making my DVD's, change in process but is it ok

[happyhero]

Hi I have VS11+ and it was recommended to me by videoman, when I asked for help, to make my DVD movies the following way which served me just great ,

Then once all your editing is complete, in VS go to the Share>Create Video File step, and choose NTSC (or PAL, depending on where you're located) DVD. This will render your project to a DVD Compliant MPEG2 video file. DVD(SD) specs require that the video files be in the MPEG2 format, not DV or AVI. This step may take several hours, depending on the complexity of your project and your computer.

Once your DVD Compliant MPEG2 file is completed, go tot the File menu and select New Project. This will clear the timeline. Do Not place anything in the timeline. Go back to the Share Step, and this time select Create Disk. This will open the Burn Module.

Now insert the DVD Compliant MPEG2 you just created. Continue on building your menus, adding chapters ect., until the final step, which is where you burn the disk, Create DVD Folders, or a Disk Image file. Since you have Nero, you can at this point uncheck the Burn to Disk option, and check the Create DVD Folders. This is what's commonly called burning to your Hard Drive.

Creating DVD Folders has the benefit of being able to view your finished product using a software DVD player, before burning to DVD. If there are errors, or you don't like something, you have not wasted any disks. You can go back to your project and make changes. Doing so, remember that you will have to render another DVD Compliant MPEG2, and go through the steps in the burn module.

Now if everything is great, you can open Nero and burn your DVD, using the DVD Folders that you created with VS11+.

But I have just realised that although I started off this way after a short break from making my DVD's, when I resumed I thought I was still doing them this way but had in fact changed what I was doing to the following.

At the CREATE VIDEO FILE (after doing all my editing and having my project ready on the timeline) stage right at the beginning I was now selecting SHARE instead and then selecting CREAT DISK which opens the BURN MODULE with my timeline piece already in place. After a couple of clicks and menu selections I get to the bit where it says CREATE DISC, which I uncheck and check CREATE DVD FOLDERS instead to create a copy on my harddisk before burning an actual disk with NERO.

Obviously I have spotted my error now although the DVD's I produced seemed fine and can rectify this but what I would like to know is what difference there is between the two ways, i.e. Am I losing anything/quality by doing it the latter way as it is quicker?

Can anyone break this down and explain the differences between the two ways, and the consequences for me please, as I cannot quite get to grips with what difference it makes.

[Ken Berry]

In effect, it makes no difference if you get a successful DVD at the end. The workflow described by vidoman is also the one I and many other users follow, but the way you are now doing it is used by many other users too. Both are valid, and indeed, the way you have 'discovered' is really the workflow described in the manual.

Vidoman's (and my) workflow is slightly more step by step. At some stage, your project is going to have to get converted into DVD-compatible mpeg-2. We do that after the editing (Share > Create Video File > DVD) and before opening the burning module. It just means that we are not loading an extra complex task into an already complex burning process.

That is what happens when you do it your new way. When, after editing, you choose Share > Create Disc, the project is automatically inserted into the burning timeline. But it will still have to be converted into mpeg-2, and that happens on the fly with the other complex burning tasks of creating a video of the menu, multiplexing the video and audio and actually burning the disc (or DVD Folder or disc image).

For many users with less powerfully resourced computers, this extra load was one too many and the burning process would hang. Reverting to our preferred workflow meant that their computers could cope.

So by all means continue your new way. But if you run into difficulties, just remember that there is an alternative!

[sjj1805]

happyhero
Please view Suggested work flow by SJJ1805 for Video Creation

Here I explain why Ron, Ken and myself do it one way but also acknowledge that either method will work.