jonas Engqvist on Sep 2, 2009 at 8:52:06 am

Hi! I just got a HD cam instead of the old cam, and i don't know which codec is best to use to render from Vegas. I think i got a good result with ffd, but i haven't been able to get that good result again. Is there a particular codec package i should install, and what format should i render to?

/Jonas

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by John Rofrano on Sep 2, 2009 at 2:29:13 pm

What is your target output device? The Sony AVC render type has templates for everything from the Sony PSP, YouTube HD on the web to Full HD Blu-ray discs. That would be my first choice.

~jr

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by Jonas Ankarstrom on Sep 2, 2009 at 4:06:06 pm

Hi John! Well i'm really doing two different things. I usually want to make HD clips for Youtube, which is why i've been going for formats with small file sizes, like Xvid/Mpeg4. But i also want to render "Top quality" larger files to be viewed on a computer; concerts i film and even private videos like bithday parties. For now. I don't know what my output target will be in the future =) I haven't given any thought to which format i should use to make a DVD or BluRay disc for instance.

/Jonas

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by John Rofrano on Sep 2, 2009 at 4:28:21 pm

There is a template under Sony AVC for YouTube HD in Vegas Pro 9.0 called Internet 16:9 HD 30p. AVC is MPEG4 and there is no need to use Xvid. The Sony AVC can make small mp4 files as well as larger m2ts files for Blu-ray. It pretty much covers it all. You could avoid Blu-ray all together by buying a media server and keeping all of your HD videos on hard drives.

~jr

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by Jonas Ankarstrom on Sep 3, 2009 at 1:04:08 am

Thank you john! I will try that!

/Jonas

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by odd magne nilsen on Sep 3, 2009 at 4:20:24 am

As I have 8.0c, what is the presets of Internet 16:9 HD?

odd magne nilsen

newbie

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by John Rofrano on Sep 3, 2009 at 1:07:43 pm

> As I have 8.0c, what is the presets of Internet 16:9 HD?

Here are the settings from Vegas Pro 9.0. You may need to start with the System tab because changing that determines what you can select on the Video tab so here are the tabs in the order you should change them:

System Tab
Format: MP4 file format (*.mp4)

Video Tab
Video format: AVC
Frame size: High definition (1280x720)
Profile: Baseline
Entopy coding: CAVLC
Frame rate: 29.970 (NTSC)
Field order: None (progressive)
Pixel aspect ratio: 1.0000
Bit rate (bps): 6,000,000

Audio Tab
Audio format: AAC
Sample rate (Hz): 48,000
Bot rate (bps): 128,000
Audio coding mode: Stereo

Note you won't have High definition (1280x720) as a frame size in 8.0 so you'll have to make it custom. Also, you'll have an older version of the Sony AVC codec so it might not work as well. It's important to keep your software updated to get the best performance.

~jr

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by Jonas Ankarstrom on Sep 3, 2009 at 8:36:59 pm

I have problems using SONY AVC for some reason. I don't know if it's because i'm using Windows XP or if i've messed up my codecs by installing previous programs. I will try to get AVC working (right now it only lets me render files that are two clips long), but is there another codec that will do the trick? I noticed that XVID Mpeg-4 looks as good as AVC, but the files are a loot bigger. Any suggestions?

/Jonas

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by John Rofrano on Sep 4, 2009 at 12:54:05 am

You have some serious problems if the Sony AVC codec doesn't work for you. I would be really careful about what programs you install. Many of these "codec packs" can really mess up your system. I would avoid them at all costs.

Try the Main Concept AVC codec if the Sony AVC doesn't work but you really should get your PC working properly. If you like Xvid, use it. It's up to you.

~jr

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by Jonas Ankarstrom on Sep 6, 2009 at 12:02:33 pm

Thank you John, i understand now how the AVC works. What are the advantages to using AVC or AVCHD compared to using FFDshow (Xvid)? Appart from the fact that FFDshow has a lot of parameters that can be pretty confusing?

Best regards

/Jonas

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by John Rofrano on Sep 6, 2009 at 1:58:24 pm

> What are the advantages to using AVC or AVCHD compared to using FFDshow (Xvid)?

AVCHD is a standard HD format that is supported by most NLE's, is compatible with the Blu-ray disc format, and can be watched on any set-top Blu-ray player. Xvid is not a standard, is not a supported format in Vegas, is not compatible with Blu-ray discs, and is primarily a web delivery format although I have seen some DVD players that claim to support the codec. (read: you can give someone AVCHD on a Blu-ray disc and they can watching it on any HDTV with a Blu-ray player... You would be hard pressed to distributed Xvid and have anyone ever get it to work on HDTV at all)

You might have noticed that Xvid is Divx spelled backwards. Divx was a rip-off on Microsoft MPEG4. Once they sorted out things with Microsoft they started charging money for their once "free" codec and so Xvid was born as a free alternative to Divx. If you like it, use it understanding it's distribution limitations.

~jr

Re: Best codec to render HD from Vegas?
by Marc Ruddick on Feb 20, 2010 at 6:28:14 am

I'm new to Sony Vegas I just recently got Sony Vegas HD 9 so its not the platinum or pro or any of the higher level Sony Vegas 9's. I was wondering what is the best way to render in HD for sites like Youtube since I make videos for that site. Any information on type and template and any other information would be greatly appreciated.