MGI VideoWave® 5 Readme

MGI VideoWave® 5 for Windows®

Welcome to MGI VideoWave 5 - the complete PC and Internet Video solution!

System Requirements

For DV and MPEG-2 Editing
Operating System
Software Drivers

Frequently asked questions

Installing, uninstalling VideoWave
MP3 sound file support
Realtime MPEG Capture
General Capture
Enhancing Capture Performance
DV
USB Cameras and Capture devices
General Program Use

Important Note

Every effort has been made to incorporate accurate information with VideoWave 5. However, the periodic revision of the software may result in some features being not exactly as documented in your version of VideoWave 5. We apologize for any inconvenience.

System Requirements

Minimum System

Windows 98SE
500 MHz Pentium III (or equivalent)
64 MB of RAM
110 MB of free hard drive space for program installation
1 GB of free hard drive space for video editing
Video card with 4 MB of video RAM, minimum 1024x768 resolution at 16-bit hi-color (65,000 colors)
16-bit stereo sound card and speakers
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
Analog capture card (required for analog video capture)

Minimum Recommended System for DV and MPEG-2 Editing

Windows ME/2000/XP
800 MHz Pentium III (or equivalent)
128 MB of RAM
110 MB of free hard drive space for program installation
6 GB of free hard drive space for video editing, (Ultra DMA, SCSI-2 subsystem recommended)
Video card with 4 MB of video RAM, minimum 1024x768 resolution at 16-bit hi-color (65,000 colors)
16-bit stereo sound card and speakers
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
An OHCI Compliant IEEE-1394 card (required for digital video capture)

Operating System Requirements

VideoWave supports the following operating systems:

Windows 98 SE
Windows 2000 professional
Windows ME
Windows XP

Windows 95, Windows 98 (prior to SE) and Windows NT 4 are no longer supported. VideoWave 5 cannot be installed on those operating systems.

Software Drivers

We recommended that you locate and install the latest available software drivers for your video and audio capture hardware before using MGI VideoWave. If you are unsure as to whether you have the latest drivers, contact the hardware manufacturer for driver information.

New in VideoWave 5

Write to DVD and CD

If you have a DVD or CD writing device, VideoWave 5 lets you write video files to DVD or CD, complete with a menu system, just like those found in DVDs from the major film studios.

Frequently asked questions

Install / Uninstall

After installing VideoWave and having my computer restart I was prompted for my Windows CD.

During the installation of VideoWave a number of files are installed to update the DV portion of Windows. This installation is performed by a Microsoft installation procedure, and may require the Windows CD.

MP3 sound file support

Does VideoWave support MP3 files?

VideoWave lets you load MP3 sound files (.mp3, .m3p) that can be added to your video scenes. Any MP3 files loaded onto the Library are automatically converted to WAV files, and renamed with the .wav extension. Note that WAV files can take up a large amount of disk space.

Realtime MPEG capture

Can VideoWave capture video as MPEG files?

VideoWave has the ability to capture and save video files directly into the MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format, which can maintain video quality while taking up less disk space than other formats. To capture to MPEG, select or create an MPEG video capture template from the Capture Settings dialog (see the Produce tutorial of the user manual for instructions on how to create and edit templates).

General Capture

During capture, if I click the mouse cursor outside of the Viewscreen (such as on the VideoWave interface) the capture stops.

Because capture is very processor-intensive, VideoWave has been designed to abort the capture if it detects any user activity that might degrade the quality of the capture. This activity includes accessing other areas of the program or an attempt to launch another program.

I am using my ATI All-in-Wonder 128 to capture from prerecorded videotape and the capture has intervals of green frames.

If the videotape contains a copy-protection scheme, the ATI driver automatically detects this and makes it impossible to effect a clean capture.

If the videotape is not copy protected and the captured video displays intervals of green frames, your All-in-Wonder 128 software driver may be installed incorrectly. Try reinstalling the latest version of the driver.

After capturing video with the ATI All In Wonder 128 using the ATI BT829 driver, I see a capture report that indicates 'No Video Captured.'

Instead of the BT829, use the ATI Multimedia Driver, found in the Capture Device drop-down list in the Settings dialog.

I am using my ATI All-in-Wonder Pro. When I enable Preview and Overlay, the captured video is unacceptable.

