Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual
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Video Before You Start 981 Video Container Formats Video and other multi-media files come in a container format. This container holds various streams of information including video and audio, but also metadata such as synchronization information required to play back audio and video together. Data regarding creation dates, authors, chapter markings, and more can also be held within the container format. The following container formats are supported by Cubase: Cubase supports all these container formats, but problems may arise when the computer does not have the correct software to decode compressed video and audio streams within the container file. You must also know the type of codec that was used to create the video file. Codecs Codecs are methods of data compression used to make video (and audio) files smaller and more manageable for computers. In order to play back a video file, your computer must have the correct codec installed in the operating system to decode the video stream. IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT The names of codecs and container formats can be confusing. Because many container formats have the same names as the codecs they use within the file, make sure to differentiate the container format or file type, for example .mov or .dv, from the codec used within it. If you are not able to load a certain video file, the required codec is probably not installed on your computer. In this case, you can search the internet (e. g. the Microsoft or Apple web sites) for video codecs. Format Description MOV This is a QuickTime movie. QT This is also a QuickTime movie, but it is only used on Windows systems. MPEG-1 This is the first standard of the Moving Picture Experts Group for video and audio compression, used for making video CDs. Files of this container format can have the extensions “.mpg” or “.mpeg”. MPEG-4 This format is based on the QuickTime movie standard, can contain various metadata for streaming, editing, local playback, and interchange of content. Its file extension is “.mp4”. AVI This format is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft. DV This is a video format used by camcorders.
Video Before You Start 982 Frame Rates Cubase is capable of working with different types of video and film frame rates. RELATED LINKS Frame rate (speed) on page 956 Video Output Devices Cubase supports several ways to play back video files. Viewing video files onscreen in the Video Player window may work just fine for many applications, but often it is necessary to display video in a large format for viewing small details and so others involved in the session can also see the video. Cubase provides the ability to use several types of video output devices to accomplish this. Multi-Head Video Cards One of the most common methods is the use of a multi-head video card installed in the computer. Multi-head video cards allow you to connect more than one computer monitor to the card, in some cases up to four. If you direct the video output of Cubase to one of these outputs, the video file is displayed in full screen mode on a computer monitor or HD television screen. NOTE You can also use more than one video card to achieve the same result. Different video cards support different types of outputs including standard VGA, DVI, S-Video, HDMI, and component video. These options allow you to choose the type of monitor you use for video. HD televisions and digital projectors provide the largest viewing screens, but a normal computer monitor can function as a very high-quality video monitor as well. Dedicated Video Cards The use of a dedicated video card is also supported in Cubase. These cards are normally used in video editing systems to capture video to disk and display it while editing. They usually have a high resolution and take some strain off the host CPU by providing video compression and decompression processing on the card. NOTE The Decklink cards by Blackmagic Design are automatically recognized by Cubase. Video will be sent directly to its output.
Video Preparing a Video Project 983 FireWire DV Output You have the option to use FireWire ports on the computer to output DV video streams to external converters such as various camcorders and standalone FireWire to DV conversion units. These units can be connected to a television or projector for large format viewing. The FireWire protocol is capable of transporting data at high speed and is the most common standard for communicating with video-related peripheral equipment. IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT On Windows systems, it is important that you connect your device to the FireWire port before launching Cubase. Otherwise it may not be detected properly by Cubase. Preparing a Video Project The following sections describe the basic operations necessary for preparing a Cubase project involving video. It is advisable to save your video files on a separate hard drive from your audio files. This can help prevent data streaming problems when using high-resolution video with many audio tracks. Importing Video Files Importing a video file into your project is very straight forward once you know that you have a compatible video file. Video files are imported in the same manner as audio files: • By using the File menu (Import–Video File). In the Import Video dialog, you can activate the “Extract Audio From Video” option. This imports any embedded audio streams to a newly created audio track positioned below the video track. The new track and the clip will get the name of the video file. The new audio event will start at the same time as the video event, so that they are in sync with each other. NOTE If you try to import a non-supported video file with the Import Video option, the Import Video dialog displays the text “Invalid or not supported file!”. • By importing to the Pool first and then dragging to the Project window. • By using drag and drop from the MediaBay, the Pool, the Windows Explorer, or the Mac OS Finder.
Video Preparing a Video Project 984 When importing video files via the Pool or by using drag and drop, Cubase can automatically extract the audio from a video file. Whether this happens, depends on the “Extract Audio on Import Video File” setting in the Preferences dialog (Video page). When importing video, Cubase automatically creates a thumbnail cache file. The generated file is stored in the same folder as the video file and gets the name of the file with the suffix “.vcache”. IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT In Cubase, you may work with multiple video files of differing frame rates and formats on the same video track. Assuming you have the proper codecs installed, all video files can be played back in one project, but note that proper synchronization of audio and video events is ensured only if the frame rate of the video file matches the project frame rate. RELATED LINKS Pool on page 499 Extracting Audio From a Video File on page 990 Adopting the Frame Rate When using video files within Cubase, it is important to adjust the project’s frame rate to that of the imported video. This ensures that the time displays of Cubase correspond to the actual frames in the video. If the frame rate of an imported video file differs from the frame rate set for the project, the video event shows a warning. In order to match the two frame rates, you have to adjust the frame rate in the Project Setup dialog. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Project menu and select “Project Setup...”. 2. In the Project Setup dialog, click the “Get From Video” button. Provided that the video file has a frame rate supported by Cubase, it is automatically detected and applied to the project. If the project contains several video files with different frame rates, the project frame rate is adjusted to the frame rate of the first video event on the upper video track. RESULT The project frame rate setting will change to that of the video file and the project start time will be altered to reflect the change in frame rate if needed.
