Program settings

All basic settings for Video Pro X are made in program settings. Open the program settings by going to "File" > "Settings" > "Program...".

Playback

Audio playback

Driver selectionHere you can specify whether the Windows Wave driver or the DirectSound driver will be used for audio playback.

  • WAV drivers are recommended if the CPU load is higher, as the larger buffers allow better handling of the load peaks (otherwise this would cause crackling).

  • DirectSound is a component of DirectX and, if necessary, is installed together with Video Pro X. DirectSound has the advantage that the sound output (for all modern sound cards or onboard soundchips) can also be used by other programs open simultaneously.

Output device: Use this option to specify which sound card plays the wave audio objects. This is especially important if you have multiple sound cards installed on your computer, e.g. "onboard sound" as well as an additional sound card.

Audio buffer: In order to allow smooth playback of a complex project, Video Pro X creates a RAM data buffer into which the current data is loaded. This allows for step-by-step preprocessing instead of preprocessing for the entire project.

  • Number of buffers: Here you can specify how many buffers should be used. More buffers increase reliability and improve playback performance, but they also increase the memory requirements. When playback goes through DirectSound, only one buffer is used automatically.

Note: As a rule, if response and loading times are too slow, reduce the number and size of the buffers. Otherwise, increase the buffer size if you are still having problems with playback performance. Since error-free playback is usually more important than fast reaction times, the buffer size should be raised to 16384 or 32768 to avoid drop-outs. The possible number of used buffer updates is between 2 and 10.

  • Multitrack size/Preview size: Specify the buffer size used to play the entire project or for previewing waves in the file manager.

Video playback

Overload prevention for realtime playback: Here you can activate or deactivate overload prevention during realtime playback of the project. This feature is particularly suitable for lower performance PCs.

Instant cache refresh in Multicam Mode: Activate this mode to empty the cache in short intervals which will make the preview for multicam editing immediately visible in the preview monitor. This may result in juddering during playback.

Number of tracks for parallel track optimization: It makes sense to limit the number of tracks when the program is running low on disk space and the project has multiple videos in parallel.

Arranger

Autoscroll during playback: If autoscroll is activated, the screen view automatically shifts when the playback marker reaches the right edge of the screen, which is useful for longer arrangements. You can select the size of the scrolling steps from either "Fast" (whole pages) or "Slow" (half pages).

IMPORTANT Note: Scrolling requires constant recalculation of the screen view which may lead to interrupted playback if system RAM is too low. If this happens, simply deactivate the autoscroll feature.

Update in background: The update of the object display after move and zoom operations in the project window is performed in the background in order to let you work smoothly.

Spacebar function: You can set whether the playback marker returns to its original position or stays at its current place when playback is stopped with the spacebar.

Folders

Here you can set the path where...

  • you can save your projects (Projects),

  • you want to store the exported or imported files and recordings,

  • your downloads are saved,

  • disc images are saved,

  • where editors for audio, image and menu editing are found, which should be opened by default,

  • and where the VST plug-ins are installed.

Video/Audio

This tab contains all setting options for video and audio files.

Video standard

Normally, the right video standard is set up automatically. PAL is used in Europe; the United States and Japan use NTSC.

Timeline

Simple display of video objects (first and last image): Activate this function if you are having performance problems. The preview images of a video in the project window will only be displayed at the beginning and end of the video.

Half waveform display: Half of the waveform display (upper part) is enough for audio editing. This is the default setting. For more detailed, professional audio editing, you can display the complete waveform.

Video/Audio on one track: Activate this option if you want imported video footage to be displayed as one object with video and audio on one track. You can always use the options in the object menu to put the video and audio on separate tracks later to edit them individually.

Display guidelines: If needed, you can display guidelines in the project window. The spacing between guidelines is adjusted to the zoom factor set in the project window.

Audio -6 dB on import: When you load a file containing audio material (sound), the loudness of the generated object will be set to -6 dB. This is particularly useful when playing back several objects that contain audio material at the same time. This reduces the risk of undesirable clipping. Object loudness can be edited at any time.

Import

Automatically create frame table during import: Sometimes, rebuilding a frame table can get rid of problems in certain MPEG files. For example, problems can arise if the navigation (positioning of the playback marker, transport) is bumpy or doesn't function at all. Normally, when loading MPEG video, a frame table is not created in order to speed up the loading process. If you do create one anyway, MPEG files are normally noticeably faster and easier to edit.

Automatically create waveform when importing: Select this option to automatically create a waveform display for the audio track. This can also be created at any time via the context menu.

Import videos with audio: If a video file contains video and audio data, the audio track of the video will also be imported if this option is activated. It will be displayed as a combination object in the project together with the video. If you want to edit or replace the audio track later, you must first display the video and audio object on separate tracks (context menu "Audio functions" > "Video/Audio on separate tracks". Audio and video objects are grouped to synchronize sound and image, if you want to edit the audio or video separately, you have to first remove this grouping ("Ungroup" button in the toolbar or via the "Edit" menu).

Standard display time: Specify how long an image in the project should be displayed before moving to the next object.

NOTE Adding transitions between the objects will reduce the actual display time. If you plan on using transitions, it is best not to set the display time too short.

Trim videos: Sometimes video clips have damaged frames at the beginning or end. Most often these are green, black or incomplete. Here you have the option of automatically trimming your videos during import if your footage constantly has damaged frames. Specify how many images (frames) should be trimmed at the beginning and the end of the video.

NOTE The frames are not lost due to the shortening. By adjusting the object length in the project window you can make the trimmed frames reappear.

System

Program interface

Dialogs: When newly installed, Video Pro X displays a number of messages in various parts of the program. Each of them can be switched off by clicking the small box at the bottom that says "Don't show this message again". To display these warning messages, select the "Reactivate dialogs" option. "Hide news" enables current messages concerning Video Pro X to be deactivated, and the screen can also be set to darken when dialogs are displayed.

Undo/Redo

Here you can set the maximum number of steps the "Undo" function can have. Please note that memory requirement increases with the number of steps the program must save.

Other

Automatic preview when changing transitions: When this option is activated, a short preview of the transition effect will be quickly played between the two objects you selected.

Move playback marker when selecting objects: This option automatically moves the playback marker to the beginning of the selected object.

Send usage data to MAGIX: Anonymous data is sent to MAGIX for improving product quality. This option can be deactivated here.

Save automatically

Here you can set up an automatic backup function, which saves the project as a backup file with an "MV_" (instead of the normal project file "MVP") in the project folder. You can choose whether or not your project should be backed up and at what intervals this will take place.

Device options

Video output to external device

Activate video playback: With this option, you can display the project window view on an additionally connected monitor. Without additional hardware, you can play a preview in any mode in order to see how the final material looks.

Hardware Acceleration

Import/processing/export: Set whether hardware acceleration should be used for individual processing steps separately, and if so, which graphics card should be used. By selecting CPU the corresponding processing step is performed by the main processor, by selecting another option it is performed by the respective graphics card. Import involves decoding the source media, processing handles the application of effects and playback and export refers to encoding into the desired format upon export. The advantage of setting these parameters separately is that if there are problems with one of the processing operations, you do not have to deactivate hardware acceleration entirely, but only for the corresponding step.

Comparison image during effects editing in the Media Pool: If this option is activated, the "Selected objects without effects" comparison mode will be automatically activated when switching into the Media Pool effects, and will be automatically deactivated when the mode is exited. This serves to compare the original and edited image. This automation will be suppressed if the option is deactivated.

Realistic color conversion for monitors: Image formation takes place in the vertical blank intervals of the monitor signal (or the connected TV signal). This helps avoid image interruptions.

For digital displays like the TFT monitors you can deactivate the option.

Output on monitors in with higher bit depth: If this option is activated, you can display video material with higher bit depth on an appropriate monitor in higher bit depths. Because most monitors don't yet support output in higher bit depth, this option is off by default.

Use dithering for output: Dithering improves display for color gradients and avoids typical output errors (color lines), that appear as a result of bit depth reduction. To put it differently: Dithering preserves the advantages of recording in higher bit depth when displaying in normal 8-bit depth. You should therefore deactivate this option only in case of problems.

Preview and playback in analog capture

The preview and playback modes for analog capture can be set up here.

Video mode:

As a general rule, the default setting should not be changed, since it delivers the best results. If you notice problems, such as the image turning black, you can try to see if picking an alternative mode helps.

NOTE Only change the video mode when there are problems with the presets, e.g. choppiness or lengthy screen distortion.

Deinterlacing: In the alternative mode "Video Mixing Renderer 9", you can activate hardware deinterlacing with your graphics card.

Import/Export

Other

Automatically preview exported clips: This option starts the clip immediately after exporting for verification.

Import Formats

File formats that you never use can be de-selected here. Once de-selected they will no longer be imported. Please keep in mind that several import modules exist for some file types (AVI, WMA); Video Pro X uses the fastest one in each case. If you experience problems when importing certain files, you can experiment with deactivation of certain import modules and therefore force Video Pro X to use the slower but more compatible import module.