Preview and/or Overlay may need to be disabled for proper video capture with the ATI All-In-Wonder Pro.

I am using an ATI video capture card. Sometimes my audio settings mysteriously change whenever I restart VideoWave.

This is a known issue with the ATI capture devices. For more information please contact ATI at www.atitech.com.

I am using an ATI All In Wonder capture card. When the "Prompt Before Capture" option is used, the video disappears when I prepare to start capturing.

This is a known issue with current ATI drivers. Check www.atitech.com for an updated driver.

I am using an ATI All In Wonder capture card. There is a long delay when capturing a still image.

Due to the limitations of the ATI All In Wonder driver, it can take as long as 10 seconds to initialize a still image capture.

I am using an ATI All In Wonder 128 based capture card, and receive an error when trying to play back captured files.

Current ATI drivers do not include the correct components for playing back captured files. To remedy the problem in Windows 98 Second Edition, you can install the WebTV component of Windows. For other operating systems, check www.atitech.com for an updated driver.

I am using an ATI All In Wonder Rage 128 capture card and Windows ME, and I can't capture video properly.

Current ATI multimedia drivers do not not allow proper capture functionality in Windows ME. Check www.atitech.com for an updated driver.

I am using the Matrox G200. When I enter capture mode and make any adjustments, the preview window disappears.

This is due to a deficiency in the release version of the Matrox Drivers. Please ensure that you download and install the latest drivers from Matrox.

I am using the Matrox G200. If I exit Capture mode and then reenter Capture mode, the settings are reset to default. Why are my settings lost?

This is due to a deficiency in the release version of the Matrox Drivers. Please ensure that you download and install the latest drivers from Matrox.

I am using the Matrox G200. When I capture, my video appears in black and white.

This is due to a deficiency in the release version of the Matrox Drivers. Please ensure that you download and install the latest drivers from Matrox.

I am using the Matrox G200. When I enter capture mode the video appears very bright.

This is due to a deficiency in the release version of the Matrox Drivers. Click the Show Controls button in VideoWave and select Reset. This will correct the error in the driver.

I am using the Matrox G200. I cannot capture at the 80x60 resolution.

This is due to a deficiency in the release version of the Matrox Drivers. The drivers will not capture at this resolution.

I am using my Matrox G200 to capture from a prerecorded videotape and I get an error message.

The Matrox driver automatically detects the presence of a copy protection scheme on the tape and prevents capture.

I have a Matrox G200 card. If I create an MPEG-2 capture template based on 720x480, VideoWave will sometimes crash.

The MPEG encoder within VideoWave will accept only prescribed resolutions as set out on the MPEG specification. Since the Matrox card allows a maximum resolution of only 704x480, setting capture to 720x480 will sometimes cause VideoWave to crash.

I am using a Hauppauge WinTV card in Windows 2000 and I am unable to capture a MPEG file after creating a template.

There is an issue with a 3rd party component in Windows 2000 environments whereby the file extension is not added to the file name. This results in the file not being added to the library. Using Windows Explorer you can rename the file in your capture directory (usually within the My Documents folder) and add the extension .mpg to the filename, then add the file to the library.

I am using a Hauppauge WinTV card in Windows ME and my captured files contain no audio.

This problem occurs when using Hauppauge VFW drivers in Windows ME. We recommend using only WDM drivers for this card. You may have to re-enable the driver in the Capture Settings dialog. Under the Source tab, change the Input from tuner to any other source, then back to tuner again.

I am using a Hauppauge WinTV card in any OS and my captured files contain no audio.

With the WDM driver installed, you may have to re-enable the driver in the Capture Settings dialog. Under the Source tab, change the Input from tuner to any other source, then back to tuner again.

I have created a capture template in which I have selected 'Synchronize to Video.' The resulting file contains audible static.

The standard setting for capture is 'Synchronize to Audio.' Using this setting will eliminate the static from your captures. If the static still occurs, confirm that the card and drivers are properly installed.

I am having sporadic problems capturing at high data rates and/or high resolutions.

To improve the performance of your captures, ensure that your disk drives are defragmented before capturing video. Regularly defragmenting your hard disk will help maintain optimum read and write speeds, which is necessary for capturing at higher data rates.

