I am creating a DVD for two different movie files which I have created within Ulead Video Editor 8.0. The movie files are created as Mpeg2 files in order to maintain the quality of the pictures. The finished movies play great within Windows.
I have created all my menus and linked to the movies which I created as per above. While the DVD is building I notice that it says the movies are being coverted for DVD use.
The completed DVD looks great, but when I play the movies I have multiple issues. First, the picture quality is considerably less than expected... and second, many of the pictures in the movie have a pulsing effect where the background or sections of the picture pulse (rather than being a flat still picture as it should be). I have spent weeks trying to figure out how to create my video files with high quality which will be carried over to the DVD, but I can not seem to figure out how to do this.
Does anyone have any suggestions for what settings should be used in rendering my video files so that the quality will remain once I add them to the DVD, or how to get DVD Workshop to retain the quality of my videos without adding the pulsing effect to the pictures?
I had DL'd the trial for Video Studio 10 since it claimed it could create DVDs for HD which I thought might solve my problem... but the lack of features within the DVD authoring tool cause me to think that this will not work.
Thanks,
Tomasina
Quality Problems with Videos in Completed DVD
In the Edit-Video window, there is a check-box that says Convert To Disc Template. Uncheck that box, and the video will not be re-coded. There is a similar check-box in the Edit-Audio window.
HD-DVD is a different animal... You need HD-DVD blanks and an HD-DVD player. (There is at least one DVD player that can play a regular DVD with HD-DVD data, but because HD requires more data, you can't fit a complete HD movie on a regular DVD.)...DVDs for HD which I thought might solve my problem.
[size=92][i]Head over heels,
No time to think.
It's like the whole world's
Out of... sync.[/i]
- Head Over Heels, The Go-Gos.[/size]
No time to think.
It's like the whole world's
Out of... sync.[/i]
- Head Over Heels, The Go-Gos.[/size]
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tomasina
I saw a similar suggestion in the DVD Workshop help file, but when I attempt to de-select this checkbox I find that it can not be changed.DVDDoug wrote:In the Edit-Video window, there is a check-box that says Convert To Disc Template. Uncheck that box, and the video will not be re-coded. There is a similar check-box in the Edit-Audio window.
I am assuming that DVD Workshop does not support Mpeg2 files, and thus forces the file to be re-coded, which results in the problems.
What video file formats will DVD Workshop not force me to re-code?
Ok, so I do not want to mess with HD-DVD. Really I just want Mpeg2 support so that I do not have to re-code my mpeg2 files... but if there is another fomat which DVD Workshop supports which will not degrade the quality of the pictures in the video I am all for it.DVDDoug wrote: HD-DVD is a different animal... You need HD-DVD blanks and an HD-DVD player. (There is at least one DVD player that can play a regular DVD with HD-DVD data, but because HD requires more data, you can't fit a complete HD movie on a regular DVD.)
Thanks for the help,
Tomasina
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skier-hughes
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I'm not usre why you think using mpeg files will retain the quality?
Depending on where your initial files come from and what choises you have, I'd always opt for a non-lossy format such as dv-avi over a lossy one such as mpeg.
Then when I'm done with everything I use this dv-avi file to make whatever I want, be it a dvd/web file etc....
As for WS, it does use Mpeg files. These have to be dvd compliant,so perhaps tell us the full details fo your mpegs and we can go further.
Depending on where your initial files come from and what choises you have, I'd always opt for a non-lossy format such as dv-avi over a lossy one such as mpeg.
Then when I'm done with everything I use this dv-avi file to make whatever I want, be it a dvd/web file etc....
As for WS, it does use Mpeg files. These have to be dvd compliant,so perhaps tell us the full details fo your mpegs and we can go further.
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tomasina
Thanks for the help.
Based on your response... I am begining to think that I am attacking this problem from the wrong angle. So, let me tell you about what I 'want' to do, and then you might be able to tell me if I doing this in the best possible way.
I have a number of digital pix from two semi-annual events which I am responsible for. I want to turn the digital pix into two video files (one for each of the semi-annual events) and then build a DVD for presenting the created video files.
I have currently been accomplishing this through the following process:
1 I create a project folder and insert all the digital pix for the desired video file, and organize them (via filename) into the order in which I wish them to appear in the video.
2 Using Ulead Video Editor 8 I create a video file from the digital pix which include background music, transitions, etc.
3 I compile the video in Ulead Video Editor 8 into an Mpeg format which will keep the quality of the digital pix (usually this is Mpeg 2 at a high resolution - possible with widescreen to avoid the bottom of the pix being cut off when being viewed on a television).
