Cyberlink PowerProducer - 2.0 User’s Guide
Copyright and Disclaimer
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To the extent allowed by law, POWERPRODUCER IS PROVIDED "AS IS",
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY FOR
INFORMATION, SERVICES, OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED THROUGH OR
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CONTAINED EITHER IN THIS PACKAGE.
The terms and conditions here under shall be governed and construed in
accordance with the laws of Taiwan.
PowerProducer is a registered trademark along with other company and
product names mentioned in this publication, used for identification
purposes and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners.
PowerDVD Auto-Player Agreement
The PowerDVD Auto-player is provided for your personal and individual
use only. Its commercial use, distribution or sublicense is strictly prohibited,
regardless of whether it is for profit or not. If you would like to use the
player for any of these prohibited purposes, you may be required to obtain
license(s) from third party(ies) for such use, and it shall be your sole
responsibility, and at your own expense, to obtain such license(s). For the
same reason, you shall indemnify and hold CyberLink harmless from any
claims, proceedings, damages, costs, and expenses resulting from your use
of the PowerDVD Auto-player for any of these prohibited purposes. You
will note that by incorporating the Auto-player, you shall be deemed to
have accepted all of the terms mentioned above, and such terms shall
constitute a part of the license agreement for PowerProducer between you
and CyberLink.
International Headquarters
Mailing Address
CyberLink Corporation
15F, #100, Min Chuan Road, Hsin Tian City
Taipei County, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Web Site
www.gocyberlink.com
Phone Numbers
Telephone: 886-2-8667-1298
Fax: 886-2-8667-1300
Copyright © 1999-2003 CyberLink Corporation
Contents
Introduction......................................................... 1
1
Welcome ................................................................................................... 2
Production Flow ...................................................................................... 3
Pre-Production .................................................................................... 3
Disc Production .................................................................................. 4
Ready to Burn ..................................................................................... 4
Your Production Environment .............................................................. 5
PowerProducer Projects ......................................................................... 6
The Right Technology ............................................................................. 7
CD vs. DVD ......................................................................................... 7
NTSC vs. PAL ................................................................................... 10
Video Quality .................................................................................... 10
System Requirements ........................................................................... 11
OS ....................................................................................................... 11
Memory .............................................................................................. 11
CPU .................................................................................................... 11
Hard Disk Drive ............................................................................... 12
Video Capture ................................................................................... 12
Burning .............................................................................................. 12
PowerProducer Versions ...................................................................... 13
Navigating in CyberLink PowerProducer ......................................... 14
Produce a Movie Disc ........................................ 15
2
Acquire Content .................................................................................... 16
Import Video Files ............................................................................ 17
Import DVD Content ....................................................................... 17
Capture from a DV Camcorder ...................................................... 18
Capture from a TV ........................................................................... 20
Capture from a VCR ........................................................................ 21
Capture from a PC Camera (Webcam) ......................................... 22
Capture from a Digital Camera ...................................................... 23
Organize Your Story ............................................................................. 24
Manipulate Clips in the Storyboard .............................................. 24
View a Clip ........................................................................................ 25
Edit Clips ................................................................................................ 26
i
Trim .................................................................................................... 26
Merge ................................................................................................. 27
Split ..................................................................................................... 27
Add Audio ........................................................................................ 28
Produce a Photo Slideshow ................................................................. 29
Create an Album .............................................................................. 29
Select an Album ................................................................................ 30
Add Effects to an Album ................................................................. 30
Preview Disc Content ........................................................................... 32
Preview Using the Remote .............................................................. 32
View the Production Summary ...................................................... 33
Customize Your DVD ........................................................................... 34
Modify Your Disc’s Menus ............................................................. 34
Customize the Menu Page .............................................................. 35
Set Chapters ...................................................................................... 37
Add Special Effects .......................................................................... 38
Adjust Color ...................................................................................... 38
Burn to Disc ............................................................................................ 39
Set Your Burning Configuration .................................................... 39
Burn .................................................................................................... 40
QuickBurn ......................................................................................... 42
Burn DV Content to a DVD ................................................................. 43
Edit a Disc After Burning ..................................................................... 46
Disc Utilities ...................................................... 49
3
Erase a Disc ............................................................................................ 50
Copy a Disc ............................................................................................ 51
Defragment a Disc ................................................................................. 53
Burn a Disc Image ................................................................................. 54
Save a Disc Image .................................................................................. 55
Burn a Disc from a Folder .................................................................... 56
Appendix........................................................... 57
Technical Support ................................................................................. 58
Web Support .......................................................................................... 58
Fax Support ............................................................................................ 58
Telephone Support ................................................................................ 59
FAQ ......................................................................................................... 60
Glossary .................................................................................................. 64
Index ................................................................ 69
ii
Chapter 1:
Introduction
This chapter introduces CyberLink PowerProducer and the digital
movie production process, including what you need to have on
hand before you begin working with CyberLink PowerProducer. If you
are looking for instructions on how to start producing a movie
immediately, see Produce a Movie Disc on p.15.