To defragment your hard disk:

Shut down all running programs
Launch the Windows 'Disk Defragmenter' program from the Start menu by pointing to Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> Disk Defragmenter.

I am getting the following error during capture:

'Capture has been aborted due to an unexpected error. Error: General Access Denied.'

This error is generally associated with reaching the Windows file limits. The limits are:

FAT16 = Windows98, 98SE = 2Gb
FAT32 = Windows98, 98SE = 4Gb
NTFS = no practical limit, however there is a 4Gb limit to AVI files.
If a VFW capture driver is being used to write the file, AVI file size limit is always 2Gb.

I am using a capture card that is not specifically listed on your Web site. Will it work with VideoWave?

If your card has drivers that are designed for your version of Windows, you should be able to use it with VideoWave. Periodically check the MGI Web site (www.videowave.com), as we add new downloadable capture templates for various devices on a regular basis.

I am using a capture card that is not specifically listed on your Web site. When I enter the Capture Settings dialog there are no capture templates available.

To create templates for your card click the Create button. Follow the dialog prompts to create and save templates for your capture card.

I am using a capture card that came with its own software. When I enter capture there is no video or audio, only static.

If the capture card has its own capture software, the audio and video may need to be initialized before you launch VideoWave. Restart your computer, then start the capture card's software. Next, close the capture card software and then launch VideoWave.

When I am capturing video using an MPEG template, any changes I make to the audio template selection has no effect.

When capturing video to MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 the audio settings are controlled via the Video Template. To make changes to the audio capture settings, you can modify an existing MPEG template or create a new one. To avoid overwriting an existing template, it is recommended that you create and save a new capture template.

To create a new capture template:

In Capture mode, click the Settings button. The Capture Settings dialog appears.
Select the Video Template tab.
Click the Create button. The Create Video Capture Template dialog appears.
From the File Type drop down list, select MPEG. Type in a name and description in the respective text fields, then click Next.
The audio settings can now be adjusted. To apply the settings and save the template, click the Finish button.

I am using a localized version of Windows, and the capture setting keep defaulting to PAL, when I require NTSC.

VideoWave detects the Country settings in Windows and will automatically default to the standard broadcast format that is used for that country. For example, if you are using a French version of Windows and have installed the French version of VideoWave, VideoWave will automatically set the capture to PAL. In this instance, changing the regional settings in Windows to French Canadian instead of Standard French will set the default video format to NTSC.

I have a Windows ME system. When I try to capture sound from a CD all I hear is a buzzing sound.

To obtain audio in this case, you can load CDA files from the audio CD to the library, where they will be converted to WAV files.

Alternatively, disable the Digital CD Audio option in the Windows device manager. To disable the Digital CD Audio option in Windows ME:

On the Windows task bar, click Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
Double-click the System icon.
Click the Device Manager tab.
Find the device name 'CD-ROM drive', and click this icon.
Highlight the CD-ROM drive, and click the Properties button.
Click the Settings tab, and deselect the 'Enable digital CD audio for this ROM device' check-box.
Click OK to exit this dialog, then click OK to exit the Properties dialog.
Restart your computer to enable the changes.

Enhancing Capture Performance

Enabling DMA

Your hard drive may not be able to sustain a high enough data rate to provide a smooth capture of a video stream. The performance of Ultra DMA hard drives is improved if the 'DMA transfer' option is enabled for the drive. This solution should be approached with caution, as not all hard drives support this feature, and they are not compatible with every system. If you are unsure as to whether your system can handle DMA transfers, please contact your hardware manufacturer.

To enable DMA transfer for hard drives under Windows 98:

On the Windows task bar, click Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
Double-click the System icon.
Click the Device Manager tab.
Find the device name 'Disk Drives', and click this icon. You should see several drives listed. Find 'Generic IDE Disk Type 47.'
Highlight this drive, and click the Properties button.
Click the Settings tab, and select the DMA control.
Click OK to exit this dialog, then click OK to exit the Properties dialog.
Restart your computer to enable the changes.

Please note that if your system has a custom device driver for your hard drive, it may not be possible to enable DMA.

Defragmenting your Hard Disk

To defragment your hard disk:

Shut down all running programs
Launch the Windows 'Disk Defragmenter' program from the Start menu by pointing to Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> Disk Defragmenter.