4 Once the video files are created, I use DVD Workshop 2 to create the DVD menus and link to the created video files.
5 I then create a DVD ISO using the 'Quality' setting (I want the digital pix in the movie to look as good as possible).
Following the above procedures creates a working ISO, but the digital pix in the movie are sometimes blurry, and there is a pulsing effect in many of the pictures in the resulting DVD (the effect does not exist within the independent video file).
So... should I be creating the source video differently or with a different tool? You mentioned creating the video as dv-avi, but I am not sure that Ulead Video Editor has this as a compilation type. I can create the video directly to a DVD-NTSC format using Video Editor... but the result is that the digital pix in the movie appear very pixelated.
Anyway, I hope that helps you understand what I am trying to do... I really appreciate your help.
Tom Salmond
Based on your response... I am begining to think that I am attacking this problem from the wrong angle. So, let me tell you about what I 'want' to do, and then you might be able to tell me if I doing this in the best possible way.
I have a number of digital pix from two semi-annual events which I am responsible for. I want to turn the digital pix into two video files (one for each of the semi-annual events) and then build a DVD for presenting the created video files.
I have currently been accomplishing this through the following process:
1 I create a project folder and insert all the digital pix for the desired video file, and organize them (via filename) into the order in which I wish them to appear in the video.
2 Using Ulead Video Editor 8 I create a video file from the digital pix which include background music, transitions, etc.
3 I compile the video in Ulead Video Editor 8 into an Mpeg format which will keep the quality of the digital pix (usually this is Mpeg 2 at a high resolution - possible with widescreen to avoid the bottom of the pix being cut off when being viewed on a television).
4 Once the video files are created, I use DVD Workshop 2 to create the DVD menus and link to the created video files.
5 I then create a DVD ISO using the 'Quality' setting (I want the digital pix in the movie to look as good as possible).
Following the above procedures creates a working ISO, but the digital pix in the movie are sometimes blurry, and there is a pulsing effect in many of the pictures in the resulting DVD (the effect does not exist within the independent video file).
So... should I be creating the source video differently or with a different tool? You mentioned creating the video as dv-avi, but I am not sure that Ulead Video Editor has this as a compilation type. I can create the video directly to a DVD-NTSC format using Video Editor... but the result is that the digital pix in the movie appear very pixelated.
Anyway, I hope that helps you understand what I am trying to do... I really appreciate your help.
Tom Salmond
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skier-hughes
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tomasina
Ok, here are my settings in video creation:
Created with Video Editor 8.0 with the following settings:
MPEG files
24 bits, 1280 x 720, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(MPEG-2) (Transport stream), 4:3
Video data rate: 18300 kbps
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
Here are my settings for the DVD creation:
MPEG files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: 8000 kbps
LPCM Audio, 48 KHz, Stereo
Tomasina
Created with Video Editor 8.0 with the following settings:
MPEG files
24 bits, 1280 x 720, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(MPEG-2) (Transport stream), 4:3
Video data rate: 18300 kbps
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
Here are my settings for the DVD creation:
MPEG files
24 Bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: 8000 kbps
LPCM Audio, 48 KHz, Stereo
Tomasina
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tomasina
I notice that Video Editor will let me create the file as:
Microsoft AVI files (*.avi)
AutoDesk Animation Files (.flc/.fli/.flx)
QuickTime Movie Files (*.mov/*.qt)
Mpeg Files (*.mpg/*.m2t)
RealNetworks RealVideo Files (*.rm)
Ulead Sequence Files (*.uis)
Windows Media Video (*.wmv/*.asf)
DVD Workshop will allow me to import:
Microsoft AVI files (*.avi)
QuickTime Movie Files (*.mov/*.qt)
Mpeg Files (*.mpg/*.m2t)
Windows Media Video (*.wmv/*.asf)
Is there a format other than Mpeg which I should be using?
Microsoft AVI files (*.avi)
AutoDesk Animation Files (.flc/.fli/.flx)
QuickTime Movie Files (*.mov/*.qt)
Mpeg Files (*.mpg/*.m2t)
RealNetworks RealVideo Files (*.rm)
Ulead Sequence Files (*.uis)
Windows Media Video (*.wmv/*.asf)
DVD Workshop will allow me to import:
Microsoft AVI files (*.avi)
QuickTime Movie Files (*.mov/*.qt)
Mpeg Files (*.mpg/*.m2t)
Windows Media Video (*.wmv/*.asf)
Is there a format other than Mpeg which I should be using?
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tomasina
I just tried creating a Mpeg file with the following attributes:
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 6000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
The Convert to Disk Template is still checked and locked... I am not sure what format allows me to uncheck that box.
MPEG files
24 bits, 720 x 480, 29.97 fps
Frame-based
(DVD-NTSC), 4:3
Video data rate: Variable (Max. 6000 kbps)
Audio data rate: 384 kbps
The Convert to Disk Template is still checked and locked... I am not sure what format allows me to uncheck that box.
