Serato Video General Discussion

Talk about Serato Video and Video-SL.

Promo Only Video UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS INTROS ETC!

DJ Sound Technique 3:28 AM - 4 April, 2012
Ah promo only answers to Smash with unlimited downloads for $100 per month AND all the Audio releases.... Hummm interesting........

promoonly.com
djpuma_gemini 4:11 AM - 4 April, 2012
Yeah, but one big question.
Is it just their vob to mp4 or are the actually ivtc'ing the vids.

maybe PO should hire video editors to do their stuff if they want to compete.
djpuma_gemini 4:13 AM - 4 April, 2012
show me a few vids and if they're just vob to mp4 without proper frame rates it won't fly.
popnwave 5:08 AM - 4 April, 2012
720p to boot. Hmmm
djpuma_gemini 5:32 AM - 4 April, 2012
I didn't see that, but I looked at hot video april and only saw a handful of vids that are "intros" or "remixes" no bueno
ClubBusta 1:51 PM - 4 April, 2012
well i' do alot of shooting my mouth off in here and i love my smash but i'm going to go in and try this out and i will bring back a report and i will try to be fair. i will be back soon and let everybody know what i find
Millz 2:24 PM - 4 April, 2012
Hey if you like improperly rendered files and sloppy ass intro/outros be my guest :)
djpuma_gemini 2:52 PM - 4 April, 2012
Quote:
Hey if you like improperly rendered files and sloppy ass intro/outros be my guest :)

+1
DJ DisGrace 4:10 PM - 4 April, 2012
at $100/month not sure if I could find 100+ videos to download
djpuma_gemini 4:25 PM - 4 April, 2012
Yeah. I think is PO wants to compete they'll need to hire some editors or ivtc all their stuff themselves.

There's not one dj I know spinnging with vobs, dvds or vobs converted to mp4 straight without any work being done to them.
ClubBusta 7:46 PM - 4 April, 2012
ok so i checked it out and its the same crap i really tried to be fair here but its same garbage with a diferent wrapper. lipstick on a pig gentlemen dont bother. have a nice day
djpuma_gemini 8:22 PM - 4 April, 2012
are they 640x480 (letterboxed) or actual 16:9 vids?
Marine 11:35 PM - 4 April, 2012
I remember Glen from promo only use to be my rep and I started video djing when the dvi-x1s came out. I spent thousands of dollars to build a video library with promo only. I found smash vids and loved the service and the quality was second to none. I called promo only talked to my sales rep and cancelled my subscription. I remember he told me you will be back and I told him we will see about that. It's been several years and haven't been back. I have replaced most of my promo only with smash vids and xtendamix. Eeverytime I find a promo only in my library I check smash and xtendamix to see if they have it so I can get rid of the promo only.
VJ Justin Allen 12:55 AM - 5 April, 2012
I have much the same story...except when I tried to talk to Glen a few years ago and told him how to compete against the download companies he laughed out loud and said he would be fired if he took that advice back to the owner. I left soon after and he was pissed..and screwed me out or two referrals that I sent to him after the fact.

Promo Only has been a good company back in the day...but they have not moved quick enough and are now far behind the others.
djpuma_gemini 1:07 AM - 5 April, 2012
^these stories remind me of how if you don't change with the times you get left behind.
Newspapers
Yellow pages
Circuit City
Good Guys

If you take too long to get with the times it's inevitable that you will fail or be in bottom last and go away.
I've always like screenplays vobs vs po vobs back when smash just started and when I got into video editing.
Screenplay or vj-pro as their known as got smart and is doing it right.
As I've said before I don't know any real video dj who takes a vob and renders to mp4 and uses that in their sets, most either edit their vids or get properly rendered mp4's.
They might gain a few new members, but anyone who actually cares about video djing will stick with what's good/great.

They only way they could possibly gain more traction is to keep the $100 a month deal and have editors on staff you put out tons of proper mp4's and not just vob to mp4 conversions.

