Blu Ray Quality recording onto a DVD?

petet66

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I have a new Panasonic HD video camera (SD900) and am looking to find the best way to distribute high quality video to friends and family on disc.

I am able to transcode to a DVD successfully but this means a drop in image quality and I don't currently have a Blu Ray burner in my PC so can't burn Blu Rays. I was wondering if it was possible to burn a recording to a DVD-R in such a way that it will play back Blu Ray quality.

I understand that the capacity of a DVD-R would limit the max recording length quite substantially but is this even possible? I seem to remember from the early days of DVDs that a short length (around 20mins?) of DVD quality video could be recorded onto a CD-R in a way that a DVD player could understand (was it called Super Video CD?) so I am looking to do something similar with Blu Ray quality video on a DVD-R disc.

I am also open to any alternative suggestions!

Software-wise I have Adobe Encore CS4 and Sony DVD Architect.

Thanks for your help.
 
You can burn a Blu Ray volume to a DVD disc but there are some limitations.

As it's a non standard disc it won't play back on all Blu Ray players - I have tried a recent Sony, Samsung and Toshiba player with success but I don't think it will always work.

It certainly won't play back on a DVD player.

As you mention the duration will be limited, but more importantly the possible data rate will be limited to what can come off a DVD rather than a Blu Ray - you'll need to limit your data rate to something more like 10mbps rather than say 20mbps.

regards

Brian
 
Up to about 30 mins can be burnt to a DVD (double for a dual layer) of 1080i (1920 x 1080) at the bitrate used by most camcorders (average 17Mbps). If your camcorder has been set to record 1080p50 (assuming it can) then you can't even burn the footage to BD disc. All newer BD players will work with AVCHD (including the PS3).

AVCHD discs can be burnt using only free software

You don't mention an editor assuming you have one either

Edit a set of clips using a video editor and output as a 1080i avchd file.

You can use this file in tsmuxergui or add the first clip and then use the join option to add the others to the compilation window. Choose a file name and location click on the AVCHD option and then click on the start muxing option

tsMuxeR 1.10.6 - VideoHelp.com Downloads

Use IMGburn to burn the folders (BDMV and Certificate) produced to a DVD blank

The Official ImgBurn Website

Burn AVCHD with ImgBurn - AfterDawn: Guides
 
As you mention the duration will be limited, but more importantly the possible data rate will be limited to what can come off a DVD rather than a Blu Ray - you'll need to limit your data rate to something more like 10mbps rather than say 20mbps.

regards

Brian

It's the DVD player that restricts the data rate not the optical media. DVD's in a blu-ray player will easily handle Full-HD 1080i (average 17Mbps - peak around 25Mbps) using the AVCHD codec.
 
It's the DVD player that restricts the data rate not the optical media. DVD's in a blu-ray player will easily handle Full-HD 1080i (average 17Mbps - peak around 25Mbps) using the AVCHD codec.

OK, my experience is with edited material encoded as MPEG2 rather than AVCHD and I've found it choked at 20 mbps so had to lower it for reliable playback. The same material played back fine on all players from a Blu Ray disc which is what made me think it was the media.

regards

Brian
 
OK, my experience is with edited material encoded as MPEG2 rather than AVCHD and I've found it choked at 20 mbps so had to lower it for reliable playback. The same material played back fine on all players from a Blu Ray disc which is what made me think it was the media.

regards

Brian


For mpeg2 you need to be starting at around 25Mbps for 1440 x 1080 to match AVC/H264 1440 x 1080 at 12Mbps. Heaven knows what you would need for full-HD :D. Never tried any HD mpeg2 content on DVD blanks. Have you a HDV camcorder recorder by any chance ?

Graham
 
Up to about 30 mins can be burnt to a DVD (double for a dual layer) of 1080i (1920 x 1080) at the bitrate used by most camcorders (average 17Mbps). If your camcorder has been set to record 1080p50 (assuming it can) then you can't even burn the footage to BD disc. All newer BD players will work with AVCHD (including the PS3).

AVCHD discs can be burnt using only free software

You don't mention an editor assuming you have one either

Edit a set of clips using a video editor and output as a 1080i avchd file.

You can use this file in tsmuxergui or add the first clip and then use the join option to add the others to the compilation window. Choose a file name and location click on the AVCHD option and then click on the start muxing option

tsMuxeR 1.10.6 - VideoHelp.com Downloads

Use IMGburn to burn the folders (BDMV and Certificate) produced to a DVD blank

The Official ImgBurn Website

Burn AVCHD with ImgBurn - AfterDawn: Guides
Thanks to everyone for your help.

I have Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 (I have the full CS4 Master Collection) which doesn't appear to have an AVCHD export option via Adobe Media Encoder. Are there other options I can use?
 
