Correct setting for burning DVD

[kelleen]

When burning a project to DVD, what should the MPEG settings be? The display aspect ratio is 4:3, field type is 'no fields', and the "do not convert compliant MPEG files box is checked. The MGPEG properties box is showing MPEG files, 720 x 480, frame-based, DVD-NTSC 4:3, video data rate variable, audio data rate 256, and dolby digital audio 48 KHz, 2/0(LR). Should I check the box for Two pass conversion?

[Ken Berry]

If you are using video, as opposed to a slideshow, in the DVD and you intend it to be played back on a standard TV (i.e. one without digital/high definition progressive scan), then you cannot use frame based. It must be upper or lower field first. But that in turn will depend on the field order of your original video. If you right click on one of your original files within Video Studio, either in the Library pane or in the timeline, it will tell you whether it is Upper or Lower Field First. And you have to maintain that throughout your project including in the burning to disc.

Otherwise, you properties look fine. However, you don't give a compression rate. 8000 kbps will allow about 75 minutes to be burned to a single layer DVD (since you are using Dolby audio) at high quality. If you used LPCM audio, you would only be able to burn about 1 hour. If you use a bitrate of 6000 kbps, you can burn around 105 minutes at good quality; and 4000 will allow probably around 2.5 hours at reasonable quality. But lower than that, they quality drop will be quite noticeable.

Two pass conversion will give you higher quality, though it will take much longer.

[leungjoseph]

I am new to this ULead Video Studio. I just download a trial version and plan to do some testing before I proceed to purchase.
I tried to convert my 60 min miniDV to a DVD. (4.7GB)

I use the 'burn the whole tape' and try a DVD+RW and DVD+R disc.

Everything looks perfectly fine, but an error pop up at end of the 'Burning' process - 'Fail to burn DVD'.

I am not sure it is becasue of a trial version issue, or I am using an incorrect DVD disc - should I use DVD-R?

I don't see much setting in the application about the DVD writer or format. It looks like everything is automatically set...

Any suggestion? Thanks.

[Clevo]

I am new to this ULead Video Studio. I just download a trial version and plan to do some testing before I proceed to purchase.
I tried to convert my 60 min miniDV to a DVD. (4.7GB)

I use the 'burn the whole tape' and try a DVD+RW and DVD+R disc.

Everything looks perfectly fine, but an error pop up at end of the 'Burning' process - 'Fail to burn DVD'.

I am not sure it is becasue of a trial version issue, or I am using an incorrect DVD disc - should I use DVD-R?

I don't see much setting in the application about the DVD writer or format. It looks like everything is automatically set...

Any suggestion? Thanks.

Definitely try the DVD-R...

[leungjoseph]

Thanks.

Any particular setting I should be aware while doing this DV-to-DVD upload? like 4:3 or 16:9 ... etc

[Clevo]

Thanks.

Any particular setting I should be aware while doing this DV-to-DVD upload? like 4:3 or 16:9 ... etc

If your video is 16:9 then keep the aspect ratio the same.

If you have mixed aspect ratio's there could be trouble ahead for you.

I have never used the DV-to-DVD feature in VS11+ as I prefer to manually edit the video and out put from there.

Do a forum search of "Suggested work flow" as I found this easy to follow and got great results.

[2Dogs]

I am new to this ULead Video Studio. I just download a trial version and plan to do some testing before I proceed to purchase.
I tried to convert my 60 min miniDV to a DVD. (4.7GB)

I use the 'burn the whole tape' and try a DVD+RW and DVD+R disc.

Everything looks perfectly fine, but an error pop up at end of the 'Burning' process - 'Fail to burn DVD'.

I am not sure it is becasue of a trial version issue, or I am using an incorrect DVD disc - should I use DVD-R?

I don't see much setting in the application about the DVD writer or format. It looks like everything is automatically set...

Any suggestion? Thanks.

Definitely try the DVD-R...

I'm sorry but I doubt that using a DVD+R disc in the burner will be the cause of a failed burn. From my interpretation of the post, the disc didn't burn and so wasn't even put in a DVD player to test it - so it's not that old DVD+R player incompatibility chestnut!

Instead, leungjoseph, please consider using the "suggested workflow" as described in the following link:

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=20224

This describes a workflow used by many people on this forum, which avoids exactly the problem you describe.

[leungjoseph]

Many thanks for the advice and particular the useful workflow link.

Quite helpful for me a new comer to this tool.

[leungjoseph]

Hi, I tried using DVD-R disc but still fail in the DV-to-DVD wizard.
It looks like all video capture and rendering did went successful, but when it hit try to burn to the DVD-R disc, the error msg pop up - 'Burn process fail...' ( or something like this ) i can't tell what is the cause of it..

I am doing the 'whole tape' copy to DVD-R, instead of scan the scene ...

There is nothing saying of 'DV-to-DVD' workflow in the workflow doc. I just simply want to copy the DV over to a DVD, and make no editing, title, chapters, etc.

[2Dogs]

Hi leungjoseph,

Hi, I tried using DVD-R disc but still fail in the DV-to-DVD wizard.
It looks like all video capture and rendering did went successful, but when it hit try to burn to the DVD-R disc, the error msg pop up - 'Burn process fail...' ( or something like this ) i can't tell what is the cause of it..

Right, that's why you should try using the recommended workflow instead!

I am doing the 'whole tape' copy to DVD-R, instead of scan the scene ...

There is nothing saying of 'DV-to-DVD' workflow in the workflow doc. I just simply want to copy the DV over to a DVD, and make no editing, title, chapters, etc.

If you intend to capture the whole tape and do no editing, you can save some time and some hard drive space by capturing your footage from your miniDV camcorder directly to mpeg-2 file. This generally requires a reasonably fast pc. It would be helpful if you filled in the "system" information in your Profile, so that we could see what kind of pc you have.

Anyway, with my own Pentium 4 2.8c cpu, I can capture direct to mpeg-2 from my miniDV camcorder using a maximum quality slider setting of 83%. If you have a faster cpu, you may be able to go all the way up to 100%. What you need to avoid is for capturing to stop whilst the "transcode buffer" is flushed. I find that this introduces a glitch into the captured footage. By default, VS will set the quality slider to 70%. You can either leave it at that, or increase it and see if it works at a higher value. If you open Task Manager and keep an eye on available memory, you'll see that capture is paused and the transcode buffer is flushed when the available memory drops to nothing. So if you're interested in getting the most out of it, increase the slider value and watch what happens to the memory whilst you do a shortish test capture. It is helpful to stop unnecessary programs and processes from running whilst you capture.

Assuming that the video is one hour or so long, you should use a video bitrate of 8000 kbps, set to lower frame first, and maybe use mpeg audio - but you could choose LCPM audio too.

If you can successfully do such a direct to mpeg-2 capture, you will have a large mpeg-2 file, in the region of 4GB. It should not be too difficult from that point to create a DVD from the file. Just use the "suggested workflow" and create your DVD from a new VS project file. Insert your 4GB+ mpeg-2 file in the "Share>Create Disc" step - do not have any video files on the project timeline. It sounds counter-intuitive, and is not what you might read in the VS manual, but it works for most people!

Try to follow these instructions and the steps in the "suggested workflow" and you should be able to make your DVD.

Good luck!

[leungjoseph]

Thanks a lot for the promptly response.
Will follow that workflow approach tonight try again.