This isn't 2008
VJBill 9:53 PM - 5 April, 2012
FREE MONTH OF PO TRIAL - for Serto VSL or SERATO Video users
Guys go to the main page of Serato Video ----> serato.com
on the right is a link that says Free PROMO ONLY TRIAL
In celebration of the release of Serato Video, we’d like to offer our USA and UK/Europe customers a full month of the hottest new video releases, courtesy of Promo Only OnLine (POOL), the industry leader in high-quality music video via download.

USA Residents will receive one free month of POOL Express Video, a multi-genre format, delivered via digital download, that provides weekly delivery of the newest Top 40, Dance, Urban, Rock, Country, Intro Edits and HD Video releases.
VJBill 10:07 PM - 5 April, 2012
FYI:
I clicked link the offer link from serato.com and got the following error "There seems to be a problem with the registration. Please try again shortly and if the problem persists, visit Promo Only for help."

I called Promo Only - spoke to Glenn - he can't help as this is a Serato promotion and they were given strict orders not to give someone a trial as they can not validate the existance of a Valid Serato Video License. Calling Serato to see if they can troubleshoot their website...
djpuma_gemini 10:07 PM - 5 April, 2012
I'll finally convert my video-sl license to serato video to try this out.
Will give real and honest feedback.
VJBill 10:18 PM - 5 April, 2012
figured it out on own:
closed all browsers - Firefox originally
opened Safari
serato.com
click link --> "Free Promo Only Trial"
Clicked--> "Get your free trial"
prompted for Serato forum e-mail and password
Message displayed:
"You should receive your invitation to your Serato.com registered email shortly. Please ensure you check your SPAM or Junk folder if it does not appear in your inbox. If you do not receive your email within a reasonable period of time, visit Promo Only for help"
ClubBusta 10:25 PM - 5 April, 2012
cant even give the crap away right. bwahahaha.
djpuma_gemini 10:43 PM - 5 April, 2012
I hope they changed their chryon. That thing is god awful.
VJBill 11:00 PM - 5 April, 2012
not only has chryon not changed, they put it ~30 seconds in to beginning of video and incase you missed it, they drop it again ~30 seconds before the track ends. It displays on the screen for about 10 seconds each time.
VJBill 11:22 PM - 5 April, 2012
sorry, Not chryon - I was referring to how long the BIG A** text with song, artist, label and PO is on the screen, it sure takes up a boatload of real estate compared to most others I've seen.
Joee 11:42 PM - 5 April, 2012
Quote:
I hope they changed their chryon. That thing is god awful.

it's the same BIIIGGGGGGGGG!!!
DJMark 11:44 PM - 5 April, 2012
I don't think anyone's ever exceeded "my12inch" for sheer size and general ghastliness.
Henry GQ 6:20 AM - 6 April, 2012
they'll eventually get with the times..
ClubBusta 1:33 PM - 6 April, 2012
im gonna win the mega too! matter of fact i did! i hid the ticket in mcdonalds ill be right back and show it to you
djpuma_gemini 4:54 PM - 6 April, 2012
Quote:
sorry, Not chryon - I was referring to how long the BIG A** text with song, artist, label and PO is on the screen, it sure takes up a boatload of real estate compared to most others I've seen.


That's the one I'm talking about.
Granted 4 years ago video editors would use po vobs for their own edits, but that shit is gone and done, no one uses PO vobs for personal edits anymore, especially new stuff.

They can easily make it more like vj-pro and be way better off.
That text shit is utter crap on their vids and is the #1 reason why I stopped using their vids.

