Avid Knowledge Base

Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon 1.4 GHz or higher (2.4 GHz or higher recommended). Intel Pentium HT or AMD Athlon 2.4 GHz or 1.6 GHz Dual core required for Windows Vista.
512 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended). 1 GB required for Vista (2 GB recommended).
Windows XP with SP2, or Vista.
DirectX 9 or higher compatible graphics card with 64 MB (128 MB recommended).
DirectX 9 or higher or compatible sound card.
150 MB of disk space to install software.

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Where can I find support for Pinnacle VideoSpin?

Technical support is not provided for this free product. Check out the Pinnacle VideoSpin resources pages Pinnacle VideoSpin software is provided "as is". This means Pinnacle does not guarantee this software's compatibility with any particular computer system, or various components installed on it. Additionally, Pinnacle does not assume any technical or customer support responsibilities for Pinnacle VideoSpin by phone, e-mail, live chat, or fax. Because of the widespread, free nature of this release, we invite users to become a part of our online community to obtain and share information with other users.

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What is the latest version of Pinnacle VideoSpin?

The latest version of VideoSpin is version 2.0.1, published on November 25th, 2009. Version 2.0.1 is a patch version that applies onto VideoSpin version 2.0.0.669.

Click here to download the VideoSpin 2.0.1 Patch

Note: The 2.0.1 Patch only resolves an issue with direct YouTube upload.

If you have a version previous to 2.0.0.669 installed, you must uninstall the previous version first and then install the 2.0.0.669 version first and then apply the 2.0.1 patch. The data associated with projects that you may have created with VideoSpin will not be deleted.

You will find the download link to the latest full version (2.0.0.669) from the home page of the VideoSpin web site

If you received VideoSpin with a 3rd party device (such as a camcorder): Your version of VideoSpin might be different from the download version. So if you have installed a previous version of VideoSpin, you must uninstall the previous version first and then install the version you received with your 3rd party device. The data associated with projects that you may have created with VideoSpin will not be deleted.

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What are the new functions of the latest release?

New functions in VideoSpin 2.0.1

Resolved an issue where direct upload to YouTube ceased functioning.

New functions in VideoSpin 2.0:

Widescreen YouTube upload with higher quality settings
Fit-to-Fill timeline
Pinnacle TV Links - In the Help menu and in Smart Message
Content Download Support: Users will now have the ability to download VideoSpin content to install and use in the application
Import and Export Support of .mov files
Introduction of the SpinPack (previously Advanced Codec Pack) with updated codecs that now include AMR Audio and .mov video
3GP Import and Export for mobile videos - if SpinPack is purchased (unlocked); requires AMR
Support of iPod, PSP and Real Media output options in the SpinPack

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Where can I find a manual for VideoSpin?

An online help is available from the Help menu of VideoSpin.
You can also access to the online help from the following locations
English - French - German - Spanish - Italian - Dutch

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What are the CODEC supported with VideoSpin?

The following codecs can be used for import and edit:

Import

Video: (.avi, mpg, .mpeg, .mod, .mp2, .mp4, .wmv)

AVI (DV AVI)
MJPEG
MPEG-1
MPEG-2 (optional) MPEG-4 (optional)
DivX (optional)
WMV
MOV
3GP (optional)

Audio: (.Wav, .mp3, .mpa, .m4a, .wma, .AVI)

Dolby 2ch (optional)
MPEG-1 Layer 2
MP3 Audio

Export

Video:

AVI (DV AVI)
MJPEG
MPEG-1
MPEG-2 (optional)
MPEG-4 (optional)
DivX (optional)
WMVReal Media
MOV
3GP (optional)

Audio:

Dolby 2ch (optional)
MPEG-1 Layer 2
MP3 Audio
AAC (optional)

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Can you capture with VideoSpin?

VideoSpin does not have the ability to capture video from tape-based video cameras. What this means is Video spin has no way to control any capture device you may have on the computer. No Capture devices like DV cams or Dazzle devices will work. You can use the import feature to bring in media directly from your hard drive.

There are different ways to store Media files.