Video Preparing a Video Project 985 For example, when the project frame rate is switched from 30 fps to 29.97 fps, the start time is changed so that all the events currently in the project remain at the same positions in relation to realtime. If you want the project start time to remain the same, you must manually change it back after clicking the “Get From Video” button. In this case, it is important that the video event is snapped to the timeline to ensure proper positioning and synchronization within the project. NOTE • Cubase can only detect the supported frame rates (these are the frame rates listed in the Frame Rate pop-up menu in the Project Setup dialog). Video files with non-supported frame rates can be played back, but the time displays are not correct in this case and proper positioning is not guaranteed. Furthermore, audio and video may not be in sync. Therefore, we recommend that you use an external application to convert the video file to a frame rate supported by Cubase. • If you have more than one video file in a project, it is advisable that all video files have the same frame rate consistent with the project frame rate. Nevertheless, you can work with multiple video files of differing frame rates, but in this case you should always change the project frame rate to the frame rate of the video file that you are editing at the moment. This is done in the Project Setup dialog by selecting the correct frame rate from the Frame Rate pop-up menu. About Thumbnails The individual thumbnail images are positioned exactly at the beginning of the corresponding frame. When you zoom in and there is enough space between the frames, the thumbnail is repeated as many times as there is free space available. Thus, you can always see a thumbnail regardless of how much you zoom in. Thumbnail Memory Cache Size In the Preferences dialog on the Video page, you can enter a value for the “Thumbnail Memory Cache Size”. This determines how much memory is available for displaying “real” thumbnails. The currently shown image is buffered in the thumbnail memory cache. Whenever you move to another image and there is no memory capacity left, the “oldest” picture in the cache is replaced by the current one. If you have long video clips and/or work with a large zoom factor, you may have to raise the “Thumbnail Memory Cache Size” value. About thumbnail cache files When importing video, Cubase automatically creates a thumbnail cache file. The cache file is used in situations where the processor load is very high and the correct redrawing or realtime calculation of thumbnails might use system resources necessary for editing or processing. When you zoom in on the thumbnails, you see
Video Playing Back Video 986 that they are in a lower resolution, i. e. the pictures are not as clear as when they are calculated. When the processes that rely heavily on the computer CPU are finished, the frames are automatically recalculated, i. e. the program automatically switches between realtime calculation of the pictures and using the cache file. NOTE There are situations where no thumbnail cache file can be generated, e. g. if you import a video file from a folder that is write-protected. If you have access to the host folder at a later stage, you can generate a thumbnail cache file manually. Manually Generating Thumbnail Cache Files If no thumbnail cache file could be generated during import or if you have to “refresh” a thumbnail cache file of a certain video file, because the file has been edited with an external video editing application, you have the possibility to generate the thumbnail cache file manually. To create a thumbnail cache file manually, you have the following possibilities: • In the Pool, right-click on the video file that you want to create a thumbnail cache file for and select the “Generate Thumbnail Cache” option from the context menu. A thumbnail cache file is created, or, in case there already existed a thumbnail cache file for the video file, it is “refreshed”. • In the Project window, open the context menu for the video event, and select “Generate Thumbnail Cache” from the Media submenu. • Open the Media Menu and select “Generate Thumbnail Cache”. NOTE • “Refreshing” an already existing thumbnail cache file can be done only from within the Pool. • The thumbnail cache file is generated in the background so that you can continue working with Cubase. Playing Back Video Video is played back together with all other audio and MIDI material, using the Transport controls. IMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANTIMPORTANT
Video Playing Back Video 987 • You need a video card that supports OpenGL (version 2.0 recommended) for proper video playback. A card with OpenGL 1.2 can also be used, but might put restrictions on the video functionality. To check if your video equipment is capable of playing back a video from within Cubase, open the Video Player page in the Device Setup dialog. If your system does not meet the minimum video requirements, a corresponding message will be displayed. Device Setup In the Device Setup dialog you determine which device is used for playing back video files. The Video Player page in the Device Setup dialog You can switch between different output devices during playback. Setting Up a Video Output Device PROCEDURE 1. Open the Devices Menu and select “Device Setup...” to open the Device Setup dialog, and select the Video Player page. 2. In the Active column, activate the checkbox for the device that you want to use for playing back video. All devices in your system that are capable of playing back video are listed. The Onscreen Window device serves for playing back the video file on your computer monitor. 3. From the pop-up menu in the Format column, select an output format. For the Onscreen Window output, only a “fixed” format is available. For the other output devices, you can select different output formats for playback depending on the device. 4. Adjust the Offset setting to compensate for processing delays. Due to delays while processing video, the video image may not match with the audio in Cubase. By using the Offset parameter, you can compensate for this effect. The Offset value indicates how many milliseconds the video will be delivered earlier in order to compensate for the processing time of the video material. Each hardware setup can have different processing delays, so you must try out different values to determine which value is appropriate. NOTE • The Offset value can be set individually for each output device. It is saved globally for each output device and is independent of the project.
