[delinquentdays]

Hi all, stay with me for a moment while I outline my query.
When I go to the local DVD store and hire a recent-release DVD (std def) it plays in really very good quality on my standard DVD player (which doesn't support HD or Blue-Ray). I'd love to be able to produce a DVD image that clear (or close to) myself...

I shoot on an HDRSR1, and use Ulead 11.5 for editing. I have the project settings correct, and always choose the highest output settings, but the the quality of the footage on the DVD has lost some quality. Whilst I appreciate that I am not burning to a DVD that supports higher definitions (and that there will be some loss of quality), I am convinced the software (or something I am doing with it) is removing more quality than it needs to in the rendering/conversion to VOB phases of the project. I personally think it could be the conversion to VOB that is creating the problem, as when I output to MPEG the quality is excellent. I'm also sure that the output settings are the same as the project settings. If I output to MPEG the quality is excellent

Could this simply be a bitrate issue? Are there other settings at play than can be tweaked? Are Ulead's rendering/VOB solutions problematic? Basically, how can I screw the best quality std-def DVD image out of Ulead 11.5?
Your thoughts etc are most welcome.
Andy M

[jaymac]

But vob only contains mpeg2 .Most editors only recode edited sections and for max quality on a dvd you are looking at 1 hour per dvd Std quality 2hours which is usually ok .Even a commercial movie can be compressed upto around 30/40% with little loss of course one does'nt do that

[delinquentdays]

Originally Posted by jaymac

But vob only contains mpeg2 .Most editors only recode edited sections and for max quality on a dvd you are looking at 1 hour per dvd Std quality 2hours which is usually ok .Even a commercial movie can be compressed upto around 30/40% with little loss of course one does'nt do that

I'm almost certainly doing something wrong, then! Most of my films are shorts ... less than 10 minutes ... and therefore should be able to be burned to std DVD and played back at a very high quality. As it stands, producing an MPEG2 file straight to my desktop has excellent quality, but converting to VOB on std DVD is quite a lot worse in quality. I've tried using variable bitrates upto 9,800 kbps without discernable results. I tend to go for bitrates around 7000. The project settings I use when uploading m2ts footage are:

PAL (25 fps)
MPEG files
24 bits, 1440 x 1080, 25 fps
Upper Field First
(MPEG-2), 16:9
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 15000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 224 kbps
MPEG audio layer 2, 48 KHz, Stereo

[jaymac]

Hi standard pal dvd video is 720x576 and interlaced with top field first dont know if that helps

[Mr Taylor]

Yes, I know what you mean.

How can the store bought DVD's be so clear.

I have been trying to get my stuff that clear for a while.

I have decided that the Studios that produce the Store DVD's have some impressive gear to kick out those DVD's.

Just try and freez frame a store DVD on your computer...you will see a perfect still with almost film like blur where movement is occuring.

Now try that with one of yours..even at an early stage in the workflow.

not so good.

Yes, they must have some fantastic codecs at work.
Not the sort of thing you can get in the consumer market.

[A n d r e w]

The codec is part of it. However, I wonder if you're doing two conversions here: one when you import your .mts video, converting to mpeg-2 in the process, and again when you export to VOB. If so, this may account for the drop in quality you're seeing - though bear in mind that DVD resolution is considerably lower than the 1920x1080 you're starting with.

Can you not match your project settings in ULead to the original footage (i.e. edit native AVCHD) and thereby only convert to mpeg-2 as you export to VOB?

[Mr Taylor]

Yes, I agree with Andrew.
Each time you shift from one code to another, you are going to loose some quality.

As well as that; each time you switch from one brand to another, you are going to loose quality.

I'm not so sure about Ulead.
Is it the right brand of gear to work well with your camera, computer and burner?

I'm curious as to how you are getting the data out of your camera and into the computer? what capture card are you using?

[Boostrail]

I sympathisise with the OP

Notwithstanding my other posts regarding converting cinema mode to 16:9 DVD which makes things even worse, I have never been able to produce a DVD with ULead or for that matter the 3 other Dv-avi captuire /edit/share packages that I have that does full justice to the original DV footage!. The .avi's look fantastic but even the straight conversion to DVD using any package I have turns a silk Purse into a Sows Ear I cannot see why this should be?

I am filling up a 1TB drive with video at 13GB/Hr and retain the DV tapes but why oh why can I not generate decent DVD copies of this footage? Edited or otherwise!

[rogs]

Originally Posted by Mr Taylor

I have decided that the Studios that produce the Store DVD's have some impressive gear to kick out those DVD's.

Not the sort of thing you can get in the consumer market.

Yup - you've nailed it!. The pros spend a lot of cash on their Mpeg2 encoders - from people like this Multimedia solutions - Custom Technology Corporation (and that's the budget end of their range!)


Nearest we 'amateurs' can afford is probably Canopus Procoder - and that's not cheap!

[Boostrail]

Sorry to bump this thread but the OP's problems are becoming very significant to me as I am trying to produce a decent distributable DVD copy of the DV-AVI of my sons wedding.

Firstly my video editing packages are all about 2007 vintage.

So I import DV-AVI via Firewire. The .avi replaypicture quality is excellent.
I have to edit out the ceiling/floor shots etc.
I burn this direct to DVD and the result is awful? why?
I save the edit as .avi and even this shows a minor degredation from the original, why?

I can now encode and/or burn the.avi using several packages but the resulting DVD is still awful???????????

[senu]

Try another Video Editing package if you can Sony Vegas MS trial is one to give a go

To be honest f you are aiming to produce SD DVDs, shooting on a camcorder whose native output is mpeg2 or AVCHD and then trusting leads encoder is not unlikely to raise this issue
IMHO producing an SD DVD video from a wel sorted MinDV camcorder is the least likely to result in loss of quality as the Dv AVI starting material is practicaly speaking the least compressed
HDV ( Hi def on MiniDv tape ) is another way
Hi def from SR1 as AVCHD is lovely to see but converting that to SD DVD ( VOB/Mpeg2) may result in a noticable drop in Quality
PM me I might have an idea...