Getting media ready on your disk

How to capture video from your miniDV camcorder

Cinelerra record function for capture with firewire cable (dv input) isn’t working well on newer kernels. You can use Kino instead, or dvgrab (a nice and easy command line application).
dvgrab command line style is quicker but Kino is more accurate in automatic scene splitting. dvgrab can grab also HDV content.

You will likely have to make firewire work before capturing with Kino or dvgrab.

Using the Graphical User Interface - Kino

Install Kino using Synaptic Package Manager.
Make sure your camera is on, in playback mode and connected to the computer with the firewire cable.
Launch Kino and click on the Capture tab on the right. Watch for errors at the bottom left of the main window. If you are desperate, consult the Troubleshooting page.
You can navigate your tape with the transport controls that are just under the preview window. Pose your mouse pointer over a button for a tooltip. You can navigate forward and backward at different speeds also with a shuttle, that is the slider on the right side of the transport controls.
Now, pause the playback and look carefully at the image. I think you can notice something strange: parts of the image show a comb-like effect, especially on fast moving objects. This artifact is due to interlacing and it is espected on a computer screen displaying miniDV footage. Don’t worry about it. It will not be visible once your DVD is played back on TV and it can be removed on video files targeted for computers. To know more about Interlacing consult the Glossary.
In the File field specify the output filename (path included) without the extension. Kino will split your footage in many single files, one for each single recording. It will add a progressive number (001, 002, …) to each single file.

Example 1:

File: /home/raffa/Movie/clip

will give those files inside the folder Movie:

clip001.dv
clip002.dv
clip003.dv

Example 2:

File: /home/raffa/Movie/

will give:

001.dv
002.dv
003.dv

inside the folder Movie.

Start capturing with the Capture button and stop it with the Stop button. The captured files will be displayed on the left panel.
The default settings can be modified going to Edit → Preferences → Capture.
- The recommended file type is Raw DV.
- Another recommended files option is Auto Split Files.
- If you want you can automatically add to the filename time and date of recording instead of a progressive number with the option Put Time Stamps in File Names.

Using the Command Line - dvgrab

Install dvgrab with the following command:

sudo apt-get install dvgrab

Using the camera controls, set the tape position where you want to start the capture.
Open a terminal and type:
```
dvgrab -a -t -f raw
```

The dvgrab command will start the capture; the options (e.g. -a) will define the behaviour of the capture. Let’s have a look at them:

-a (or -autosplit): start a new file when a new recording is detected. This way you’ll get many clips, one for each record button press.

-t (or -timestamp): put the date and time of recording into the file name

-f raw (or -format raw): save the capture as raw DV file with a .dv extension. This is the format I recommend: Cin seems to particularly like it.
Another format that works well in Cin is Quicktime 4 Linux. If you want to save the capture as QuickTime DV movie, use the option -f qt (or -format qt)

To see all the options available, type

dvgrab -help

If you get an error, see the troubleshooting page for detailed solutions.

To stop the capture press c while holding down the CTRL key.

The capure will be saved in your home directory. If you want to store it in a subdirectory of your home folder (e.g. MyProject/SourceFiles) run dvgrab from there.
To enter the directory of destination type:

cd MyProject/SourceFiles

How to split your Raw DV source files

You may want to divide your single source file into several source files.

Load the Raw DV source file to split in Cinelerra. If you have more than one file, load all the files choosing Replace current project and concatenate tracks as Insertion strategy in order to load all the files one after the other.
Drag the knob of the Compositor timebar to quickly preview the file. Use the Compositor controls to toggle a label on every position you want the file split.
Once all the labels are set, go to File → Render to open the Render dialog.
Enter the filename followed by 01. The file extension will be written automatically.

Cinelerra will overwrite the number 01 giving each file a different number. E.g.: file01.dv will be split into file01.dv file02.dv file03.dv.

If no numbers are written after the filename, Cinelerra will add them after the extension. E.g.: file.dv will be split into file.dv01 file.dv02 file.dv03.

Those odd filenames are recognized as Raw DV in Cinelerra but not in Kino nor in Media Players.

