CREATING MOVIE FILES
 


Easy-Cut projects are often used to create "cutups", which are "new" movie, or video files. 

To create a cutup from an Easy-Cut project:

  1. Add clips to the Easy-Cut Project Grid or Open an Easy-Cut project file

  2. Arrange the clips as desired using the Filter and sequencing tools

  3. Click Export Movie to open the Easy-Cut Project Output screen

  4. Follow these steps to produce your movie

STEP 1 - Name the Movie (type in or accept the default of EasyCutOutput), and specify the Location (Output Folder) where it should be saved. Use the ellipsis (...) to browse to a folder.

We do NOT recommend accepting the default Movie File name or Output Folder. You can click the Validate Project button now or wait until STEP 2.

 

STEP 2a - Select the type of Compression Method that should be used to create the new Movie File.   The "compression method" determines the type of video file that is created, its quality, and its size.  Windows Media (WMV), Enhanced High Quality (640 x 480) is the default compression method. 

Easy-Cut includes other types of video compression, including DV-AVI and (optionally) DIVX for standard definition video output, and XVID HD 720p or 1080p compression for high definition video output.

DV-AVI usually produces the highest quality video for standard definition and is the recommended format if the source video format is .avi, the video quality is high, AND the cutup file will be burned to a DVD. 

The DIVX and XVID HD formats are inactive until the respective codec is installed.  In the example below, the (optional) XVID codec has been downloaded from www.xvid.org and is installed, while the DIVX codec (www.divx.com) has yet to be downloaded and installed.

Step 2b - Click Validate Project. This is necessary in order to proceed to Step 3.  Validating a project runs a test that checks the video file type for each clip. For a project to pass the validation test, the video clips must all be the same type (WMV, AVI, etc).

STEP 3 - EXPORT THE MOVIE - If the project passes the validation test, the Export Now button becomes active (See below), and it is possible to Export the Movie.

Click Export Now to make a movie using the Movie (cutup) File name, folder location and "compression method" (video quality and size settings) that you specified in the previous steps.

A progress bar and on-screen status messages inform you of the progress being made and how long the process is expected to take. Note the status bar - it refers to the progress of the entire project. During "production", a "conversion" a time estimate is given for each clip that is being processed.  

STEP 4 - VIEW THE MOVIE -  The screen below shows a movie "post production". Click the link that starts with Launch to view your movie in Windows Media Player.

MORE ABOUT VIDEO QUALITY (COMPRESSION) SETTINGS AND EXPORTING MOVIES

Entire books are devoted to digital video, with detailed and highly technical discussions of video quality and similar complex topics.  We built Easy-Cut to keep things as simple as possible without sacrificing what we thought was "must have" functionality. For those who want to dig deeper into the video compression settings, we include discussions of Windows Media, AVI and DivX/XViD.

It is important to understand that Easy-Cut was designed to produce (relatively) short cutup files - usually consisting of no more than 20 plays, or "clips".  Easy-Cut can produce longer cutups, but a number of factors, including the hardware capabilities of the computer that is being used, the video format of the original source video files and the number of different video files that comprise the Easy-Cut project all can affect the results.

When cutups that are produced by Easy-Cut will be burned to a DVD, the DVD burning software, rather than Easy-Cut, should be used to create longer videos, since it is designed for that purpose.  When cutups will be uploaded to a video sharing web site like YouTube, the cutups produced by Easy-Cut can be used in their native form. For longer videos, Movie Maker or similar programs can be used.  The settings below are recommendations based on each "destination".

Viewing on the Computer  - Use Play Clip, Project Preview or Windows Media Player

Easy-Cut has two video players that can be used for viewing video cutups without the need to use the "Export Movie" function. 

To View one or more individual plays, Select a row/play in the grid, click the Play icon on the toolbar and watch the play as many times as you wish, using the Space Bar to toggle Full Screen mode .

To View a sequence of plays or an entire project, use the Project Preview function on the Output menu. Project Preview which loads the currently selected of plays in the grid (including filters) and then provides a continuous play mode that is virtually identical to viewing a cutup - with better quality.

Windows Media compression

The default setting (Enhanced High Quality 640x480 Windows Media) will produce a video file optimized for displaying on a computer screen or overhead projector.  While this type of file is also suitable for writing to a DVD using the computer's "burner" with any number of DVD creation software applications, the DV-AVI option will produce better quality and in turn will degrade less when it is burned to a DVD.

A number of Windows Media "compression methods", or profiles are available, including two that produce significantly smaller video files than the default setting.  When the smallest file size is desired, for emailing or posting on a web site, select one of the 320x240 settings. The video file size will be much smaller, and the quality will be adequate unless the video is enlarged to a size that exceeds 320x240 during playback. 

  1. Enhanced High Quality Windows Media (.wmv) - full screen (640x480), compressed, smaller than .avi size

  2. High Quality Windows Media (.wmv) - full screen (640x480), compressed, slightly smaller and lower quality than the default Enhanced High Quality

  3. Medium Quality Windows Media (.wmv) - small (320x240) compressed and a very small file size

  4. Variable Rate WWW Streaming (.wmv) - small (320x240) but surprisingly close to Highest Quality depending on your video source

DV-AVI compression

DV-AVI compression will produce the highest quality standard definition video file with the least loss of video quality, as a general rule. The DV-AVI setting should be used when burning to a DVD, as long as the source video is the same format and size (720x480) and of a good quality. Otherwise choose the Windows Media format.

DV-AVI files are large in size, and best suited for extracting plays or small groups of plays that will be assembled with DVD burning software, rather than to play back cutups on the same PC that is running Easy-Cut.

DivX, XVID and XVID HD compression

Another type of compression supported by Easy-Cut is the DivX/XVID type of compression. Both are based on the MPEG 4 standard, but, like Windows Media and Quicktime, are a form, or implementation of the MPEG 4 "standard". DivX and XVID began as essentially the same format.

With improvements in Windows Media formats, and with the addition of DV-AVI output as an option, DivX is really not necessary, but we continue to include it in Easy-Cut for backward compatibility.  DIVX compression will usually produce standard definition video with a slightly larger file size than Windows Media, but due to changes in DIVX and improvements in Windows Media, only slightly better quality video quality. But, since the DivX file that is created is an .avi file, it may be more responsive and precise during playback when pausing, advancing and reversing the video.

DivX compression should only be used when the source video files are 720x480 to minimize loss of video quality during the export function. The best DIVX output results will be achieved when the source video is either uncompressed DV AVI, DIVX-AVI or XVID AVI with dimensions (resolution) of 720x480.  The DivX output size is 720x480 (the same size as Standard Definition DVD Video) .  The DivX for Windows codec can be downloaded at www.divx.com.

In summary, for the highest quality video output, capture and edit video that is in an .AVI format, ideally DV-AVI if available, or XVID format. We call this your "SOURCE" video. Then, Export the Movie in DV-AVI , Windows Media or XVID-HD, depending on the factors mentioned above.

* XVID Standard and High Definition video files are supported in Windows 7 and 8, however it is usually necessary to download the Xvid Codec in order to play many avi files in Windows XP and Windows Vista.  Since all XVID codecs are not alike, we recommend that you go to www.xvid.org to download the XviD codec if you need it.

XVID HD Compression is new to Easy-Cut in Version 5.  When the XVID HD Codec is installed, two XVID HD Profiles will be available for Export Movie Output : 720P and 1080p.  As a general rule, 720P should be used, since most "source" video, once converted to .avi or .wmv format, will lose some of its resolution during the conversion process. The default profile for XVID HD is 720P, as show below:

 

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