When you set the threads in the x264 codec to fully utilize your CPU, meaning all cores, and then some, you make sure the CPU is working at its maximum capacity just for video processing.

If you then add audio to the pile, the CPU just hasn't got any resources to spare, and if it does, it does a miserable job, thus resulting in lag which translates in asynchronous sound.

If that is the case, lowering the numbers of threads in the x264 codec should fix it. This way you can have both audio and video encoding in one go. I haven't tried this method, because I employ a different solution.

How I do it:

I process video and audio separately. First I encode/transcode the video, leaving the audio in its original form. Then I encode the audio and overwrite it.

Let say we have recorded a video and named this video myvideo_unedited.avi .

Transcode/Encode your myvideo_unedited.avi according to this or this BUT leave "Audio" at "Direct Stream copy". DO NOT change it like suggested in the aforementioned links and name this new video for instance transcoded-myvideo_RAWAUDIO.avi.

Now open transcoded-myvideo_RAWAUDIO.avi and set your "Video" to "Direct Stream copy". In "Audio" you set it to "Full Processing Mode". Go on and set your "Compression", "Volume", and other settings to your liking and save this new sound via "File"->"Save WAV...". The WAV-file is called the same as the video, in this case it'll be transcoded-myvideo_RAWAUDIO.wav.

Now set your "Audio" to "Direct Stream copy", and click "Audio from another file..." and select the new transcoded-myvideo_RAWAUDIO.wav and save this new video with its new audio via "File"->"Save as AVI..." and name it for example myvideo_final.avi.

You're surely asking why I'm doing this stupid extra work, when I can just lower the threads and be possibly done with it. The answer is transcoding/encoding speed. Lowering the threads in the x264 codec translates into longer transcoding time. Processing video needs much, much more time, than processing sound does.

Say for example, if I were to encode a 15 min. video, and I'd lower the threads just so I can process sound and video in one go, the whole process might take me maybe 1 hour, 30 min. If I encode video first, and leave the sound alone, the process takes me about 1 hour to complete. Then I process the sound alone which takes about 10 seconds. After that I merge both and I'm done in 1 hour and 5 min. That's 25 minutes shaved off.

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1. Fraps & VirtualDub: How to save disk space and enjoy good quality, small file size HD video clips
2. VirtualDub 720p HD settings for YouTube! [Good quality, small file size]
3. VirtualDub: How to split and merge video files

I made 2 How-to clips way back then, but somehow forgot to include them in my previous tutorials, so here they are:

How To: Split a single video file into multiple video files with VirtualDub

How To: Add multiple video files into one single one with VirtualDub

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1. Fraps & VirtualDub: How to save disk space and enjoy good quality, small file size HD video clips
2. VirtualDub: How to prevent asynchronous sound
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So I hit google and came up with UPX, Ultimate Packer for eXecutables. What it does, is very simple: It compresses the .exe and all the DLLs associated with said .exe! Thus reducing its total size and load time.

1. Download UPX and unpack the upx.exe into your Firefox folder, usually it's C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox.
2. Close Firefox, and make sure its not running by checking the task manager
3. Start the command prompt, the cmd.exe in ADMIN MODE!
4. go to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox in cmd.exe
5. enter this command and execute it
   for %v in (*.dll *.exe plugins\*.dll components\*.dll) do upx "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\%v" -9

Should you, for whatever reason, need to decompress and get the original files back, run this command
for %v in (*.dll *.exe plugins\*.dll components\*.dll) do upx "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\%v" -d

What does it do?
It compresses all the DLLs and all the *.exe in C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox, then it goes to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins and compresses all the DLLs, lastly it goes to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\components and compresses the DLLs in there. The -9 is for the best possible compression. The -d is for decompression.

My dad's Firefox folder went from 31 MB down to 20 MB. A 35% save!

The best bit?
UPX is usable on any other application you have. As long as they have *.exe and DLLs, you can use UPX on it.

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Before we start, you'll obviously need VirtualDub, and in this case for the watermark to work, the ffdshow codec. Yes, I'm afraid, yet another codec. You need this codec, because it provides filters we need, such as implanting the logo into a video. The ffdshow codec installs a plugin called "ffvdub.vdf" into your VirtualDub plugin directory. This plugin allows the access to ffdshows filters via VirtualDub.