This chapter contains the following sections:
Welcome on p.2
•
Production Flow on p.3
•
Your Production Environment on p.5
•
PowerProducer Projects on p.6
•
The Right Technology on p.7
•
System Requirements on p.11
•
PowerProducer Versions on p.13
•
Navigating in CyberLink PowerProducer on p.14
•
1
Chapter 1
Welcome
Welcome to the CyberLink family of digital video tools! CyberLink
PowerProducer allows you to finalize your digital video productions
and burn them to disc. You can use PowerProducer for light editing
tasks and to capture new media, and when it’s time to polish your
movie, CyberLink PowerProducer is the best production tool to use.
What is a production tool?
A production tool turns the movie on your hard drive into a DVD or
CD that you can play on a disc player and share with friends. But
that’s not even half the story. PowerProducer’s production functions
include the following:
•
burn
s C
Ds, DVDs, VCDs, SVCDs, MiniDVDs, and editable
DVDs
•
erases discs that contain unwanted content
•
copies discs
•
defragments discs for burning video content
•
burns DV content straight to DVD
•
offers HQ, SP, and LP video qualities
•
supports CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R,
DVD+RW, VCD, SVCD, and miniDVD formats
•
sets chapters within video content
•
adds background music to videos and menus
•
offers custom menu layouts that include buttons, frames, and
backgrounds
•
captures from DVD, firewire devices, analog capture cards,
USB devices, and files
PowerProducer also boasts simple but powerful video editing
functions, including the following:
•
trims, merges, and splits video clips
•
creates photo slideshows
•
adds special effects to photos and video clips
•
matches slideshow length to background music duration
•
adds transitions in slideshows and movies
2
Production Flow
The digital movie production process involves
a combination of artistry and technology,
beginning with raw video footage and ending
with a movie production burned to disc.
CyberLink PowerProducer provides the easiest
way to produce your finished movie and burn
it to the medium of your choice.
Pre-Production
Before you produce your movie using
CyberLink PowerProducer, you must first
gather (or create) its component parts: video
clips, photos, and background music.
You may collect raw footage yourself with a
camcorder or other recording device, or you
may simply use non-copyright protected
media files that you have on hand.
Introduction
You may even have already created your
own movie in a video editing software
program, such as CyberLink PowerDirector.
Whatever the case, you should have all of the
bits and pieces of your movie on hand so that
the production process goes as smoothly as
possible.
3
Chapter 1
Disc Production
When your movie is ready for production, that’s the time to use
PowerProducer. Because PowerProducer offers basic video editing
tools, your movie does not have to be perfectly polished at this stage.
If you have your media clips on hand, but have not previously edited
and polished your movie, you might expect to use CyberLink
PowerProducer to perform the following tasks:
1. Specify the disc type and video quality you want to use.
2. Acquire video content.
3. Trim video content to a desired length.
4. Split your video into chapters for disc navigation.
5. Add a special effect to a video clip.
6. Adjust the sharpness, contrast, and color of a video clip.
7. Add background music to a video file.
8. Specify the buttons, background image, background music, and
layout of your menu page.
9. Preview your production.
10. Burn your production to CD/DVD.
Ready to Burn
When you are ready to burn your movie to disc,
you should have several discs on hand that are
compatible with your burning drive. Make sure
not only that the media type is correct (i.e.: that
you have DVDs for a DVD drive and CDs for a CD
drive), but that your discs are all in the correct
format (CD-R, DVD+RW, and so on).
Keep several discs on hand in case your first
production doesn’t turn out the way you expected,
or to make duplicate copies when you are satisfied
with the results.
4
Your Production Environment
CyberLink PowerProducer offers a range of choices to set your video
production environment to better suit the way you work. These
preferences, described below, can be accessed by clicking the
button, available on most PowerProducer screens.
•
Movie playback mode: Set your video to return to the disc
menu or continue on to the next movie after each movie on
the disc finishes playing.