Select Raw DV as File Format.
Check both Audio and Video tracks to be rendered.
Check the option Create new file at each label.
Render range: Project.
Ignore Render profile.
Insertion strategy: Insert nothing.
Click on the green tick symbol to start the rendering operation. Unlike usual rendering, this process doesn’t require re-encoding. It will be very quick and with no preview in the Compositor window that will remain blank.

This process will produce a split copy of the original source file. After having checked the new files, the original file can be deleted.

How to refine the splitting of your Raw DV source files

Kino and dvgrab can automatically split your .dv files during capture. They use the start of every recording as a reference point for splitting. You may want a more accurate splitting of files, especially on long recordings ot when you may want to get rid of unusable footage to save memory on your disk.

To split manually your Raw DV files, without reencoding and thus preserving the original quality, you can use Kino.

Open the file to spit in Kino, by right clicking on it and selecting "Open with Kino".
Alternatively launch Kino from the menu (Applications → Sound & Video → Kino) and go to File → Open to browse and select your files.
Playback your file with the transport controls that are just under the preview window. Pose your mouse pointer over a button to get a tooltip.
You can drag the blue arrow to scroll the video. You can also navigate forward and backward at different speeds with a shuttle, that is the slider on the right side of the transport controls.
Pause the playback of the file in the position chosen for the cut. Click on the Split scene button at the top. It is shaped like this: ←|→. The two parts the file is splitted into will be displayed as icons on the left panel. Repeat the operation as needed.
When you have splitted all the scenes, you can delete the unwanted ones. Select them by clicking on the respective icon on the left panel or by moving the blue arrow on the slider just under the preview. To delete the unwanted scene click on the Cut Scene scissor shaped button at the top.
When finished, click on the Export tab on your right.
Select the DV File tab at the top.
In the File field enter the output filename (path included) without the extension. Kino will add a progressive number (001, 002, …) to every splitted file.
Make sure that Raw DV is checked under File Type.
Under Other File Options check Auto Split Files and uncheck Resample Audio.
If you want you can automatically add to the filename the time and date of recording instead of a progressive number with the option Put Time Stamps in File Names.
Click on Export to produce a splitted copy of your original file.

How to import photos from a digital camera (or from an SD card reader)

Connect your digital camera to the computer or insert the USB card reader. A message box will automatically pop up saying A photo card has been detected.

The program automatically launched depends on the release.

Gutsy: gthumb

Click on Import to open gThumb (the Gnome Image Viewer).
- It is possible to manipulate (rotate, resize, convert) the images in gThumb before import. See following howto.
Go to File → Import photos to open the Import photos dialog.
Select the Destination folder and name the Film folder that will contain all your photos.
If you want, you can check the option Delete imported images from the camera.
Check Rotate images physically if you have used the Rotate Images tool.
If it is possible to import only selected images, I haven’t discovered how. Clicking on Import will import all the images that are on the camera/card.

Hardy and Intrepid: F-Spot

In Intrepid you might get asked to open the media with F-Spot.
In the preview select the images to import (all selected by default). You can select multiple files with SHIFT+click or CTRL+click.
Select the target location. The arrows button will let you browse through your folders.
Copy the selected photos to your selected folder clicking on the Copy button.
Once the pictures are on your disk they can be rotated.
Pictures can also be edited (cropped and colour corrected). Open the dialog with the Edit Image button.
I couldn’t find any method for resizing images to PAl and NTSC resolutions using F-Spot.

How to download images from the Internet (legally)

Many images are available on the Internet for legal download and use.
They are published as Public Domain or with a Creative Commons License.

To see a list of sites that host free images go to the openvideo page.

Launch Firefox and browse those sites to find the picture you love.
Right click on the picture and select Save image as… to open the Save Image dialog.
- You can enter a new filename in the Name field. You may want to name the image after its author. In fact you will likely have to attribuite the image to the author. This is a very frequent condition for using Creative Common licensed material.
- Be careful not to modify the file extension (e.g. .jpg) or the applications may fail in reading it.
- Browse and select the folder you want the image saved in. You can also create a new folder for it, using the Create Folder button.
Click on Save to save the image.

