Meld Project To Video File Settings

Menu Command: File | Meld Project To Video File

Combines all audio and video sections into a single video file. After entering a filename and selecting the video type to use, the following video and audio settings are presented.

When creating uploads for YouTube or Vimeo, the MPEG 4 file type is recommended. However the Windows Media Video file type supports higher quality video due to limits in the MPEG 4 encoders included with Windows, so it is better for offline storage.

The Animated PNG format is recommended only for creating brief website animation with transparency. Use low resolutions and frame rates. The duration of the file should be less than a minute. Otherwise the size of the file will be far too large to be useful.

Project range
Sets the amount of the project to meld to the file.
Entire project
The entire project is melded to the file
Selected sections
Only the selected sections are melded to the file
Up to edit marker
The beginning of the project up to the current position of the edit marker is melded to the file. Set the edit marker before melding.
From the edit marker
The end of the project starting at the current position of the edit marker is melded to the file. Set the edit marker before melding.
Quick presets
Provides a drop-down list of commonly used settings. Some file types support a very limited combination of settings, so some presets may not be fully supported. The closest matching settings are selected. When saving as MP4 video, for example, the audio encoder included with Windows supports only 1 or 2 channels and only bitrates of 192kHz and below. Be sure to check all the settings after selecting a preset.
Video settings
Sets video encoding attributes.
Resolution
Sets the horizontal and vertical size in pixels of each frame in the video. For HD video, use a resolution of 1920 x 1080. For Internet video, a lower resolution should be used to reduce download size or streaming bandwidth.
Maintain aspect ratio by
Lists different methods to preserve the aspect ratio of the video if the resolution aspect ratio doesn't match the project's set under Options | Project.
  • Off (stretch) - No aspect ratio adjustments. The video is stretched to fit the given resolution. Round or square objects may appear oval or rectangular in the melded video.
  • Letterbox - Uses black horizontal rows at the top and bottom or vertical columns (pillars) on the left and right sides of the video to preserve the aspect ratio.
  • Crop - Trims the sides or top and bottom of the video to fit it in the given resolution. Anything in the trimmed regions will not be visible in the melded video.
Video frame rate
Sets the frame rate of the video in frames-per-second. A lower frame rate requires less storage and bandwidth, but the video may appear less fluid or smooth.
Video bitrate
Sets the quality and size of the video. Bitrates around 5,000 to 10,000 kbps give good quality for high resolution videos. Use higher bitrates for HD quality. To make smaller files, reduce the resolution to 360p or lower and set the bitrate to under 5,000 kbps.
Audio settings
Sets audio encoding attributes.
Channels
Sets the number of channels in the melded file. Select "None" to create a video only file. Not all file formats support all combinations of channels. MP4 video supports only mono and stereo encoding.
Sampling rate
Sets the sampling rate.
Audio bitrate
Sets the quality of the audio in kilobits-per-second. Higher bitrates generally give higher quality, but require more storage.
Play video when finished
Plays the video using the computer's default video playback program.