Video Playing Back Video 988 • The offset is only used during playback. It is defeated in stop and scrub mode so that you always see the correct video frame. AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK If the quality of the video image is not a critical factor or if you are experiencing performance problems, try lowering the value on the Video Quality pop-up menu. Although higher quality settings make the video display sharper and smoother, they also lead to an increased processor load. RELATED LINKS Video Output Devices on page 982 Improving Video Performance Sometimes, video problems, such as stutters during playback, are caused by codecs that do not support multi-threading. This can be the case for video files that use single-threaded decoding, such as Motion-JPEG, Photo-JPEG, and QuickTime DV codecs. These types of video files are typically created when capturing video with Decklink/AJA cards. To compensate for this, you can activate the “Boost Video (Reduces Audio Performance)” option on the Video Player page in the Device Setup dialog. This excludes one of the available CPU cores from audio processing and reserves it for video tasks like decoding and playback. However, this may reduce the audio performance. NOTE For this option to have an effect, you must also activate the Multi Processing option in the Device Setup dialog (VST Audio System page). Video Player The Video Player window is used for playing back video on your computer screen. • To open the Video Player window, open the Devices menu and select the “Video Player” option. Setting the Window Size and Video Quality To resize the Video Player window and/or change the playback quality of the video, select the appropriate option on the context menu of the Video Player window. Fullscreen Mode The window is enlarged to occupy the whole (computer) screen. If you are working with more than one monitor, you can move the Video Player window to an extra monitor. Thus, you can work with Cubase on one monitor and let the video play back on another monitor. You can exit full screen mode via the window’s context menu or by pressing [Esc] on your computer keyboard.
Video Playing Back Video 989 Quarter Size The window size is reduced to a quarter of the actual size. Half Size The window size is reduced to half the actual size. Actual Size The window size corresponds to the size of the video. Double Size The window is enlarged to twice the actual size. Video Quality This submenu allows you to change the quality of the video image. NOTE • To resize the Video Player window, you can also drag the borders. • The higher the resolution, the more processing power is needed for playback. If you need to reduce the processor load, you can reduce the size of the Video Player window, or lower the value on the Video Quality submenu. Setting the Aspect Ratio Resizing the Video Player window by dragging its borders may lead to a distorted image. To prevent this, you can set an aspect ratio for video playback. From the Aspect Ratio submenu of the Video Player context menu, select one of the following options: None The aspect ratio of the video is not kept when resizing the window. The image is enlarged/reduced to occupy the whole Video Player window. Internal The Video Player window can be resized at will, but the aspect ratio of the video is kept and black borders are displayed around the video image to fill the window. External The resizing of the Video Player window is limited according to the aspect ratio of the video image, i. e. the video image always fills the full window and its aspect ratio is kept. NOTE When the video is played back in full screen mode, the aspect ratio of the video is always kept.
Video Editing Video 990 Scrubbing Video You can scrub video events, i. e. play them back forwards or backwards at any speed. This is done by clicking in the Video Player window and moving the mouse to the left or to the right. You can also use the Scrub controls on the Transport panel or a jog wheel on a remote controller for scrubbing video events. RELATED LINKS Project Scrubbing - The Jog Wheel on page 199 Playing Back with the Shuttle Speed Wheel on page 199 Editing Video Video clips are played back by events just as audio clips are. You can use all the basic editing operations on video events, just as with audio events. You can take a single event and copy it many times for the creation of mix variations. A video event may also be trimmed using the event handles to remove a countdown for instance. Furthermore, you can lock video events just like other events in the Project window, and you can edit video clips in the Pool. It is not possible to fade or crossfade video events. Furthermore, you cannot use the Draw, Glue, and Mute tools with a video event. NOTE Windows only: If you find that you are unable to edit a video file copied from a CD, this might be due to the fact that files copied from CD are write-protected by default. To remove the write-protection, in the Windows Explorer, open the Properties dialog and deactivate the “Read-Only” option. RELATED LINKS Pool on page 499 Extracting Audio From a Video File If a video file contains audio, the audio stream can be extracted. As always when importing audio material, a dialog is displayed allowing you to select different import options. There are several ways to extract audio from a video file: • By activating the “Extract Audio From Video” option in the Import Video dialog. • By using the “Audio from Video File” option on the Import submenu of the File menu. This will insert an audio event starting at the project cursor position on the selected audio track. If no audio track is selected, a new one will be created.