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heinz-oz
Oh god, not sure where to start. 
Let me recap:
You want to make a DVD from digital images, right?
You want the aspect ratio to be 4:3, not wide screen 16:9, right?
Now, basics first, if you want to make a DVD you need to have a compliant mpeg2 file. An mpeg with a data rate of 18,300 kbps is not DVD compliant. Most DVD players will choke on anything encoded higher than 8,000 kbps.
Interestingly enough, you later convert your initial mpeg file into a different mpeg file. That is counterproductive to the extreme. Mpeg compression is lossy. That means, when you compress a file to mpeg, irrespective of the settings, some data from your video or images is discarded to reduce the file size. Now you compress that again to mpeg with a different bitrate, causing more data to be discarded, and expect that to look better?
Without going into too much detail, you are doing it all wrong and haven't understood, what it is all about.
Your images, I presume, are jpeg files, right.
You are mentioning Video Editor 8, is that MediaStudioPro 8 or VideoStudio 8? Not that it matters much for the following step.
Start a new project in MSP or in VS with the DV-AVI template for your TV standard, I presume this to be NTSC, and insert your images, in the intended order, on the time line. The time to display the image can be adjusted for each individually or you can chose a default duration for images.
Once you got all the images on the time line, done your transitions etc., added the sound track and narration use your editor to create the video file. The steps to take here differ, depending on which program you use. Set your mpeg properties to the correct frame size, frame rate and audio compression settings to get a compliant mpeg file. That's all you need to do. Afterwards, you import this mpeg file into WS or any other authoring program you like and create your menu structure. At the end, you can burn the result straight to DVD (although some here advise against that, works fine for me though), to DVD folders on your HDD or as an ISO image to be burned later.
That's it in a nut shell. There are a lot more details to keep an eye on but we can cover that later.
One more thing, images, especially high resolution jpegs with a lot of detail or horizontal lines, will display an annoying flicker on the TV screen. That is not a problem of MSP, VS or DVDWS but rather of the TV method of displaying it. You can try to overcome this by having the whole project in the editor as frame based rather than interlaced (field order) and/or introducing a slight motion blurr to troublesome images in an image editing program like ULEAD PhotoImpact or other image editors.
Let's see how you go with this. I would suggest not to burn your project to standard DVD blanks until you get everything right. Use RW discs until then because you can reuse unsatisfactory discs.
Let me recap:
You want to make a DVD from digital images, right?
You want the aspect ratio to be 4:3, not wide screen 16:9, right?
Now, basics first, if you want to make a DVD you need to have a compliant mpeg2 file. An mpeg with a data rate of 18,300 kbps is not DVD compliant. Most DVD players will choke on anything encoded higher than 8,000 kbps.
Interestingly enough, you later convert your initial mpeg file into a different mpeg file. That is counterproductive to the extreme. Mpeg compression is lossy. That means, when you compress a file to mpeg, irrespective of the settings, some data from your video or images is discarded to reduce the file size. Now you compress that again to mpeg with a different bitrate, causing more data to be discarded, and expect that to look better?
Without going into too much detail, you are doing it all wrong and haven't understood, what it is all about.
Your images, I presume, are jpeg files, right.
You are mentioning Video Editor 8, is that MediaStudioPro 8 or VideoStudio 8? Not that it matters much for the following step.
Start a new project in MSP or in VS with the DV-AVI template for your TV standard, I presume this to be NTSC, and insert your images, in the intended order, on the time line. The time to display the image can be adjusted for each individually or you can chose a default duration for images.
Once you got all the images on the time line, done your transitions etc., added the sound track and narration use your editor to create the video file. The steps to take here differ, depending on which program you use. Set your mpeg properties to the correct frame size, frame rate and audio compression settings to get a compliant mpeg file. That's all you need to do. Afterwards, you import this mpeg file into WS or any other authoring program you like and create your menu structure. At the end, you can burn the result straight to DVD (although some here advise against that, works fine for me though), to DVD folders on your HDD or as an ISO image to be burned later.
That's it in a nut shell. There are a lot more details to keep an eye on but we can cover that later.
One more thing, images, especially high resolution jpegs with a lot of detail or horizontal lines, will display an annoying flicker on the TV screen. That is not a problem of MSP, VS or DVDWS but rather of the TV method of displaying it. You can try to overcome this by having the whole project in the editor as frame based rather than interlaced (field order) and/or introducing a slight motion blurr to troublesome images in an image editing program like ULEAD PhotoImpact or other image editors.
Let's see how you go with this. I would suggest not to burn your project to standard DVD blanks until you get everything right. Use RW discs until then because you can reuse unsatisfactory discs.
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skier-hughes
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tomasina
Thanks for the help.. I will try this tonight and see how it goes.