CD/DVD
Hard drive
USB Stick;
Tape

The first three options can be brought in through the import feature.
Note: Pinnacle VideoSpin can not import a DVD or amini-DVD.

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When I go to www.videospin.com and hit "Need some help", I can not see the FAQ button.

This is a problem with the Firefox internet browser. You may be able to see the FAQ button in the image of Video spin on upper right hand side of the screen. You can also find the FAQs from within VideoSpin by clicking on the Light bulb Icon on the upper right hand side of the screen. Or click here.

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Can I burn a DVD with VideoSpin?

No VideoSpin does not have the capability to make DVDs or CDs, it can only make files on your hard drive. For disk burning capabilities you can upgrade to the full version of Studio.

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Installation

Why do I need a fast Internet access to install VideoSpin?

The VideoSpin installer you downloaded is a large file (approx. 150 MB). So we recommend you having a fast internet connection when downloading VideoSpin

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What are the screen resolutions supported by VideoSpin?

VideoSpin is only supporting 1024x768. If your screen resolution is higher (i.e. 1280x1024), VideoSpin will be open in a window

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Error message "The unlock key is not valid" when entering an activation key manually in VideoSpin.

Activation keys are used to unlock some functionnalities of your software (special effects, plugins etc.) and are generated based on the passeport of your computer.

If you have reformatted your hard drive or are installing VideoSpin on a new computer, you will have a new passport number on this computer and your previous activation keys will not work anymore.

You will have to regenerate and re-enter the activation keys for any premium content (i.e. Advanced CODEC) that you have previously purchased and unlocked.

Also, if you install a more recent version of VideoSpin on a different computer (or your reformated your computer), you will have to regenerate your existing keys in order to use them with your new version of VideoSpin.

Notes:
1) Regenerating existing keys is free.
2) If you register a new version of VideoSpin, you should use the same email address than for your previous version of VideoSpin or your existing activation keys will not be available for your new version.

Activation keys can be regenerated using the following steps.

Your computer is connected to Internet

In VideoSpin, click on Help and select Regenerate unlock keys.
Enter your email address. The new passport will then be automatically filled. Validate
The new keys will then be generated and automatically entered into your software. You can also print the keys. An email will also be sent to your email address.

Your computer is not connected to Internet

In VideoSpin click on Help -> My Passport Write down your passport number which is a sequence of 5 sets of 5 digits. Since this is 25 digits log, many customer prefer to copy and paste the numbers into the field in step 3. Keep this window open.
Go to our Unlock Site to regenerate the activation keys.

Fill out the screen:
Email address:
Passport: from step 1 above. Either manually type it in or copy and paste each 5 digit string into the space provided.
Preferred Language: leave this set to English in most cases

Note: Your Activation Keys will be emailed to this address. It is important to use the same email address than the one you used to register your software. If you changed your email address, you will have first to update your registration profile and then regenerate your keys.

Once you have the email with your new activation codes, you can then enter them in Studio:

In VideoSpin click on Help -> Enter Activation Keys
Enter the activation keys in the space provided and when finished click OK.

You can view your activation keys by pressing Help -> View Activation Keys

If you are not able to regenerate your activation or get an error message, please contact our support with the following information:

list of unlock keys to regenerate
email address used to register your software (if you changed your email address, please also mention your new email address, and our technician will update your profile)
your new passport
reference of your orders when you purchased the unlock keys

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I have some font problems after installing VideoSpin.

This problem was reported for some languages (as Italian) if you are installing VideoSpin 1.1 over an existing installation of VideoSpin 1.0.

You just need to reinstall VideoSpin 1.1 or 2.0 to solve the problem.

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Edit

VideoSpin projects opened in Studio can no longer be edited in VideoSpin.

Once a VideoSpin project has been opened in Studio, that project can no longer be edited in VideoSpin. The correct procedure is to continue any editing within Studio.

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VideoSpin projects are not playable in Studio version 10.7 or earlier.