VirtualDub has it's own internal logo filter, but the problem with this filter is it leaves a mess after encoding. The logo is barely readable, it's pixellated and all other sort of issues. Whereas the ffdshow filter leave a clear, readable logo instead.

Open your video, set your VirtualDub up to do whatever encoding your need. Here are two ideas. Now comes the logo part.

Adding a logo to a video

Open up Video -> Filters and add the filter "ffvdub" from Milan Cutka:

Now a new window will appear where all the available ffdshow filters are listed:

You're looking for the filter "Bitmap overlay". Enable it. Now select your *.bmp logo, place it to your liking via horizontal/vertical position and "Alignment". Experiment with "Mode" and "Opacity". Don't forget to enable preview it.

If you don't have a *.bmp logo or don't want to waste a lot of time, you can use the logo template I made a while back.

It's very important in what order the filters are listed! For example in the screenshot you see "Resize & aspect" followed by "Sharpen" followed by "Bitmap overlay". Although Resize and Sharpen are deactivated, if they were all enabled then the video FIRST is resized, THEN sharpened, THEN the logo is applied in this order.

This way the logo remains unaffected by Resize and Sharpen and retains its original quality (but in the end will ultimately be affected on how you set up your compression settings).

Here's how my logo looks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFBM5q98mwc (in the bottom right corner)

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1. VirtualDub: How to prevent asynchronous sound
2. Fraps & VirtualDub: How to save disk space and enjoy good quality, small file size HD video clips
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WebPagetest, a site where it test the load time of your page and analyzes what loads, how long it loads, and even gives suggestion on how to improve it.

And of course the most important one: Browsershots. Ever wondered how your website looks in Opera 8? Or IE 6? Or any other dozen browsers out there? You don't have to install 10 browsers to find it out. This webservice takes care of it for you by taking screenshots in each browser and uploading said screenshots upon completion.

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I for one create my passwords through my own convenient "algorithm" if you want to call it that, so I can remember even 20 characters long passwords with numbers, letters and special letters.

Or you could simply go to https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm and be done with it. Yes, this site is secure, it's using https, and the passwords generated there ARE very strong. Start using your heads folks, don't get f'ked because y'all are too lazy!

And if you can't remember each password you're using, use KeePass, store your passwords there, set a unique password you won't ever forget for your password database and either burn it on a DVD or better yet, use a password-ed flash drive.

Yes, I'm aware of the irony. A password for the flash drive and a password for the password database!

Just for the fun of it, test how secure your password is.

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2. Say NAY to Key loggers, Trojans, Viruses, Worms 'n more!
3. Stop Spam, use temporary and disposable mail inboxes!

Cheers!

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1. enter "about:config" without the " in your URL bar
2. search for "browser.privatebrowsing.autostart"
3. change false to true
4. ???
5. Profit

If browser.privatebrowsing.autostart doesn't exist, then create a new boolean string called just that and set it to true!

Enjoy!

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Now I've been using mostly VirtualDub, a superawesomewtfbbqomgz application by the way, for encoding my recorded raw footage into acceptable size and quality. The guides I wrote can be found here and here.

But that's it, VirtualDub, compared to Sony Vegas Movie Studio or even Adobe Premier it is relatively primitive in terms of effects, filters, etc. But that's ok it was never VirtualDubs intention to be a full blown editing suite like the aforementioned applications.

Lately I've been watching user-made machinimas and clips and I've found some pearls amongst them on YouTube. I liked the movie effects, the text effects, and any other effects they implemented into their movies, and I set out to try some of mine.

I set out to do very simple text- and movie-effects in Sony Vegas Movie Studios. And I recorded the steps I've done until the final product. Enjoy!

The how-to's:

Part 1/2:

Part 2/2:

and the final product:

Boy howdy, was I blown out of my shoes when I first started Sony Vegas Movie Studio. Dood, I tells ya, I haven't seen this many options for that many options in a long, long time.

Now I'm by no means an amateur nor a professional, I'm a full blown newbie with almost absolutely none knowledge what-so-ever. The little knowledge I've got is through trying out hundreds of different options and reading up a few guides on the internet.

So my utmost respect goes to folks who know their stuff in Adobe Premier and Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

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Happy belated Easter!

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