User manual

671
Video
Before you start
Cubase supports all these container formats, but problems may arise when the
computer does not have the correct software to decode compressed video and audio
streams within the container file. You must also know the type of codec that was used
to create the video file.
Codecs
Codecs are methods of data compression used to make video (and audio) files
smaller and more manageable for computers. In order to play back a video file, your
computer must have the correct codec installed in the operating system to decode
the video stream.
If you are not able to load a certain video file, the required codec is probably not
installed on your computer. In this case, you can search the internet (e.
g. the
Microsoft or Apple web sites) for video codecs.
Frame rates
Cubase is capable of working with different types of video and film frame rates. For an
overview about the supported frame rates, refer to the section
“Frame rate (speed)”
on page 652.
Video output devices
Cubase supports several ways to play back video files. Viewing video files onscreen in
the Video Player window may work just fine for many applications, but often it is
necessary to display video in a large format for viewing small details and so others
involved in the session can also see the video. Cubase provides the ability to use
several types of video output devices to accomplish this.
Multi-head video cards
One of the most common methods is the use of a multi-head video card installed in
the computer. Multi-head video cards allow you to connect more than one computer
monitor to the card, in some cases up to four. If you direct the video output of Cubase
to one of these outputs, the video file is displayed in full screen mode on a computer
monitor or HD television screen.
Ö You can also use more than one video card to achieve the same result.
Different video cards support different types of outputs including standard VGA, DVI,
S-Video, HDMI, and component video. These options allow you to choose the type of
monitor you use for video. HD televisions and digital projectors provide the largest
viewing screens, but a normal computer monitor can function as a very high-quality
video monitor as well.
Dedicated video cards
The use of a dedicated video card is also supported in Cubase. These cards are
normally used in video editing systems to capture video to disk and display it while
editing. They usually have a high resolution and take some strain off the host CPU by
providing video compression and decompression processing on the card.
AVI This format is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft.
DV This is a video format used by camcorders.
Format Description
!
The names of codecs and container formats can be confusing. Because many
container formats have the same names as the codecs they use within the file, make
sure to differentiate the container format or file type, for example .mov or .dv, from the
codec used within it.