•
Working directory: This is the directory that PowerProducer
uses for output. This directory is set during installation. If
you change this directory, be sure that the hard disc it is on
has enough free space to accommodate your production.
•
Temporary directory: This is the directory that
PowerProducer uses for temporary files that are
automatically deleted when you exit PowerProducer. This
directory is set during installation.
•
Default name for captured video: Enter a name to give to
each video file you capture. PowerProducer adds a unique
timestamp to distinguish each captured file.
•
Split captured video files according to disc size limit: Split
video as you capture to ensure that each captured video file
can fit on the type of disc you are using.
•
Create new chapter every: Create a new chapter
automatically whenever the set time period is reached.
•
Prompt me if my recording drive is not detected at startup:
Instruct PowerProducer to notify you if your computer loses
communication with your disc burner at startup.
•
Back up photos on disc: Make backup copies of your original
photos whose resolution is higher than that of your final
movie production.
•
Default menu style: Specify your favorite style (.fl file) as the
style for each new PowerProducer project.
Introduction
5
Chapter 1
PowerProducer Projects
CyberLink PowerProducer saves projects as a .PPP file. This project
file is the collection of all of your movie content, your special effects,
and your settings, but is not the final production. This file must be
rendered (compiled, or created) from its component parts in order to
create the final production, much like a batter must be baked to make
a cake out of eggs, flour, and milk.
Whatever changes you make to your video clips, audio files, or
photos in CyberLink PowerProducer does not affect your original
media. Since your settings are all saved in the project file, you can
trim, edit, or delete clips in PowerProducer, but still keep your
original files on your hard drive, untouched. So let yourself get
creative! If you end up changing things too drastically, you can
always start over.
You can use the standard Windows buttons to create a new
PowerProducer project file, as well as open or save existing files. The
buttons for these tasks are located at the top of the page under most
PowerProducer function
New
Save
s
.
Preferences
Open
Note: These tools are not always available in all functions.
6
Save As
The Right Technology
With a seemingly unending array of technologies in the digital video
industry, selecting exactly which is suitable for your movie
production may seem overwhelming: Should you burn your movie
to CD or DVD? Should you use HQ, SP, or LP video quality? What
are NTSC and PAL?
This chapter takes the guesswork out of digital technology, so you
can use CyberLink PowerProducer to turn a daunting task into
creative freedom.
CD vs. DVD
CDs and DVDs look the same and do pretty much the same thing:
store data. Both can be used to record your movie. However, CDs
and DVDs are incompatible, bringing different advantages and
disadvantages. Therefore, the decision of which to use is left up to
you. This confusion can be cleared up by asking yourself two simple
questions:
Introduction
•
What disc type is supported by my disc burner?
•
What disc type is supported by my disc player?
Knowing the answers to these questions goes a long way towards
deciding on a disc type: after all, you want to be able to play your disc
after burning it, and of course, your burner must support the disc
type you want to create.
In broad terms, discs are divided into CD (which, being the earlier
technology, is more widely supported) and DVD (which holds seven
times the amount of content). Below is a brief description of the
different disc types supported by CyberLink PowerProducer.
7
Chapter 1
CD Types
CD denotes a disc size that contains up to 74/80 minutes of high
quality video or 650/700 MB of data. DVDs, VCDs, SVCDs, and
miniDVDs (despite the name) are all CD size.
CD-R
CD-RW
SVCD
VCD
CD-R is a once-writable format. CD-RW writers and some new
DVD writers can write in CD-R, and most DVD players can also
read this format. The CD-R format is commonly used for
distribution of computer data and digital audio.
CD-RW is a rewritable CD format. CD-RW writers and some
new DVD writers can write in CD-RW, and most DVD players
can also read this format. The CD-RW format is best suited for
storage of computer data and digital audio.
SVCD (super video compact disc) is a CD-size disc that offers
much higher video quality than VCD, but lower than that of
DVD. It can hold 35 minutes of video, and can contain menus
and chapters like a DVD, as well as slideshows with background
audio. SVCD can be played on a PC with DVD playback
software, and on some standalone DVD players.
VCD (video compact disc) is a CD format that contains audio and
video of a quality about the same as that of VHS, and menus and
chapters like a DVD. VCD uses the MPEG compression standard,
and can be played on a PC with VCD/MPEG playback software
and on most stand-alone DVD players.
8
DVD Types
DVD is a high capacity CD-size disc that holds anywhere from 1 - 12
gigabytes of data, or from 1 - 6+ hours of video (depending on the
type of DVD). Using the High Quality setting, you can expect to be
able to record 1-2 hours of video.)