Use a nice small font
Title
Artist
small po logo and label

3 lines not 4 and no big ass
PROMO ONLY
Just use a logo.
Henry GQ 10:41 PM - 7 April, 2012
well which is a bigger company? and who has better resources? is it vision or promo only?


i wanna say promo only. they have all the audio contacts.. whether its country or house. they can come out with a service similar to mix show ingredients, and have intros and outros for their mp3s, and then use the same audio edits for their videos. could be a win win for consumers and the company.

but promo only is supposedly the service that comes out with shit super late.
DJ Sound Technique 9:44 PM - 8 April, 2012
I wonder who is riding who's coat tails here on the intro edit licencing.... Smash was better when they rode the grey line with the crooklyn clan edits and unauthorized remixes, time will tell
DJ Sound Technique 9:56 PM - 8 April, 2012
FYI I could not get the link for the Promo Only trial to work in IE or Firefox, only google chrome
djdalite 4:44 PM - 10 April, 2012
^ worked fine for me in firefox - i think they just had some issues when they first launched it.

im not a huge fan on the dl tool
marx 4:48 PM - 10 April, 2012
The file was being updated.

@djdalite, whats not to like? You can add to your queue to download later, or you can download immediately. What feature are you looking for?
djpuma_gemini 4:58 PM - 10 April, 2012
^I think he's talking about PO
djdalite 4:59 PM - 10 April, 2012
i guess i dont like the fact i cant remove the list of new available downloads in the available releases tab? i got all of the week 1 through 4 but i cant remove that from the list, if i accidentally view it, then it trys to re-download all the vids i already have
marx 5:07 PM - 10 April, 2012
Quote:
^I think he's talking about PO


Woops, wrong thread lol, I guess I have to blame the iPhone.
djlj 4:29 AM - 18 April, 2012
Video noob question time... what is it about the PO files that makes them suboptimal for VideoSL usage?
djpuma_gemini 5:09 AM - 18 April, 2012
Chyron
Big Chryon
Ugly Chryon
640x480 letterboxed mp4's with sub par audio and rarely any intros.

Did I mention the chyron?
skinnyguy 7:12 AM - 18 April, 2012
....and you can't access older releases.
DJ'Que 4:59 PM - 18 April, 2012
This is there format.

Video:

Format:.......H.264

Resoloution:> 720*480 HD

Frame Rate:.......29.97

Bit Rate:........3000kbps

Audio>>>

Format:....... AAC

Sample Rate:.........48000Hz

Channels:....2

Bit Rate:........370 kbps

Big Chyron
Long Chyron
djpuma_gemini 5:24 PM - 18 April, 2012
^here is the problem I see with those settings.

Video:

Format:.......H.264 (GOOD)

Resoloution:> 720*480 HD (BAD)

Frame Rate:.......29.97 (BAD)

Bit Rate:........3000kbps (Average)

Audio>>>

Format:....... AAC

Sample Rate:.........48000Hz (BAD)

Channels:....2

Bit Rate:........370 kbps (unsure why it's 370)

Big Chyron (BAD, Real Bad)
Long Chyron (Bad, Real Real Real Bad)

The good thing is it's h264. thats it
Henry GQ 7:58 PM - 18 April, 2012
they are already wrapping up a bunch of mobile djs. i see all my mobile friends talking about it..


should be interesting
DJ Brett B 10:04 PM - 18 April, 2012
promoonly.com

Quote:

Q: What is the resolution of the video?
A: There are two versions available in Hits HD, 720p which is 1280x720. And 360p which is 640x360.

Q: What is the data bitrate for the audio and video?
A: The 720p video is at 6mbps (6 megabits per second) with the audio encoded at 320 kbps (320 kilobits per second). The 360p video is at 2mbps with the audio encoded at 320 kbps

Q: What is the framerate for the HD video?
A: All of our HD content is 24 frames per second.

Q: What is the video encoded in?
A: The video is encoded in mp4 format using H264 at 6mbps for 720p and 2 mbps for 360p.