Project files created with VideoSpin will not play back properly in Studio version 10.7 or earlier. In this case the preview window will only display an exclamation mark and video clips on the timeline will appear grayed out. It is required to have Studio version 10.8 or higher installed to correctly preview these projects.

Click Here to download the Studio version 10.8 patch.

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How to import media from a device in VideoSpin?

This feature of VideoSpin that allows you to locate still images and movies stored on auxiliary devices on your system and copy selected items onto a local hard drive for access through the album.

What can be imported?

To appear on the list, a device must offer the widely-supported Mass Storage Devices interface. Those requiring TWAIN or other protocols must be accessed with appropriate third-party software.

Devices that often contain importable media include:

External optical disc drives, hard drives and flash memory drives
Camcorder or digital camera on-board drives which use optical discs, hard drives, or flash memory drives.

How do you import the media?

1. Open the Import Media interface
Please select File, "Import Media from Device" or select the "Import media from device" button located in the album
Once this is done, the Import Media tool will be displayed:

2. Select the media to import

The Show Video and Show Photos checkboxes let you specify which kinds of media files to list. By default, both video and photos are shown. You can select multiple files to import by using standard Windows mouse and keyboard commands, along with the Select All and Deselect All buttons as required.

3. Import Options (Refer to the Import Media interface image above)

Renames Files: Check Rename Files if you would like the names of all the imported files to share a common stem. For instance, if you check Rename Files, enter the word "Monday", the import some JPEG files, the imported files will be called "Monday 1.jpg", "Monday 2.jpg", and so on.
Delete files on source device after import : If you would like to reclaim storage space used on the device by the imported files, you can select this option.
Video and Photo Destinations: By selecting the file folder icons you can choose the destination folder for your imported videos and photos.

4. Import

Click the Import button to import the selected media.

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How to import a DVD Titles to VideoSpin?

VideoSpin does not have a DVD import functionality. You will have to use a third-party application to convert your DVD to a video file (as DivX or MPEG-2). Then you will be able to import the video files into VideoSpin.

Note: Studio is offering a DVD import functionality.

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Can I create my own titles with VideoSpin?

Position the mouse cursor over the Title track and do a right-click. Select "Open the Title Editor", or simply double-click on the Title track. The Title Editor will then be open with an empty window.

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Can I create scrolling titles with VideoSpin?

Yes, this feature is available in VideoSpin. In the Upper-left corner of the Title editor there are buttons for both Roll and Crawl.

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In Edit, if I pull down the Transitions Tab there is a "more Transitions" option, but I see no Transitions to purchase when I select it.

The "More Transitions" selection takes you to the VideoSpin Upgrades page. At this time we only have the advanced codec pack as an add-on and the option to upgrade to Studio 11 Plus.

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There is a Blue exclamation point in the preview window of VideoSpin.

The cause of this problem in most cases is the project asset that that the timeline is on has been moved or is missing.

Here are some examples of missing assets:

Still image files like JPG and BMP files
Video clips
Custom titles or Menus

Any of these items will cause this problem if they were in one location on the hard drive and moved to another. VideoSpin will search for missing media whenever a project is opened. So if you have missing media, close the project and open it again.

If closing and opening the project does not help, please try and move the files back to the original location.

In some cases it may be caused by a removable drive coming back with another drive letter. If you can not change the drive letter back or do not know what the letter was then follow the steps below.

Delete any part of the project that has the blue exclamation point.
Copy the whole project on the time line.
Go to File, then new project.
Now paste your project into the new project
Now add the images and titles you had to remove in the old project.

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When attempting to import WMA files with DRM (Digital rights management) VideoSpin will not open them.

WMA files with DRM are copy protected files. VideoSpin does not bypass this copy protection and will not be able to import files of this type.

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What are Auxiliary Files?

Auxiliary files are files that Studio generates in many circumstances as you edit and output your project. These are all stored under the disk folder specified in the image below. Click the file folder icon to change the auxiliary files' location. This is often done to save space on a particular drive.

The Delete button opens the Delete Auxiliary Files dialog, which lets you recover hard drive space by deleting files created while your project was being rendered. Auxiliary Files can also be deleted by selecting File - Delete Auxiliary files within Studio.