DVDs can be played on DVD players and computers equipped with
DVD drives. For more detailed information on DVD-R/RW formats,
see www.dvdrhelp.com/dvd or other web sources. For more
detailed information on DVD+R/RW formats, see www.dvdrw.com
or other web sources.
Introduction
DVD-R
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
MiniDVD
DVD-R is a once-writable DVD format. It is a competitor
product to DVD+R, and is therefore not compatible with
that format. Some new DVD writers can write in both DVDR and DVD+R, and most DVD players can read both
formats.
DVD-RW is a DVD format that can be written to about
1,000 times. It is a competitor product to DVD+RW, and is
therefore not compatible with that format. Some new DVD
writers can write in both DVD-RW and DVD+RW, and
most DVD players can read both formats.
DVD+R is a once-writable DVD format. It is a competitor
product to DVD-R, and is therefore not compatible with
that format. Some new DVD writers can write in both DVDR and DVD+R, and most DVD players can read both
formats.
DVD+RW is a rewritable DVD format that can be written to
about 1,000 times. It is a competitor product to DVD-RW,
and is therefore not compatible with that format. Some new
DVD writers can write in both DVD-RW and DVD+RW,
and most DVD players can read both formats.
MiniDVD is a variation of DVD, in which a true DVD
(including menus and high-resolution video) is placed on a
disc in CD-R/W format. While technically a DVD in terms
of data structure, miniDVD is not supported by many DVD
players because the format is mistaken for standard CD
media. MiniDVD is playable on a PC with DVD playback
software, but on very few stand-alone DVD players.
9
Chapter 1
NTSC vs. PAL
NTSC and PAL are formats adopted by television broadcasters in
different countries. The main difference between the two formats is
the number of frames per second they offer: 30 in NTSC, and 25 in
PAL. This difference means that a movie recorded in NTSC format is
unplayable by a PAL player and vice versa.
Fortunately, the question of whether to use PAL or NTSC television
format for your disc can be reduced to the following simple question:
•
In which country do you plan to play this disc?
Since all countries use either the NTSC or PAL format, knowing the
country in which the disc will be played pretty much resolves this
issue for you. By selecting the desired country in PowerProducer, the
television format (PAL or NTSC) is automatically set.
Note: Generally speaking, the United States, Japan, Canada,
and Mexico use NTSC, while Germany, Great Britain, South
America, Australia, and most of Western European and
Asian countries use PAL.
Video Quality
The different video quality settings (HQ, SP, and LP) available in
CyberLink PowerProducer result in a final picture of higher or lower
quality and a movie file of larger or smaller size. Better quality video
also demands more from your computer and limits the video
duration you can burn to disc. Below is a comparison of the length of
video you can expect to be able to burn to a DVD using the different
qualities:
•
HQ (High Quality): 60 mins
•
SP (Standard Play): 120 mins
•
LP (Long Play): 180 mins
For the best possible image in your final production, select the
highest video quality that will allow your production to fit onto the
disc type you are using. Your ultimate choice of video quality,
however, should be based both on the image quality you want in
your final production and on the processing power of your computer.
10
System Requirements
The system requirements listed below are recommended as
minimums for general digital video production work. You may find
that your system, while meeting these recommended minimums,
requires expanded capacity during specific DV editing tasks.
OS
Windows XP/2000/ME/98SE
Memory
128 MB RAM (256 or above recommended)
DDR RAM recommended for the Right-to-Disc function
CPU
Introduction
Production
VCD (MPEG-1): Pentium II 450 Mhz or AMD Athlon 500 Mhz
DVD (MPEG-2): Pentium III 700 Mhz or AMD Athlon 700 Mhz
DV Tape Capture
MPEG-1 real-time: Pentium III 800MHz, AMD Athlon 800 MHz
MPEG-2 real-time: P4 1.6GHz, AMD Athlon 1.4GHz
MPEG-1/MPEG-2 non real-time: Pentium II 450, AMD Athlon 500
Mhz
Right-to-Disc
P4 1.8GHz (P4 2.0GHz recommended) or AMD Athlon 1.6 Ghz
11
Chapter 1
Hard Disk Drive
MPEG-1 (VCD) files: 1GB or higher
MPEG-2 (DVD) files: 10GB or higher
Video Capture
Analog
WDM-compliant USB or PCI capture device
DV
OHCI-compliant IEEE1394 I/O device
Burning
A CD or DVD writer is required for burning VCD, SVCD, DVD, or
miniDVD movies.