DV

When capturing DV, many frames of video appear to have been dropped.

To improve the performance of your captures, close all other programs and ensure that your disk drives are defragmented before capturing video.

When I preview DV video, the on-screen preview in VideoWave is out of sync with the video on my camcorder.

This may occur if your system cannot manage the current Preview size setting. We recommend that you set the Preview size to 360x240 for NTSC or 360x288 for PAL. To change your Preview size:

Click the Menu button, and select Preferences.
Select the Preview Tab.
From the Preview Size list, select a lower value.

When previewing DV video, the displayed video is smaller than the Viewscreen in which it is playing.

Change your Viewscreen Preview size:

Click the Menu button, and select Preferences.
Click the Preview Tab.
From the Preview Size group, select 360x240 for NTSC or 360x288 for PAL.

This will give you a 1/4 size DV preview in VideoWave that fills the Viewscreen. If you wish to preview full-size DV video on your screen, change the preview size to 720x480 for NTSC, or 720x576 for PAL.

Note: Full size preview will only be enabled for screen resolutions of 1152x864 or higher.

Capturing video from a DV camcorder that is in pause mode causes the captured audio to sound very strange.

This is a limitation of DV capture while the camcorder is in Pause mode. To eliminate this, discard the audio portion of your capture.

I get a couple of seconds of black video when I start to capture from DV.

Your DV camcorder may take several seconds to begin playback when the Play button is clicked in VideoWave. VideoWave will record black video until the camcorder actually begins video playback.

VideoWave does not recognize my camcorder.

Check the MGI Web site (www.videowave.com) for the latest list of supported camcorders.

I am having problems capturing with my Sharp DV camera.

Sharp DV cameras are not supported at this time, due to anomalies in these devices. Check the MGI Web site (www.videowave.com) for the latest list of supported camcorders.

I have just installed VideoWave. When I enter capture mode there is no preview in the window and the file I captured is invalid.

This is a condition that occurs when the capture mode is invoked for the first time with certain cameras. To correct this, close and reopen capture mode.

USB Cameras and Capture Devices

VideoWave supports several USB video cameras. For a complete list of the supported USB devices, visit the MGI Web site (www.videowave.com).

I am using a USB Camera for capture. How can I make the process more efficient?

Create one or more capture templates using the settings that your camera is capable of. This lets you conveniently load the appropriate template with your predefined capture settings, instead of manually entering the settings each time you want to capture.

I am experiencing problems capturing from my USB Camera.

The capture drivers supplied by many USB camera manufacturers do not have the necessary components to interact effectively with VideoWave. In these cases, we recommend that you use the capture program supplied with your USB camera. The captured clips can then be added manually to the VideoWave library for editing.

I am using a USB Camera for capture. When I am capturing video it shows that almost every frame is being dropped.

Due to an error in some USB Camera drivers, it may be reported that some frames are being dropped during capture. In reality, the file is being captured properly with no dropped frames.

General Program Use

In the VideoWave Help and manual I read about a feature called “Color Effects.” Where is this feature in the program?

The documentation uses the term Color Effects to refer to the Darkroom mode in VideoWave.

My screen resolution is set to 1600 x 1200, and sometimes the picture in the Viewscreen appears distorted.

Some video drivers do not scale video correctly at this resolution. To correct the problem, change the preview size in VideoWave to a factor of the clip you are trying to play. For example: if you are playing an NTSC DV clip (720 x 480) set the preview size to either 720 x 480, or 360 x 240.

I can't put my computer in Standby mode.

Standby mode is a feature of Windows 98 that lets you put your computer in a power saver or "sleep" mode via the Sleep key on the keyboard (if you have a Windows 98 keyboard), or by selecting Stand by from the Shut Down Windows dialog.

If you are using VideoWave in Capture, Scene Detect, TimeWarp, or Preview mode, Standby mode is disabled. To put your computer in Standby mode, you must first exit from the relevant mode.

I use an ATI All In Wonder; it requires a resolution of 800x600 for TV out. How can I output to tape?

