Sony Movie Studio 11 - How to...

$lim$hady

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Hi Guys,

I have rendered some home videos in HD format (Mp4 files) each around 14GB, the footage is around 1hr 20 mins. I just store them on my NAS for streaming which works fine. I now need to create a DVD for family overseas to keep, how can I do this from Sony Movie Studio 11?
I attempted to make a DVD at the lowest resolution but the size was still 6Gb which won’t fit onto a DVD. Without a lot of effort and without being bothered about quality how can I create a DVD which fits?


Thanks.
 
The resolution should be 720 x 576 and the compression mpeg2. You need to adjust the bitrate to make the content fit on a DVD. If you use 2 pass variable bit rate you can get more on a disc but will take a lot longer to render.



To fit 1H 20 minutes on a DVD (PAL Countries) set the output to 720 x 576 mpeg2 25fps at about 7000kbps fixed bitrate. For NTSC areas you need 720 x 480 29.97 fps.

Once you have the file you need DVD Video authoring software (Sony Movie Studio comes with DVD Architect)

Handy calculator here

Bitrate Calculator
 
Whilst you're both right, I think OP can find a easy way to make DVD's - but only if the software has a "Make DVD" (might be under "Make Movie" tab on the Menu-bar.) - as I don't think Sony Movie Studio Renders and then leaves you with no DVD option . . .

OP can render to the lower quality (needed by DVD's), and then it should play on a conventional DVD/TV-player.....
(but the limit on a DVD still applies - I'm not aware you can squeeze several hours onto a DVD (other than using a HDD/DVD Recorder). However, longer recording times degrades quality. The alternative is to upgrade yr disc-burner to BlueRay ("Bare" about £70 or less) and it's possible to burn via a USB connetion, if OP doesn't want to fiddle with the PC.


An alternative is to buy a Production Suite version, for example v11 PS is often discounted, then maybe time to buy v12 PS which includes semi-animated text.
 
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harry,
where do you change the bitrate using Make Movie > Burn it to a DVD?
The OP's problem was that the file was too large (for a single-layer DVD).

I believe the basic version of Movie Studio will allow rendering to hard drive, but you do need authoring software as well then like graham said.
You can squeeze a couple of hours onto a DVD using lower bitrates, but the quality goes down.
 
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Well I don’t know if what I did was what you meant but I opened my 14GB Mp4 file and rendered it as Video for Windows AVI, which took 2 hours rather than 12 hours as originally so I thought I was on the right track. The quality is poor so got a shock when the file was still 13GB and now the size on DVD is still 4.79...

I have Sony Vegas HD Plat.
 
$lim,
did you read the advice given for making DVDs and the link I gave?
In Movie Studio Platinum 11 you have the MainConcept Mpeg-2 DVD Architect video stream (alternatively widescreen video stream) template for video and the Dolby Digital ac3 (alt. Wave MS, which takes more space on DVD) template for audio. Render using them as advised in the settings link and try customising the bitrate as advised. PAL or NTSC template depending on the area the DVD is going to used in.
No Video for Windows AVI was suggested to you.

Read here on DVD sizes (towards the end of this link)
DVD-Video Disc and Burner Formats; DVD-R vs DVD+R – The Digital FAQ – Media Guides & Services
 
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Well I don't know if what I did was what you meant but I opened my 14GB Mp4 file and rendered it as Video for Windows AVI, which took 2 hours rather than 12 hours as originally so I thought I was on the right track. The quality is poor so got a shock when the file was still 13GB and now the size on DVD is still 4.79...

I have Sony Vegas HD Plat.


The file format you should use for content for DVD is mpeg2 programme stream (.mpg). AVI isn't a file format it's a container which can contain an endless number of video formats from totally uncompressed content to tiny highly compressed video for use on a PC.

Try Project - Render As - Main Concept Mpeg2. Choose appropriate preset for example PAL Widescreen

Audio: 224 Kbps, 48,000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo, MPEG
Video: 25 fps, 720x576 Lower field first, YUV, 6 Mbps
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.457

Use customise to alter the bitrate to make the content fit on a blank disk.
 
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While the workflow graham suggests above will of course function, I'd still recommend encoding (rendering) video and audio separately like the Sony Knowledgebase article advises. If you choose to 'Include audio stream' in the DVD Architect widescreen video template, the audio will be recompressed in DVD Architect.

You can use 'Fit to disc' in DVD A > Make DVD > Optimize... to adjust the bitrate, but it's best to do the adjusting in the Vegas render template.

In the 'Make Movie (Burn to DVD)' wizard you cannot change the bitrate.

If you're burning the DVD for NTSC countries, e.g. U.S.A., don't use PAL.

Remember to change Project Properties in DVD A accordingly, before you 'Make DVD' there.
 
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