I have a question (and it may be answered tonight) based on the comment "Set your mpeg properties to the correct frame size, frame rate and audio compression settings to get a compliant mpeg file". What are compliant mpeg settings?
And, for the record, I am using MSP.
Thanks,
Tom
I have a question (and it may be answered tonight) based on the comment "Set your mpeg properties to the correct frame size, frame rate and audio compression settings to get a compliant mpeg file". What are compliant mpeg settings?
And, for the record, I am using MSP.
Thanks,
Tom
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skier-hughes
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Unfortunately compliant files can vary quite a lot, unlike say digital video files which only have one set figure.
As you don't really know this, it may be best to save your file as a Microsoft avi, then import this into Workshop and get workshop to do the encoding for you, then you won't have to mess with setting compliant files first.
Can you tell us the proper name of the editor you are suing please?
As you don't really know this, it may be best to save your file as a Microsoft avi, then import this into Workshop and get workshop to do the encoding for you, then you won't have to mess with setting compliant files first.
Can you tell us the proper name of the editor you are suing please?
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tomasina
I think you could do with browsing through our Tutorial Sections perhaps starting with this one:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=13421
I think you could do with browsing through our Tutorial Sections perhaps starting with this one:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=13421
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tomasina
The editor I am using is Ulead Video Editor 8.0 as found in MediaStudio Pro 10... and DVD Workshop 2 (SP1) for the DVD creation.
I read through the tutorial you suggested... but am not sure if it applies to my situation. I am working only with .jpg files which I simply want to convert into a movie file for inclussion on a DVD.
After reading your post on file types I tested a bunch of different types, and this is what I found:
Microsoft AVI files (*.avi) - Uncompressed AVI looked great (the pictures in the completed video looked as good as the orignal jpg's) but the sound was strange in that the music came and went and was very choppy. If I compressed the AVI (using various compression types) the video quality dropped considerably but the music was good again.
QuickTime Movie Files (*.mov/*.qt) - The QT format look great (the pictures in the completed video looked as good as the original jpg's) but the video did not play smoothly... it would pause at random times and then 'catch up'... other than that (and the large file size) it was great.
Mpeg Files (*.mpg/*.m2t) - Mpeg2 can creae a decent video quality, but DVD Workshop will NEVER recognize it as a compliant video and forces me to convert it as the DVD is being built which greatly reduces the quality. I have tried all sorts of settings, but every time DVD Workshop wants to rebuild it.
Really what I am trying to do is just have a movie file that will have a decent quality when added to a DVD with DVD Workshop. I can create great Mpeg files that look great, but as soon as I add them to DVD Workshop they look very 'pixelated'. If the AVI method would not result in the sound problems I would use it... but for some reason the sound always has problems when I build the AVI.
I appreciate your help, I am the first to point out that I am not the most knowledgable in this area... but I am trying to understand this so that I can create a decent DVD on a continual basis... and so far I have been unable to do this. If there is a tutorial that is more related to what I am doing (as the current one spoke mostly about capturing video from a camcorder) I am more than willing to look at it... but I could not find one that related to what I am trying to do.
Thanks again!
Tomasina
I read through the tutorial you suggested... but am not sure if it applies to my situation. I am working only with .jpg files which I simply want to convert into a movie file for inclussion on a DVD.
After reading your post on file types I tested a bunch of different types, and this is what I found:
Microsoft AVI files (*.avi) - Uncompressed AVI looked great (the pictures in the completed video looked as good as the orignal jpg's) but the sound was strange in that the music came and went and was very choppy. If I compressed the AVI (using various compression types) the video quality dropped considerably but the music was good again.
QuickTime Movie Files (*.mov/*.qt) - The QT format look great (the pictures in the completed video looked as good as the original jpg's) but the video did not play smoothly... it would pause at random times and then 'catch up'... other than that (and the large file size) it was great.
Mpeg Files (*.mpg/*.m2t) - Mpeg2 can creae a decent video quality, but DVD Workshop will NEVER recognize it as a compliant video and forces me to convert it as the DVD is being built which greatly reduces the quality. I have tried all sorts of settings, but every time DVD Workshop wants to rebuild it.
Really what I am trying to do is just have a movie file that will have a decent quality when added to a DVD with DVD Workshop. I can create great Mpeg files that look great, but as soon as I add them to DVD Workshop they look very 'pixelated'. If the AVI method would not result in the sound problems I would use it... but for some reason the sound always has problems when I build the AVI.
I appreciate your help, I am the first to point out that I am not the most knowledgable in this area... but I am trying to understand this so that I can create a decent DVD on a continual basis... and so far I have been unable to do this. If there is a tutorial that is more related to what I am doing (as the current one spoke mostly about capturing video from a camcorder) I am more than willing to look at it... but I could not find one that related to what I am trying to do.
Thanks again!
Tomasina