Project settings not covered by manual in MF 6

[timofej]

As the subject says some of the project setting are not covered by the manual. A thorough person as I am may wonder about some of them. Right must be right, right?

All the questions below concern making a DVD, PAL in Ulead DVD MovieFactory 6.

1. When changing MPEG setting I can choose different frame types: frame-based, lower field first, upper field first.

I have captured and edited the video (DV-avi) with lower field first all the way. However, all the standard settings suggest frame-based. Is is a kind of DVD standard? Should I keep it or change it to lower field first?

2. Under the Compression tab I can choose either constant or variable data rate. Which one to prefer and why?

3. Which audio format to prefer MPEG Audio or Dolby Digital if I captured the audio in 16 bit with a standard DV camcorder?

4. In the Project settings I can choose the Field type between: No fields, Lower field first (DV) and Upper field first. How do these values correspond to the ones I choose under the MPEG settings as described in pos. 1 above? Which one I should choose and why?

5. As understand there is no way to delete objects in the templates of the menus. Why? It is very irritating. As I see it there is no way to start with a blank menu either. Nor to make these flying buttons stop. Etc, etc... Very frustrating and limiting if you ask me. However, it might be not the right thread to talk about. Sorry for that in this case.

I hope that you can help me at least with the first four questions above. Thank you.

[sjj1805]

Welcome to our forum.

1. You should keep the same frame types throughout from start to finish.
Generally speaking (like every rule there are exceptions)
Anything you grabbed from a digital camcorder via a firewire cable will be in Lower Field first. Therefore you do all of your editing, also author your DVD with the video kept in Lower Field first.

Anything grabbed from an analogue source such as a TV card will be in upper field first, so you do all of your diting and author your DVD with Upper Field First Settings.

Things from a Digital Camera or from your scanner will be frame based.

2. Constant is the normal setting.
Variable means that the computer has to work out where things have a lot of movement and so require a higher frame rate. Where there is little or no movement then a lower bit rate can be used. As you can imagine the computer has to do a lot of work to achieve this. The end result is a slightly smaller video file. This is usefull if you have a video that is just that little bit too big to fit onto your DVD and by using variable you now get it to fit.

3. All DVD players will play LPCM but that is fairly large.
All European DVD players and SOME NTSC (USA, Japan Etc.) will play MPEG audio but not all. Dolby is now for all intents and purposes universal and so I would suggest that you use Dolby.

4. This is the same as 1 above.
Think of the program having 3 separate and distinct modules
Capture
Edit
Author.

Whilst in most cases you probably use all 3, You may have gone directly to stage 3 and imported a video that you acquired via some other means
such as an internet download, used a different capture program.
Confusing I know but this is your safety net to ensure that everything is set correctly at the authoring stage.

5. There are a range of Ulead Products available some more expensive than others. To create a DVD Menu from a blank screen you would need the far more expensive DVD Workshop 2. Alternatively you can create a DVD Menu Template from scratch with PhotoImpact
Tutorial: PhotoImpact: Creating DVD Menu from scratch

[timofej]

Thank you very much, Steve! Very comprehensive answer as always! When I posted my question I hoped that it will be you who will answer.

Regarding my questions 1 and 4, I was confused that I had to provide the same information (the field order) in two places: in Project Settings and MPEG settings.

As I understand now the MPEG settings describe the field order of the final DVD and the Project settings the field order of my source. Since my source is Lower Field First the MPEG should be the same. Even if the presets suggest Frame Based.

2. My movie is very large (35 GB, almost three hours). I am adjusting the bit rate to just fit a 8,5 GB DVD. CPU time is not a problem. I can let the the computer use its hardware, that what I payed for when I bought it. So, I will choose the variable bit rate to avoid to run out of the DVD space.

3. Ok, DD it is.

5. That's a pity. I expected more freedom when making menus. I thought that MovieFactory was as comprehensive for making DVDs as MediaStudio Pro that I have used for 7 years now for editing video.

Thanks again for the great answer! Really nice to be able to get help.

[GeorgeW]

2. Constant is the normal setting.
Variable means that the computer has to work out where things have a lot of movement and so require a higher frame rate. Where there is little or no movement then a lower bit rate can be used. As you can imagine the computer has to do a lot of work to achieve this. The end result is a slightly smaller video file. This is usefull if you have a video that is just that little bit too big to fit onto your DVD and by using variable you now get it to fit.

2. My movie is very large (35 GB, almost three hours). I am adjusting the bit rate to just fit a 8,5 GB DVD. CPU time is not a problem. I can let the the computer use its hardware, that what I payed for when I bought it. So, I will choose the variable bit rate to avoid to run out of the DVD space.

I noticed that there's a common belief that VBR encodes automatically means "smaller" file. While this is TRUE in ULEAD software, it is NOT true with all software (outside of Ulead).

MPEG encoders usually allow for more variables for VBR encoding (i.e. MINIMUM, AVERAGE, and MAXIMUM bitrates). Ulead, however, does not allow you to enter all 3 (most of their out-of-the-box software). The bitrate you enter is actually the MAX bitrate. So, that is why you get a smaller file using VBR 6000kbps vs. CBR 6000kbps in ULEAD -- because the bitrate you are specifying is the MAX, and the AVG is actually slightly lower than 6000kbps (in this case).

But in other software, you are able to specify all three, or if only one, then that software might treat that as the AVERAGE bitrate -- so the file sizes would be about the same as a CBR encode at the same VBR encode. For instance, AVG VBR of 6000kbps should be about the same size as CBR 6000kbps (regardless of number of passes -- as long as the encoder maintains the specified AVERAGE bitrate for the encoding).

I only mention this in case users here decide to try other software, and automatically assume VBR = smaller file sizes (vs. CBR at the same bitrate). You have to know how the other software treats VBR encodes, and what parameters you are able to enter for the VBR encode.

Regards,
George

[timofej]

Thank you George for the clarification.

For this matter I have a question. When I put my source file in the project I can see a bar that shows how much space the file will take. The bar consists of three parts: green, yellow and red.

The meaning of the red part is clear. It shows how much the project exceeds the disk capacity.

But what do the yellow and the green parts show? Green is the safe space I suppose. The yellow then? Uncertain volume that might change during the rendition? Should I change the bit rate to try keeping my project within the yellow or the green parts of the bar?

[lazael]

5. there is no way to delete objects in the templates of the menus. Why? It is very irritating. As I see it there is no way to start with a blank menu either. Nor to make these flying buttons stop. Etc, etc...

But you can hide them - select the object / right click.

[timofej]

5. there is no way to delete objects in the templates of the menus. Why? It is very irritating. As I see it there is no way to start with a blank menu either. Nor to make these flying buttons stop. Etc, etc...

But you can hide them - select the object / right click.

Thanks for the tip but I have already found it. However, if it is a "hot spot" the object is still active during the navigation through the menu which is undesirable.

I have a different question now. I have ten chapters that I must have at the same page of the menu. Is it possible to make it in DVD MF somehow? If not is there other software that can manage it in an easy way?

I am very in a hurry now since I am leaving on Fiday this week to visit my parents that I have not seen for 3 years and want to have this movie with me. Thus, I don't really have time to learn another program. Of the same reason I would appreciate very much if somebody could answer on my questions pretty soon. Thank you in advance.