Close VideoWave
From the Windows Start menu, select Settings >> Control Panel
Double-click Display
From the Display Properties dialog, select the Settings Tab
Click the Advanced button
Select the Displays Tab
Enable the TV Out (Note: you cannot enable TV Out unless a TV is connected to your computer)
Click the Apply button and Accept. The Desktop will now display in virtual mode (the entire screen will not show but it can be scrolled)
Restart VideoWave and ensure your video file is loaded and displayed in the Viewscreen
Enter Output to Tape mode.
Click the Begin button to output your video

I am using an ATI All In Wonder 128 in Windows 2000 and cannot use the TV Out feature of the card.

Current ATI drivers do not support TV Out in Windows 2000. Check www.atitech.com for an updated driver.

I am using an Nvidia based video card, which requires a resolution of 800x600 for TV out. How can I output to tape?

Due to this resolution limit and limitations of the driver, VideoWave is unable to output to the TV Out on Nvidia cards.

I am using an Nvidia video card, and certain AVI files will not play back in the Viewscreen.

There is a problem with certain Nvidia drivers (including the driver that comes with with Windows 2000) whereby certain AVI files cannot play back if the preview window is smaller than the video frame size. This can be remedied by increasing the preview to a larger size, or installing updated video drivers.

Sometimes when I play back a file that had been produced using the DV codec, file stops playback for long periods of time.

Due to limitations in the Microsoft DV codec, files produced using the standard DV audio sampling rate of 32 kHz may experience playback problems during preview (this problem interferes with preview only, and has no effect on the file's ability to be transmitted back to the DV camera). To solve the playback problem, create a new DV Produce template (or edit an existing DV Produce template) that produces the audio portion of the file to 44.1 or 48 kHz (see the Producing your Video section of the user manual for instructions on how to create and edit templates).

I am using a Matrox card, and full screen playback of a captured file stops after a few seconds.

This problem can be avoided if you ensure that you capture MJPEG files at 30fps.

An ASF audio file is represented by a question-mark thumbnail when added to the library.

ASF audio files are not supported at this time. To avoid confusion, we recommend naming such files with the more standard WMA extension.

I cannot use MOV files in VideoWave.

MOV files using Cinepak compression can be added to the library by selecting *.* (All files) in the file selector. However, files using the following codecs are not supported:

dmb1
vq1
pza

I cannot load video files from a DVD into VideoWave.

VideoWave does not support DVD's 'VOB' files. In addition, many DVD titles are copy protected and cannot be duplicated or manipulated in any application.

I downloaded an MPEG-2 file with the file extension .vbs. Why can I not use it in VideoWave?

MPEG files with the .vbs extension are 'variable bitstream' files, and are not compatible with VideoWave.

I deleted a Real Video file from the Library but it has not been deleted from my hard disk.

To remove a Real Video file from your hard disk you must use the Delete command in Windows Explorer.

When I add large text with soft shadows to a clip, I notice that it takes a long time to produce.

In some cases, large text with soft shadows may cause a delay at the beginning of the produce process. Using smaller text or eliminating the soft shadow will speed up your productions.

I am have a Matrox Marvel G200 and have created a Produce template using the Matrox MJPEG codec. Each time I try to produce the file I get the following error:

"Insufficient memory to complete file!"

"Please produce with a smaller frame size and/or reduced frame rate."

This problem is due to an error in the Matrox driver. To avoid this error message, use only those frame sizes that begin with 176, 352 or 704 when creating a Produce template using the Matrox MJPEG codec.

When using VideoWave, selecting the Large Fonts setting in the Windows Display Properties dialog will cause parts of the VideoWave interface to become corrupted and not display properly. To avoid this, set your display to Small Fonts.

To change the Font Size to Small:

From the Windows Start menu, select Settings >> Control Panel.
From the Control Panel, double-click the Display icon.
In the Display Properties dialog, select the Settings tab, then click the Advanced button. In the dialog that appears, select the General tab, then select Small Fonts from the Font Size drop-down list.
Select OK to close the dialogs.

MGI VideoWave 5 installs and makes use of the AKRip CD-DA Audio Extraction Library. Use of this library is covered under the terms of the GNU Lesser Public License.

The latest full source code to the library is available at http://akrip.sourceforge.net.

Visit our Web Site!

Find out what's new with MGI VideoWave and MGI's other exciting software products! Our Web site address is:

www.videowave.com

MGI Software Corp.

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Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1E3
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