Q. What is the audio encoded in?
A. The audio is encoded in AAC 320 kbps.


Looks like someone showed them the way? I don't see anything wrong according to those specs. Video bitrate could be a little higher but that's about it.
djpuma_gemini 10:41 PM - 18 April, 2012
Looks like someone did show them the way.
Bout time.
Now if only they had more editors to make more videos.
djpuma_gemini 10:45 PM - 18 April, 2012
When did PO start this and do we get that with our free month if we have serato video.
Hitman303 10:46 PM - 18 April, 2012
I think the free month ended on March 31st
djpuma_gemini 10:54 PM - 18 April, 2012
great
ta2423 3:13 AM - 19 April, 2012
Quote:
I think the free month ended on March 31st

May 31st is when the promo ends. Most likely if you get in before 5-31 you
would still get a month. Having problems getting the promo code though.
ta2423 3:16 AM - 19 April, 2012
nik39 12:35 PM - 19 April, 2012
Quote:
promoonly.com

Quote:
Q: What is the resolution of the video?
A: There are two versions available in Hits HD, 720p which is 1280x720. And 360p which is 640x360.

Q: What is the data bitrate for the audio and video?
A: The 720p video is at 6mbps (6 megabits per second) with the audio encoded at 320 kbps (320 kilobits per second). The 360p video is at 2mbps with the audio encoded at 320 kbps

Q: What is the framerate for the HD video?
A: All of our HD content is 24 frames per second.

Q: What is the video encoded in?
A: The video is encoded in mp4 format using H264 at 6mbps for 720p and 2 mbps for 360p.

Q. What is the audio encoded in?
A. The audio is encoded in AAC 320 kbps.


Looks like someone showed them the way? I don't see anything wrong according to those specs. Video bitrate could be a little higher but that's about it.

But these specs are different to the actual file properties DJ Que has posted.
popnwave 1:36 PM - 19 April, 2012
@nik39 the ones Que posted are the ones they had been using before the new roll out. I am still stuck in the old pool. My biggest gripe is still the time table, they release stuff on monthly waves like their physical dvds. That would be my biggest issue with them at this point.

PO definitely has the tools and brainpower to do these releases right though. Not sure why it has taken them so long to shift gears.
Rick Hodgkins 1:41 PM - 19 April, 2012
Thats why I shifted to SV way back also, the releases.
Then there was an urban smash that wasn't on HV and I was told I needed to buy the Urban disc to get it....wrong answer my friends.
nik39 1:44 PM - 19 April, 2012
Quote:
@nik39 the ones Que posted are the ones they had been using before the new roll out.

Gotcha... thanks for the clarification.
Henry GQ 6:18 PM - 19 April, 2012
i think they are seening the demand for these kind of releases. i mean look at the success of smashvidz.. HUGE. now that they are with vj vision they are.. or were looking to take the industry by storm. but with promo only FINALLY stepping up.. this should be interesting battle

i wish both companies success because there is enough room! even with all the side bootleg sites. they will do very well!

im curious to see how promo onlys audio edits will sound. seeing how smashvidz wasnt always the best on that end. their outros were horrible.
djpuma_gemini 6:42 PM - 19 April, 2012
I'm curious to see if the chyron has changed.
I understand it has to be in place, but look how many times smash and xtendamix have changed theirs.
I hope to god they don't have the little PO that pops up every 30 seconds or so as well.

This isn't 2009 and no one is using their videos to sell for their own anymore (trust me)
djpuma_gemini 7:03 PM - 19 April, 2012
Ok, so I signed up and cannot see any HD files, but so far the old files are the same.

Neon Hitch - Luv U Better
Check this
www.djpuma.com

So that is a WS video that is letterboxed 720x480. aka, same old same old.
I know this is the old format and they have HD out now, but why still put out stuff like that.
Also their chryon is still atrocious.

I don't see any HD files in the one month free promo account so I can't comment on those.
I'm sure they're much better but the free sub is useless to any video dj.
DJMark 7:06 PM - 19 April, 2012
Was there ever a logical rationale for the black margins on all videos? Was that maybe supposed to look cleaner on old-fashioned CRT displays maybe?

What's weird is that the margins aren't consistent.
djpuma_gemini 7:09 PM - 19 April, 2012
It's because their process goes like this.