If a problem occurs during the render process, it is best to delete the auxiliary files before rendering again

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How do you add a transition to a project?

1. Click on the transitions Tab of the album.

2. Chose the transition you want.

3. Drag it down to the timeline and into the video track. Once in place you can adjust its length by dragging the front or back edge foreword or backward.

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How to use Pinnacle Video Transfer files in VideoSpin.

VideoSpin can import and edit the files created with Pinnacle Video Transfer. It is not possible to capture directly into VideoSpin. The files must first have been created on a flash stick or USB hard drive.

There are two ways to bring in files into VideoSpin.

Method 1: Select video files from a folder

For this method, select the file folder icon indicated by the red square in the image below.

Next, browse for the desired video file. The file(s) will either be located on the flash drive or USB hard drive, or if you moved them to a location on your computer, browse to that location. Select the desired file and click Open. See the image below for an example.

Method 2: Import media from a device

For this method, select the arrow icon indicated by the red square in the image below.

This will open the Import Media window. This method imports the video file directly from the flash stick or USB hard drive. Select the drive letter associated with the flash stick or USB hard drive in the Source pull-down. Once this is done, it will display all importable video files on that device. Select the file(s) that you want to import and click the Import button. See the image below for an example. The red squares highlight the Source pull-down and the Import button.

Once the files have been imported, you can edit them within VideoSpin and export them to one of the available file formats or you can upload them to the web using Yahoo! Video or YouTube.

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Make Movie

I'm unable to upload directly to YouTube.

Recent changes in the YouTube infastructure has caused YouTube upload from Within VideoSpin to cease functioning. This can be resolved by downloading and installing the VideoSpin 2.0.1 Patch.

Click here to download the VideoSpin 2.0.1 Patch

Note: This patch only resolves the YouTube upload issue.

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What does the "Get more" button do on the Make Movie tab?

This button will take you to a page you can buy the advanced codec pack for VideoSpin or Purchase Pinnacles Studio video editing product.

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Output to the Web

Pinnacle VideoSpin can upload your video directly to web-sites (You Tube and Yahoo!Video), for sharing with a potential audience of millions of other Internet users.

As this selection depends on the "flavor" of your individual VideoSpin setup, we can only give generic information on the upload and share process in this manual. Follow the instructions in the Web Upload dialog and additional steps that may be necessary once you are logged in to your web application.

Yahoo Video

The two preset formats, Best Quality and Fast Upload, provide different combinations of frame size and video data rate:

·     Best Quality scales your video to a 640x480 frame size, and requires a data rate of 2000 Kbits/second.

·     Fast Upload uses a 360x288 frame size, and requires a data rate of 400 Kbits/second.

No additional format settings are required.

You Tube

One preset formats, Best Quality provides one combinations of frame size and video data rate:

·     Best Quality scales your video to a 360x288 frame size, and requires a data rate of 400 Kbits/second.

No additional format settings are required.

After selecting the preset you want, click the Create button. This opens the Web Upload dialog box, where you can enter editorial information about your production.

Set the title, description and comma-separated search tags as desired, then check a category in which your movie should be listed.

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Your login is refused when uploading to Yahoo!

You already have a Yahoo! account created and your login is refused when uploading a project to Yahoo!. We reproduced a problem under Windows Vista, when the system date is set to a date after the current date, then an error message "Invalid YahooID or password". Please set the date of your system correctly and the login should now be possible.

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Plugins (CODEC, Modules etc.)

What is SpinPack?

VideoSpin is capable of doing other really cool things - like creating your movie for playback on your iPod or PSP and using video from HD cameras or grabbing video with Dolby Digital Audio. These require special codecs (file types) that can all be purchased as part of the SpinPack, which will give you the best VideoSpin experience.
The SpinPack includes:

AMR Audio
MPEG-1
MPEG-2
MPEG-3/DivX
Dolby Digital 2 Channel Audio
3GP video

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Will VideoSpin still work after 15 days if I do not purchase the SpinPack?