How to manipulate (rotate and resize) your digital images

Still images keep their original size in Cinelerra.
They may be too large or too small. They can have the wrong orientation. You may need to rotate and resize them.

Your image needs to fit into a canvas of 720x576 pixels for PAL projects or of 720x480 pixels for NTSC projects.

Most pictures have a different aspect ratio and won’t fit exactly on this size. They will be displayed with black lateral bands.

Using the Graphical User Interface - gthumb (the grandma way)

gthumb is the default image viewer in Gutsy. You can install it on more recent releases using Synaptic Package Manager or with the following command:

sudo apt-get install gthumb

Go to Applications → Graphics and open gthumb, the Gnome Image Viewer.
Go to File → Folder → Open with the file manager and select the folder containing your images. gThumb will open automatically when you connect a digital camera or insert an USB card reader.
Click on the image you want to manipulate to select it. Click between images and drag a rectangle over them to select multiple images.
To rotate your images go to Tools → Rotate Images and follow the instructions.
To scale your images go to Tools → Scale images… to open a dialog box.
- For pictures with landscape orientation enter 720 in the Width field. Height will be set automatically.
- For pictures with potrait orientation enter 576 (PAL) or 480 (NTSC) in the Height field. Width will be set automatically.
- Make sure the Keep aspect ratio option is checked.
You can also convert the format of your picture by selecting a different Image Type. All the format available are supported in Cinelerra.
Enter the Saving Destination. You can save the resized picture on your card (default) or directly on disk (browse your folders).
Select the Overwrite mode: Rename for keeping also the original photo, Overwrite for overwriting it.
To know more about the other options click on Help.
Click on Scale for the operation to take place.

Using the Graphical User Interface - GIMP (the artist way)

Open your picture in GIMP by right clicking on it and selecting Open with "GIMP Image Editor".
To rotate your images go to Image → Transform and select a rotation strategy.
To resize your images go to Image → Scale image. Look at Width and Height values under Image size.
- For pictures with landscape orientation enter 720 in the Width field, either by using the tumblers or by entering the new number directly in the text field. The Height value will change accordingly.
- For pictures with potrait orientation enter 576 (PAL) or 480 (NTSC) in the Height field. The Width value will change automatically to preserve the aspect ratio.
Click on Scale.
File → Save will save your changes modifying the original picture. On the contrary File → Save as will save your changes on a copy, keeping the original picture intact.

Using the Command Line - Imagemagick (the grandchild way)

Install Imagemagick with the following terminal command:

sudo apt-get install imagemagick

Imagemagick doesn’t modify the original picture (input.jpg) but it makes a modified copy instead (output.jpg).
If the output name is the same name of an existing file, that file will be overwritten.

Modify your pictures with the following terminal commands:

To rotate a single picture:

Enter the folder pictures that contains your picture (input.jpg):

cd pictures

by 90° clockwise:

convert input.jpg -rotate 90 output.jpg

by 90° counter-clockwise:

convert input.jpg -rotate -90 output.jpg

by 180°:

convert input.jpg -rotate 180 output.jpg

To rotate a folder of pictures:

You can rotate all the pictures of your folder using a single command. Imagemagick will name the rotated pictures adding a progressive number to the output name (output-1.jpg output-2.jpg …). The asterisc "*" stands for "any name".

Enter the folder pictures that contains all your .jpg pictures:

cd pictures

by 90° clockwise:

convert *.jpg -rotate 90 output.jpg

by 90° counter-clockwise:

convert *.jpg -rotate -90 output.jpg

by 180°:

convert *.jpg -rotate 180 output.jpg

To resize a single picture :

Enter the folder pictures that contains your picture (input.jpg):

cd pictures

for PAL:

convert input.jpg -resize 720x576 output.jpg

for NTSC:

convert input.jpg -resize 720x480 output.jpg

To resize a folder of pictures:

You can resize all the pictures of your folder using a single command. Imagemagick will name the resized pictures adding a progressive number to the output name (output-1.jpg output-2.jpg …). The asterisc "*" stands for "any name".

