Trying to edit Screen Capture

[eradams]

Hello -

I am currently working with an evaluation copy of Premiere Elements to determine if it will work for what I'm trying to do. I am trying to edit screen-cap video captured at 1024 x 768 using SnagIt. When I go to edit in Premiere Elements, it gets a terrible flicker. I now understand that I need to edit in a similar format to the capture. However, it looks like all of the presets in Premiere Elements are targeted to video camera capture only. Is there any way I can change the format to edit for what I need?

Thanks for your help,

Elizabeth

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Elizabeth,
Welcome to Muvipix

What format are you saving the captures from snagit?
What is the frame rate?

It may be possible to convert the files or make them work in Premiere Elements once we know what the format is.

[eradams]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the warm welcome!

The frame rate is 5 fps and I'm saving it as an .avi.

Thanks for your help - I'm new to the endeavor and bumbling my way along. Any advice you can provide would be welcome!

Thanks,
Elizabeth

[Steve Grisetti]

If you open the AVI in Windows Media Player and then go to File/Properties, what video and audio codecs are listed?

[eradams]

Hi Steve -

There aren't any - problem #1?

Thanks,
Elizabeth

[Chuck Engels]

5 fps will definitely cause flickering considering the project is 30 fps.
If you right click on the file in the Premiere Elements Media panel you can select interpret footage. There you can change the frame rate of the clip to 5 fps, that should help.

But video is 30 fps and watching something at 5 fps is not going to look very good.
Do you have an option to capture at 15 fps? That would be a bit better but still not great.

[eradams]

Hi Chuck -

Just to make sure I understand where you're going, which of the Project presets would most closely match the .avi I'm bringing in? It looks like there are a few 30 fps, but there aren't any that match the 1024 x 768 screen size. Also, is there one that matches the square pixels?

Thanks!
Elizabeth

[momoffduty]

Welcome to Muvipix Elizabeth.

[Chuck Engels]

You aren't going to find anything that matches your file exactly.
You could try 720p, that might be the closest.

Then adjust the frame rate and clip dimensions in the Interpret Footage dialog box.

[Steve Grisetti]

I'd recommend going a different direction, if that doesn't work.

I'd recommend you download G-Spot, a video utility, from site:
http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Gspot

Load your video into that. It will tell you important codec information. (If you can't make sense of it, just post a screen capture to this forum and we'll read it.)

Again, once we know what codecs we're dealing with we'll be able to recommend a tool for converting it to something Premiere Elements will be able to digest.

[Chuck Engels]

It doesn't seem to be a problem in Premiere Elements Steve, just flickering. I'm sure that is due to the 5fps.

When I go to edit in Premiere Elements, it gets a terrible flicker.

[Steve Grisetti]

It still could be the codec.

But it could be that, if it's only that frame rate, you could resolve it by right-clicking on the video clips on your timeline and applying Frame Blend.

But before you sink too much time into a large project, you may want to do a short test -- and run it all the way through to a DVD or whatever you plan to output as. Some codec issues may not even show up until your final output!

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Try using this for the capture - it is free:

http://camstudio.org/

...and gives you more control over things like frame rate etc.

[Neale]

Wink is good - it outputs in Flash.