DVFilm Maker 2.0 Online Help

For Known Issues and Workarounds, see bottom of this page.

Help on Process Options (New Options for release 2.0 in bold)


Crop 4:3 to 16:9 Letterbox - Use this option to crop normal video at the top and bottom to create a widescreen look.

No Lettterbox - Use this option if no widescreen effect is desired.

Squeeze 16:9 to Letterbox - Use this option to squeeze video that was shot in the 16:9 anamorphic (squeezed) format, or with an anamorphic adapter lens, to a letterboxed 16:9 format.

Red Boost - Use this option to boost red levels for a warmer look. The level of red boost can be adjusted in the Advanced Options popup.

Add Grain - Use this option to add simulated film grain. The degree of graininess can be adjusted in the Advanced Options popup.

DeInterlace - Use this option to create video that looks like 30 frames/sec film (25 frames/sec film for PAL) transferred to video. Areas of the screen where no motion is taking place are left untouched for maximum vertical resolution. The sensitivity of the motion detector can be adjusted in the Advanced Options popup. Uncheck this option if your movie was shot in frame-movie mode or progressive-scan.

Use 24 fps Motion - Use this option together with the DeInterlace option to create NTSC video that looks like 24 frames/sec film (transferred to NTSC). This option can only be used for regular interlaced NTSC at original speed (i.e. no slow motion), and works best with 1/60th second camera shutter speed. This option yields somewhat "choppy" motion compared with DeInterlace only, but more closely matches the look you have with movies shot on film for theatrical release. The method used is to resample interlaced NTSC video to 24 frames/sec progressive-scan, and then print each "film" frame with a 3:2 pulldown back to NTSC. The result will have fields in it and must be played back on an NTSC monitor for evaluation. Often you must use slower, more film-style camera movement to make this process look good. Use this option for video that has already been edited in an NTSC timeline. If you need 24 frames/sec video progressive-scan video for editing in a 24 frames/sec timeline, or you shot with a 24P camera like the DVX100, then use one of the options in the 24P Editing Options popup.


24P Editing Options

Convert 60i to 24P - Use this option for standard interlaced NTSC shot at 1/60th sec shutter speed, where you wish to edit at 24P for the purpose of transfer to film or to author a 24P DVD. If this option is selected, all film effects (widescreen, grain, red boost) will be disabled. These effects can be added after editing.

Convert 3:2 Pulldown to 24P - Use this option for NTSC which was shot in 24P normal mode with a standard 3:2 pulldown, or with video that originated on 24 frames/sec film, where you wish to edit at 24P for the purpose of transfer to film or to author a 24P DVD. If this option is selected, all film effects (widescreen, grain, red boost) will be disabled. These effects can be added after editing.

Convert 2:3:3:2 pulldown to 24P - Use this option for NTSC video that was shot in 24P Advanced mode with a 2:3:3:2 pulldown, or 24P-NTSC archival material created with DVFilm Maker with a 2:3:3:2 pulldown. Convert 2:3:3:2 Pulldown to 24P is the only option that works without recompression of the video data. If this option is selected, all film effects (widescreen, grain, red boost) will be disabled. These effects can be added after editing.

Output 23.976 Exact - Use this option to output 23.976 frames/sec Quicktime with 48000 Hz audio, instead of 24.000 frames/sec Quicktime and 48048 Audio. This option works best with editing programs that can set the timeline to exactly 23.976 frames/sec. If this option is not used, then the Quicktime's playback rate is 24.000 fps and the audio playback rate is set to 48048 Hz to keep perfect sync, and the 24.000 frames/sec timeline must be set up for 48048 Hz audio.

Convert 24P/23.976P to NTSC 3:2 pulldown - Use this option to convert your edited 24P Quicktime to an NTSC AVI or NTSC Quicktime for mastering to tape for presentation or broadcast. This option can work with letterboxing, grain, or red boost, if desired.

Convert 24P/23.976P to NTSC 2:3:3:2 pulldown - Use this option to convert your edited 24P Quicktime to an NTSC AVI or NTSC Quicktime for archival purposes. This option records the frames without recompression, for output to film or to archive your final cut. Note that the added, \"split-field\" frames may sometimes be slighter brighter or darker than the other frames, especially when YUV processing is not selected (see Advanced Options). This is normal, as the split-field frames are recompressed whereas the other frames are not. Do not use this option for presentation on tape or broadcast. The extra frames can be removed later with DVFilm Maker to restore it to 24P without recompression.

Delay Audio - enter the number of 24P frames you wish to delay the audio. Use 2 for the DVX100, 0 for the DVX100A and other video sources.

Flicker Removal, range 0-4 default = 0. Use to reduce flicker when playing progressive-scan material on an interlaced monitor. Lower values will remove less flicker, higher values will remove more flicker but may soften the image.



Advanced Options

Show Motion Detector Mask - Use this to output the motion detector mask instead of processed video, to allow you to adjust the motion detector sensitivity. The motion detector output is white where there is motion detected, and black where there is no motion detected. Select a value for the Motion Detector Sensitivity (starting and stopping the process each time) so that static areas of the screen are perfectly black.

Show Line Detector Mask - Use this to output the line detector mask instead of processed video, to allow you to see where the line detector is working. See dvfilm.com/help for more info.

Line Detector On - Use this option to reduce dot crawl on nearly horizontal lines when the camera is moving slightly. Do not use this option with high-shutter speed video. Note: using this option will slow down processing time significantly.

Motion Detector Sensitivity - range 1-1000, default value = 50 Lower values will allow more interlacing to leak through but may work better with brightly lit scenes. Higher values will results in less leak-through but may reduce vertical resolution in areas that are not moving. Higher values may work better with very dark or low-contrast video.

Grain Amount - range 0-10, default value = 4. Lower values will look less grainy, higher values will look more grainy.

Red Boost Amount, range 0-10 default value = 7. Lower values will look less red, higher values will look more red.

Blur Horizontal Lines - Use this option to smooth out or blur horizontal lines to reduce dot crawl. This option can help improve the appearance of video taken with high shutter speed settings or with low-quality video cameras.

Blur Amount, range 1-3, default value = 1. Lower values will blur less, higher values will blur more.

Use YUV Processing - Use this option for more accurate color and faster processing. Note: turn this option off for consistent results with older versions (<2.0) of DVFilm Maker, or for use with RGB video sources like uncompressed AVI.

Always Make Quicktime - Use this option to create PAL/NTSC Quicktimes for systems that require Quicktime instead of AVI, for example Avid DV Express.

User Selects Output Folder - Use this option to specify which drive and folder to save the output movies. Otherwise the output movies will go into the same folder as the source movie.

User Selects Compression - Use this option to manually configure the Quicktime output compression settings. Some codecs like the Avid Quicktime PAL codec require manual setting of 4:2:0 color sampling. If this option is not used, then DVFilm Maker will attempt to use the same codec and settings as the source movie. When creating an AVI from 24P Quicktime, this option can also be used to create either DV or uncompressed AVI.


Output Folder - enter the drive and folder you wish to use for output movies, or click Browse.



Known Issues and Workarounds

Some new bugs and limitations have come up with Windows release 2.0, they will be resolved shortly.

The following problems were fixed in Windows release 2.00a (go to dvfilm.com/update for download)

The following problems were fixed in Windows release 2.00b (go to dvfilm.com/update for download)

Problems still remaining: