Detecting scene changes
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Detecting scene changes |
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The most epoch-making feature of TV2003 is the program's ability to detect scene changes and fit the time code accordingly.
The easiest way to learn about the Scene Spy is to use it in practice:
| 1. | Make sure your video clip is precisely calibrated, for all inaccuracies will be mirrored in the scene change detection process. If you are using an imported MPEG-1 clip, be sure to convert it to MJPEG or MPEG-4 first with VirtualDub or another conversion program. |
| 2. | Choose Setup/Video Configuration/Scene Change. Put a tick at Enable Scene Change Detection. Make the value of Cut 240. Ignore Fade for now. Make Max Frames 10 – that's the number of frames allowed to miss. Choose OK. Restart the program. |
| 3. | The next scene change may now be found pressing Numpad3, and the previous scene change pressing Numpad1. |
| If the Scene Spy finds too many frames that aren't scene changes but merely part of a pan, you must lower the Cut value in the above-mentioned menu, but only slightly! Try 238 next time. The detection process will not stop till a scene change is found and if the sensitivity is set too low the process continues till the start or the end of the video clip is reached. It is, however, possible to stop it by clicking ... yes, you are right ... the stop button. |
| If scene changes are skipped the Cut value must be raised, but just slightly. Try 242 etc. (Letterbox format movies demand a high Cut value, because the top and bottom parts of the picture are black spaces that don't change, but there's a way around this.) |
| When scene changes have been detected the Scene Spy will no longer step through the video clip frame by frame, but jump between the changes found. |
| 4. | When you are satisfied with the settings, try cueing some subtitles. Ideally the computer will find the scene changes and fit the subtitles to them while you are working, but it all depends on the speed of the CPU and the complexity of the video signal. If the time code does not match the scene changes the computer cannot find the changes fast enough. In that case you have to find them before you start working: Choose Video/Scan video content and wait while the machine goes through the video clip. It takes some time (usually 30 minutes per recorded hour), but you may use the computer for other tasks while doing it. |
The scene change data are automatically saved when you exit the program or load another video clip. If you want to save them immediately, use the Adjust Time Code save button
See also:
Fitting an old subtitling to scene changes
How to crop letterbox video clips for easier scene change detection