User manual

Table Of Contents
670
Video
Introduction
Cubase supports the integration of video files in your project. You can play back video
files in various formats and via different output devices from within Cubase, edit your
music to the video, extract the audio material from a video file, and replace the audio
later with different audio material.
Before you start
When working on a project involving a video file, you first need to set up your system
according to your equipment and your demands. The following sections provide some
general information about video file formats, frame rates, and video output devices.
Video file compatibility
Because there are many types of video files, it can be difficult to determine if one will
work on your system. There are two ways to figure out if Cubase can play back a
certain video file:
Open the video file with QuickTime 7.1 or higher, because Cubase uses
QuickTime for playing back video files.
Check the file information of a video file in the Pool. If the information reads “Invalid
or not supported file!”, the video file is either corrupt or the format is not supported
by the available codecs.
Video container formats
Video and other multi-media files come in a container format. This container holds
various streams of information including video and audio, but also metadata such as
synchronization information required to play back audio and video together. Data
regarding creation dates, authors, chapter markings, and more can also be held within
the container format.
The following container formats are supported by Cubase:
!
If you are not able to load a certain video file, you must use an external application to
convert the file into a compatible format or install the required codec. For more
information on codecs, see the section
“Codecs” on page 671.
Format Description
MOV This is a QuickTime movie.
QT This is also a QuickTime movie, but it is only used on Windows systems.
MPEG-1 This is the first standard of the Moving Picture Experts Group for video
and audio compression, used for making video CDs. Files of this
container format can have the extensions “.mpg” or “.mpeg”.
MPEG-4 This format is based on the QuickTime movie standard, can contain
various metadata for streaming, editing, local playback, and interchange
of content. Its file extension is “.mp4”.