Enter the folder pictures that contains your picture (input.jpg):

cd pictures

for PAL:

convert *.jpg -resize 720x576 output.jpg

for NTSC:

convert *.jpg -resize 720x480 output.jpg

In Imagemagick by default, the width and height are intended as maximum values. Imagemagick expands or contracts the image to fit the width and height value of your project while maintaining the aspect ratio of the image.

How to download music from the Internet (legally)

Many music files are available on the Internet for legal download and use. They are published as public domain or with a Creative Commons License. Preferred file format is OGG, because it is a free format and has good audio quality.

One of the many sites that host OGG free music is Internet Archive, that has an Opensource Audio Collection.

For downloading I recommend VLC. VLC can be easily installed using Synaptic Package Manager.

Browse the Opensource Audio Collection and find the right music for your project.
Open VLC (Applications → Sound & Video) and go to File → Wizard to open the Streaming/Transcoding wizard.
Select the Trascode/Save to file option. Then click on Next to go to the Input page.
Make sure Select a stream is checked. Click on Choose to open the Open… dialog.
Click on the Network tab.
Select HTTP/HTTPS/FTP/MMS.
Copy the address (URL) of your chosen audio file and paste it in the URL field. To copy the address right click on the link to the file in the hosting page and select Copy link location. To paste it click on the URL field of VLC using the middle mouse button. Click on OK to close the Open… dialog.
Click on Next to move to the Transcode step. For a simple download with no change of format, you can skip this part and just click on Next.
In the Encapsulation format page select OGG and move on clicking on Next.
In the Additional Transcode Options page enter the filename for your audio file. You can browse your filesystem clicking on Choose.
Click on Finish. The download will start shortly. You can follow the status of the download in the status bar.

Don’t forget you are using a work published with a Creative Commons license. That means you are free to use it but at certain conditions. Check the exact conditions of that very file. Always take note of the name of the file, the creator and the license.

How to choose the format of your source video for editing

Unlike image formats, a video format is just a container. It contains a few streams, usually the audio stream and the video stream. Audio and video streams are encoded using different and various methods. Any specific method is called codec. A video format can contain different codec types. So when you choose the format for your video, you must choose also the codecs for the streams.

While audio codecs are generally harmless and friendly, the choice for video codecs is more challenging and requres some thinking.

It’s very convenient to use a compressed video codec for editing (uncompressed codecs are huuuge!).

There are different methods of compression. I recommend you understand at least two general methods:

Frames are not compressed individually, but using keyframes that are entire images used as references for the encoding of other pictures, which are calculated from the preceding keyframe encoding only the differences between pictures. The filesize is relatively small, only useless information are removed. Editing might interfere with references that have to be recalculated. Codecs that uses this method are: MPEG2 (e.g. from DVD), OGG Theora, …
Frames are compressed individually. File size is bigger, but editing is flawless. Codecs that uses this method are DV, MJPEG, … and are usually the preferred ones for editing.

That said, here are my recommendations:

PAL and NTSC footage:

DV is the best codec for grandma’s editing.

If your footage comes from a MiniDv camera, grab it as RawDV.
RawDV supports only PAL and NTSC framerate and resolution. To overcome those limits some people prefers to wrap their DV stream inside a .mov container.

Footage with non standard framerate and resolution:

MJPEG is the best codec for non standard grandma’s editing.

If your footage comes from a HDD or DVD camera is saved as MPEG2. Try to import and edit it in Cinelerra as it is. If you see the files are not handled properly, convert it to MJPEG.
If your footage is an OGG screencapture that can’t be imported or handled properly in Cinelerra, convert it to MJPEG.

How to convert your source file to MJPEG

Make sure you have mencoder installed. It is the MPlayer’s Movie Encoder.

You can convert your footage to MJPEG using the following terminal command. Remember to replace output.mov with your destination filename and input.ext with the file to be converted.

mencoder -vf harddup -demuxer lavf -oac pcm -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mjpeg:vhq:vbitrate=6000 -noskip -mc 0 -o output.mov input.ext