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In another recent thread, grahamlthompson gave this good link
AVCHD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It was last modified on 1 Jan 2012.

Some quotes:
Blu-ray Disc players with "AVCHD" logo play AVCHD discs authored either on 8 cm or 12 cm DVDs. Players without such a logo are not guaranteed to play AVCHD discs.

[edit] Compatibility with Blu-ray Disc players
Although AVCHD shares many format similarities with Blu-ray Disc, it is not part of the Blu-ray Disc specification. Consequently, AVCHD-playback is not universally supported across Blu-ray Disc players. In addition, new developments such as 1080-line 50p/60p recording mode employed in some camcorders, are not compliant with the current Blu-ray Disc specification.


A conventional single-layer 12 cm DVD can store 35 minutes of video recorded at maximum bitrate allowed for DVD media by AVCHD specification - 18 Mbit/s. Smooth playback is not guaranteed if overall data rate exceeds 18 Mbit/s.
 
Should I use the H.264 output? There are H.264 and H.264 Blu Ray options.
 
What about burning the video as a 720p iTunes compatible file on a data DVD disc and then people can just load it into their iTunes/AppleTV for playback?

Looks as good as 1080p if encoded right...
 
Should I use the H.264 output? There are H.264 and H.264 Blu Ray options.

H264 is AVCHD. In Full H264/AVC. (Advanced Video Codec)
 
H264 is AVCHD. In Full H264/AVC. (Advanced Video Codec)
Thank you again for your help - there are two output options in Premiere Pro CS4 H.264 and H.264 Blu Ray. It might seem an obvious choice but should I choose the H.264 Blu ray option? Strangely that doesn't offer a progressive option, only interlaced whereas the standard H.264 option does offer progressive.
 
Thank you again for your help - there are two output options in Premiere Pro CS4 H.264 and H.264 Blu Ray. It might seem an obvious choice but should I choose the H.264 Blu ray option? Strangely that doesn't offer a progressive option, only interlaced whereas the standard H.264 option does offer progressive.

The only full-hd progressive option compatible with blu-ray is 1080p24.

You should output H264/AVC 1920 x 1080 interlaced 25fps for content intended for a DVD blank, ( it might say 1080i50, it might even say PAL) . The 50 refers to fields not frames. If you are starting with 1080p50 then 1280 x 720 50 fps may well be a better option.
 
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The only full-hd progressive option compatible with blu-ray is 1080p24.

You should output H264/AVC 1920 x 1080 interlaced 25fps for content intended for a DVD blank, ( it might say 1080i50, it might even say PAL) . The 50 refers to fields not frames. If you are starting with 1080p50 then 1280 x 720 50 fps may well be a better option.
Thanks again for your help and recommendations. Output from Premiere seems to be a bit of a dark art! I have spent a large part of the weekend trying to get some footage rendered out for YouTube is a quality I was happy with - detailed records of settings are highly important!

My Sony Blu Ray player is marked as being AVCHD compatible and I have rendered out a file to DVD which played but the playback was a bit stuttering. Would that be due to the data rate being set too high?
 
My Sony Blu Ray player is marked as being AVCHD compatible and I have rendered out a file to DVD which played but the playback was a bit stuttering. Would that be due to the data rate being set too high?

Possibly I have a sony blu-ray player which plays fine with the original 17Mbps camcorder video. If you rendered from an editor try setting the bitrate to 17Mbps.
 
Thanks again for your help and recommendations. Output from Premiere seems to be a bit of a dark art! I have spent a large part of the weekend trying to get some footage rendered out for YouTube is a quality I was happy with - detailed records of settings are highly important!

My Sony Blu Ray player is marked as being AVCHD compatible and I have rendered out a file to DVD which played but the playback was a bit stuttering. Would that be due to the data rate being set too high?


What did you set the mbps bit rate at, on all the software i have used the max has been 17mbps well below Blu Ray,playback for avchd discs i very accasionly do varies between 12-14mbps,i dont know how bad your stutter was some slight stutter can show on avchd discs compared to high perforforming Blu Ray.
 
What did you set the mbps bit rate at, on all the software i have used the max has been 17mbps well below Blu Ray,playback for avchd discs i very accasionly do varies between 12-14mbps,i dont know how bad your stutter was some slight stutter can show on avchd discs compared to high perforforming Blu Ray.

I would be inclined to try a different DVD blank. I use Ritek dye ones and playback is flawless. (ink jet printable 15p each in 50's).
 
I would be inclined to try a different DVD blank. I use Ritek dye ones and playback is flawless. (ink jet printable 15p each in 50's).

well as i use BD with its higher bit rate for all my edited film and avchd only at times i am not worried,one thing Graham verbatim blank dvds are as good as there are,but i have used all major brands.
 

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