12
PowerProducer Versions
Listed below is a table outlining the differences between
PowerProducer DE, ME, and VE OEM versions.
Features DE ME VE
DVD authoring -- --
VCD authoring
SVCD authoring --
cDVD authoring --
Editable DVD authoring -- --
Copy Disc CD only CD only
Defragment Disc -- -- --
Introduction
Right-to-Disc -- --
Edit Disc -- --
Import DVD content -- --
Editing functions
(includes trimming, audio, and color
adjustment)
13
Chapter 1
Navigating in CyberLink PowerProducer
When you have finished using a function in PowerProducer, click
to proceed to the next function. (You can also skip functions
that are not required for your production by clicking this button.)
To return to a function you have skipped over or already modified,
click .
To return to the PowerProducer main page, click .
To skip directly to the burning function, click . See Burn to Disc
on p.39.
14
Chapter 2:
Produce a Movie Disc
This chapter leads you through the process of producing a movie,
from capturing content to burning your finished production to disc. It
includes instructions for creating a full-feature video production or
photo slideshow, customizing your DVD, burning DV directly onto
DVD, and editing a disc after burning. The focus of this chapter is on
the fun, creative side of production.
This chapter contains the following sections:
Acquire Content on p.16
•
Organize Your Story on p.24
•
Edit Clips on p.26
•
Produce a Photo Slideshow on p.29
•
Preview Disc Content on p.32
•
Customize Your DVD on p.34
•
Burn to Disc on p.39
•
Burn DV Content to a DVD on p.43
•
Edit a Disc After Burning on p.46
•
15
Chapter 2
Acquire Content
The first step in any production is acquiring content. You may
already have digital files you simply want to import into
PowerProducer, or you may have raw footage from either an analog
or a digital source that you need to capture.
Your production can contain a mixture of video and photos. If you
would like to mix still photos with video clips, you must separately
acquire your video media and create a photo slideshow (see Produce
a Photo Slideshow on p.29).
Note: If you would like to add a single still image to a video
production, you must still create a slideshow of an album
containing one photo.
The import and capture functions are located on the Import/Capture
Content page within the Produce Movie Disc function.
To get to the Import/Capture Content page, do this:
1. Start CyberLink PowerProducer.
2. Click Produce Movie Disc.
3. Click to bypass the Select Your Disc page.
Note: You can either adjust the settings on this page now or
return to this page to modify them later.
4. Select an import or capture source from the list of available
devices on the left-hand side.
The procedures for acquiring content depend on the kind of device
used. The sections that follow describe the specific steps to take for
importing or capturing content using the devices available to
PowerProducer.
16
Produce a Movie Disc
Import Video Files
You can import video files (including the audio portion) for use in
PowerProducer by clicking the Video Files option.
You import video files using a normal Open dialog box, but with one
exception: PowerProducer allows you to preview video files
(including the audio portion) before you open them. Use the controls
under the preview window to start and stop the preview.
After import, the video appears in the storyboard as a clip. To learn
about the actions you can perform on clips, see Edit Clips on p.26.
Import DVD Content
You can import video (including the audio portion) for use in
PowerProducer by clicking the DVD Content option.
17
Chapter 2
To import DVD content, do this:
Note: Some DVDs are protected by technology that does not
allow you to import the content they contain.
1. Select your DVD drive.
2. Locate the content you want to import. You may use the
Playlists and Scenes options to better define your search.
•
You can preview the video using the playback controls in the
preview window to ensure that the video content you are
importing is the content you want.
3. Click .
After import, the video appears in the storyboard as a clip. To learn
about the actions you can perform on clips, see Edit Clips on p.26.
Capture from a DV Camcorder
You can capture video (including the audio portion) from a DV
camcorder for use in PowerProducer by clicking the DV Camcorder
option.
18
Produce a Movie Disc
To capture from a DV camcorder, do this:
Note: Be sure that your DV camcorder is set to VCR mode.
1. Locate the content you want to capture.
•
You may use the playback controls under the preview
window.
•
You may enter the timecode of the first frame of the video
you want to capture.
•
You may enter a duration (in minutes and seconds) in the
Auto-recording duration field to instruct PowerProducer to
capture this amount of video from the current position when
you begin recording.
•
Non-realtime capture continues capturing and processing
after the video has finished playing in order to ensure that no
frames are dropped during capture.
2. Click to begin capture.
3. Click to end capture when you have captured the video you
want.
After capture, the video appears in the storyboard as a clip. To learn
about the actions you can perform on clips, see Edit Clips on p.26.
19
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