Get source file from label or whomever.
Encode it to vob, making it 720x480.
Use vobs for DVDS and then take same vob and render to mp4.
So if they got a progressive video at 24fps, they'll interlace it 29.97fps for dvd authoring.
That vob gets rendering down to mp4 at 29.97fps with black bars and that is your mp4.

It's the way they've done it for years and now they finally are going HD, but I can't access any free ones to see how they look.
DJMark 7:17 PM - 19 April, 2012
Quote:
It's because their process goes like this.

Get source file from label or whomever.
Encode it to vob, making it 720x480.
Use vobs for DVDS and then take same vob and render to mp4.
So if they got a progressive video at 24fps, they'll interlace it 29.97fps for dvd authoring.
That vob gets rendering down to mp4 at 29.97fps with black bars and that is your mp4.

It's the way they've done it for years and now they finally are going HD, but I can't access any free ones to see how they look.


Well yeah but none of that explains why they've been adding the black margins...

Also why would they need to be interlacing progressive 23.976fps and changing it to 29.97? DVD players have supported progressive output for many years...and I've got plenty of DVD's that, when ripped, reveal themselves to contain 23.976fps non-interlaced content.
DJMark 7:27 PM - 19 April, 2012
Maybe the workflow was actually originally designed for videotape distribution...that would at least explain the insistence on converting/interlacing everything to 29.97, if not the black margins.

I don't recall ever hearing about any Promo Only videos on tape though....hmm.
popnwave 8:19 PM - 19 April, 2012
It was Wolfram Video back in the day.. PO never issued anything on VHS once they bought out that library. I am sure if someone asked on their facebook page Nick might (or might not) chime in on their flow.
ClubBusta 8:32 PM - 19 April, 2012
puma like i said before same old same old garbage. i should have posted the spec earlier and saved everyone the trouble my bad really. sorry. henry all respect but what the hell you talking about? really man give it a rest. you sounding like a pissed offf employee now
djpuma_gemini 8:58 PM - 19 April, 2012
yeah the weekly stuff is same old crap.
I'm sure HD is just that HD and proper videos, but can't see anything to comment, hopefully they don't have the same chryon, but it really wouldn't affect me as I don't use PO and only want to see one to critique it.
popnwave 9:23 PM - 19 April, 2012
I'll bug one of the guys there for a sample of the new 24p stuff.
djlj 4:51 PM - 20 April, 2012
If nothing else, let us know what the graphic overlays are like... if they're the same on the new HD content, that would be disappointing.
Culprit 6:56 PM - 20 April, 2012
They have the sources, they just need the right guy to run the encoding department, setup a good system like smash has setup. It all depends if they want to invest in the time to do it.
djpuma_gemini 8:45 PM - 20 April, 2012
Well that's the thing. I don't know who is editing overthere.
I've seen some PO vobs with Tony macaroni on it and have no clue who the hell that is.

I'm surprised PO hasn't chimed in here yet like SP did on the other threads.
I'm sure they're watching, but unsure why they haven't chimed in or asked for help. haha
djpuma_gemini 11:09 PM - 20 April, 2012
OK, I just checked out a 720P vid from them.

It's 720P but a FS vid, not sure why they did that.
Same ugly text and their ugly ass chryon pops every 30 seconds or so.

Sorry to say, but if Promo Only wants to be taken seriously they need to change for the better.

I can't recommend them even if they were my last resort.
If they don't care about dj's then maybe they shouldn't go all digital and just stick to DVDS for bars.
DJ Mo Radio 5:39 AM - 29 April, 2012
I have Video-SL. Does that mean I get the free Promo Only videos? If so, I have already registered my program & I don't know where to go from there.
JOvercash 6:02 AM - 29 April, 2012
I never got my email from them with the promo code or whatever in it. I guess I should shoot them a message.
ta2423 8:02 PM - 30 April, 2012
Same here... Even sent them a message with no reply.